Emily McElhinney

Date: Monday 29/04/13

Title of Lesson:

23422904
Year Level: 4

Lesson Duration: 50 minutes

Apostrophes

Learning Outcomes and Specific Purpose

For children to be able to identify the correct place to put the apostrophe in order to convey
the desired meaning
Links to VELS: Level 3
Strand: Physical, Personal & Social Learning
Domain:
Dimension:
Strand; Disciplinary Learning
Domain: English
Dimension: Grammar/Punctuation

Know that word contractions are a feature of informal language and that apostrophes
of contraction are used to signal missing letters(ACELA1480)
Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and
punctuation (ACELY1683)
Strand: Interdisciplinary Learning
Domain
Dimension
Prerequisite knowledge/concept/skills/vocabulary required:
Understanding of possession
Understanding of plurality
The idea that you can add an s to go from singular to plural
How does it link to previous lesson?
Grouping/s and Physical Space:
Whole class, introduction and instruction.
Individual activities
Group of children on the floor for those who need extra guidance.
Equipment/Resources required:
Pencils/pens
Apostrophe pictures (provided)
English books
The girls like spaghetti book
Lesson Structure:
Introduction:
Situations when apostrophes are needed:
- Possession
- Contractions
When it comes to possession, the word before the apostrophe is the possessor.
I.E the childrens book. Apostrophe comes before the s as the book belongs to the children.
The boys bat. Apostrophe comes after the s because the bat belongs to the boys (plural)
The boys bat. Apostrophe comes before the s because the bat belongs to the boy (singular)
Main component of lesson:

- Give children a piece of paper and ask them to draw a picture (grey lead) representing a
sentence.
Sentence: The girls like spaghetti
Discuss what children draw
Probable representations
A group of girls eating spaghetti (s)
A girl with wiggly limbs and hair etc (s)
If only on picture is represented show the other picture, Discuss which picture is the best
representation and why?
Write the sentence on the board and explain placement of apostrophes
Maybe get a child to come up to show where the apostrophe should be for each image.
Do the same explanations and drawings with the sentence: The dogs like my dad
Final group activity
Give children 30 seconds to sketch a giant dog. Then 30 seconds to sketch some juicy bones.
Then get children to write the sentence the giant dogs dinner and use the apostrophe to
show that the giant dog owns the dinner. It is his dinner.
Individual Activities
Level 1 each child has the picture, children need to place the apostrophe in the right place
to represent each image, then must write whether it was a possession or contraction and what
the sentence meant. EG those smelly things are my brothers possession. The smelly shoes
belong to her brother.
Level 2 each child receives the sentences with the apostrophes, they then have to draw a
picture to convey the meaning, then write if it was a contraction or possession and write what
the sentence meant.
Level 3 give children the sentences without apostrophes and see how many different
meanings the children can make from moving the position of the apostrophe.
Activities for early finishers.
Edit the autumn paragraph
Re write phrases using apostrophes.
Conclusion:
Discuss what they have learnt. What are apostrophes used for? When do we use them? Any
questions? Etc.
Monitoring of Student Learning:
Sight the pictures children have drawn and apostrophe placement to see if they have
understood the concepts of contractions and possession
Self Evaluation of Lesson
Mentor Teacher Evaluation

2
EDF2323 INQUIRY IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Upper Primary, Semester 1, 2012
Faculty of Education, Monash University

Reflection:

3
EDF2323 INQUIRY IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Upper Primary, Semester 1, 2012
Faculty of Education, Monash University