GrammarLessonfor:CommonandProperNouns(secondgrade)

EssentialQuestion:Howcandistinguishingbetweencommonandpropernouns,andknowingtocapitalize
propernounshelpstudentscreatewrittenworksthatareclearandexhibitcorrectuseoftheconventionsof
writtenStandardAmericanEnglish?
Definition:CommonNounNamesaperson,place,thing,oridea;isnotcapitalized(dog,home,icecream)
ProperNounNamesaspecificperson,placeorthing;mustbecapitalized(Elvis,
Gilbert,Hersheyschocolatebar)
Prerequisites(backgroundknowledgeneeded):Thechildshouldhaveanunderstandingofwhatanounis.
TeacherResources:MasteringtheMechanics23

LindaHoyt
PowerPoints/Websites:
http://www.learningplanet.com/act/rats/rats3.asp?rats_compropnounsThissiteisagame.Theobject
istocatchthetypeofnountheratasksfor.Bothcommonandpropernounswilldropfromthesky
andyouhavetodeterminewhichonestocatchinthebasket.
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/basketball/index_pre.htmlInthisgamethechildhasto
decideifthewordisacommonnoun,propernounornotanounatall.
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en
US/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+activities/Browse+Notebook/United+States/Elementa
ry/46/Language+Arts/Common+and+Proper+Nouns.htmThisisasmartboardpresentationto
explaincommonandpropernounsthatyoucandownload.
songideas:www.songsforteaching.comThereareacoupleofsongsaboutnounsonthissite.Click
onlyricstoseenounssongs.

EssentialSkillorConcept:24.4UsegrammaticalconventionsofStandardAmericanEnglish,includingcommon
andpropernouns
24.6EditforthecorrectuseofwrittenStandardAmericanEnglish,includingcapitalization.

Preassessment:Postsentencesfromavarietyofmentortextsorsamplewritingsandhavechildrennotice.Which
wordsnamepeople,whichwordsnameplaces,whichwordsnamethings?Noticewordsthatnamespecificpeople,
places,andthings.Whatisdifferent?
SuggestedMentorText:WilfridGordonMcDonaldPartridgebyMemFox,ChickenSundaybyPatriciaPolacco
oranytextthatwouldhavepropernounsforchildrentohearandidentify.
MiniLessonOutline:LessonplanoutlinefromMasteringtheMechanics23byLindaHoyt
DayOne
HowwillIintroduceandexplainthisskillsothatstudentswillunderstandthehowandwhy?
(inductivemethod,minilecture,demonstration,notes,etc.)Usethesmartboardlessonabovetointroducethe
conceptofcommonandpropernouns.
READALOUD/MiniLessonReadaloudoneofthementortextsoranothertextofyourchoice.Youmayreadthe

wholetextorjustpartofthetext.Ifreadingthewholetext,youmaywanttodothemodelingbelowondaytwo
dependingonyourclass.Havechildrennoticethenounsinthestory.Postthemforthechildrentonoticewhich
onesarepropernounsandwhicharecommon.Whathappenstonounsthatareproper?
HowwillImodelthisskillformystudents?(exemplarsand/ordemonstrations)
SHAREDREADING/WRITINGSay:IntodayswritingIwillfocusoncapitalizingthefirstletterinpropernouns.
Apropernounnamesaspecificperson,placeorthing.WatchasIwritesomeexamplesofpropernounsonthis
chart.______________Elementary;thenameofabusiness,suchasTarget;thenameofaspecificproduct,such
asCresttoothpasteorKleenextissue;Englishmuffin;Americancheese.Iamwritingapoemaboutfood.Watch
asIwriteHersheybar.NoticethatIcapitalizeHersheybecausethatistheproductnameofthecandy,butIdont
capitalizebar.NextIwillwriteButterfinger.ShouldIcapitalizethis?Iamgoingtoaddicecreamconetomypoem.
NoticethatIdonotcapitalize,becausethiscouldbeanykindoficecreamatall.IfIsaidBaskinRobbinsicecream,
thenIwouldneedtocapitalizeBaskinRobbinsbecausethatistheproductnameofaparticularkindoficecream.
ModeledWritingSample
Hungry
HungryforaHersheybar,
Butterfinger,too
Hungryforanicecreamcone
Howaboutyou?
Turnandtalk:Say:ThinkaboutthewordsIcapitalizedandthosethatIdidnt.Decidetogetherwhysomespecific
wordswerecapitalizedandotherswerenot.
Sumitup:Say:Thenamesofparticularpeople,placesorthingsneedtobecapitalizedbecausetheyareallproper
nouns.Todayinyourwritingifyouuseanameofaparticularperson,placeorthingbesuretouseacapitalletter.
Duringconferenceslookforevidenceofuseandhighlightduringsharetime.
Day2
HowwillIprovideopportunitiesforguidedpractice?
GUIDEDREADING/WRITINGPlacestudentwritingontheoverheadprojectororsmartboard.UseanInterest
Inventorywritingsample(attachedattheendofthelesson)oronefromyourclassthatnecessitatesthecapitalization
ofpropernouns.Iftheauthorisoneofyourstudents,invitetheauthortoreadtheselectiontotheclass.
Turnandtalk:Say,Discussthemeaningofthepieceandthengivecomplimentsaboutthewriting.Thinktogether
aboutcapitalizingthefirstletterofpronouns.(Receivepermissionfromtheauthorbeforeimplementingchanges)
Sumitup:Toyourclasseditingchart,addCapitalizepropernouns:Persons,places,andthings.Say:Remember,
writerscapitalizethenamesofparticularpeople,places,orthings.Todayinyourwritingifyouusepropernouns
besuretousecapitalletters.Duringconferenceslookforevidenceandhighlightduringsharetime.
DayThree
Howwillstudentsindependentlypracticeusingtheskillintheirwriting?
INDEPENDENTREADING/WRITING:Thumbthroughawritingfolder,showingwritershowtoselectasample
thatincludespropernouns.Modelproofreadingandeditingforcapitalizationofpropernouns.Askwriterstoselect
writingthatincludespropernounstoproofreadandeditforcapitalization.
Peeredit:Say,Shareexamplesofpropernounsinyourwriting.Identifywhethertheyareparticularpeople,places
orthings.Ifyourwritingincludednopropernouns,workingtogether,talkthroughideasforaddingthemtoyour
writing.

Sumitup:Say:Alwayscapitalizethefirstletterofnounsthatnameaparticularperson,place,orthing.These
wordsarecalledpropernouns.Ifyouusepropernounsinyourwritingtoday,besuretouseacapitalletter.During
conferences,lookforevidenceandhighlightduringsharetime.
HowwillImonitor/gaugestudentsunderstandingoftheskill?(formativeassessment)Duringwritingconferences,
havestudentsidentifypropernounsandexplaintheiruse.UsetheClassRecordKeepingGrid:Capitaliztion
(attachedattheendofthelesson)todocumentstudentsuseofcapitalizationofpropernouns.
PASSFormat:(Thisisthestateassessmentinthirdgrade)
Givestudentspassagesandaskthemtoidentifycommonandpropernouns.
Givestudentsapassagethatlackspropercapitalizationandhavethemeditthepassage.
Givestudentsasamplepassagethatlackspropercapitalization.
Usethequestionstem:Whatisthecorrectwaytowrite/editthissentence?
HowwillIadaptordifferentiatethislessonforgradeandskilllevel?GUIDEDREADING/WRITINGor
INDEPENDENTREADING/WRITINGEncouragewriterstousepropernounsintheirwriting.Havethemwriteon
stickynotespropernounstheyfindintheirreadingandidentifyiftheynameaperson,placeorthing.Doextension
lessonsonusingcapitalsfortitlessuchasDr.,Mr.;geographicnames;daysoftheweekormonthsoftheyearand
titles.Usethelinkstogamesforextrapractice.SeeRiverdeeplessonsaswelltoreinforce.
HowwillIengagestudentsinareflectionofhowthisskillhasdevelopedandhowithashelpedeachofthem
becomeamoreeffectivewriter?
Havethestudentsusethegradelevelrubrictoevaluatetheirwriting.
Havestudentsnoteintheirwritingjournalsthepurposeofcapitalizingpropernouns.
Havestudentsidentifyintheirwritingplaceswheretheyusedpropercapitalizationofpropernouns.
Havestudentsidentifyintheirreadingsproperandcommonnouns.
OtherTeachingIdeas:Usethesongandmakeupmotionstoimprintthelearningthroughmusicandmotion.
Searchforandcirclepropernounsinmagazinesandnewspapers

Pagesreferredtointhelessonarebelow:
Page178InterestInventory;Page171ClassRecordkeepingGrid:CapitalizationbothfromMasteringthe
Mechanics23byLindaHoyt