π Lesson Plan: Unlocking Prepositions for Grade 3 ELA
Welcome, educators! This guide provides a clear, engaging lesson plan to introduce prepositions to your third-grade students, ensuring they grasp this fundamental concept with ease.
π― Learning Objectives
- β¨ Students will be able to define what a preposition is.
- π Students will identify common prepositions in sentences.
- βοΈ Students will understand how prepositions show relationships (position, time, direction).
π οΈ Materials Needed
- π Whiteboard or chart paper and markers
- π Storybook with clear examples of prepositions (e.g., "Where the Wild Things Are")
- βοΈ Index cards or small slips of paper
- πΌοΈ Pictures or objects to place on, under, beside (e.g., a toy car, a box)
- π Worksheet with practice sentences
β° Warm-up (5 minutes): Where's the Toy?
Instructions:
- π§Έ Place a toy car in various positions relative to a box.
- π£οΈ Ask students, "Where is the car?"
- π‘ Guide them to use words like on, in, under, beside, behind.
- π€ Explain that these "location words" are special!
π Main Instruction: Preposition Power!
π What Are Prepositions?
Prepositions are small but mighty words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Think of them as "connector words" that tell us where, when, or how something relates to something else.
- πΊοΈ They often tell us about position (like on, under, in).
- β³ They can tell us about time (like before, after, during).
- β‘οΈ They can tell us about direction (like to, from, into).
π Common Prepositions for Grade 3
Here are some prepositions your students will encounter often:
- β¬οΈ Position: on, under, in, beside, behind, in front of, above, below, near, far, between, among
- β° Time: at, on, in, before, after, during, until, since
- πΆββοΈ Direction: to, from, into, onto, through, across, up, down
𧩠Prepositional Phrases Explained
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun (called the object of the preposition). It acts like a descriptive group of words.
- β‘οΈ Example 1: "The cat slept on the mat." (on the mat is the phrase)
- π³ Example 2: "The bird flew over the tree." (over the tree is the phrase)
π΅οΈββοΈ How to Find Prepositions in a Sentence
Teach students to look for the "little words" that show connection. A good trick is to ask: "Where is the cat?" or "When did it happen?" The answer often starts with a preposition!
- β Ask: Where? When? How?
- π Look for: Words like on, in, under, with, by, for.
- π Remember: A preposition always has an object (a noun or pronoun) that follows it.
π Assessment: Preposition Practice Quiz
Read each sentence. Underline the preposition and circle the object of the preposition.
- The squirrel ran up the tree.
- My book is on the table.
- We walked through the park.
- She hid behind the curtain.
- The dog jumped over the fence.
- He arrived at school early.
- The cat played with a ball.
