Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

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

Colons before lists

Punctuation

CCSS L.5.2England: Y5/6 GPS (colon to introduce a list)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Colons before lists.

  • 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: Commas in lists

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas in lists). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which sentence uses commas correctly? • Ana likes, swimming, dancing, and drawing. • Ana, likes swimming, dancing and drawing. • Ana likes swimming dancing and drawing. • Ana likes swimming, dancing and drawing. (Ana likes, swimming, dancing, and drawing. / Ana, likes swimming, dancing and drawing. / Ana likes swimming dancing and drawing. / Ana likes swimming, dancing and drawing.) → Ana likes swimming, dancing and drawing.Prompt: Commas separate the items in a list.
  2. How many commas are needed in this list (UK style, no comma before "and")? We need red orange yellow and green. (0 / 1 / 2 / 4) → 2Prompt: Count the items in the list.
  3. Which sentence uses commas correctly? • Bring, a pencil, a ruler and an eraser. • Bring a pencil, a ruler and an eraser. • Bring a pencil, a ruler, and, an eraser. • Bring a pencil a ruler and an eraser. (Bring, a pencil, a ruler and an eraser. / Bring a pencil, a ruler and an eraser. / Bring a pencil, a ruler, and, an eraser. / Bring a pencil a ruler and an eraser.) → Bring a pencil, a ruler and an eraser.Prompt: Commas separate the items in a list.

Hook · 5 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Colons before lists. 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 sentence uses the colon correctly?
  • Step 1: Use a colon after a complete clause to introduce a list. Separate the list items with commas.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: Our flag has three stripes: red, white and blue.
  • Answer: Our flag has three stripes: red, white and blue.
  • 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 sentence uses the colon correctly? (The zoo has three big cats, lions: tigers and leopards. / The zoo: has three big cats lions, tigers and leopards. / The zoo has three big cats: lions, tigers and leopards. / The zoo has: three big cats lions, tigers and leopards.) → The zoo has three big cats: lions, tigers and leopards.Prompt: The words before a colon should make a complete sentence on their own.
  2. After which word should the colon go? There are four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter. (four / spring / are / seasons) → seasonsPrompt: Find where the list starts.

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 sentence uses the colon correctly? (Three planets are closer to the Sun than Mars: Mercury, Venus and Earth. / Three: planets are closer to the Sun than Mars Mercury, Venus and Earth. / Three planets are: closer to the Sun than Mars Mercury, Venus and Earth. / Three planets are closer to the Sun than Mars, Mercury: Venus and Earth.) → Three planets are closer to the Sun than Mars: Mercury, Venus and Earth.Prompt: The words before a colon should make a complete sentence on their own.
  2. After which word should the colon go? Bring these things on the trip a packed lunch, a coat and a water bottle. (Bring / lunch / trip / things) → tripPrompt: Find where the list starts.

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Commas in lists.
  • 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

  • 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

eurekami

Colons before lists

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence uses the colon correctly?

    • A. Our flag: has three stripes red, white and blue.
    • B. Our flag has: three stripes red, white and blue.
    • C. Our flag has three stripes, red: white and blue.
    • D. Our flag has three stripes: red, white and blue.

  2. Question 2

    After which word should the colon go? I play two instruments the piano and the drums.

    • A. two
    • B. play
    • C. instruments
    • D. piano

  3. Question 3

    After which word should the colon go? Bring these things on the trip a packed lunch, a coat and a water bottle.

    • A. lunch
    • B. Bring
    • C. things
    • D. trip

  4. Question 4

    After which word should the colon go? We saw three animals at the pond ducks, frogs and a heron.

    • A. pond
    • B. ducks
    • C. animals
    • D. saw

  5. Question 5

    After which word should the colon go? Our robot can do three tricks spin, beep and wave.

    • A. robot
    • B. do
    • C. spin
    • D. tricks

  6. Question 6

    After which word should the colon go? The recipe needs three ingredients flour, eggs and milk.

    • A. flour
    • B. recipe
    • C. needs
    • D. ingredients

  7. Question 7

    After which word should the colon go? There are four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter.

    • A. seasons
    • B. are
    • C. spring
    • D. four

  8. Question 8

    After which word should the colon go? The bag held everything for the beach towels, sun cream and a bucket.

    • A. towels
    • B. everything
    • C. beach
    • D. bag

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Colons before lists

  1. 1. D. Our flag has three stripes: red, white and blue.

  2. 2. C. instruments

  3. 3. D. trip

  4. 4. A. pond

  5. 5. D. tricks

  6. 6. D. ingredients

  7. 7. A. seasons

  8. 8. C. beach