Pronouns Help Predict the Future

Basics:
Name: Caitlin Field Time Allotted: 45 mins
rd
Grade Level: 3 Grade Subject(s): English Language Arts
Intentional Room Set Up: Desks are set up so that the students can see the board. The tables are
set up in groups of 4 or 5.
Materials Required:
Mad Libs Worksheet (Teachnology, 2012) one per student
Whiteboards one per student
Dry erase markers one per student
Pronouns Schoolhouse Rocks Video (Us chronicle, 2012)
Find the Pronouns to Find the Word Worksheet one per student
Find the Pronouns to Find the Word Worksheet key one
Lined Paper one per student
Where You Will be in the Future Rubric one per student
Stick notes one per student
Pencils one per student

Michigan Content Expectations: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.A. Explain the function of

nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular
sentences.

Objective(s):

Objective 1: I will explain the function of pronouns in particular sentences and use
pronouns in a sentence by earning 7 out of 9 on the Where You Will be in the Future
Rubric during independent work at the end of the lesson.

Assessment:

Objective 1 Informal Formative Assessment: This takes place during direct instruction.
The teacher will walk around the classroom observing the students discussion about what
they took from the video. The teacher will see if they were able to pick out the pronouns
and what pronouns are from watching the video. The teacher will also see if they are able
to communicate the information they learned to their peers. The teacher will use this
assessment to make sure students understand what pronouns are and some examples of
pronouns. This will help the teacher determine if more instruction is needed.

Objective 1 Formal Formative Assessment: This takes place during guided practice. The
students will fill out the Find the Pronouns to Find the Word worksheet. The teacher will
know if the students were able to understand what pronouns are when they check to see if
the word the letters made is correct. The teacher will use this assessment to gauge if the
 students are able to identify pronouns in sentences. The teacher will know if the students
understand because the teacher will see if students got the correct word. The teacher will
have the physical copy of the worksheet to keep as record.
o Data & Intervention Plan: If the students do not understand, the teacher will go
over the worksheet one on one or in a group with the students while the other
students are finishing up or creating a Mad Lib with pronouns. The teacher will
ask the students what they are confused on and the teacher can answer their
questions directly. This will help the students understand how pronouns work in
the sentence. The teacher can also show examples of sentences with nouns, and
then replace the nouns with pronouns to show how pronouns work.
o If the students did well on the formal formative assessment then the teacher would
progress through the lesson as planned. The teacher will collect the worksheets.
They have shown that they understand the lesson and are ready to take the
assessment.

Objective 1 Formal Interim/Summative Assessment: This takes place during independent

practice. The students chose how many years into the future they want to write about,
either 5, 20, or 60 years. Then the teacher reads the rubric to them detailing that the
students need to include at least six pronouns and underline all the pronouns they use in
their writing. The students also have to include details about what they will look like,
what they will be doing, like schooling or career, and what stage in the life cycle they
would be in. The teacher will know if the students have learned the objective if they earn
a score of 7 out of 9 on the Where You will be in the Future Rubric.
o Data & Intervention Plan: This formal summative assessment shows if the
students have mastered identifying pronouns and being able to use them in
sentences. If students did not earn 7 out of 9, the teacher would go back and give
more examples of pronouns in examples. The teacher could give them sentences
with missing pronouns and the student has to put the pronoun in the sentence. The
students can also play the game at this website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en27pron-game-personal-pronouns-
treasure-hunt called Pronoun Treasure Hunt. The website gives three different
levels to help different levels of students. The students can work on finding the
pronouns, picking the correct pronoun, or changing the noun to a pronoun. It is in
game form so it makes the students interested while they are learning.
o If the students did pass the formal summative assessment the teacher would move
on to the final summative assessment for the entire unit. The teacher would do
this because they knew that the students would do well on it. The students would
apply the knowledge that they gained from this lesson and the previous lessons to
complete the assessment.
Instructional Procedure:

Anticipatory Set: (Allotted Time__9 mins__)

a. Tell students that we are going to do an activity to start out our lesson.
b. Tell them that it has to do with nouns. Tell them that they have learned about
nouns in first and second grade.
c. Hand out the Mad Libs Worksheet, but have the Noun side facing up.
d. Ask students if they remember what a noun is.
i. Define noun as a person, place, thing, or idea.
e. Have the students write their definition on their worksheet
f. Ask the students if they can think of examples of nouns
i. Some examples include: boy, animal, city, Jackson, chair, love
g. Have the students write some of the examples on the worksheet
h. Read the directions on the worksheet to the students.
i. Have them fill out the worksheet with nouns.
j. When they are finished they can turn over the worksheet and read the directions
and fill in the blanks.
k. When they have filled out their worksheet they can read their story to their peers
who are also done.
l. One student from each group can share their story with the class.

State Purpose and Objective of Lesson: (Allotted Time__1min___)

a. Tell the students that today they are going to learn what a pronoun is and how it
fits into a sentence.
b. Tell the students that it is important to know about pronouns because it sounds
better to use a pronoun than repeat the name over and over again. We use
pronouns when we talk, but it is important to recognize them, and put a name to
them so we can use them when we write.
c. Tell the students the objective is
i. I will explain the function of pronouns in particular sentences and use
pronouns in a sentence.
Instruction:
a. Direct Instruction & Modeling: (Allotted Time__9 mins_)
i. Handout whiteboards and dry erase markers.
ii. Tell the students that they are going to watch a video about pronouns.
1. As they watch the video they need to write down as many
pronouns as they see and hear.
2. If they can, they should try to also write down a definition of a
pronoun
iii. Show the video Pronouns School House Rock (Us chronicle, 2012).
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu1ciVFbecw)
iv. When the video is finished have the students share the pronouns they
heard to their groups.
1. Walk around the class listening to what the students wrote and
took from the video. (Informal Formative Assessment is occurring
at this time)
 v. Have each group come up with their own definition of pronoun.
vi. Have the one person from each group share their definition.
1. Write the different definitions on the board.
vii. Give the students an example sentence Bob was a very good runner. that
has a noun in it. Ask the student what pronoun would be in place of the
noun.
1. Bob could be replaced with he.
2. Ask the students why we would want to replace Bob with he.
a. One reason might include because if he had a long name it
is easier to say he instead.
viii. Give the students one more example of a sentence with a pronoun They
had a lot of homework. Ask the students if they can pick out the pronoun.
1. The pronoun is they.

Differentiation: Information is represented visually through the video. The information is also
being represented through the audio of the video. The information is in song form so it can
benefit students who learn musically. The students work collaboratively, so each student can
help the other students.

b. Guided Practice: (Allotted Time__6 mins__)

i. Handout the Find the Pronouns to Find the Word worksheet.
ii. Read the directions on the top of the worksheet to the students.
iii. Tell the students that they will first write the word on each of the lines.
iv. Then have the students combined the letters to make a word.
v. When the students finish they can check the word with the teachers copy
that has the correct word.
vi. If the students got it correct they can create a Mad Lib on the back of their
Find the Pronouns to Find the Word Worksheet. If they need to remember
how to make a Mad Lib they can look back at their Mad Libs Worksheet
from the beginning of the lesson.
1. This time they need to include pronouns, not just nouns.
vii. If the students did not get it right they can try again, explain what they
thought when they chose the word they thought was the pronoun and the
teacher can explain why it is not a pronoun.
viii. When everyone is finish collect the worksheets. (Formal Formative
Assessment is occurring at this time)

Differentiation: Students who are more advanced can test their knowledge of pronouns by
creating a Mad Lib of their own. This pushes them to think about what pronouns are, where they
would be in a sentence, and then how to apply that to a story. The struggling students can get
more one on one attention. The teacher can work with them to better explain how to find the
pronouns.

c. Independent Practice: (Allotted Time__16 mins_)

i. Tell the students that they now get to write about their own lives. Remind
them that the previous lesson they learned about life cycles.
 1. Ask them if they remember the life cycle of a human.
a. Baby, Child, Teenager, Adult, and Elderly.
ii. Tell the students that they are going to write about what they would be like
in 5, 20, or 60 years.
1. Read the rubric to the students so they know the requirements.
iii. Pass out the Where You Will be in the Future Rubric.
iv. (Formal summative assessment is occurring at this time.)
v. If students finish early they can draw a picture of what they would look
like in however many years they chose. Then they should write a sentence
describing the picture with as many pronouns as they can.
vi. When all the students are finish collect the papers and rubrics.

Differentiated: Students are able to choose what year they want to write about. It can be difficult
for students to have to think far into the future, so there are options with years closer and farther
away. The more advanced students can write more about their future selves, and the struggling
students can write less about their future selves as long as they meet the rubric requirements. The
more advanced students can also write a description of a picture they drew with as many
pronouns as they can.

Closure: (Allotted Time__4 min__)

Go over the objective:
a. I will explain the function of pronouns in particular sentences and use pronouns in
a sentence.
Ask the students if they think they were able to accomplish this objective.
Handout one sticky note for each student
a. Have the students write a pronoun on the sticky note
b. Then have them switch the sticky note with another person and they have to write
a sentence on the other side of the sticky note using the pronoun.
c. Then the students can share their sentences with their group
Have one student from each group share a pronoun and a sentence that goes with the
pronoun.
Tell the students that in their writings the talked about how they would be after a certain
amount of time passed. Now they are able to apply what they know about pronouns to
writing actual sentences and stories to describe the passing of time.
Tell the students that this was the last lesson before we move into the summative
assessment that will last several days.
It will be a combination of all that they have learned over the unit.
 References

BBC. (2016). Personal pronouns treasure hunt game. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en27pron-game-personal-pronouns-treasure-hunt

Teachnology. (2012). Mad libs worksheet: a day at the zoo! Retrieved from http://www.teach-

nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/madlibs/1/

Us chronicle. (2012). Pronoun schoolhouse rock. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu1ciVFbecw