Verb Quest
| Introduction | Process |
| Goals | Evaluation |
| Tasks | Conclusion |
| Activity | Extensions |
| Resources | State Standards |
This ten day sixth grade English unit gives students varied activities to address the stated learning gap (recognizing and correctly using verbs). The unit addresses the curriculum standard: The student will develop the structural and creative skills necessary to produce written language that can be read and interpreted by various audiences. The unit also addresses the learning behavior: The student will recognize and demonstrate knowledge of standard English: usage, mechanics, spelling, and sentence structure. The students have an opportunity to think creatively and to work in small groups. They put themselves in their teammates' shoes during a discussion so they understand their points better. The students also think about their best skills and use them to complete the task. They think of different ways to tell others what they learned. Students use the internet to answer questions or practice skills online. The use of verbs throughout this unit emphasizes day to day verb usage so students will make real life connections and applications. The online activities also give the students a fun way to learn/review verbs.
Student Verb Practice:
Directions for Students and Teachers:
1. Students, click on each link above and complete the game, activity, or worksheets. Let the teacher know before going on to another.
2. Students will then complete class work assigned from the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Language Arts Today textbook. Students will take the on-line multiple choice tests over the textbook assignment once they have completed the class work.
Action verbs, main verbs, and helping verbs....................p. 142-145
Linking Verbs, Predicate Nouns, and Predicate Adjectives...........................p. 150-151
Present, Past, and Future Tense Verbs.............................................p. 152-153
Regular and irregular verb tenses..................................................p. 154-159
Subject-Verb Agreement....................................................................p.160-163
During the course of this study, students will also participate in these class activities:
1. Students will now play verb bingo. Students will be given a bingo card referred to as a verbs card. The card will be made in word as a table. It will have 5 spaces both horizontally and vertically. The word "Verbs" will be spelled out at the top with a singular letter in each cell. Students will think of any action verb that they could do in the room. They fill those in randomly on their card. The teacher has a previous list such as look, sit, stand, study, smile, etc. The teacher calls those our in the order she/he has written them down. The first student to circle five of the verbs going down or across wins. Be sure to mention any tense of the word is fine. Tell students to listen carefully for sit and then check the card for sit and sat, etc.
2. Students will write a story about themselves. They will choose the letter of the alphabet that begins their name. They will choose a verb that reminds them of something they like to do. They will write their story and then illustrate it. Example: I am Susie and I like to study. (Then explain). My name is Betsy and I like to bike. (Then write a story about going biking.) These stories will be used to make a "verb quilt" for the bulletin board.
3. Students will create a cross word puzzle for their favorite 10 action verbs. Take up the puzzles and then give out randomly. Allow students to work the verb puzzles.
4. Use your imagination and retell a fairy tell in present tense with you being the main character.
Alternative Activities for Remedial, Enrichment, or Extensions:
Have students do any of the following:
1. Use a newspaper article to find verbs.
2. Write a description of your favorite sport and your participation and underline
verbs.
3. Write a paragraph on how to do something without using any helping verbs.
4. Write a paragraph without using any action verbs.
5. Make a list of 10 verbs and demonstrate each.
6. Make a list of verbs and then list beside them what type of verb that they
are (linking, helping, action).
7. Describe how to start a car using lots of action verbs. Underline
those.
8. Write a recipe. Underline the verbs.
Resources: Click here to go to more Internet resources to read more about verbs or just to study and practice verbs.
http://www.engl.niu.edu/dhardy/grammarbook/program/index.html Grammar Lady
http://204.244.141.13/writ_den/ WritingDen
http://www.grammar-cat.com/ Grammar Cat
http://www.engl.niu.edu/dhardy/grammarbook/program2/index.html Grammar Interactive Book
Use your textbook, teacher, the and the on-line student resources listed for verbs under student tasks.
Day 1: The teacher will introduce action verbs by having students act out action that they do during the day. Students will write the verb they are guessing on a bingo card in one of the spaces. When all spaces have been filled, the teacher will call out the words in random order until someone bingos. That student wins a drink from the water fountain or a small piece of candy. The teacher will then dictate the helping verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, have, has, had, do, does, did, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must, can, and could. The students will memorize these and have a test over them within the week.
Students take test 1
Day 2: The teacher will explain about direct objects and indirect objects. The sentence patterns NV, NVN, and NVNN will be introduced. Students will arrange themselves in the front of the room with each group of students representing a pattern. This will provide modeling the sentence patterns for those that need it. Students will make a sentence to illustrate the pattern. Students will do practice items from the book.
Day 3: The teacher will explain about transitive and intransitive verbs. Continuation of practice of direct objects and indirect objects will be a part of finding a transitive and/or intransitive verb.
Day 4: The teacher will demonstrate the difference between linking and action verbs. A student will be called up in front of the class to "taste" a piece of candy. All of the students will write, "The student tastes the candy." and "The candy tastes good." The difference in these two sentences will be used to demonstrate the difference of the two verbs. Practice will follow to include verbs like grow, feel, appear, etc.
Students take test 2.
Day 5: The teacher will introduce two new sentence patterns: NLVN and NLVADJ. Students will practice finding both types.
Students take test 3.
Day 6: Students will be introduced to verb tenses by giving four students a piece of poster board with verbs on them representing present, past, and future. Example: walk, walks, walked, and will walk. Students will make sentences and explain why their verb is present, past, and/or future. Students will practice these verbs.
Students take test 4.
Day 7: Students will again be given verbs to hold and explain, but this time the verbs are regular and irregular particple tenses. Example: give, gives, giving, gave, and have given. Students will practice these, especially stressing irregular verbs.
Students take test 5.
Day 8: Students will learn about subject-verb agreement. Divide the group up in half. One group writes subjects and the other predicates. One person from the first group stands and reads the subject. The first person in the other groups stands and puts their predicate with the subject. If it doesn't go with it, they must explain the change. Students will then practice subject-verb agreement.
Take test 6.
Day 9: Students will complete comma usage textbook page. All uses for commas will be reviewed.
Take test 7.
Day 10: Students will explore the verbs links available and complete the activities.
Day 11: Continuation of verb exploration.
Day 12: Students will create their own story book using many verbs. Each verb will be underlined. Students will work in groups of 3 to create this book. One student will be the editor (that student writes and records the story with the help of all), another student is the illustrator, another the typist (this person types the story and gets the editor to proof it), and another is the publisher (this person binds the books and gets everyone to proof it). A binder will put their original story together and bind it into booklet form. These books can be put on display in the library.
Product Rubric for the booklet
Process Rubric for this unit
Multiple choice computer graded tests will be recorded as indications of progress.
Self-Evaluation Questions for Students:
What did you know about verbs? What did you want to know? What did you learn about verbs?
Congratulations! You have completed the unit on verbs! Please tell your teacher.
Lesson Title:
Curricular Areas: Emphasizing Content Reading and Language Arts, ( Social Studies, Art, Music, and Technology)
Grade Levels: 6-8 (middle school)
Length of Lesson: 10-12 days
Rational for my lesson:
According to the Terra Nova scores for my class, it was found that my students scored poorer on verb usage than on any part of speech. These on-line activities will give them a chance to review and practice verb usage. This will not only give students an opportunity to strengthen their verb usage skills but will give them more computer time thus increasing their technology skills. This computer time will also help them realize that there is a vast wealth of information at their fingertips if they are willing to apply it to their daily lives. In strengthening their verb usage skills they are learning to speak and write more effectively. Students will go on-line, read the material and do the on-line practice quizzes. Assignment: The students will be given a teacher-made test consisting of twenty sentences where they will have to choose the correct verb that belongs in the sentence.
Suggestions:
1. Anticipate students' needs for vocabulary development.
2. Go through the Internet resources to make sure that all links are working.
3. Print out any worksheets so students can refer back to them when working offline.
4. Online images may take time to load, so have some type of other work available for students to do while they wait and/or have a back up plan if something should happen to impede progress of working on-line.
5. Have class/group discussion after each step in the process. This will help students organize their thoughts and check for understanding.
STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS
The TN Curriculum Standards for Sixth Grade
* English/Language Arts sixth grade TN Content Standard: The student will develop the structural and creative skills necessary to produce written language that can be read and interpreted by various audiences.
* Reading - sixth grade TN Content Standard: The student will develop the reading skills necessary for word recognition, comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and appreciation of the written text.
* Technology - sixth grade TN Content Standard:
The student will use technology as a tool to conduct and evaluate research and to communicate effectively information and ideas.
(http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/cila68intro.htm) State of Tennessee Reading Standards:
Sixth through Eight Grade Reading Goal: The student will develop the reading skills necessary for word recognition, comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and appreciation of the written text.
Learning Expectations:
Develop an understanding of and respect for multicultural, gender, and ethnic diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects.
Discern reading strategies appropriate to text.
Extend reading vocabulary using contextual and reference skills.
Use comprehension strategies to enhance understanding, to make predictions, and to respond to literature.
Improve comprehension by interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating written texts.
Read orally to develop fluency, expression, accuracy, and confidence.
Improve fluency through opportunities for oral presentation.
Select reading materials for a variety of purposes.
Use cognitive strategies to evaluate text critically.
Recognize biases and persuasive devices found in various texts.
Select, evaluate, and utilize resource material in order to apply it effectively.
Identify literary genres.
Identify and interpret literary elements and figurative language.
National Reading Standards: (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/standardslib/langarts-2.html)
1. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process
2. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of literary texts
3. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts
Home