Main and Helping Verb Lesson Plan

Instructional Goals

Students will:

• Define Main verbs and Helping verbs and explain how to use them.
• Identify Main and Helping verbs in a sentence by underlining them.
• Write their own sentences using main and helping verbs correctly and underlining each.

Content Standards

Language Arts Standard #6: students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non print texts. 

Instruction

• Begin by explaining what verbs are.  “Verbs are things you do, for example, write, played, and singing.  There are many other examples, can anyone else think of one to share with the class?  Can you act it out?  Great!”

Statement of purpose

“Today we are going to learn about Main and Helping verbs.  After today’s lesson, you will be able to identify both in sentences as well as write your own sentences using main and helping verbs.”

Teacher Input

• Write sentences on the board and have students come up and underline the verb in the sentence. 
• James wrote a letter.
• Julie ran to the playground.
• Kate sings very well. 
• “Friends, on the board are three sentences, each of the sentences contains a verb, can anyone tell me what the verb in the first sentence is?  (wrote)  Thank you, Katie!  Great job!”
• Two new sentences on the board, this time WITH helping verbs.
• Jacob had written a letter to the President of the United States.
• Riley is singing in the play this year.
• Ally was helping her mom bake cookies. 
• Introduce helping verbs.  “Helping verbs work with the main verb and they come before it in a sentence.  Examples of a helping verb are: am, is, are was, were, has, have, had, etc.  In the sentence, ‘Jacob had written a letter to the President of the United States’ the helping verb would be ‘had’, had written.  Now, looking at the next sentence, can anyone tell me what the helping verb would be?”

Check for Understanding

• “Let’s practice a little more, just to get the hang of this.  Can anyone think of a sentence for me to share with the class?  (The dog had barked all day.)  Thank you, James that is a great example!  Can anyone tell us what the helping verb is?  (had)  Great job, Mario!”
• Pass out white boards and markers, then use the prewritten sentence posters and have students write the helping verb in the sentence, on their board.  Have the students hold them up in the air when finished. 
• “Alright boys and girls, in sentence number one, please identify the helping verb and write it on your board nice and big.  When you are finished, hold them up in the air so I can see them!” 

Guided Practice

• Hand out practice Helping and Main verb worksheet. 

• “Let’s practice some more!  I’m about to hand out a Main and Helping verb worksheet that we are going to finish in class before recess.  There are ten sentences, in each sentence there is a helping verb and a main verb.  When you find them, I would like you to underline the helping verb once and the main verb twice. 
• Allow 10 minutes for completion, once the students are finished, alternate between calling on a student to read their answer and saying the answer out loud as a class. 

Independent practice

• Hand out a piece of paper with room to write ten sentences on.  Instruct each student to write ten of their own sentences that contain both a helping verb and a main verb.  Ask them to identify both by underlining the helping verb once and the main verb twice.  The assignment is due the next day. 
• Ask a student to repeat the directions and instruct the class to write the assignment in their student planner so they don’t forget. 

Closure

• Ask a student to “Tell us in your own words what a helping verb is.”
• Ask another student to “Make up a sentence and tell the class what the helping and main verb is.”
• “Great job today, Friends!  Tomorrow we will go over your homework assignments in class, try to do your best work, everyone!  I’m so proud of all of you and I cannot wait to see what sentences you come up with!”

Instructional Materials

Main and Helping verb poster, white boards and markers, Main and Helping verb worksheet, Sentence paper to write their homework assignment on. 

Assessment

Teacher will:

• Observe student responses during class discussion
• Observe student responses during class activity
• Check student writing assignment for accuracy

Adaptations and Accommodations

I will be sure to include the two students with LD in the classroom activities in the front of the room and during the whiteboard game.  I will challenge the two TAG students by asking them questions like “If the sentence was ‘Rosie _____ thrown the ball far’ what would the helping verb be?

Reflection

Overall I thought today’s lesson went extremely well.  The kids were not only engaged in the activities but they seemed to enjoy what they were learning.  Getting the students out of their seats to come to the front of the room and write on the board kept everyone from sitting too long and getting antsy.  The whiteboard activity worked well as I was able to see who needed extra instruction.  It was a success!