Example of an Elementary Language Arts Lesson Plan
Summary:
This page provides an example of an elementary language arts lesson about identifying nouns. The lesson uses components of an effective lesson plan.
Lesson Title: Identifying Nouns
Sunshine State Standards Benchmark: LA.1.1.6.6 The student will identify and sort words into conceptual categories.
Given ten words, six of which are nouns, the student will identify the nouns with 80% accuracy.
- Gain student attention: Ask students if they know the very first words they said as babies. As each “first word” is shared, write it on the board and draw a simple picture to illustrate the word. Lead students to identify the naming words (nouns) and underline each one. Point out that knowing the names of things helps people get what they need and want.
- Explain the objective: Tell students they are going to learn about “words that name things” called nouns. Write the words “nouns” and “naming words” on the board. Tell them they are going to learn what a noun is and be able to identify a noun when they see one.
- Relate to prior knowledge: Tell students they already know many words that are nouns. Have them think about and write or draw on a piece of paper: (1) a place they went over the weekend, (2) a person who was there, and (3) something they saw.
Knowledge and Skills in Lesson: Students know many words that are nouns. They do not know the definition or categories of nouns.
Teacher and Student Learning Activities
- Hang up a large wall chart, titled “Nouns,” with labeled columns for the categories “People,” “Places,” and “Things.”
- Point to the information written on the board and remind students that nouns are naming words.
- Tell students the definition of a noun is a word that tells the names of people, places, and things.
- Make sure students understand the meaning of these categories.
- Ask the students to help you place the nouns from the “first word” activity in the introduction in the appropriate categories on the chart. Point out that all of these words are nouns.
- Using cards containing additional examples and non-examples of words that are nouns, hold cards up one at a time and have students decide if each word is a noun. Ask prompting questions to guide student learning:
Does this word name a person?
Does it name a place?
Does it name a thing?
Is it a noun?
- Tape the noun cards in the appropriate categories on the chart. Leave the chart posted on the wall for future reference and review.
Activity Organization and Support
- Media Selection: Prepare the “Noun” wall chart and select
the word cards for examples and non-examples of nouns. Prepare
two student work sheets each containing 12 words, including eight nouns
for practice activities.
Student grouping: The whole class will work together on this activity.
- Guided Practice: Have students work in cooperative pairs to complete a pair/check activity with a nearby student. Give each pair a worksheet with 12 words, including eight nouns. Instruct student A to read word #1, decide if the word is or is not a noun and indicate whether it names a person, place, or thing and write the responses on the worksheet. Student B reviews these responses and agrees or disagrees with Student A and tells why. Partners change roles and continue until all 12 words have been discussed. The teacher circulates throughout the guided practice exercise, using questions to help students work through disagreements. When finished, the teacher goes over all answers with students and provides feedback regarding why answers are right or wrong.
- Independent Practice: Give students the second worksheet and direct them to underline the nouns by themselves. Ask students to exchange papers with a partner who will use the definition of a noun to make sure each listed word is a noun and identify any words that don’t match the definition. Conduct a quick review of papers to identify whether individual students need reteaching, additional practice, or extension activities.
- Judicious Review: Plan a quick noun recognition activity at the end of each lesson in the unit on parts of speech.
Ask, “What kind of words have we been learning about today? How can you tell if a word is a noun?” Teach the musical noun jingle: “A noun is a word that always names: a person, or a place, or thing!” This jingle can be sung to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” Point to the categories in the wall chart while singing.
- Determine the Assessment Procedure: The next day, have students complete a written assessment, with a list of ten words, six of which are nouns (boy, tomato, Tallahassee, Mr. Smith, football, downtown) and four of which are not nouns (sing, the, pretty, quickly). Students will write “yes” or “no” on the line beside each word to indicate whether the word is or is not a noun.
- Decide How to Judge Performance: Students must get eight out of ten correct to demonstrate mastery.
Accommodations
For a student who can’t read or write individual words, the accommodations listed below could be provided:
- Relate to Prior Knowledge: Have the student draw and name pictures of the places, people, and things, instead of writing a list of words.
- Present the Content: When adding words to the nouns chart, draw small picture beside each word to cue recall of word meaning. Read each word card aloud as you hold up the card.
- Provide Practice and Feedback: For the pair/check activity, ask the student’s partner to read the words on the list aloud. For the independent practice, read the student’s worksheet orally.
- Assess student learning: Administer the assessment to the student orally.
For a student who has difficulty maintaining attention in large group activities, the accommodations listed below could be provided.
- Introduce the Lesson and Present the Content: Seat the student close to the teacher or next to peers who can help keep him or her focused on the lesson.
- Have the student actively assist the teacher by underlining words on the board that students identify as nouns or taping the word cards onto the nouns chart.
- Provide positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviors, linked to his or her behavior management system.
Accommodations in Lesson Design
Access Points (Different Objectives) for Individual Students
Students working on access points have different learning goals and objectives for the lesson. The SSS Science Access Points specify learning goals at the Independent, Supported, and Participatory levels.
For students working on the access points, the following modifications could be made:
Independent Level Access Point: LA.1.1.6.ln.c The student will identify and describe pictures of persons, objects, actions, and settings in familiar activities.
Write the objective: Given ten pictures (three people, three places, and four things), the student will classify the pictures as people, places, or things with 80% accuracy. These pictures can be included in the examples used in “Present the Content.” The student is not expected to learn whether or not the words are nouns; he is learning a prerequisite skill.)
Supported Level Access Point: LA.1.1.6.Su.c The student will identify pictures of persons, objects, actions, and settings in familiar activities.
Write the Objective: Given ten pictures (two people, two places, and six things that are a part of familiar classroom activities), the student will identify the pictures with 80% accuracy. (Note: These pictures can be included in the examples used in "Present the Content." The student is learning a prerequisite skill–identifying people, places, and objects.)
Participatory Level Access Point: The student will respond to names of familiar persons and objects in routines.
Write the Objective: The student will respond correctly to at least three of four names of familiar people and objects in classroom activities. (Note: The activities involve actual people and objectsnot pictures.)
Go to sample lessons: Elementary Science | Middle School Mathematics
Write Objective | Introduce | Present Content | Practice & Feedback | Summarize | Assess