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

Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names

Punctuation

CCSS L.2.2.AEngland: Y2 GPS (capital letters for proper nouns)England: Y3 GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names.

  • 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: Capitals for names, days, months and places

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Capitals for names, days, months and places). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word should start with a capital letter? The river thames is very long. (long / thames / very / river) → thamesPrompt: Capital letters are for the start of a sentence, I, and the names of people, places, days and months.
  2. Which sentence is written correctly? (On friday, Ella and i baked bread. / On Friday, Ella and I baked bread. / On Friday, ella and I baked bread. / on Friday, ella and I baked bread.) → On Friday, Ella and I baked bread.Prompt: Check the first word, the word I, and every name.
  3. Which word should start with a capital letter? I saw a robot show in paris. (saw / robot / paris / show) → parisPrompt: Capital letters are for the start of a sentence, I, and the names of people, places, days and months.

Hook · 5 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names. 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 should have a capital letter? Our family eats a big meal at thanksgiving.
  • Step 1: Names of particular festivals and places are proper nouns and need capital letters.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: thanksgiving
  • Answer: thanksgiving
  • 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 word should have a capital letter? The amazon river flows through Brazil. (flows / through / amazon / river) → amazonPrompt: Festivals, holidays, rivers, oceans, mountains, countries and parks are all names.
  2. Which sentence uses capital letters correctly? (The River Thames runs through london. / The river Thames Runs through London. / The River Thames runs through London. / The river thames runs through london.) → The River Thames runs through London.Prompt: Check the first word and every name.

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 word should have a capital letter? The amazon river flows through Brazil. (amazon / river / flows / through) → amazonPrompt: Festivals, holidays, rivers, oceans, mountains, countries and parks are all names.
  2. Which sentence uses capital letters correctly? (We had a picnic in Hyde Park on Sunday. / We had a Picnic in Hyde Park on sunday. / We had a picnic in Hyde park on sunday. / We had a picnic in hyde park on Sunday.) → We had a picnic in Hyde Park on Sunday.Prompt: Check the first word and every name.

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Capitals for names, days, months and places.
  • Use concrete materials: punctuation 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

  • 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

eurekami

Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which word should have a capital letter? We climbed mount Snowdon in Wales.

    • A. we
    • B. mount
    • C. climbed
    • D. in

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?

    • A. At diwali, our street is full of lights.
    • B. at Diwali, our street is full of lights.
    • C. At Diwali, our Street is full of lights.
    • D. At Diwali, our street is full of lights.

  3. Question 3

    Which word should have a capital letter? Our family eats a big meal at thanksgiving.

    • A. big
    • B. meal
    • C. thanksgiving
    • D. family

  4. Question 4

    Which word should have a capital letter? The amazon river flows through Brazil.

    • A. amazon
    • B. flows
    • C. river
    • D. through

  5. Question 5

    Which word should have a capital letter? My cousins visit us every eid.

    • A. every
    • B. visit
    • C. eid
    • D. cousins

  6. Question 6

    Which word should have a capital letter? We sailed across the atlantic Ocean.

    • A. atlantic
    • B. sailed
    • C. across
    • D. the

  7. Question 7

    Which word should have a capital letter? Lanterns float in the sky at the chinese New Year festival.

    • A. chinese
    • B. lanterns
    • C. festival
    • D. sky

  8. Question 8

    Which word should have a capital letter? They light a menorah during hanukkah.

    • A. menorah
    • B. hanukkah
    • C. light
    • D. during

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Answer key: Capitals for festivals, holidays and place names

  1. 1. B. mount

  2. 2. D. At Diwali, our street is full of lights.

  3. 3. C. thanksgiving

  4. 4. A. amazon

  5. 5. C. eid

  6. 6. A. atlantic

  7. 7. A. chinese

  8. 8. B. hanukkah