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English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes

Relative clauses

Grammar

CCSS L.4.1.AEngland: Y5 GPS (relative clauses)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Relative clauses.

  • 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: Relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose, where)

Leads to: Simple, compound and complex sentences; Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Independent clause, dependent clause or phrase?

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

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose, where)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the relative pronoun. I like books ___ make me laugh. (who / whose / that / where) → thatPrompt: What does the pronoun refer back to: a person, a thing, a place, or something belonging to someone?
  2. Choose the relative pronoun. My aunt, ___ car is bright yellow, picked us up. (which / where / who / whose) → whosePrompt: What does the pronoun refer back to: a person, a thing, a place, or something belonging to someone?
  3. Choose the relative pronoun. The village ___ my grandparents live is tiny. (which / whose / who / where) → wherePrompt: What does the pronoun refer back to: a person, a thing, a place, or something belonging to someone?

Hook · 5 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Relative clauses. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The book that I borrowed was really funny.
  • Step 1: A relative clause is a subordinate clause that begins with a relative pronoun and describes a noun.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: that I borrowed
  • Answer: that I borrowed
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 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 part of the sentence is the relative clause? Our dog, who is ten years old, still loves to run. (is ten years / Our dog / still loves to run / who is ten years old) → who is ten years oldPrompt: Look for who, which, that, where, when or whose.
  2. Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? The café sells great pancakes. We meet there on Sundays. (The café whose we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes. / The café who we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes. / The café, we meet on Sundays, sells great pancakes. / The café where we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes.) → The café where we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes.Prompt: Which relative pronoun matches the noun (person, thing, place, belonging)?

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The teacher whose class won the prize was delighted. (The teacher / won the prize was / was delighted / whose class won the prize) → whose class won the prizePrompt: Look for who, which, that, where, when or whose.
  2. Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? The puppy is very shy. It hides under the table. (The puppy, where hides under the table, is very shy. / The puppy, which hides under the table, is very shy. / The puppy which, hides under the table is very shy. / The puppy, whose hides under the table, is very shy.) → The puppy, which hides under the table, is very shy.Prompt: Which relative pronoun matches the noun (person, thing, place, belonging)?

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: Relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose, where).
  • 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: Simple, compound and complex sentences; Commas: restrictive vs non-restrictive, coordinate adjectives; Independent clause, dependent clause or phrase?.
  • 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-5.

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

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Relative clauses

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The man who lives next door has a parrot.

    • A. The man
    • B. next door has
    • C. has a parrot
    • D. who lives next door

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? The museum was closed. We wanted to visit it.

    • A. The museum, where we wanted to visit, was closed.
    • B. The museum, which we wanted to visit, was closed.
    • C. The museum, who we wanted to visit, was closed.
    • D. The museum which, we wanted to visit was closed.

  3. Question 3

    Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? Our dog, who is ten years old, still loves to run.

    • A. Our dog
    • B. who is ten years old
    • C. still loves to run
    • D. is ten years

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? Grandpa told us a story. He was a sailor.

    • A. Grandpa, whose was a sailor, told us a story.
    • B. Grandpa who, was a sailor told us a story.
    • C. Grandpa, which was a sailor, told us a story.
    • D. Grandpa, who was a sailor, told us a story.

  5. Question 5

    Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The cake which Leila baked won first prize.

    • A. Leila baked won
    • B. The cake
    • C. won first prize
    • D. which Leila baked

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? The café sells great pancakes. We meet there on Sundays.

    • A. The cafĂ© where we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes.
    • B. The cafĂ© who we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes.
    • C. The cafĂ©, we meet on Sundays, sells great pancakes.
    • D. The cafĂ© whose we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes.

  7. Question 7

    Which sentence correctly joins these two sentences with a relative clause? The puppy is very shy. It hides under the table.

    • A. The puppy, whose hides under the table, is very shy.
    • B. The puppy, where hides under the table, is very shy.
    • C. The puppy, which hides under the table, is very shy.
    • D. The puppy which, hides under the table is very shy.

  8. Question 8

    Which part of the sentence is the relative clause? The book that I borrowed was really funny.

    • A. I borrowed was
    • B. was really funny
    • C. that I borrowed
    • D. The book

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Answer key: Relative clauses

  1. 1. D. who lives next door

  2. 2. B. The museum, which we wanted to visit, was closed.

  3. 3. B. who is ten years old

  4. 4. D. Grandpa, who was a sailor, told us a story.

  5. 5. D. which Leila baked

  6. 6. A. The café where we meet on Sundays sells great pancakes.

  7. 7. C. The puppy, which hides under the table, is very shy.

  8. 8. C. that I borrowed