"To Be Or Not To Be A Noun"

This lesson teaches students to categorize nouns as persons, places, or things. This lesson also teaches children to distinguish nouns from other words in phrases and sentences.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts and Information Skills

By Tasha Christian

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• correctly categorize objects and words as names of persons, places, or things.
• distinguish nouns from other words or phrases.
• correctly identify nouns in phrases and sentences.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 Hours

Materials/resources

Students will need two response cards per child made out of 3×5 inch notecards stapled to a craft stick. One card will be labeled “Yes” and the other card labeled “No.” The teacher will also need to prepare at least twelve pictures or words illustrating persons, places, or things. These pictures should be pasted on a sheet of construction paper and then laminated so that the pictures last longer. Students will also need an individual chalkboard for each student, erasers and chalk and pencils. The teacher will also need to prepare a transparency or chart of word and phrases containing examples and non-example of nouns. In addition, teacher will need to prepare a list of simple sentences containing one or two nouns in each sentence.

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Students should be able to read basic sight words and identify objects. Students need to be able to categorize items as persons, places or things.

Activities

1. The teacher will write the words “persons, places or things” on the chalkboard. Then the teacher will show the students different pictures or words of persons, places, or things. (Teacher will show one picture at a time for students to see.) Students will identify if each picture is a person, place, or thing using their individual chalkboards. Students will first answer what each word or picture is. Then on their individual chalkboards students will be given time to write if the picture or word is a person, place, or thing. For example, the teacher will say “What is this (picture or word)?” Then the teacher will say after the students responds, “Is this picture or word a person, place, or thing?” The teacher will then put the picture or word under the right category.
2. The teacher will show a chart or transparency containing “words” or “phrases” which contain nouns. For example, the teacher will say, “Listen: A noun names a person, place, or thing. This says ‘the tiny cat.’ Cat is a thing. Therefore, cat is a noun.” The teacher will then show another example to the students. The teacher will say: “My turn again. Look at the word ‘ran.’ Ran is not a person, place, or thing. Therefore ran is not a noun.” The teacher can illustrate more examples and non-examples so that students can start to distinguish nouns from other words.
3. The teacher will use the chart or transparency with the following phrases and words to identify nouns. The teacher can use the same questioning techniques used in the previous activity to identify which words are nouns using the “Yes” and “No” response cards.
   
   • the small ring
   • girl
   • go
   • wind
   • television
   • the long dress
   • run
   • green shoes
   • a box of tissue
   • draw

   Each student will receive two response cards, one that says “yes” and one that says “no.” For each word or word in each phrase students will hold up the “yes” response card if the word shown is a noun. For each word or word in each phrase that is not a noun, students will hold up the “no” response card. The teacher should give enough time for students to think about their answer and select their response card. The teacher should have a signal for students to respond and display their cards at the same time so that the teacher can see correct and incorrect responses.

4. The teacher will provide students with a sheet of simple sentences (like the following samples below) for students to identify the nouns. The teacher will have the students work independently for eight minutes. Then the teacher will monitor students to make sure they are on the right track. The teacher can call time (after eight minutes), and have the students work in cooperative groups to correct their sentences and check their answers. Then the teacher will review each sentence by having each student read the sentence aloud and identify the nouns in each sentence.Sentences can include:
   
   • The little dog ran home.
   • The baby cried.
   • The big girl laughed.
   • The teacher taught the lesson.
   • The sun was bright.

Assessment

The teacher will assess the students’ work by having the students read some sentences on a worksheet individually, and then identify the nouns in each sentence by drawing a circle around them.
Sentences can include:

• We are going to school.
• The bus left the lot.
• The dog ran away.
• This is a long table.
• The girl ran home.
• The teacher read a story.
• The baby cried at home.

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

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Comments

I hope that the students will enjoy the hands-on activities and learn in a creative way what nouns are.