English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 30 minutes
Collective nouns
Grammar
CCSS L.2.1.AEngland: Y2 GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Collective nouns.
- 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: Nouns and verbs
Leads to: much or many? a few or a little? fewer or less?
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Nouns and verbs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word is a noun (a person, place, animal or thing)? The bird sings in the tree. (the / bird / in / sings) → birdPrompt: Nouns name things. Can you put 'the' or 'a' in front of it?
- Which word is a verb (an action word)? My cat sleeps on the sofa. (on / sleeps / cat / sofa) → sleepsPrompt: A verb tells you what someone or something does.
- Which word fits the gap? Is the gap a noun or a verb? Please ___ the door. (red / softly / door / shut) → shutPrompt: Read the sentence and think: does the gap need a thing or an action?
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Collective nouns. 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: Choose the collective noun. a ___ of puppies
- Step 1: Collective nouns are special words for a group of people, animals or things.
- Step 2: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "a litter of puppies"
- Step 3: So the answer is: litter
- Answer: litter
- 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.
- Choose the collective noun. a ___ of lions (swarm / pack / flock / pride) → pridePrompt: A collective noun names a group.
- Choose the collective noun. a ___ of bees (herd / pride / pack / swarm) → swarmPrompt: A collective noun names a group.
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.
- Choose the collective noun. a ___ of stairs (swarm / herd / flock / flight) → flightPrompt: A collective noun names a group.
- Choose the collective noun. a ___ of cows (school / herd / swarm / bunch) → herdPrompt: A collective noun names a group.
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Nouns and verbs.
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- 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: much or many? a few or a little? fewer or less?.
- 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-2.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder