English is love. English is life. by Beverlyljx

Contents

Message from the Authors……………………….. 1 Topic Page Nouns: Proper and Common…………………….. 3 Modal Verbs: Permission……………………….... 6 Subject Pronouns…………………………………. 9 Adverbs: Modifying Verbs………………………. 12 Verb Tenses: Regular and Irregular……………… 15 Articles: Definite and Indefinite…………………. 18 Prepositions……………………………………… 21 Coordinating Conjunctions………………………. 24 Interjections……………………………………… 27 Punctuation: Question Mark and Exclamation Mark……………………………….. 30 References……………………………………….. 33

Message from the Authors

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This book is intended for teachers teaching Year 6 students. Topics covered in this book comes with fun activities which are game-orientated, suitable to be carried out in class. Games are useful in engaging students to have a great and fun experience in learning. Contents in this book includes learning objectives, prior knowledge of students, detailed explanations of activities, expected problems a teacher may face while carrying out the activity and solutions to it, useful tips for teaching and guided questions for self-reflection.

This book was written by a team of students pursuing degree in education. These carefully compiled information serves as a guideline or inspiration for teachers in executing their grammar class. Through the use of this book, we hope that teachers would find the contents helpful and that the students would find learning grammar to be fun and exciting! P.s. We are here to fulfill our childhood dreams of playing in our dark school years. After all: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

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Best wishes, Eng, Liew, Ng and Tan 2

Nouns | Proper and Common Learning Objectives | To be able to identify proper and common nouns Prior Knowledge | To be able to identify nouns Activity | Eye spy and eye spy! Materials | Writing pad and pens Location | classroom/ library/ campus Duration of activity | 20 minutes Note | Give students the definition of proper and common nouns beforehand. Steps | 1. Have students paired up. 2. Allow students to move around the place identifying objects. 3. The pairs will take turns identifying the objects and writing them down. 3

Once they have identified the object, they will have to shout: “Eye spy!” If the object is a proper noun, they will have to continue claim with: “with a big ‘E’”, if it is a common noun, then: “with a small ‘e’. 5. After the students have gotten enough objects (time limit is determined by the type of location), have a class discussion about which proper and common nouns the students found and correct their errors if there is any. 4.

Rationale | This activity allows the students to equip with their VAK skills: students are able to see, hear and interact with their surroundings. Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Students may wander off to places and will be scattered. - Solution: Allow students to roam on certain areas where it is accessible and observable or have teacher assistants to watch on them. 4

2. Students will be noisy if the chosen location is library. - Solution: Have assistant teachers remind them about the rules in the library. Tips for teaching | 1. Make sure the activity goes according to plan 2. Ensure the locations are safe

Reflection | 1. What happened? What did my students do? What did I do? 2. Why did I think things happened this way? Why did I choose to act the way I did? 3. What have I learnt from this? 4. What do I want to remember to think about in a similar situation? How do I want to act in future?

Modal Verbs | Permission (Can, Could, May) Learning Objectives | To identify use of modal verbs (can, could, may) for permission in formal and informal occasions. Prior Knowledge | Write interrogative and declarative sentences Activity | Role-play Fun!

Role Play Source: Learning centered Technology

Materials | Props for characters played by students Duration of activity | 20 minutes Preparation | 1. Before carrying out this activity, you can introduce it to your students a week before and give them their scenario to allow sufficient time for students to bring their own props. 2. To save time, you may suggest roles for the students based on the scenario. However, it would be wise to allow students to come up with their own 6 characters.

Steps | 1. Students will be divided into groups of 2-5 depending on class size. 2. Students will have to write a script based on the scenario given using the appropriate modal verbs. 3. You should allocate 6-10 minutes for students to prepare their script. 4. After preparation time, each group will present their play in front of class.

Rationale | By writing their own script and presenting it in front of class, students are practicing all four language skills which are reading, writing, listening and speaking. Plays also give students the chance to interact and communicate with each other, which is of primary importance in language teaching.

Expected Problem and Solution | 1. Class may lack focus - Solution: Make sure your activity is well-planned and class is well-monitored. It helps to have teacher assistants in class! Tips for teaching | 1. The maximum number of students in a group should not exceed 5 to ensure all students actively participate in the activity. 2. Praise students after performing their play. Be reminded that you are not assessing their acting skills so keep it humorous and light!

Subject Pronouns Learning Objectives | To identify the application of subject pronouns. (I, you, he, she, we, they) Prior Knowledge | 1. Identify nouns and verbs 2. Identify interrogatives and prepositions. Activity | Everyone, On Board! Materials | 6 large pieces of card, whiteboard Duration of activity | 20 minutes Preparation | 1. Before class prepare 6 large pieces of card with one subject pronoun written on each piece (I, you, he, she, we, they). Steps | 1. Introduce the vocab: subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, we, they) using the 6 card pieces. 2. Get everyone to stand up. Show the first card "I". Shout "I" and point to yourself and get everyone to do the same (pointing to themselves). Do a few times and then stick the card onto the whiteboard. 3. Next show the "you" card and point to someone and say "you", again have everyone follows along. Do a few times and 9 then stick the card onto the whiteboard.

4. Then repeat for the other subject pronouns. For "he" and "she", point at a girl and boy; For "we", huddle students together and shout "we", everyone will get into groups; For "they", everyone will have to point at one of the group of students. After everyone has done the same actions, stick the cards onto the whiteboard. 5. Now all the subject pronouns are on the whiteboard. Point to one of the cards. Everyone will have to perform the actions imitated before, according to the respective pronoun. Then point to another card, and repeat. Go through a few slow rounds first, then gradually speed up. It becomes very confusing as it speeds up, which keeps everyone attentive and focused while having fun. Rationale | The students will memorize the pronouns better as it is repetitive and require the students to imitate the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions. The students will also experience on-the-spot examples, which provides clearer understanding.

Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Students may get too excited and ignore the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions. - Solution: Before reading out the sentences, ask the students to quiet down and listen carefully. 2. Students may be too rough or hasty when gathering in groups and might bump or trip each other. - Solution: Remind students that the activity is meant to be fun and enjoyable. There is no competition. Therefore they should take things slow with considerations of others. Tips for teaching | 1. It is recommended to conduct this activity outdoors. The outdoors allows students to spread out and have more space to perform the activityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions. 2. It is best that students are already in groups before the activity. To avoid students running around in haste and causing accidents. Reflection | 1. What happened? What did my students do? What did I do? 2. Why did I think things happened this way? Why did I choose to act the way I did? 3. What have I learnt from this? 4. What do I want to remember to think about in a similar situation? How do I want to act in future?

Steps | 1. Have the flashcards divided and hand them to groups of students. 2. Have each group decide on a verb and instruct each member of the group to apply the verb into their flashcard. For example, if a group decides on the verb â&#x20AC;&#x153;dance, the students in the group may have to dance happily/dance stealthily/dance quickly or dance loudly, depending on which adverb card they are holding. 3. The other students have to guess which adverb card each of their peers are holding.

Rationale | Playing charades hones communication skills as well as the chemistry between students. It also enables imagination and acting skills. Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; depiction of an action of the the verb may not be accurate - Solution: Make the verbs relatable that usually appears in the real world. 13

Tips for teaching | 1. Adverb games like this one can get loud and exciting, so make sure to circulate around the room to make sure that students are staying on track.

Reflections | 1. What happened? What did my students do? What did I do? 2. Why did I think things happened this way? Why did I choose to act the way I did? 3. What have I learnt from this? 4. What do I want to remember to think about in a similar situation? How do I want to act in future?

Preparation | 1. Have the Bingo template printed and ready to use (This activity can be carried out individually or in a group depending on class size and time). 2. Prepare a compilation of around 50 base verbs (Have a variety of verbs ranging from common to rare).

Steps | 1. Provide the students with their Bingo template. 2. Show students the compilation of base verbs and ask them to fill in the past tense for any 25 of the verbs into their Bingo template. 3. You will call out random base verbs from your compilation and if students have written the past tense of that verb, they can cross it out. 4. The first student to have a line (you can decided two or three depending on the level of your students) of verbs crossed, wins Rationale | Games are useful when teaching because it allows students to learn in an enjoyable way. It is also a good method to visualize and assess your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning to ensure learning objectives are met.

Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Class may lack focus and become rowdy - Solution: Make sure your activity is well-planned and class is well-monitored. It helps to have teacher assistants in class to ensure order.

Tips for teaching | 1. After the game, discuss the right past tense for each base verb so students know the right answer. Reflection | 1. What happened? What did my students do? What did I do? 2. Why did I think things happened this way? Why did I choose to act the way I did? 3. What have I learnt from this? 4. What do I want to remember to think about in a similar situation? How do I want to act in future? 17

Articles | Definite and Indefinite Learning Objectives | To apply definite (the) and indefinite (a, an) articles in different situations. Prior Knowledge | To differentiate between singular and plural nouns. Activity | Finish the story Materials | Whiteboard (teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use)

whiteboard

marker

Preparation | The subject for students to continue with their stories could be thought of and given out during the activity. If not, prepare them beforehand. Duration of activity | 20 minutes

Steps | 1. Sort the students into smaller groups. (In accordance to the size of the class) 2. Provide them a subject to start their story with such as “car”, “tree” & etc. Or begin with a sentence for them to continue. 3. They are required to apply a, an, the in the appropriate situation of their sentence. 4. They are allowed to be as creative as possible, the funkier their story, the better. Note | 1. The number of sentences are in accordance to the number of students in their group. 2. Extra sentences are encouraged as well. Rationale | This game allows them to unleash their creativity and have fun. There is no shame in creativity. It also gives them the chance to build up their confidence and speaking skills. 19

Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Some students may be shy and uncomfortable with audiences - Solution: Allow the next student to continue with their sentence or let them write it out on a paper to show it to class. Tips for teaching | 1. Allow some time for shy students and encourage them

Prepositions Learning Objectives | To be able to show the direction of prepositions for location and movement. Prior Knowledge | 1. To be able to apply nouns and verbs in real life situation Activity | The Movement Game! Materials | Furnitures or large objects in the classroom (desks, chairs, bookshelf, wall, etc.) Duration of activity | 20 minutes

Preparation | 1. The teacher should move all the furnitures into the respective places in order for the students to move 21 around safely.

Steps | 1. Students are divided into 4-5 groups according to the class size. 2. To start the game, gather all students at one spot. 3. Then, provide each group a prepositional phrase. (For example, alongside the corridor, by the bookshelf and against the wall) Rationale | This game is to build students’ auditory and kinesthetic skills, in order to listen to instructions and move accordingly to the specific place. Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. The class may become rowdy. - Solution: Tell your students that they can only start moving when you say ‘Go’. 2. Another way is to get the help of an assistant teacher.

Tips for teaching | 1. You can pair students with higher ability and students with lower ability, in order to improve their learning. Reflection | 1. What happened? What did my students do? What did I do? 2. Why did I think things happened this way? Why did I choose to act the way I did? 3. What have I learnt from this? 4. What do I want to remember to think about in a similar situation? How do I want to act in future?

Coordinating Conjunctions | (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) Learning Objectives | To be able to connect two words/clauses with the appropriate coordinating conjunction(s). Prior Knowledge | To be able to form simple sentences. Activity | Conjunctions Rush! Materials | Mini whiteboards (students will be put in groups of three/four so one mini whiteboard for each group) and marker pens Duration of activity | 15 minutes Preparation | 1. Have your simple sentences ready. Steps | 1. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 and provide mini whiteboards for each group (If no whiteboards are available, you can utilize the class whiteboard or paper). 24

2. You will display two simple sentences to the students. (E.g. I love eating cake. I love eating candy.) 3. Students will have to combine both sentences using coordinating conjunctions and write their answer on the whiteboard/paper. (E.g. I love eating cake and candy.) 4. You can choose to give marks to groups with the correct answer. Rationale | Learning/teaching conjunctions can be very dry and rigid so playing games can be fun and refreshing to both students and teachers. Students are often highly competitive when it comes to games so use it to your advantage! Through this activity, students are practicing their reading and writing skills (input and output) and so it is definitely an effective way to visualize your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning. Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Class may lack focus and become rowdy - Solution: Make sure your activity is well-planned and class is well-monitored. It helps to have teacher assistants in class to ensure order. 25

Tips for teaching | 1. Reinforce classroom rules to your students before starting the game to ensure order (no fighting, no running, etc.) 2. Discuss the answer after every round so students know where they went wrong or how they got the correct answer.

Interjections Learning Objectives | 1. Match the interjections to the appropriate sentence Prior Knowledge | 1. To be able to form exclamatory sentences. 2. To know how to apply punctuations accurately in a sentence Activity | â&#x20AC;&#x153;YO! Pair-up & Gear Up.â&#x20AC;? Materials | Paper cutouts Duration of activity | 20 minutes Preparation | Before the class, prepare 10 stacks of paper cutouts which consist interjections and a clue about the meaning of it. At the back of the same paper, put two sentences with one correct usage of the interjections and the other with the wrong usage. 27

Steps | 1. Group the students in pairs and distribute the stack of paper to them accordingly. 2. In ten minutes, ensure students have answered all 10 questions with “Right” or “Wrong”. Provide an extra five minutes for those who have yet to complete. 3. After that, each group take turns to present their answer to the class. The group that has the most correct answers will be the winner of the day. 4. To conclude this activity, the teacher will state the actual meaning of each interjection.

Rationale | The objective of this in-class activity is to classify and match the interjections with the related sentence. As students present their answers, it visualizes their learning and is helpful as an assessment task.

Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. There can be multiple meanings for an interjection. However, students will only learn one actual meaning in this game. - Solution: Teachers can create awareness to students that interjections have several implications other than the ones stated in the game.

Punctuation | Question Mark & Exclamation Point Learning Objectives | To apply the use of the question mark and exclamation point. Prior Knowledge | 1. Able to apply the use of full-stops. Activity | Red Light? Yellow Light. Green Light! Materials | Set of short sentences, whiteboard Duration of activity | 20 minutes Preparation | 1. Before the lesson, prepare a set of short sentences with the use of full-stops, question marks and exclamation points. Steps | 1. Before the game starts, the teacher will write out the three punctuations (full-stop, question mark and exclamation point) on the whiteboard. 30

2. The teacher will read out one sentence out of the set of sentences. According to the sentence stated, the students will have to figure out the correct punctuation and perform the action: ○ Question Mark: Stop on the spot (Red Light) ○ Full-stop: Hop on the spot (Yellow Light) ○ Exclamation Mark: Jog on the spot (Green Light) 3. Repeat until the students are able to perform the actions without taking a long time to process. Rationale | The students will get great practice identifying key punctuation marks and their meaning. The students will also unconsciously learn the form and use of the punctuations. This activity is a great way to demonstrate how punctuation isn’t just a flat, two dimensional part of learning to read and write.

Expected Problems and Solutions | 1. Students may get too excited and ignore the teacher’s instructions. - Solution: Before reading out the sentences, as the students to quiet down and listen carefully. 31

Tips for teaching | It is recommended to conduct this activity outdoors. The outdoors allows students to spread out and have more space to perform the activityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions. Reflection | 1. What happened? What did my students do? What did I do? 2. Why did I think things happened this way? Why did I choose to act the way I did? 3. What have I learnt from this? 4. What do I want to remember to think about in a similar situation? How do I want to act in future?

References

Trusler, T. (2015). 5 Fun Activities for Irregular Verbs. Retrieved from http://blog.esllibrary.com/2015/02/26/5-fun-activities-for-irregularverbs/ Lesson Plans for ESL Kids Teachers. (n.d.). Subject Pronouns Lesson Plan. Retrieved from https://www.eslkidstuff.com/lesson-plans/subject-pronouns.html Primary resources. (n.d.). The Nouns & Adjectives Game. Retrieved from: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/nounsandadj.htm Perles, K. & Wistrom, E. (2013). Four Grammar Activities for Nouns.. Retrieved from: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/elementary-school-activities/ 49807-four-activities-to-learn-nouns/ Ginger. (n.d.). What is an Adverb? Retrieved from: http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/adverb/ 33