Kellie Dickinson 1

Parts of Speech – Prepositions Day 1

Bell Middle School
Communications – 7th Grade

PLANNING
1. Teacher Performance Standards
• 1.5 Utilize Colorado Model Content Standards in Reading and Writing for the
improvement of instruction.
• 2.2 Utilize Colorado Model Content Standards in Mathematics for the
improvement of instruction.
• 3.1 Design short and long range standards-based instructional plans.
• 3.5 Use assessment data as a basis for standards-based instruction.
• 3.8 Ensure that instruction is consistent with school district priorities and
goals, the Colorado Model Content Standards, and the 1999 Colorado
Accreditation Program.
• 4.1 Utilize content knowledge to ensure student learning.
• 4.2 Enhance content instruction through a thorough understanding of all
Colorado model content standards.
• 4.3 Apply expert content knowledge to enrich and extend student learning.
• 5.1 Create a learning environment characterized by acceptable student
behavior, efficient use of time, and disciplined acquisition of knowledge,
skills, and understanding.
• 6.1 Employ a wide range of teaching techniques to match the intellectual,
emotional, and social level of each student, and choose alternative
teaching strategies and materials to achieve different curricular purposes
2. Jefferson County Content Standards
• 1.7 read for a variety of purposes
• 3.1 distinguish different purposes for writing
• 5.1 learn, understand, and use the formal conventions of English such as
spelling, grammar usage, punctuation, and capitalization.
• 5.3 apply knowledge of the components of word and sentence structure in
speaking and writing
• 5.4 distinguish variations in language, conventions, and form, modifying when
appropriate to communicate effectively
• 7.2 comprehend and apply information and ideas
3. Learner Objectives
• At the end of the lesson, students will be able to define and use prepositions and
prepositional phrases using the drawing that I illustrate with 80% accuracy.
4. Modifications
• The ELL and IEP learners will only be expected to write 2-3 sentences about their
house. Also, explicit instructions will be written on the overhead so that when
confused, students can look at the overhead for guidance.
5. Assessment
• Pre-Assessment: the BOP for the day will be for the students to write down 10
prepositions that they already know.
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• Post-Assessment: they will practice the first part of the preposition dance,
showing that they are beginning the process of learning the 53 prepositions. I will
also collect their preposition drawings.
6. Methodologies
• Using an overhead projector, the students and I will create a scene using
prepositional phrases. This activity will act as a performance assessment to check
student understanding. After practicing independently, they will present their
work (if desired), and we will then begin to learn the preposition dance.
7. Materials Needed
• Overhead projector, blank overhead, overhead marker,

INSTRUCTION
8. Introduction
• Reminders for this week – ALL late work is due Wednesday, so that I have time
to grade and post it by Friday
• BOP – Leaders, get a dictionary. Everyone get out a piece of paper and number it
1-10. Using a dictionary, look up the definition of a preposition. After looking up
the definition, see if as a group you can list 10 prepositions.
9. Instructional Input
• Who can tell me what they think a preposition or a prepositional phrase is? Who
can give me some examples of a preposition or a prepositional phrase?
o A prepositional phrase describes something in a sentence.
 It can show time (after) , place or direction (between), quantity (we
bought them for ten cents), purpose (for), manner (he looks like a
hero), or state or condition (he is at work).
 A prepositional phrase must always have an object (which is the
object of the preposition) and it must begin with a preposition.
10/11. Guided Practice/Independent Practice
• At this point I will display the overhead with the house drawn on it. I will then
instruct the students to copy the house that I have drawn on the board onto their
paper.
• After the students copy the house that I have drawn, I will write the preposition on
on the overhead. I will then ask the students to draw something on their house. I
will then ask them to write a sentence for the preposition.
• After giving the students time to illustrate, we will do this 4 or 5 more times. For
each preposition, the students must write a sentence, then underline the
prepositional phrase and circle the preposition.
• There are 53 prepositions that are commonly used in the English language. We
will be learning these prepositions a little at a time using the preposition dance in
order to help you to be able to identify them in sentences.
• Today we will start with the first 13 prepositions.
o With, within, without, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between,
beyond, but, by, and concerning
• We will then rehearse the dance as a class for the remainder of the period
12. Closure
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• At the end of the period, I will collect all the pictures from the class. I will then
remind the students that all late work is due Wednesday. If there is time I will
offer money to the students that will do the dance that they have learned so far in
front of the class.

ANALYSIS/REFLECTION
13. Post-Assessment Results
After collecting the prepositions house, I graded them based on the following
expectations:
• Create a house, with objects drawn on or around the house, showing
comprehension of the activity
• Write 6 sentences, using prepositional phrases, about the objects that they drew on
their houses, showing that they understand the purpose of prepositional phrases
o 1 – Student has drawn a house, drawn 3 or less objects, written 1-3
sentences correctly
o 2 – Student has drawn a house, drawn 4-5 objects, written 4-5 sentences
correctly
o 3 – Students has drawn a house, drawn 6 objects, written 6 sentences
correctly

Individual Student Data

Post-
Student Gender,
Assessment
Code ethnicity
Score (/3)
01IB 3 M, H
02VC 3 M, W
03BC 3 M, W
04DD 3 F, H
05JF 3 M, W
06HG 3 M, H
07AG 3 F, W
08KK 3 F, W
09JK 2 M, W
10LK 3 M, W
11JL 3 F, W
12LM 3 F, As. A
13JM 3 F, H
14NM 3 M, W
15JM 3 M, W
16IO 1 M, H
17ZP 1 M, W
18AQ 3 M, Indian
19AR 3 M, W
20WS 3 F, W
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21KT 3 F, W
22DW 2 M, W
23SW 3 F, W

Assessment: Males vs. Females

Gender Average Score
Male 2.07
Female 3

Assessment: Special Needs

Special Need Average Score
No Special Needs 2.79
ELL 3
ALP 1

About 4/5 of the class scored a 3 on the assessment. However, the students that
noticeably struggled were the males. They scored on average an entire point less than the
females. Therefore, tomorrow, I will target more individual time to the males that are
struggling. Also, I may try to find more activities that can engage male students easier.
The dance is a good way for them to get out a lot of their excess energy and channel it
into a productive activity. Also, the ALP student scored the lowest on this assessment.
This makes me think that it is possible that I need to create something more challenging
for him in order to motivate to make an effort on his assignments.
The students really responded to my activity. They were eager to participate
which was encouraging to me. When it came time to do the dance, most of the students
were quick to jump right in. When looking at the preposition drawings, it was clear that
students really grasped what the prepositions we discussed were supposed to do. The
dance proved to be successful as many students caught on quickly to the dance, and were
able to do it without any guidance from me, or the overhead with the prepositions written
on it. However, in the later periods there were many students who hesitated. I discussed
this with Krista, and she told me that often “lower” kids will not be as quick to join in.
She told me to give them another option on how to learn prepositions. For example, send
them to the office and have them write the 53 prepositions five times on a piece of paper.
They probably will not choose to do it, but it gives them options, and will make them
more likely to join in.
14. Reflection
Overall, I feel that the lesson was very successful, and after I made some slight
adjustments after first hour, the students really seemed to be grasping prepositions and
prepositional phrases. Also, having Carol come and observe was helpful because her
observation gave me a lot direction as to where I need to improve: modifying instruction
to meet students’ needs, applying technology to learning, and including a math objective
into my next lesson plan.
15. Adjustments
After my first hour, I decided that the overhead portion of the lesson would go a
lot smoother if I allowed for the students to come up and draw on the overhead.
Therefore, instead of me drawing all of the different items on my house, I allowed the
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students to come up and draw what they had drawn on their papers. It was surprising how
quick students were to participate after they knew that would get a chance to draw on the
overhead. Also, after reflecting with Krista between first and second hour, I decided to
add another part to my instructional input. I wrote the sentence “Spot ran” on the board. I
then asked the students what they should do to add detail to the sentence. Most students’
first reaction was to add some prepositional phrases to the sentence. I wrote their details
on the board, and was then able to show more explicitly how prepositional phrases add
details to sentences, but are not imperative to the sentence and it being a complete
sentence.