Grade Levels: K-3

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 1-3, students use an online interactive game to practice sight word recognition, context clues, and sentence structure.

Students will:

  1. Practice sight word recognition skills in various cloze activities.
  2. Use knowledge of context clues and sentence structure to create sentences with the correct words.

Materials:

  • Computers with internet access for BrainPOP
  • Headphones (optional)
  • 2 sentence strips for each child
  • Pencil and scissors for each child

Preparation:

This lesson plan uses a PBS Kids game called The Great Escape. This iteration of game features a dog named Jack who is locked in a pea factory. By helping Jack choose the correct words that complete a series of sentences, players can gradually unlock the door so Jack can escape. As players advance to other levels of the game, Jack embarks on different adventures.

Players must place the words in their correct positions in the sentence before the timer runs out. Note that students will need to hear the game in order to hear Jack's instructions, so be sure to have headphones available if students are playing on their own.

To prepare for the lesson, gather the sentence strips and scissors students will need, and preview the movie and game.

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Show the Belly Up Comic for the Subject Verb Agreement movie and talk about why the sentence Joey made doesn't make sense. What word would make more sense? Why?

  2. Play the Subject Verb Agreement movie. Turn the closed captioning on to help students comprehend the concepts.

  3. Project the Great Escapes game for the class to see and play it whole class, or allow students to play the game with a partner or independently. You could also play the game with a small group of students while the rest of the class explores the BrainPOP Jr. features related to the movie.

  4. Talk with students about the strategies used during game play. How did their understanding of context clues and subject/verb agreement help them choose the right words?

  5. Give each student two sentence strips. One one strip, instruct students to write a sentence and leave out two of the words (drawing a blank space where the words belong, just like in the game.) On the other strip, students should write the two words that are missing, as well as several other similar word choices.

  6. Check student work for accuracy, then allow children to cut apart the words and put them in a pile next the sentence.

  7. Allow students to walk around to one another's desks to try to place the correct words in each sentence. You may want to pair students up for this activity, or have them work in teams of 4.

  8. On your signal, students should read the sentence they made to their partner or team members, and decided together if it is correct or incorrect. Allow students to make corrections as needed.

  9. Mix up the partners and groups and repeat the activity.

  10. Place each sentence and its word choices in a manila envelope or folder and add it to your reading center for students to explore throughout the school year as a review.

Extension Activities:

Play the Tenses movie and allow students to explore the related features. You can repeat the sentence strip activity and this time, have students write different verb tenses as the word choices.
Filed as:  English, K-3