English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 30 minutes
Apostrophes in contractions
Punctuation
CCSS L.2.2.CEngland: Y2 GPS (apostrophes for contraction)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Apostrophes in contractions.
- 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: Capital letters and full stops (periods)
Leads to: Apostrophes for possession; Apostrophes for one owner (the dog's bone); Confusing words: its/it's, your/you're, then/than, whose/who's
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 (Capital letters and full stops (periods)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which sentence is written correctly? • a fox ran across the road • a fox ran across the road. • A fox ran across the road. • A fox ran across the road (a fox ran across the road / a fox ran across the road. / A fox ran across the road. / A fox ran across the road) → A fox ran across the road.Prompt: Look at the very first letter.
- This sentence has no capital letters. How many capital letters does it need? every monday mrs lee teaches us art. (2 / 3 / 4 / 5) → 4Prompt: Count the first word.
- Which sentence is written correctly? • a fox ran across the road • A fox ran across the road • A fox ran across the road. • a fox ran across the road. (a fox ran across the road / A fox ran across the road / A fox ran across the road. / a fox ran across the road.) → A fox ran across the road.Prompt: Look at the very first letter.
Hook · 3 min
- Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
- Share the objective: Apostrophes in contractions. 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: Write the contraction (short form) of "it is".
- Step 1: Join the two words and replace the missing letter(s) with an apostrophe (not "its" or "i'ts").
- Step 2: So the answer is: it's
- Answer: it's
- 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.
- Write the contraction (short form) of "she will". → she'llPrompt: Which letter or letters are left out?
- Which is the correct short form of "are not"? (arent' / arent / aren't / are'nt) → aren'tPrompt: Which letter is missing in the short form?
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.
- Write the contraction (short form) of "cannot". → can'tPrompt: Which letter or letters are left out?
- Which is the correct short form of "should not"? (should'nt / shouldnt' / shouldn't / shouldnt) → shouldn'tPrompt: Which letter is missing in the short form?
Watch out for
- Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
- Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Capital letters and full stops (periods).
- 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: Apostrophes for possession; Apostrophes for one owner (the dog's bone); Confusing words: its/it's, your/you're, then/than, whose/who's.
- 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