Lessons taught

My fourth grade lesson yesterday and fifth grade lesson today and yesterday (because of testing) consisted of reviewing the phrases they'd learned in November and December of last year.

Some of the phrases were:

stand in line

check the homework

get up

wear a school uniform

say hello.

Another part of this lesson was using "They" with these phrases as well as "They don't."  I must admit, after looking through the entire unit, I didn't see one place where "don't" had been taught.  That was a little frustrating since they would be tested on it!

I put the verb on the board and asked the students to recall the rest of the phrase.  At least one student could remember the rest of every phrase!

Then, we discussed the meaning of "they" and I demonstrated it by talking about two students in the class while covering my face from their view with my book (to ingrain in their brains that "they" cannot be substituted for "you").  I asked for two volunteers or victims (which drew laughs).  Two students came to the front of the room and a third student had to give a sentence using "They" plus the phrase.  The students then had to demonstrate the sentence.  It went pretty well.  For clarification, I would ask, "Yes or no?" after each demonstration.  On the sentences where they didn't do it correctly, I would insert the negative sentence ("They don't say hello.").  We rotated students until every student had participated in the acting out and those that had wanted had given a sentence.

I then taught them the words "check mark."  I told them that the phrases that had a check mark would be positive sentences, needing the word "They" in front of the phrase to make a complete sentence.  Phrases with an "x" needed "They don't" in front of the sentences.

Their test will have a picture of one of these phrases (students waving to each other, for example) and either a check or an x.  The students will have to write a complete sentence describing the picture.  They did well while being guided.  I'm nervous for when they have to produce everything, but I have confidence in their understanding.