Constructing Sentences/Paragraphs

Lesson Plan of Constructing Sentences and Paragraphs

Subject English

Grade II

Students` Learning Outcomes

Identify the paragraph as a graphical unit of expression.
Use the texts they read as models for their own writing.
Fill in the missing information to complete a simple paragraph.
Write a few simple, meaningful sentences of their own written on a given topic.

Information for Teachers

A paragraph consists of some sentences which discuss one main idea (one paragraph has only one main idea). Every sentence begins with a capital letter.

Paragraph beginnings are marked with the first line indented or with one line space between two paragraphs.

While teaching the lesson, the teacher should also consult textbook at all steps where and when applicable.
Give positive feedback when children read out their work. Don`t point out mistakes at this point. Make corrections on their copies.
Encourage students to listen to each other with respect without making fun of each other.
Involve the students in solving the exercise given at the end of unit/chapter.

Material / Resources

Writing board, chalk/marker, duster, short texts (from storybooks and textbook)

Introduction

Recap the concept of ‘sentences’.
Take a storybook to the class. Open a page and write the first sentence. Read it out and tell the students that just as words are joined to make a sentence, sentences are joined to make a paragraph.
Show the students different paragraphs on that page. You may use any old children`s magazine or any interesting story for this purpose. You may also use the textbook. Ask them if they can see how a set of sentences is divided into paragraphs (indented or spaced)
Ask them if they can see and tell where a paragraph is beginning and where it is ending.
Give them the information written in paragraph information.
Read aloud an interesting paragraph from any story to get the attention of the students.
Read it using proper intonation create interest.
Now tell them that a paragraph consists of some sentences. Every sentence begins with a capital letter.
Ask them to take out their textbook and count the number of paragraphs on a page (tell the page number or title of the story)

Development

Activity 1

Select a small and simple paragraph from any storybook and write it on the board.

Sample Paragraph:

Ask the students to look at the paragraph and the sentences in each paragraph.
Tell them that all sentences in the paragraph tell about a single thing. That is how it is a meaningful unit of expression.
Ask students to read the paragraph aloud. If they are unable to read some words help them pronounce them.
You can also make the activity interesting by reading a paragraph in which each sentence tells about a different thing e.g.

1. 1. This is my house.
  2. Sana is a nice girl.
  3. The tree is big.
  4. The sky is blue.
  5. The cat ran after the mouse.

Now ask them: is this a paragraph? The students may answer: no, this isn`t a paragraph.
Encourage them if they give the correct answer. Gently correct them if they give a wrong answer.
Tell them that the sentences given above don`t make a paragraph as the sentences tell about different things.
Remind them that in a paragraph, all sentences tell about the same thing.

Activity 2

Write the following words on the board in the form of a word bank and write the following paragraph (with blanks) under it.
Ask the students to fill in the blanks choosing the right word from the word bank given below:

Activity 3

Write the following paragraph on the board and ask one of the students to read it.

I lost my brown pen yesterday. My mother saw it under the table. She gave it to me. I was happy to find my pen.

Ask students to suggest which other words may be used in place of the underlined words.
Students can give new words and you can put them on the board. If they are unable to give new words help them with the following options.
- - For example, instead of brown, we may use black, blue, pink, red, big, small, new, and old.
  - Instead of ‘table’, we may say, chair, bed, pillow.
  - Instead of mother, we may say father, brother, sister, friend, uncle.
  - Instead of ‘happy’ we may say excited or glad.
Ask the students to rewrite the paragraph, using new words to replace the underlined words.

Activity 4

Give the students a topic (My Pet, Myself, My House, My School.) and some related words to use in sentences of their own words.

You can give the word bank in an outline of a pet/house/school etc. to make it look interesting.(outline template required)
Brainstorm with the students words for the topic. Write them on the board.
Encourage them to make short and simple sentences.
Remind them to write in paragraphs and also to capitalize and punctuate the sentences properly.
Ask students to read their sentences aloud to the whole class, or to read them to the child sitting next to them.

Sum up / Conclusion

Ask the students to take out their textbooks and answer the following questions:

1. 1. Do all sentences in a paragraph tell about the same thing or do they tell us about different things?
  2. Do all the sentences in a paragraph begin with capital letters?

- - How can we identify paragraph beginnings?

1. 1. Why do we need paragraphs? (Possible answer may be as; they help us in reading & writing because they tell about one single idea.)

Assessment

Activity 4 may be used for assessment.

Follow up

Continue to give students ‘practice in writing sentences on a given topic’.
Provide them the vocabulary words to make sentences.
Remind them the concept of paragraphs as they read stories/paragraphs from the textbook.
Ask them: “What is the main idea of the paragraph you have just read?”