English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 45 minutes
Nouns and verbs
Grammar
CCSS L.1.1.BCCSS L.1.1.EEngland: Y1 GPSEngland: Y2 GPS (word classes)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Nouns and verbs.
- 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: Naming words and action words
Leads to: Common and proper nouns; Past, present and future; Adjectives
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 (Naming words and action words). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? egg, kite, clap, apple (egg / kite / clap / apple) → clapPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? bird, read, cup, tree (bird / read / cup / tree) → readPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word names a thing you can touch? climb, shoe, cry, run (climb / shoe / cry / run) → shoePrompt: Can you put 'a' or 'the' in front of it? (a dog, the cup)
Hook · 5 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Nouns and verbs. 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 word is a noun (a person, place, animal or thing)? My brother kicked the ball hard.
- Step 1: A noun names a person, place, animal or thing.
- Step 2: So the answer is: ball
- Answer: ball
- 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.
- Which word is a noun (a person, place, animal or thing)? The farmer feeds the hens. (feeds / farmer / the / at) → farmerPrompt: Nouns name things. Can you put 'the' or 'a' in front of it?
- Which word is a verb (an action word)? The rain falls on the roof. (on / falls / rain / roof) → fallsPrompt: A verb tells you what someone or something does.
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.
- Which word is a verb (an action word)? The rain falls on the roof. (on / rain / falls / roof) → fallsPrompt: A verb tells you what someone or something does.
- Which word fits the gap? Is the gap a noun or a verb? I like to ___ in the sea. (blue / swim / happy / sea) → swimPrompt: Read the sentence and think: does the gap need a thing or an action?
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: Naming words and action words.
- 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: Common and proper nouns; Past, present and future; Adjectives.
- 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-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder