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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes

Expanded noun phrases

Grammar

CCSS L.4.1.DEngland: Y4 GPS (expanded noun phrases)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Expanded noun phrases.

  • 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; Prepositions of time, place and cause

Leads to: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box)

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 (Adjectives; Prepositions of time, place and cause). 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)? My grumpy brother stomped upstairs. (grumpy / upstairs / brother / stomped) → grumpyPrompt: Find the noun first.
  2. Choose the preposition that fits. My birthday is ___ July. (by / in / at / on) → inPrompt: Does the gap tell us when, where or how long?
  3. Choose the adjective that fits the gap. We drank ___ hot chocolate by the fire. (drank / slowly / fire / warm) → warmPrompt: The gap comes before a noun. What word could describe it?

Hook · 5 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Expanded noun phrases. 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 group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts.
  • Step 1: An expanded noun phrase is a noun with extra detail: adjectives before it and/or a prepositional phrase after it.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: a scary book about ghosts
  • Answer: a scary book about ghosts
  • 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 group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? The old man with the white beard waved at us. (with the white beard waved / waved at us / The old man / The old man with the white beard) → The old man with the white beardPrompt: Find the main noun first.
  2. Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts. (a scary book about ghosts / read a scary / I read / about ghosts) → a scary book about ghostsPrompt: Find the main noun first.

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. Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? A huge dog with muddy paws ran into the kitchen. (ran into the kitchen / A huge dog with muddy paws / muddy paws ran / A huge dog) → A huge dog with muddy pawsPrompt: Find the main noun first.
  2. Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? Mum gave me a warm mug of cocoa. (Mum gave me / gave me a warm / a warm mug of cocoa / of cocoa) → a warm mug of cocoaPrompt: Find the main noun first.

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: Adjectives.
  • 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: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box).
  • 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-4.

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

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Expanded noun phrases

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? Mum gave me a warm mug of cocoa.

    • A. a warm mug of cocoa
    • B. Mum gave me
    • C. gave me a warm
    • D. of cocoa

  2. Question 2

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts.

    • A. read a scary
    • B. a scary book about ghosts
    • C. about ghosts
    • D. I read

  3. Question 3

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? We found a tiny blue egg in the nest.

    • A. found a tiny
    • B. We found
    • C. a tiny blue egg
    • D. in the nest

  4. Question 4

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? The old man with the white beard waved at us.

    • A. with the white beard waved
    • B. The old man with the white beard
    • C. The old man
    • D. waved at us

  5. Question 5

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? The tall girl in the green coat is my cousin.

    • A. in the green coat is
    • B. The tall girl in the green coat
    • C. The tall girl
    • D. is my cousin

  6. Question 6

    Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? A huge dog with muddy paws ran into the kitchen.

    • A. muddy paws ran
    • B. A huge dog with muddy paws
    • C. ran into the kitchen
    • D. A huge dog

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Answer key: Expanded noun phrases

  1. 1. A. a warm mug of cocoa

  2. 2. B. a scary book about ghosts

  3. 3. C. a tiny blue egg

  4. 4. B. The old man with the white beard

  5. 5. B. The tall girl in the green coat

  6. 6. B. A huge dog with muddy paws