Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Down With the Nouns

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

K, 1, 2

Overview

Students will learn nouns by using an interactive sorting game. Students will compete with each other by putting noun cards down on the floor categorized by person, place, animal, or thing. Students will have to read and sort the cards. The student with no noun cards first, wins!

This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

    ELA21.K.36

    When speaking and writing, follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and grade-appropriate spelling.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.K.36

    Vocabulary

    • Speaking
    • Writing
    • Standard English grammar
    • Punctuation
    • Capitalization
    • Grade-appropriate spelling

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • Standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling rules for speaking and writing.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Write and speak abiding by the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • The English language has grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling rules.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

    ELA21.K.36c

    With prompting and support, identify the role or purpose of a noun and a verb within a sentence and the type of information it conveys.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.K.36c

    Vocabulary

    • Identify
    • Role
    • Purpose
    • Noun
    • Verb
    • Sentence
    • Conveys
    • Prompting
    • Support

    Knowledge

    • The purpose and function of a noun and verb within a sentence.

    Skills

    With prompting and support,
    • Identify nouns and verbs in sentences.
    • Describe the information a noun or verb conveys within a sentence.

    Understanding

    • Nouns and verbs have rules for placement in a sentence and convey certain information within the sentence.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

    ELA21.1.32

    Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.1.32

    Vocabulary

    • Rules of standard English grammar
    • Punctuation rules
    • Capitalization rules
    • Spelling rules

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • The rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to the first grade level.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Use proper grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling by following the rules of standard English.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • Using standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling in their writing will help them clearly communicate with a variety of audiences.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

    ELA21.1.32d

    With prompting and support, identify the role or purpose of a noun, verb, and adjective within a sentence and describe the type of the information it conveys.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.1.32d

    Vocabulary

    • Identify
    • Role
    • Purpose
    • Noun
    • Verb
    • Adjective
    • Sentence
    • Describe
    • Information

    Knowledge

    • Role or purpose of a noun, verb, and adjective within a sentence.
    • The type of information nouns, verbs, and adjectives convey.

    Skills

    • Identify the role or purpose of a noun, verb, and adjective in a sentence.
    • Describe the type of information a noun, verb, and adjective provide in a sentence.

    Understanding

    • Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are parts of speech.
    • Nouns identify people, places, things, or ideas in a sentence.
    • Verbs are action words that tell what a noun does in the sentence.
    • Adjectives are words that describe attributes of a noun in the sentence.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

    ELA21.2.45

    Demonstrate understanding of standard English language conventions when writing.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.2.45

    Vocabulary

    • English Language conventions

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • The English language has grammatical conventions that must be followed when writing.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Correctly use standard English language conventions in writing.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • To clearly communicate through writing, they must use standard English language conventions.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

    ELA21.2.45a

    Identify the role of a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb within a sentence and explain the type of the information it conveys.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.2.45a

    Vocabulary

    • Noun
    • Verb
    • Adjective
    • Adverb
    • Conveys

    Knowledge

    • There are different types of words within a sentence, and each word provides a particular type of information.
    • The role of a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb within a sentence.

    Skills

    • Identify a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb in a sentence.
    • Explain the type of information nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs provide in a sentence.

    Understanding

    • Each word in a sentence plays an important role in conveying meaning.
    • A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea and tells who or what the sentence is about.
    • A verb expresses an action or a state of being and tells what the noun is doing.
    • An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun and tells attributes of the noun.
    • An adverb describes a verb, adjective, or adverb, and provides more description about another word in the sentence.

    Primary Learning Objectives

    Students will be able to:

    • Identify proper and common nouns
    • Categorize nouns
    • Read and sort nouns
    • Make visual representations of nouns
    • Write sentences about nouns

    Procedures/Activities

    Motivation/Introduction

    1. Teacher will read A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? by Brian Cleary.

    2. The teacher will explain that nouns are divided into four groups: person, place, animal, and thing.

    3. The class will discuss nouns in the story.

    Teaching/Learning Activities

    1. Students will play an interactive sorting game.

    2. The teacher will tape on the floor the five colored index cards entitled: Nouns (top) with the four categories under the title labeled Person, Place, Animal, and Thing.

    3. The teacher will explain that the objective of this game is that the noun cards be placed under the correct categories.

    4. The teacher will select two students to play “Down with the Nouns”.

    5. Each student will receive 20 cards.

    6. Students will compete with each other by putting noun cards down on the floor categorizing them by person, place, animal, or thing. Students will have to read and sort the cards quickly. The student with all the nouns down first wins!

    7. The teacher will gather the cards and select other students to play.

    Closure

    1. Once the children understand that nouns are divided into categories, students will create their own list or picture chart of nouns. Students will make five visual representations of nouns for each category and write sentences about the nouns.

    2. As a closing activity, students can play any of the following online games:

      http://www.softschools.com/language_arts/grammar/noun/balloon_game/

      http://www.abcya.com/nouns_and_verbs.htm

    Assessment Strategies

    Formative Assessment:

    • Students will make drawings of nouns.
    • Assess individual charts constructed by students for student understanding.

    Informal Assessment:

    • Oral Assessment
    • Visual Assessment

    Acceleration

    • Teacher may make additional noun cards as an extension lesson.
    • Students may create a visual noun chart by cutting out pictures from magazines and newspapers.

    Intervention

    • Demonstrate the procedure over again as needed.
    • Limit noun categories to two.
    • Students with learning disabilities will be provided a designated peer reader and helper, as well as provided assistance with proofing classwork.
    • ELL students will have reduced length in written assignments and be allowed more time to complete written assignments. These students are also allowed to work with a partner.
    • ESL students will be provided a model, as well as visual aids. Students' work will be modified as well as given extra time to complete tasks.

    Approximate Duration

    Total Duration

    31 to 60 Minutes

    Background and Preparation

    Background/Preparation

    • Teacher will make noun cards using index cards. 
    • Five colored index cards will be labeled: Nouns, Person, Place, Animal, and Thing. 
    • Forty white cards: 10 names referring to people, 10 names referring to a place, 10 names referring to an animal, and 10 names referring to a thing.

    Materials and Resources

    Materials and Resources

    • 5 Colored Index Cards
    • 40 White Index Cards
    • Tape
    • Markers
    • Crayons
    • Pencils
    • Newspapers
    • Magazines
    • Book: A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? by Brian Cleary

    Technology Resources Needed

    Computer with Internet access

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