English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 45 minutes
Name the group: fruit, insects, tools…
Vocabulary
CCSS L.1.5.AEngland: Y1 VocabularyEngland: Y2 Vocabulary
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Name the group: fruit, insects, tools….
- 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: Sorting words into groups
Leads to: Define a word: what group, and what makes it special?
Materials: Word cards, A thesaurus or dictionary, A short text with the target words, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Sorting words into groups). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word does not belong with the others? sheep, oval, circle, square (sheep / oval / circle / square) → sheepPrompt: What do most of the words have in common?
- Which group does "scarf" belong to? (fruit / animals / furniture / clothes) → clothesPrompt: What is a scarf?
- Which word does not belong with the others? sun, sheep, storm, frost (sun / sheep / storm / frost) → sheepPrompt: What do most of the words have in common?
Hook · 5 min
- Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
- Share the objective: Name the group: fruit, insects, tools…. 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: golf, netball, swimming: these are all…
- Step 1: golf, netball, swimming are all sports.
- Step 2: So the answer is: sports
- Answer: sports
- 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.
- vet, baker, farmer: these are all… (jobs / body parts / tools / birds) → jobsPrompt: What do all three have in common?
- Which word belongs in this group? onion, pea, carrot, ___ (broccoli / hammer / peach / beetle) → broccoliPrompt: First name the group.
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.
- Which word belongs in this group? pilot, plumber, vet, ___ (dentist / rake / crow / milk) → dentistPrompt: First name the group.
- parrot, robin, penguin: these are all… (drinks / birds / vegetables / sports) → birdsPrompt: What do all three have in common?
Watch out for
- Picking a "bigger" synonym that doesn't fit the meaning.
- Ignoring the clues in the rest of the sentence.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Sorting words into groups.
- Use concrete materials: word 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: Define a word: what group, and what makes it special?.
- 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