Prepostions Lesson Plan

Prepositions Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 3-4

Content Standards: Applying English Language Conventions 4.3- Students use standard English for composing and revising written text.

• Use correct placement of prepositions.

Learner Background: Students should have a concrete understanding of standard sentence structure. They should know a sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. Students will begin learning about words that modify or change a sentence, such as adjectives and adverbs. Prepositions will be the next step for improving and elaborating sentence structure.

Student Learning Objective(s):

• Students will be able to give a concrete definition of a preposition and determine the correct place to use it in a sentence.
• Students will be able to find examples of prepositions in different literature genres.
• Students will be able to create their own examples of prepositions within sentences.
• Students will use prepositions in expository writing.

Assessment: Students will be assessed through observation and writing prompts. During group work, the teacher will be observing students for appropriate use of prepositions. This will be displayed when students play Preposition Boogie using the sentences their classmates created. The teacher can monitor students and observe that they are creating sentences using prepositions and are later able to physically complete the prepositions. The teacher will also use writing prompts to have students demonstrate an understanding of prepositions and be able to use them in their writing to show where something is.

Materials/Resources:

• Elephants Aloft by, Kathi Appelt
• Chart Paper/Word Wall
• Index Cards
• Writer’s Journal

                                   

                                               

Learning Activities:

Reading Elephants Aloft with the whole class and finding examples of prepositions.

Creating classroom prepositions with a partner and demonstrating through Preposition Boogie as a whole class.

Expository writing prompt done individually.

Initiation: The teacher will begin this lesson by reminding students what makes a good sentence. At this point students should remember that a sentence has a subject and that subject needs to do something. Examples may be given. Once students show an understanding of a basic sentence, the teacher can continue by explaining how sentences can be modified and made more specific. It should be explained that this is where adjectives and adverbs come in. This is also where prepositions are introduced. Prepositions show location. Examples can be given along with student examples. A word wall can be created and expanded as students learn more prepositions.

Lesson Development: The lesson will begin, after the initiation of prepositions, with a read-aloud of Elephants Aloft. Students should be looking for examples of prepositions used in this book. After the reading, students will be called upon to give examples of prepositions that they found in the book. They will be expected to justify and explain their answers. The prepositions they find can be posted on a chart for the whole class to use as a reference or used on a word wall, which will later be posted in the classroom for students to use as a resource when improving their writing. This activity will give students an idea of what a preposition is. This will lead into the next activity, which will help students use prepositions in a sentence.

Students will be divided into groups of 2 or 3 to create their own classroom prepositions. The will write sentences using a preposition that students will later be able to act out. For example: put the book on top of the desk. Each group should come up with 3-5 sentences. These sentences should be appropriate and are able to be completed in the classroom. Students will be guided by the teacher to make realistic sentences and to use prepositions in the correct way. After 15 minutes, the cards will be collected and approved by the teacher. The students will rejoin the class as a whole and complete the actions the created, as read by the teacher. In order to stay on track, students should be reminded at different intervals what the preposition is in a specific sentence.

The final activity is for independent practice on prepositions. Students will respond to a writing prompt in their writer’s journals. An example writing prompt is: Describe your favorite room of your house. Pretend that we have never been there and take us on a guided tour of that room. Make sure to use prepositions to better direct and guide us through the room. This written response should be 1-2 pages in length and focus on prepositions. Students should focus on the placement of the preposition in the sentence as well as the meaning behind it. This activity, and lesson, will conclude in a group share among classmates and the teacher.

Closure: After, or during, the group share the teacher should acknowledge the purpose of prepositions. The students should be aware that prepositions make writing more meaningful and provide better visuals. Students will be expected to make use of prepositions in all written and oral responses.

Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction:

Low level students may want to use visuals more during this lesson. During the read-aloud/ word wall activity, the teacher may want to incorporate pictures into the word wall or chart, as students may have a better understanding through pictures rather then words. During the partner activity, lower level students should be paired up with students of different levels so they can learn and reciprocate from them. More time may be given on this assignment so specific groups, if needed. Finally, during the writing prompt, students may be encouraged to draw pictures to illustrate their room as well as write about it. They can create an illustration and label prepositions rather then write in paragraph form, if this proves to be easier.

For students that are gifted and talented or at the higher end of the spectrum, more challenging tasks are recommended. They should be encouraged to create more challenging sentences for the Preposition Boogie. They may also work independently by using different books and finding examples of prepositions used in them. For the writing prompt, they can go beyond describing one room in the house, and describe the whole house, if they wish. They may also describe their classroom, instead of a room in their house. This writing prompt can be specific or broad depending on the student.