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

Apostrophes in contractions

Punctuation

CCSS L.2.2.CEngland: Y2 GPS (apostrophes for contraction)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Apostrophes in contractions.

  • 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: Capital letters and full stops (periods)

Leads to: Apostrophes for possession; Apostrophes for one owner (the dog's bone); Confusing words: its/it's, your/you're, then/than, whose/who's

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

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Capital letters and full stops (periods)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which sentence is written correctly? • Our class went to the farm. • Our class went to the farm • our class went to the farm • our class went to the farm. (Our class went to the farm. / Our class went to the farm / our class went to the farm / our class went to the farm.) → Our class went to the farm.Prompt: Look at the very first letter.
  2. This sentence has no capital letters. How many capital letters does it need? yesterday i saw aunt rosa at the market. (2 / 3 / 4 / 5) → 4Prompt: Count the first word.
  3. Which sentence is written correctly? • My sister has a new bike. • my sister has a new bike • My sister has a new bike • my sister has a new bike. (My sister has a new bike. / my sister has a new bike / My sister has a new bike / my sister has a new bike.) → My sister has a new bike.Prompt: Look at the very first letter.

Hook · 6 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Apostrophes in contractions. 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: Write the contraction (short form) of "it is".
  • Step 1: Join the two words and replace the missing letter(s) with an apostrophe (not "its" or "i'ts").
  • Step 2: So the answer is: it's
  • Answer: it's
  • 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. Write the contraction (short form) of "will not". → won'tPrompt: Which letter or letters are left out?
  2. Which is the correct short form of "did not"? (didnt' / did'nt / didnt / didn't) → didn'tPrompt: Which letter is missing in the short form?

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. Write the contraction (short form) of "will not". → won'tPrompt: Which letter or letters are left out?
  2. Which is the correct short form of "do not"? (dont / don't / dont' / do'nt) → don'tPrompt: Which letter is missing in the short form?

Watch out for

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

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Capital letters and full stops (periods).
  • 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

  • Move on to: Apostrophes for possession; Apostrophes for one owner (the dog's bone); Confusing words: its/it's, your/you're, then/than, whose/who's.
  • 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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Apostrophes in contractions

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which is the correct short form of "cannot"?

    • A. cant'
    • B. cant
    • C. ca'nt
    • D. can't

  2. Question 2

    Write the contraction (short form) of "is not".

    Answer

  3. Question 3

    Which is the correct short form of "would not"?

    • A. wouldn't
    • B. wouldnt'
    • C. would'nt
    • D. wouldnt

  4. Question 4

    Write the contraction (short form) of "I would".

    Answer

  5. Question 5

    Which is the correct short form of "did not"?

    • A. didn't
    • B. did'nt
    • C. didnt
    • D. didnt'

  6. Question 6

    Write the contraction (short form) of "we are".

    Answer

  7. Question 7

    Which is the correct short form of "could not"?

    • A. couldnt
    • B. couldnt'
    • C. couldn't
    • D. could'nt

  8. Question 8

    Write the contraction (short form) of "they are".

    Answer

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Answer key: Apostrophes in contractions

  1. 1. D. can't

  2. 2. isn't

  3. 3. A. wouldn't

  4. 4. I'd

  5. 5. A. didn't

  6. 6. we're

  7. 7. C. couldn't

  8. 8. they're