Grade 6 Lesson Plan: Understanding Contractions
Subject: Language Arts
Grade: 6
Duration: 60 minutes
Objective:
Students will be able to understand and identify contractions, use them correctly in sentences, and explain the meaning of commonly used contractions.
Materials Needed:
- Whiteboard and markers
- Chart paper with examples of contractions
- Handouts with a contraction chart
- Worksheets for practice
- Short story or text with contractions for group reading
Introduction (15 minutes):
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Engage Students:
- Start with a fun question: “What do you think happens when two words come together to make one shorter word?”
- Allow students to discuss in pairs for a minute.
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Define Contractions:
- Provide a clear definition: “A contraction is a shortened form of a word or group of words that omits certain letters or sounds. For example, ‘do not’ becomes ‘don’t’.”
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Write Examples:
- On the whiteboard, write common contractions:
- can’t (cannot)
- won’t (will not)
- it’s (it is or it has)
- they’re (they are)
- On the whiteboard, write common contractions:
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Discuss Purpose:
- Explain that contractions are used to make speech and writing more fluid and conversational.
Direct Instruction (15 minutes):
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Contraction Formation:
- Teach how contractions are formed by combining two words and removing letters.
- Highlight the apostrophe’s role in contractions by demonstrating with examples (e.g., “I am” becomes “I’m”).
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Common Contractions:
- Give students a handout with a list of common contractions and their expanded forms.
- Discuss irregular contractions such as "who’s" (who is) and "let’s" (let us).
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Group Activity:
- Break students into small groups for a quick round of quiz-style questions.
- Write a word on the board (e.g., "will not") and have students shout out the correct contraction.
Guided Practice (15 minutes):
-
Worksheet Activity:
- Distribute worksheets with sentences that need contractions filled in (e.g., "I will not go" to "I _____ go").
- Students can work individually or in pairs to complete the exercises.
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Review Answers:
- After they finish, review the answers as a class, providing feedback for any common mistakes.
Independent Practice (10 minutes):
- Writing Prompt:
- Ask students to write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) about their favorite hobby, ensuring they use at least three contractions.
- Encourage them to be creative and express themselves freely.
Conclusion (5 minutes):
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Recap Key Points:
- Summarize the lesson by revisiting what contractions are and why they are used.
- Ask students to share the paragraphs they wrote, focusing on the contractions they used.
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Exit Ticket:
- Hand out a small slip of paper and ask each student to write down one contraction they learned today and use it in a sentence.
- Collect these slips as they leave the classroom.
Assessment:
- Observe students during group activities and independent practice to ensure understanding.
- Review the exit tickets to gauge individual comprehension of contractions.
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to define contractions, identify and form them in writing, and understand their context in everyday language.
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