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English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 60 minutes

Expanding sentences with detail

Writing & Editing

CCSS L.2.1.FCCSS W.2.5England: Y2 Writing (expanded noun phrases)England: Y3 Writing

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Expanding sentences with detail.

  • 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: Adjectives

Leads to: Descriptive and narrative techniques; Choose the best concluding sentence

Materials: A model text, Planning frame, Checklists for editing, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Adjectives). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word is an adjective (it describes a noun)? My grumpy brother stomped upstairs. (brother / stomped / grumpy / upstairs) → grumpyPrompt: Find the noun first.
  2. Choose the adjective that fits the gap. A ___ owl hooted in the dark. (softly / hooted / dark / wise) → wisePrompt: The gap comes before a noun. What word could describe it?
  3. Which word is an adjective (it describes a noun)? The fluffy kitten slept. (slept / kitten / the / fluffy) → fluffyPrompt: Find the noun first.

Hook · 6 min

  • Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
  • Share the objective: Expanding sentences with detail. 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: We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?
  • Step 1: Add adjectives and phrases about where, when or why to make a sentence more interesting.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.
  • Answer: We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.
  • 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. We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (Lunch was eaten by we. / We ate lunch lunch. / We ate lunch, we ate. / We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.) → We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.
  2. A bird sang. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (A tiny robin sang on the frosty fence at dawn. / A bird it sang. / A bird sang a song a song. / Sang a bird.) → A tiny robin sang on the frosty fence at dawn.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.

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 6 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. The car stopped. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (The old blue car stopped suddenly at the red light. / Car the stopped. / The car it stop. / The car stopped stopped.) → The old blue car stopped suddenly at the red light.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.
  2. We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail? (We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree. / We ate lunch, we ate. / Lunch was eaten by we. / We ate lunch lunch.) → We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.Prompt: Good detail tells us more: what kind, where, when or why.

Watch out for

  • Writing everything at once without planning.
  • Editing only spelling and not whether the writing makes sense.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Adjectives.
  • Use concrete materials: a model text.
  • 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: Descriptive and narrative techniques; Choose the best concluding sentence.
  • 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

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Expanding sentences with detail

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    We ate lunch. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. We ate lunch, we ate.
    • B. We ate lunch lunch.
    • C. Lunch was eaten by we.
    • D. We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.

  2. Question 2

    Snow fell. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. Snow fell fell.
    • B. Snow it was fall.
    • C. Soft white snow fell silently over the sleeping town.
    • D. Fell snow.

  3. Question 3

    The girl laughed. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. The girl she laughed.
    • B. The girl laughed laughed.
    • C. The little girl laughed when the puppy licked her nose.
    • D. Laughed the girl did.

  4. Question 4

    The dog ran. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. The dog it ran.
    • B. Dog ran fast fast.
    • C. The muddy dog ran across the park after a ball.
    • D. The dog ran and ran and ran.

  5. Question 5

    A bird sang. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. A bird sang a song a song.
    • B. A tiny robin sang on the frosty fence at dawn.
    • C. Sang a bird.
    • D. A bird it sang.

  6. Question 6

    The car stopped. Which sentence adds the most useful detail?

    • A. Car the stopped.
    • B. The car stopped stopped.
    • C. The old blue car stopped suddenly at the red light.
    • D. The car it stop.

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Answer key: Expanding sentences with detail

  1. 1. D. We ate a picnic lunch under the old oak tree.

  2. 2. C. Soft white snow fell silently over the sleeping town.

  3. 3. C. The little girl laughed when the puppy licked her nose.

  4. 4. C. The muddy dog ran across the park after a ball.

  5. 5. B. A tiny robin sang on the frosty fence at dawn.

  6. 6. C. The old blue car stopped suddenly at the red light.