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Lesson Plan Template

  • Grade

  • Subject

  • Section

First

ELA

Conventions of Standard English

  • Competency

Nouns

  • Aligned Standards

Language

  • Strand

L.1.1.b

  • Vocabulary

Common Noun: A general name for a person, place, or thing (e.g., dog, boy, playground).

Proper Noun: A specific name for a person, place, or thing that always starts with a capital letter (e.g., Joy, James, Rainer Park).

Proper Noun Pursuit

Locate Proper Nouns

Prerequisite Skill

Sort Proper and Common Nouns

Materials and Preparation

  • Chart paper and markers
  • Sentence strips
  • Worksheets on common and proper nouns
  • Flashcards with nouns
  • Projector or smartboard
  • Example books with highlighted nouns

Learning Objectives

  • Students will identify and differentiate between common and proper nouns.
  • Students will use proper capitalization for proper nouns.

Introduction

Begin by explaining that nouns are words that name people, places, or things. Illustrate with a few examples, such as "dog," "boy," and "playground." Then introduce the concept of proper nouns as special names that start with capital letters, like "Joy," "James," and "Rainer Park." Show how "Joe's Bake Shop" is a proper noun because it is a specific name of a place and starts with capital letters.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling

Using a projector or smartboard, display sentences with a mix of common and proper nouns. Highlight the nouns and explain why each one is either common or proper. Emphasize that proper nouns always start with capital letters, while common nouns do not unless they begin a sentence.

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Guided Practice

Hand out worksheets with sentences containing common and proper nouns. Work through the first few sentences together as a class, identifying and categorizing each noun. Encourage students to explain why each noun is common or proper and discuss any capitalization rules.

Independent Practice

Provide students with a worksheet that has sentences with common and proper nouns. Ask them to underline the common nouns and circle the proper nouns. Additionally, have them rewrite the sentences, correcting any improper capitalization.

Differentiation

Support

  • Pair students for practice, providing additional support for those who struggle.
  • Use visual aids and manipulatives for students needing extra help.
  • Offer differentiated worksheets based on student ability levels.

Extension

  • Have students write a short story or a few sentences using a mix of common and proper nouns.
  • Create a classroom noun wall where students can add common and proper nouns they find in books or around the school.

Assessment

Students will be assessed based on their performance on the worksheet provided during independent practice and their ability to correctly identify and use common and proper nouns in their exit tickets.

Review and closing

Review the key points of the lesson, addressing any common misconceptions such as not capitalizing proper nouns. Ensure clarity and understanding by allowing students to ask any final questions. Share observations or curiosities they have about nouns.

Misconceptions

  1. Believing that all nouns should be capitalized.
  2. Thinking that proper nouns do not need to start with capital letters.
  3. Confusing common nouns as proper nouns due to context.
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