TCNJ Lesson Plan

Action Verbs
Student Name: Sydney Rossi
Grade Level: 1st Grade

School Name: LawrencevilleElementary

Host Teachers Name: Kristen Potter

Guiding and/or Essential Questions:

What are action verbs?
What are nouns?
How can we test if something is an action verb?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge (ex. background knowledge,
possible misconceptions, prior lesson content)
Students will have one-day experience with action verbs. In the prior lesson, students will
have listened to Curious George at School and will have identified action verbs within
the story as a whole group. Students will have been told that action verbs are words that
express what a noun can do.
Students will have already worked with nouns for two weeks.
Students are familiar with word sorts.
Students may be familiar with the game of charades.
Standards:
CCSS.ELALITERACY.L.1.1.C:Usesingularandpluralnounswithmatchingverbsinbasic
sentences(e.g.,Hehops;Wehop)
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives

Assessment

Students will categorize a set of words into

nouns and action verbs.

Students will categorize a set of words into

nouns and action verbs on a word sort
worksheet. Teacher will assess the worksheet
for accuracy.

Students will define the term action verb.

Student will define the term action verb

verbally when the teacher asks during
individual work. Teacher will assess for the
inclusion of the idea that action verbs describe
what the noun can do and/or can be performed.

Materials/Resources:
Word Sort worksheet- 17 copies
Word Sort worksheet (picture version)- 1 copy (J.Z.)

Charades cards
Curious George at School
Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:
The charades cards and the Curious George at School book will be placed by the
easel prior to the lesson, but they will be out of the students reach.
Miss Kim will distribute the Word Sort worksheet to each students desk while
students are at the rug. She will place J.Z.s picture version of the worksheet on
his desk.
Miss Rossi and Miss Kim will collect the Word Sort worksheets at the end of the
lesson to place in the students mailboxes during specials.
Students will have glue, crayons and pencils in their pencil boxes at their desks.

Step by Step plan (numbered):

1. Students will be called to the rug and instructed to sit on a color block. Teacher will hold
up the book, Curious George At School. Teacher will say, Mrs. Potter was just telling me
that you read this book yesterday and found a ton of action verbs! Can anyone remind the
class what an action verb is? Teacher will pick a Popsicle stick in order to decide who
will answer the question. If that student does not know, they can call on a friend for help.
2. Teacher will reiterate that an action verb is a word that expresses what a noun can do.
Action verbs are words that can be performed. Teacher will take a few volunteers to name
examples of action verbs. Teacher will write these examples down on the easel beside
her.
3. Teacher will tell students that they will be playing charades to help them remember that
action verbs are words that a noun can do. Teacher will tell students that not everyone
will get the chance to act out an action verb, but everyone is allowed to guess. Teacher
will instruct students to continue to use indoor voices while guessing. Any students who
shout repeatedly will be told to return to their desks.
4. Teacher will use Popsicle sticks to choose students to act out 5-10 action verbs depending
on the time. Before telling the student the word, the teacher will remind him or her not to
say the word aloud. Teacher will remind the guessers again to use indoor voices while
guessing.
5. When charades is over, teacher will instruct all students to sit back down on the rug.
Teacher may use the attention signal to recapture students attention. Teacher will then
explain that the students will complete a word sort to help them practice identifying
action verbs. Teacher will display the word sort worksheet on the easel. Teacher will
explain that the first step is to cut the words out. Teacher will remind students to keep the
words in front of them on their desk so that they dont get mixed up with their
tablemates.
6. Teacher will point and explain that the left side of the worksheet is where they will glue
words that are nouns. Teacher will call on a volunteer to remind the class what nouns are.

Teacher will then explain that the right side of the worksheet is where they will glue
words that are action verbs. Teacher will call on a volunteer to remind the class what an
action verb is. Teacher will take two words from the word sort worksheet (one noun and
one action verb) to use as an example. Teacher will ask, Which category does this word
go under, nouns or verbs? While Miss Rossi is explaining the worksheet, Miss Kim will
place a worksheet on each desk.
7. Students will be dismissed back to their seats where their worksheets will be waiting for
them. Students will be reminded to cut out their words first and then begin to sort the
words into the two categories. Students will be reminded to work with a level one voice.
Teachers will circulate the classroom to monitor progress and guide students as needed.
Teachers will ask each student what an action verb is and assess for the inclusion of the
idea that action verbs describe what the noun can do and/or can be performed. Teacher
will make a note of anyone who is unable to define action verb properly and provide
additional instruction.
8. Teacher will tell students when they have 5 minutes left to work and 2 minutes left to
work. Students will be reminded that it is okay if they havent finished it all.
8. Closure: Teacher will use 1,2,3 eyes on me to regain students attention. Teacher will
tell students that they will now go over the word sort. Teacher will tell students if they
glued any words in the wrong category, they should not pull those words off of the
worksheet. They should just draw a line from that word over to the other category.
Teacher will read the nouns out one by one. Students will be instructed to show a thumbs
up if they had that word under nouns. Next, teacher will read the verbs out one by one.
Students will be instructed to show a thumbs up if they had that word under verbs.
Teacher will collect the word sort worksheets to put in the students mailbo
xes after class. Mrs. Potter will take over from here.
Key Questions:
What is an action verb?
What is a noun?
What are some examples of nouns?
What are some examples of action verbs?
How do we know that word is an action verb?
How do we know that word is a noun?

Logistics:
Timing:
Opener/Review of Yesterdays Lesson: 5 minutes
Charades: 10 minutes
Word Sort: 15 minutes
Word Sort Review: 5 minutes

Transitions:
Students will be called to the rug and asked to sit on a color block. Teacher may
use the attention signal to regain students attention once on the rug; however,
they are usually pretty good at this transition.
Teacher may use the attention signal to regain students attention after charades.
Teacher will use 1,2,3 eyes on me to capture students attention before the Word
Sort review.
Students will remain in their seats for the next lesson.
Classroom Management:
Teacher will use the attention signal and 1,2,3 eyes on me as needed to capture
students attention.
Teacher will review the behavioral expectations prior to the start of charades.
Teacher will instruct students to continue to use indoor voices while guessing.
Any students who shout repeatedly will be told to return to their desks.
Teachers will circulate during the word sort activity time to monitor behavior.
Differentiation
Low reader, (J.Z), will be given a word sort word sheet with both pictures and words.
Any struggling students will work with Miss Kim at the back table if needed.
Early finishers will be instructed to turn their word sort worksheet over and write a short
story using action verbs. They will be instructed to circle their action verbs in crayon.