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English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes

Key details

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RL.1.1CCSS RI.1.1England: Y1 Reading (comprehension)England: Y2 Reading

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Key details.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Who, where and what happened?

Leads to: What is it mostly about?; Order of events; Finding and retrieving information

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Who, where and what happened?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Kai planted a seed. He gave it water every day. Soon a flower grew. What grew from the seed? (an apple / a tree / a flower / a carrot) → a flowerPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
  2. The wind blew Tom's hat into a tree. Tom began to cry. How did Tom feel? (sad / sleepy / happy / silly) → sadPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  3. Lia went to the beach. She dug in the sand and found a shell. Where did Lia go? (the park / the shop / the beach / school) → the beachPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

Hook · 3 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Key details. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Penguins are birds, but they cannot fly. They use their wings to swim. What do penguins use their wings for?
  • Step 1: The answer is stated directly in the text.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: to swim
  • Answer: to swim
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Owls sleep in the day. At night they wake up and hunt for mice. When do owls hunt? (at night / in the day / in the morning / after lunch) → at nightPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
  2. Ducks have webbed feet. The skin between their toes helps them paddle. What helps ducks paddle? (their beaks / their feathers / the skin between their toes / their tails) → the skin between their toesPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. The fire truck is red. It has a long ladder and a hose for water. What does the fire truck have? (wings / a bell tower / a long ladder / a sail) → a long ladderPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Who, where and what happened?.
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: What is it mostly about?; Order of events; Finding and retrieving information.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-1.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Key details

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How Bees Make Honey

Honey bees are busy insects. They live together in a home called a hive. One hive can hold thousands of bees. Worker bees fly from flower to flower. They suck up a sweet juice called nectar with their long tongues. They carry the nectar back to the hive in a special part of their body called a honey stomach. Back at the hive, the bees pass the nectar to other bees. These bees put it into tiny six-sided rooms made of wax. The nectar is still runny, so the bees fan it with their wings. This dries it out and turns it thick and sticky. Now it is honey! Last, the bees cover each room with a wax lid. The honey is saved for the winter, when there are no flowers.

  1. Question 1

    Read "How Bees Make Honey". What shape are the rooms in the hive?

    • A. six-sided
    • B. square
    • C. three-sided
    • D. round

From Egg to Frog

A frog starts life as a tiny egg in a pond. The eggs stick together in a soft, wobbly clump. A small tadpole hatches from each egg. A tadpole has a long tail. It swims in the water and breathes with gills, just like a fish. The tadpole eats and grows. Soon it grows back legs. Then it grows front legs. Its tail gets shorter and shorter. At last, the tail is gone. Now it is a frog! The frog can hop on land and swim in the pond. It breathes air with its lungs. It catches flies with its long, sticky tongue. One day, the frog may lay eggs of its own. Then the life cycle starts all over again.

  1. Question 2

    Read "From Egg to Frog". What does a tadpole use to breathe?

    • A. a nose
    • B. its legs
    • C. gills
    • D. its tail

The New Girl

On Monday, a new girl joined our class. Her name was Yuki. She had just moved from Japan and did not speak much English yet. At break time, Yuki stood by the wall on her own. She looked at the ground. I wanted to say hello, but I did not know any Japanese. Then I had an idea. I took my skipping rope over and held out one end. Yuki looked up. She smiled and took it. We skipped together until the bell rang, and we both laughed when the rope got tangled. Now Yuki is teaching me to count in Japanese, and I am helping her with English words. Ichi, ni, san – one, two, three!

  1. Question 3

    Read "The New Girl". What did the narrator use to make friends with Yuki?

    • A. a ball
    • B. a snack
    • C. a book
    • D. a skipping rope

Our Class Garden

Our class has a garden. It is next to the playground. In spring, we dig the soil. We plant beans, peas and sunflowers. Mr Okafor shows us how deep to make the holes. Every day, two children water the plants. Today it was my turn with Ben. We filled the watering can to the top. The sunflowers grow very fast. Now they are taller than Mr Okafor! The bees like them too. We see lots of bees on the big yellow flowers. In the summer, we will pick the beans and peas. The cook at school will make them into soup, and we will eat it for lunch. I can't wait!

  1. Question 4

    Read "Our Class Garden". Where is the class garden?

    • A. at Mr Okafor's house
    • B. in the park
    • C. next to the playground
    • D. on the roof

  2. Question 5

    Read "Our Class Garden". Who shows the children how deep to dig?

    • A. Mr Okafor
    • B. Ben
    • C. a farmer
    • D. the narrator

  1. Question 6

    Squirrels bury nuts in autumn. In winter, they dig them up to eat. When do squirrels dig up the nuts?

    • A. at night
    • B. in spring
    • C. in winter
    • D. in summer

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Answer key: Key details

  1. 1. A. six-sided

  2. 2. C. gills

  3. 3. D. a skipping rope

  4. 4. C. next to the playground

  5. 5. A. Mr Okafor

  6. 6. C. in winter