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English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 60 minutes

Characters and setting

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RL.1.3CCSS RL.2.3England: Y1 ReadingEngland: Y2 Reading

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Characters and setting.

  • 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: Predicting and simple inference; The lesson or moral; Character traits and motives

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 · 6 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. It was raining. Zoe put on her boots and jumped in a big puddle. What did Zoe jump in? (a puddle / a pool / the sea / a box) → a puddlePrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
  2. Mia got a new kite for her birthday. She smiled and hugged Grandma. How did Mia feel? (scared / sad / happy / angry) → happyPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  3. A little duck swam in the pond. It said, "Quack, quack!" Where did the duck swim? (in the sea / in the bath / in a cup / in the pond) → in the pondPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.

Hook · 6 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Characters and setting. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Bear yawned and stretched. "Time to sleep until spring," he said, and curled up in his cave. Who is the main character?
  • Step 1: A character's words and actions reveal what they are like and what they want.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: Bear
  • Answer: Bear
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 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. Under the sea, a little fish named Flo swam past the coral. Where does this story take place? (in a city / on a farm / under the sea / in a forest) → under the seaPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  2. Nora shared her crayons with the new girl. "You can use my blue one," she said. What word describes Nora? (mean / scared / lazy / kind) → kindPrompt: What does the character say and do?

You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Nora shared her crayons with the new girl. "You can use my blue one," she said. What word describes Nora? (scared / kind / mean / lazy) → kindPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  2. Under the sea, a little fish named Flo swam past the coral. Where does this story take place? (in a forest / on a farm / under the sea / in a city) → under the seaPrompt: What does the character say and do?

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: Predicting and simple inference; The lesson or moral; Character traits and motives.
  • 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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Characters and setting

Name

Date

Score/ 8

Bugs in the Code

Theo had been looking forward to Coding Club all week. Ms Rivera had promised they would make their own animated story on the classroom tablets. Theo chose a cartoon cat and wrote the code: when the green flag is clicked, move ten steps, then turn and wave. He clicked the flag. The cat spun round and round like a washing machine and never stopped. "It's broken!" Theo groaned, and he pushed the tablet away. Ms Rivera sat down beside him. "It's not broken," she said. "It's got a bug. Every coder gets bugs. The trick is to be a detective." Together they read the code one block at a time. Theo had put the turn block inside a forever loop by mistake, so the cat kept turning for ever. Theo dragged the block out of the loop and clicked the flag again. The cat walked ten steps, turned and waved. Theo cheered so loudly that the whole club looked up. The next week, a younger girl called Ivy was close to tears because her rocket would not take off. Theo pulled up a chair. "It's not broken," he told her. "It's got a bug. Let's be detectives."

  1. Question 1

    Read "Bugs in the Code". How does Theo feel when the cat keeps spinning?

    • A. sleepy
    • B. proud
    • C. frustrated
    • D. calm

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 2

    Read "The New Girl". Which word best describes the narrator?

    • A. kind
    • B. lazy
    • C. rude
    • D. shy

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". Who found the mitten?

    • A. Pip the dog
    • B. Rosa
    • C. Rosa's mom
    • D. the snowman

The Lemonade Stand

Marcus wanted a new bike helmet, but it cost twenty dollars. He had only five. "Why not set up a lemonade stand?" suggested his grandmother. She helped him squeeze a big bowl of lemons and stir in sugar and cold water. Marcus painted a sign that said LEMONADE – 50 CENTS. On Saturday morning, Marcus put his table at the end of the driveway. For the first hour, nobody came. Cars zoomed past. Marcus began to think it was a silly idea. Then he noticed that people were walking to the park across the road for a football match. He picked up his sign and moved the table right next to the park gate. Within ten minutes, a line had formed. By lunchtime, the jug was empty. Marcus counted his coins. He had earned exactly fifteen dollars. With the five he already had, it was enough. "You did it!" said Grandma. "We did it," said Marcus. "And next time, I'll think about where the customers are before I start."

  1. Question 4

    Read "The Lemonade Stand". What does Marcus's last line show about him?

    • A. He is angry with Grandma.
    • B. He wants to give up.
    • C. He learned from his mistake.
    • D. He does not like lemonade.

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". How did Grasshopper treat Shelly at the start?

    • A. He laughed at her.
    • B. He raced with her.
    • C. He gave her a drink.
    • D. He helped her.

  1. Question 6

    Bear yawned and stretched. "Time to sleep until spring," he said, and curled up in his cave. Who is the main character?

    • A. Bear
    • B. the cave
    • C. Spring
    • D. a bird

  2. Question 7

    Under the sea, a little fish named Flo swam past the coral. Where does this story take place?

    • A. under the sea
    • B. in a city
    • C. in a forest
    • D. on a farm

  3. Question 8

    Rex the dog hid under the table every time it thundered. How does Rex feel about thunder?

    • A. brave
    • B. bored
    • C. happy
    • D. scared

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Answer key: Characters and setting

  1. 1. C. frustrated

  2. 2. A. kind

  3. 3. A. Pip the dog

  4. 4. C. He learned from his mistake.

  5. 5. A. He laughed at her.

  6. 6. A. Bear

  7. 7. A. under the sea

  8. 8. D. scared