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

Capitals for names, days, months and places

Punctuation

CCSS L.1.2.AEngland: Y1 GPS (capital letters for names, places, days)England: Y2 GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Capitals for names, days, months and places.

  • 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: Start a sentence with a capital letter; Days of the week and months of the year

Leads to: Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names

Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Start a sentence with a capital letter; Days of the week and months of the year). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which sentence is written correctly? (the dog is wet. / The dog is wet / the Dog is wet. / The dog is wet.) → The dog is wet.Prompt: Look at the very first letter of each sentence.
  2. Which day comes before Thursday? Type it. → WednesdayPrompt: Say the days in order: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
  3. Fix the first word of this sentence. Type it with a capital letter. we went to the park. → WePrompt: Only the first letter changes.

Hook · 3 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Capitals for names, days, months and places. 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: Which word should start with a capital letter? My party is on saturday.
  • Step 1: Names of people, pets, places, days and months are proper nouns: they need capital letters.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: saturday
  • Answer: saturday
  • 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. Which word should start with a capital letter? My party is on saturday. (on / party / saturday / is) → saturdayPrompt: Capital letters are for the start of a sentence, I, and the names of people, places, days and months.
  2. Which sentence is written correctly? (Ravi And I Play Chess on Sundays. / ravi and I play chess on Sundays. / Ravi and i play chess on sundays. / Ravi and I play chess on Sundays.) → Ravi and I play chess on Sundays.Prompt: Check the first word, the word I, and every name.

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. Which sentence is written correctly? (my cat Luna was born in April. / My cat luna was born in april. / My Cat Luna was born in april. / My cat Luna was born in April.) → My cat Luna was born in April.Prompt: Check the first word, the word I, and every name.
  2. Which word should start with a capital letter? My party is on saturday. (saturday / on / party / is) → saturdayPrompt: Capital letters are for the start of a sentence, I, and the names of people, places, days and months.

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Start a sentence with a capital letter.
  • Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
  • 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: Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names.
  • 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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Capitals for names, days, months and places

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which word should start with a capital letter? I swim every tuesday after school.

    • A. swim
    • B. tuesday
    • C. every
    • D. school

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is written correctly?

    • A. ravi and I play chess on Sundays.
    • B. Ravi And I Play Chess on Sundays.
    • C. Ravi and i play chess on sundays.
    • D. Ravi and I play chess on Sundays.

  3. Question 3

    Which word should start with a capital letter? We went to london on the train.

    • A. on
    • B. london
    • C. went
    • D. train

  4. Question 4

    Which word should start with a capital letter? I saw a robot show in paris.

    • A. saw
    • B. show
    • C. paris
    • D. robot

  5. Question 5

    Which word should start with a capital letter? My party is on saturday.

    • A. is
    • B. on
    • C. saturday
    • D. party

  6. Question 6

    Which word should start with a capital letter? My dog is called rocket.

    • A. dog
    • B. rocket
    • C. is
    • D. called

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Answer key: Capitals for names, days, months and places

  1. 1. B. tuesday

  2. 2. D. Ravi and I play chess on Sundays.

  3. 3. B. london

  4. 4. C. paris

  5. 5. C. saturday

  6. 6. B. rocket