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English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 45 minutes

Expanding sentences with detail

Writing & Editing

CCSS L.2.1.FCCSS W.2.5England: Y2 Writing (expanded noun phrases)England: Y3 Writing

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Expanding sentences with detail.

  • 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: Adjectives

Leads to: Descriptive and narrative techniques; Choose the best concluding sentence

Materials: A model text, Planning frame, Checklists for editing, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Adjectives). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word is an adjective (it describes a noun)? The fluffy kitten slept. (the / kitten / fluffy / slept) → fluffyPrompt: Find the noun first.
  2. Choose the adjective that fits the gap. We drank ___ hot chocolate by the fire. (warm / fire / drank / slowly) → warmPrompt: The gap comes before a noun. What word could describe it?
  3. Which word is an adjective (it describes a noun)? The cold wind howled. (the / howled / cold / wind) → coldPrompt: Find the noun first.

Hook · 5 min

  • Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
  • Share the objective: Expanding sentences with detail. 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: We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?
  • Step 1: Add adjectives and phrases about where, when or why to make a sentence more interesting.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.
  • Answer: We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.
  • 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. The dog ran. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (The dog it ran. / The muddy dog ran across the park after a ball. / The dog ran and ran and ran. / Dog ran fast fast.) → The muddy dog ran across the park after a ball.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.
  2. The girl laughed. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (Laughed the girl did. / The girl she laughed. / The girl laughed laughed. / The little girl laughed when the puppy licked her nose.) → The little girl laughed when the puppy licked her nose.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.

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 6 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. Snow fell. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (Soft white snow fell silently over the sleeping town. / Snow it was fall. / Fell snow. / Snow fell fell.) → Soft white snow fell silently over the sleeping town.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.
  2. We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (We ate lunch lunch. / We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree. / Lunch was eaten by we. / We ate lunch, we ate.) → We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.

Watch out for

  • Writing everything at once without planning.
  • Editing only spelling and not whether the writing makes sense.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Adjectives.
  • Use concrete materials: a model text.
  • 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: Descriptive and narrative techniques; Choose the best concluding sentence.
  • 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

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Expanding sentences with detail

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    The dog ran. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. Dog ran fast fast.
    • B. The muddy dog ran across the park after a ball.
    • C. The dog ran and ran and ran.
    • D. The dog it ran.

  2. Question 2

    Snow fell. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. Soft white snow fell silently over the sleeping town.
    • B. Snow it was fall.
    • C. Snow fell fell.
    • D. Fell snow.

  3. Question 3

    The girl laughed. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. The girl laughed laughed.
    • B. The little girl laughed when the puppy licked her nose.
    • C. The girl she laughed.
    • D. Laughed the girl did.

  4. Question 4

    We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. We ate lunch lunch.
    • B. We ate lunch, we ate.
    • C. Lunch was eaten by we.
    • D. We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.

  5. Question 5

    The car stopped. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. Car the stopped.
    • B. The car it stop.
    • C. The car stopped stopped.
    • D. The old blue car stopped suddenly at the red light.

  6. Question 6

    A bird sang. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. A bird sang a song a song.
    • B. A bird it sang.
    • C. Sang a bird.
    • D. A tiny robin sang on the frosty fence at dawn.

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Answer key: Expanding sentences with detail

  1. 1. B. The muddy dog ran across the park after a ball.

  2. 2. A. Soft white snow fell silently over the sleeping town.

  3. 3. B. The little girl laughed when the puppy licked her nose.

  4. 4. D. We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.

  5. 5. D. The old blue car stopped suddenly at the red light.

  6. 6. D. A tiny robin sang on the frosty fence at dawn.