English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 45 minutes
Pronouns
Grammar
CCSS L.1.1.DCCSS L.2.1England: Y2 GPSEngland: Y3 GPS (pronouns to avoid repetition)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Pronouns.
- 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: Nouns and verbs
Leads to: Subject–verb agreement; Possessive pronouns and determiners; Relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose, where)
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 (Nouns and verbs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word is a noun (a person, place, animal or thing)? Two frogs jumped into the pond. (frogs / into / two / jumped) → frogsPrompt: Nouns name things. Can you put 'the' or 'a' in front of it?
- Which word is a verb (an action word)? The horse gallops across the field. (horse / field / gallops / across) → gallopsPrompt: A verb tells you what someone or something does.
- Which word fits the gap? Is the gap a noun or a verb? A ___ landed on the flower. (yellow / bee / gently / landed) → beePrompt: Read the sentence and think: does the gap need a thing or an action?
Hook · 5 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Pronouns. 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: Choose the pronoun that fits. The tree is very old. ___ is two hundred years old.
- Step 1: A pronoun takes the place of a noun so we do not repeat it.
- Step 2: The noun is one thing or animal, so we use 'It'.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The tree is very old. It is two hundred years old."
- Step 4: So the answer is: It
- Answer: It
- 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.
- Choose the pronoun that fits. The ducks swam to the edge. ___ wanted bread. (They / She / It / He) → TheyPrompt: Who or what is the gap talking about?
- Choose the pronoun that fits. Please give the book to Ana. Give it to ___. (they / him / she / her) → herPrompt: Who or what is the gap talking about?
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.
- Choose the pronoun that fits. My dad and I went fishing. ___ caught three fish. (Us / They / He / We) → WePrompt: Who or what is the gap talking about?
- Choose the pronoun that fits. Grandma made soup for Leo and me. She made it for ___. (us / we / they / them) → usPrompt: Who or what is the gap talking about?
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: Nouns and verbs.
- 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: Subject–verb agreement; Possessive pronouns and determiners; Relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose, where).
- 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