Lesson Plan Grade 5th

English/Language Arts

Parts of Speech

To enable students to label parts of speech in their own work and in the work of others, such as when reading passages and on standardized exams

Big idea: Students will be able to label nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, pronouns, interjections, and conjunctions.

Essential questions: How does understanding the parts of speech make us better readers and writers?

Hook: Ask students to free-associate words that come to mind. Then, once every student has volunteered a word, discuss as a class under what part of speech these words can be classified. This may be followed by 'clustering' or listing the words under different categories. Words that can be placed in multiple categories can be singled out for special discussion.

Motivation: Students will be motivated because they will be able to volunteer the words. Allow students to be as funny or as crazy as they want when suggesting words. If presenting the lesson around a holiday (like Halloween) or many of the students in the class are particularly interested in something coming up (like the release of a new cartoon or sporting event), suggest words that revolve around the occasion.

Teacher input: The teacher will review the definitions of the different parts of speech, after asking the class to give their own definitions and provide additional examples. The teacher may diagram sentences using an overhead transparency or on a chalkboard (Parts of speech, 2012, K6edu).

Concept/skills/instruction: Definitions and examples of parts of speech; sentence diagramming

Student output: Students will brainstorm words, provide their own definitions of the parts of speech, then diagram sentences collectively as a class, then individually using worksheets.

Learning interactions: Students will engage in-class 'sharing' of favorite words and become involved in the creation of their own examples and definitions of the different parts of speech. Sharing existing knowledge will facilitate retention and excitement about the topic.

Evidence of learning: Successful completion with minimal errors...

Students for whom English is a second language will grow more confident in their use of vocabulary; more gifted students will be able to assist less confident students
Essential questions: How does understanding the parts of speech make us better readers and writers? And how does understanding parts of speech help students with learning challenges and ESL students?

Hook: Ask students to free-associate words that come to mind. Then, once every student has volunteered a word, discuss as a class what part of speech they words fall under, followed with a 'clustering' exercise of grouping words into different visual categories. Volunteer troublesome words that English language learners might find challenging/volunteer words that students have had difficulties with misusing in the past. For gifted students, identify higher-level words to expand…