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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes

Expanded noun phrases

Grammar

CCSS L.4.1.DEngland: Y4 GPS (expanded noun phrases)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Expanded noun phrases.

  • 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: Adjectives; Prepositions of time, place and cause

Leads to: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box)

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 (Adjectives; Prepositions of time, place and cause). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word is an adjective (it describes a noun)? A brave knight rode away. (knight / away / rode / brave) → bravePrompt: Find the noun first.
  2. Choose the preposition that fits. The children ran ___ the playground. (during / at / since / across) → acrossPrompt: Does the gap tell us when, where or how long?
  3. Choose the adjective that fits the gap. We drank ___ hot chocolate by the fire. (slowly / fire / drank / warm) → warmPrompt: The gap comes before a noun. What word could describe it?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Expanded noun phrases. 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 group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts.
  • Step 1: An expanded noun phrase is a noun with extra detail: adjectives before it and/or a prepositional phrase after it.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: a scary book about ghosts
  • Answer: a scary book about ghosts
  • 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 group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? Mum gave me a warm mug of cocoa. (Mum gave me / of cocoa / gave me a warm / a warm mug of cocoa) → a warm mug of cocoaPrompt: Find the main noun first.
  2. Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? We found a tiny blue egg in the nest. (in the nest / We found / a tiny blue egg / found a tiny) → a tiny blue eggPrompt: Find the main noun first.

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 group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? A huge dog with muddy paws ran into the kitchen. (ran into the kitchen / A huge dog / muddy paws ran / A huge dog with muddy paws) → A huge dog with muddy pawsPrompt: Find the main noun first.
  2. Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts. (a scary book about ghosts / read a scary / I read / about ghosts) → a scary book about ghostsPrompt: Find the main noun first.

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: Adjectives.
  • 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: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box).
  • 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-4.

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

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Expanded noun phrases

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? Mum gave me a warm mug of cocoa.

    • A. Mum gave me
    • B. a warm mug of cocoa
    • C. gave me a warm
    • D. of cocoa

  2. Question 2

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? A huge dog with muddy paws ran into the kitchen.

    • A. muddy paws ran
    • B. ran into the kitchen
    • C. A huge dog with muddy paws
    • D. A huge dog

  3. Question 3

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? The old man with the white beard waved at us.

    • A. waved at us
    • B. The old man with the white beard
    • C. The old man
    • D. with the white beard waved

  4. Question 4

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? The tall girl in the green coat is my cousin.

    • A. is my cousin
    • B. The tall girl in the green coat
    • C. in the green coat is
    • D. The tall girl

  5. Question 5

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts.

    • A. a scary book about ghosts
    • B. read a scary
    • C. about ghosts
    • D. I read

  6. Question 6

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? We found a tiny blue egg in the nest.

    • A. in the nest
    • B. found a tiny
    • C. a tiny blue egg
    • D. We found

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Answer key: Expanded noun phrases

  1. 1. B. a warm mug of cocoa

  2. 2. C. A huge dog with muddy paws

  3. 3. B. The old man with the white beard

  4. 4. B. The tall girl in the green coat

  5. 5. A. a scary book about ghosts

  6. 6. C. a tiny blue egg