Lesson Idea | Nouns and Adjectives Are Not Just Words

Grade level(s): K-3
Subject: Language Arts

National Standards:

NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts *

Applying Knowledge
Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Communication Skills
Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

Introduction:

Learning the parts of speech can be difficult for students, especially those with special needs. This more visual and tactile approach to teaching nouns and adjectives can help make them successful.

Objectives:

• Students will identify nouns and adjectives.
• Students will share ideas about classroom objects.
• Students will write sentences using the ideas from class discussions.

Materials:

• Student Chart
• board to write on (or see technology options)
• 5 different tactile surfaces that can be glued on (cotton ball, sand paper, a penny, soft
• cloth, egg shell, whatever you can think of!). Make group boxes of these objects for students to share.
• Glue
• Construction paper (enough for class)
• Objects falling under the various forms of nouns with different textures.
• Textures placed on a magnet (big enough for whole class to see)

Anticipatory Set:

Pass around objects that vary in texture and fall under the various forms of nouns among the students. Ask the students “what is it?” Write the word “What” on the left side of the board. Encourage them to only answer with a noun (do not use the word noun at this point, though). Once answers are more consistently nouns, ask them to describe the objects. Once again, write “Describe” on the right side of the board, while encouraging them to only use adjectives (do not use the word adjective at this point).

Tell the students that they will be learning about "what" words and "describing" words today. We will be learning that What words are nouns and Describing words are adjectives.

For further information about the lesson idea, please visit TeachersFirst website.