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English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 45 minutes

One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring)

Vocabulary

CCSS L.K.4.AEngland: Reception Communication and LanguageEngland: Y1 Vocabulary

Objective and success criteria

Students will: One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring).

  • 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: Literal or figurative? Phrases that don't mean what they say

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.
  1. Which word does not belong with the others? oval, star, cube, nose (oval / star / cube / nose) → nosePrompt: What do most of the words have in common?
  2. Which group does "rabbit" belong to? (vehicles / animals / body parts / weather) → animalsPrompt: What is a rabbit?
  3. Which word does not belong with the others? van, boat, cube, plane (van / boat / cube / plane) → cubePrompt: 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: One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring). 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: What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Birds fly south in winter.
  • Step 1: Some words have two meanings. The rest of the sentence tells us which one.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: to move through the air with wings
  • Answer: to move through the air with wings
  • 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. What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The duck swam across the pond. (a bird that swims / to bend down quickly) → a bird that swimsPrompt: Read the whole sentence, not just the word.
  2. Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: wave (in the sea)? (Wave to your friends! / A huge wave crashed on the sand.) → A huge wave crashed on the sand.Prompt: Read both sentences carefully.

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 word with this meaning: fly (an insect)? (Planes fly very high. / A fly landed on my sandwich.) → A fly landed on my sandwich.Prompt: Read both sentences carefully.
  2. What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The bat flew out of the dark cave. (a stick to hit a ball / an animal with wings) → an animal with wingsPrompt: Read the whole sentence, not just the word.

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: Literal or figurative? Phrases that don't mean what they say.
  • 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/kindergarten.

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

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One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring)

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Wave goodbye to Grandma!

    • A. moving water in the sea
    • B. to move your hand to say hello

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: bat (an animal with wings)?

    • A. The bat hung upside down in the cave.
    • B. I hit the ball with my bat.

  3. Question 3

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Duck! The ball is coming!

    • A. to bend down quickly
    • B. a bird that swims

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: bark (a dog's sound)?

    • A. The bark of the tree is rough.
    • B. Dogs bark at the postman.

  5. Question 5

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Birds fly south in winter.

    • A. a small insect
    • B. to move through the air with wings

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: duck (a bird)?

    • A. The duck quacked at the bread.
    • B. Duck under the branch!

  7. Question 7

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? We swam in the sea and saw a wave.

    • A. to move your hand to say hello
    • B. moving water in the sea

  8. Question 8

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: fly (move in the air)?

    • A. Kites fly on windy days.
    • B. Shoo, fly!

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Answer key: One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring)

  1. 1. B. to move your hand to say hello

  2. 2. A. The bat hung upside down in the cave.

  3. 3. A. to bend down quickly

  4. 4. B. Dogs bark at the postman.

  5. 5. B. to move through the air with wings

  6. 6. A. The duck quacked at the bread.

  7. 7. B. moving water in the sea

  8. 8. A. Kites fly on windy days.