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English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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? ear, leg, knee, cow (ear / leg / knee / cow) → cowPrompt: What do most of the words have in common?
  2. Which group does "triangle" belong to? (vehicles / animals / furniture / shapes) → shapesPrompt: What is a triangle?
  3. Which word does not belong with the others? sun, fog, cube, storm (sun / fog / cube / storm) → cubePrompt: What do most of the words have in common?

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 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. What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The fly buzzed around the room. (to move through the air / a small insect) → a small insectPrompt: Read the whole sentence, not just the word.
  2. Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: ring (jewellery)? (Did the bell ring? / Grandma's ring is silver.) → Grandma's ring is silver.Prompt: Read both sentences carefully.

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. Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: ring (a sound)? (The bell will ring at lunchtime. / I lost my ring.) → The bell will ring at lunchtime.Prompt: Read both sentences carefully.
  2. What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Duck! The ball is coming! (a bird that swims / to bend down quickly) → to bend down quicklyPrompt: 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? I heard the dog bark.

    • A. the sound a dog makes
    • B. the hard outside of a tree

  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? The tree has rough bark.

    • A. the sound a dog makes
    • B. the hard outside of a tree

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: fly (an insect)?

    • A. Planes fly very high.
    • B. A fly landed on my sandwich.

  5. Question 5

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? I heard the phone ring.

    • A. the sound a bell or phone makes
    • B. jewellery for your finger

  6. Question 6

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

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

  7. Question 7

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The duck swam across the pond.

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

  8. Question 8

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: bat (a stick to hit a ball)?

    • A. She swung the bat and hit the ball.
    • B. A bat flew past the moon.

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

  1. 1. A. the sound a dog makes

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

  3. 3. B. the hard outside of a tree

  4. 4. B. A fly landed on my sandwich.

  5. 5. A. the sound a bell or phone makes

  6. 6. A. Kites fly on windy days.

  7. 7. A. a bird that swims

  8. 8. A. She swung the bat and hit the ball.