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English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 45 minutes

Key details

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RL.1.1CCSS RI.1.1England: Y1 Reading (comprehension)England: Y2 Reading

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Key details.

  • 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: Who, where and what happened?

Leads to: What is it mostly about?; Order of events; Finding and retrieving information

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Who, where and what happened?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Lia went to the beach. She dug in the sand and found a shell. Where did Lia go? (school / the park / the beach / the shop) → the beachPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
  2. The wind blew Tom's hat into a tree. Tom began to cry. How did Tom feel? (happy / silly / sleepy / sad) → sadPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  3. Sam was sad. He could not find his teddy. Then Dad found it under the bed. Where was the teddy? (on the table / under the bed / in the garden / in the car) → under the bedPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

Hook · 5 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Key details. 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: Penguins are birds, but they cannot fly. They use their wings to swim. What do penguins use their wings for?
  • Step 1: The answer is stated directly in the text.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: to swim
  • Answer: to swim
  • 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. A camel can walk for days in the hot desert. It stores fat in its hump. What does a camel store in its hump? (fat / sand / water / food bags) → fatPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
  2. Dev lost his tooth at school. He put it under his pillow that night. Where did Dev put his tooth? (in a cup / in his bag / on the table / under his pillow) → under his pillowPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

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. Rosa's class went to the zoo. They saw a tall giraffe eating leaves. What was the giraffe eating? (grass / leaves / fish / bananas) → leavesPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Who, where and what happened?.
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • 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: What is it mostly about?; Order of events; Finding and retrieving information.
  • 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

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Key details

Name

Date

Score/ 8

Shelly and the Big Race

Every summer, the garden animals held a race from the old watering can to the strawberry patch. Shelly the snail always came last. "Why do you even try?" laughed Grasshopper. "You are the slowest animal in the whole garden." Shelly did not answer. This year, she had a plan. While the others slept late, she set off at sunrise. She did not stop to nibble leaves. She did not stop to chat. She just kept sliding, one little bit at a time. When the race began, Grasshopper bounced off in giant leaps. But it was a hot day. Soon he was thirsty, so he stopped for a long drink and then a nap in the shade. When Grasshopper woke up, he hurried to the strawberry patch. There was Shelly, already resting on the biggest strawberry. "How did you get here first?" he asked. Shelly smiled. "Slow and steady," she said, "and I started early."

  1. Question 1

    Read "Shelly and the Big Race". Where did the race finish?

    • A. under a tree
    • B. at the watering can
    • C. at the strawberry patch
    • D. at the pond

Our Class Garden

Our class has a garden. It is next to the playground. In spring, we dig the soil. We plant beans, peas and sunflowers. Mr Okafor shows us how deep to make the holes. Every day, two children water the plants. Today it was my turn with Ben. We filled the watering can to the top. The sunflowers grow very fast. Now they are taller than Mr Okafor! The bees like them too. We see lots of bees on the big yellow flowers. In the summer, we will pick the beans and peas. The cook at school will make them into soup, and we will eat it for lunch. I can't wait!

  1. Question 2

    Read "Our Class Garden". Who shows the children how deep to dig?

    • A. a farmer
    • B. the narrator
    • C. Mr Okafor
    • D. Ben

The Lost Mitten

It was a cold day. Rosa went out to play in the snow. She had a red hat and two red mittens. Rosa made a big snowman. She gave him a carrot nose. Then she looked at her hands. One mitten was gone! Rosa looked by the tree. She looked by the gate. No mitten. Then her dog, Pip, ran up to her. He had something red in his mouth. It was the mitten! "Good dog, Pip!" said Rosa. She gave him a big hug. Then Rosa and Pip went inside. Mom made hot cocoa. Rosa put her wet mittens by the fire to dry. Pip lay down next to them. He did not want to lose them again!

  1. Question 3

    Read "The Lost Mitten". What did Rosa give the snowman for a nose?

    • A. a stick
    • B. a carrot
    • C. a stone
    • D. a button

How Bees Make Honey

Honey bees are busy insects. They live together in a home called a hive. One hive can hold thousands of bees. Worker bees fly from flower to flower. They suck up a sweet juice called nectar with their long tongues. They carry the nectar back to the hive in a special part of their body called a honey stomach. Back at the hive, the bees pass the nectar to other bees. These bees put it into tiny six-sided rooms made of wax. The nectar is still runny, so the bees fan it with their wings. This dries it out and turns it thick and sticky. Now it is honey! Last, the bees cover each room with a wax lid. The honey is saved for the winter, when there are no flowers.

  1. Question 4

    Read "How Bees Make Honey". What shape are the rooms in the hive?

    • A. round
    • B. three-sided
    • C. six-sided
    • D. square

Shelly and the Big Race

Every summer, the garden animals held a race from the old watering can to the strawberry patch. Shelly the snail always came last. "Why do you even try?" laughed Grasshopper. "You are the slowest animal in the whole garden." Shelly did not answer. This year, she had a plan. While the others slept late, she set off at sunrise. She did not stop to nibble leaves. She did not stop to chat. She just kept sliding, one little bit at a time. When the race began, Grasshopper bounced off in giant leaps. But it was a hot day. Soon he was thirsty, so he stopped for a long drink and then a nap in the shade. When Grasshopper woke up, he hurried to the strawberry patch. There was Shelly, already resting on the biggest strawberry. "How did you get here first?" he asked. Shelly smiled. "Slow and steady," she said, "and I started early."

  1. Question 5

    Read "Shelly and the Big Race". When did Shelly set off?

    • A. at sunrise
    • B. at night
    • C. at lunchtime
    • D. after Grasshopper

The Lost Mitten

It was a cold day. Rosa went out to play in the snow. She had a red hat and two red mittens. Rosa made a big snowman. She gave him a carrot nose. Then she looked at her hands. One mitten was gone! Rosa looked by the tree. She looked by the gate. No mitten. Then her dog, Pip, ran up to her. He had something red in his mouth. It was the mitten! "Good dog, Pip!" said Rosa. She gave him a big hug. Then Rosa and Pip went inside. Mom made hot cocoa. Rosa put her wet mittens by the fire to dry. Pip lay down next to them. He did not want to lose them again!

  1. Question 6

    Read "The Lost Mitten". What color were Rosa's mittens?

    • A. green
    • B. blue
    • C. white
    • D. red

The New Girl

On Monday, a new girl joined our class. Her name was Yuki. She had just moved from Japan and did not speak much English yet. At break time, Yuki stood by the wall on her own. She looked at the ground. I wanted to say hello, but I did not know any Japanese. Then I had an idea. I took my skipping rope over and held out one end. Yuki looked up. She smiled and took it. We skipped together until the bell rang, and we both laughed when the rope got tangled. Now Yuki is teaching me to count in Japanese, and I am helping her with English words. Ichi, ni, san – one, two, three!

  1. Question 7

    Read "The New Girl". What did the narrator use to make friends with Yuki?

    • A. a snack
    • B. a skipping rope
    • C. a ball
    • D. a book

Our Class Garden

Our class has a garden. It is next to the playground. In spring, we dig the soil. We plant beans, peas and sunflowers. Mr Okafor shows us how deep to make the holes. Every day, two children water the plants. Today it was my turn with Ben. We filled the watering can to the top. The sunflowers grow very fast. Now they are taller than Mr Okafor! The bees like them too. We see lots of bees on the big yellow flowers. In the summer, we will pick the beans and peas. The cook at school will make them into soup, and we will eat it for lunch. I can't wait!

  1. Question 8

    Read "Our Class Garden". How many children water the plants each day?

    • A. three
    • B. two
    • C. the whole class
    • D. one

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Answer key: Key details

  1. 1. C. at the strawberry patch

  2. 2. C. Mr Okafor

  3. 3. B. a carrot

  4. 4. C. six-sided

  5. 5. A. at sunrise

  6. 6. D. red

  7. 7. B. a skipping rope

  8. 8. B. two