Lesson Plan for Year 3 English - Focus on Writing: Capital Letters and Full Stops

1. Lesson Overview

- Subject: English
- Year Level: Year 3
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Class Size: 26 students
- Curriculum Area: English - Writing (Level 2 of the New Zealand Curriculum)
- Learning Outcome: Students will be able to correctly use capital letters and full stops in sentences.

2. Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify the correct use of capital letters at the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns.
2. Recognize and apply the use of full stops to denote the end of a sentence.
3. Construct simple sentences accurately using capital letters and full stops.

3. Resources and Materials

- Whiteboard and markers
- Handout with examples of sentences without capitalisation and punctuation
- Storybooks suitable for Year 3
- Individually prepared writing sheets for activity
- Pencils and erasers
- New Zealand Curriculum document link: NZ Curriculum - English

4. Lesson Introduction (5 minutes)

- Engagement: Begin the lesson by reading a short, familiar story aloud to the class. Ask students to listen carefully and watch how you pause at each full stop and start each sentence with a loud, clear voice.
- Objective and Purpose: Explain to the students that today they will learn how to properly use capital letters and full stops in their sentences. Clarify the importance of these elements in writing, stating that they help make our writing clear and easy to read.

5. Instructional Plan

Step 1: Explanation and Demonstration (10 minutes)

- Discuss Capital Letters: Explain that capital letters are used at the beginning of sentences and for names or special places. Use the whiteboard to write examples and engage students in identifying errors in uncapitalised sentences.
- Introducing Full Stops: Discuss the role of a full stop in signalling the end of a statement. Illustrate how omitting full stops can confuse readers.
- Interactive Whiteboard Activity: Display sentences on the board without capitals or full stops. Have volunteers come up to correct them.

Step 2: Guided Practice (10 minutes)

- Worksheet Activity: Distribute the handouts containing sentences without capitalisation and punctuation. In pairs, students correct these sentences. Circulate around the class, offering support and guidance.

Step 3: Individual Writing Task (5 minutes)

- Sentence Creation: Have each student write three sentences about their favourite animal, including capital letters and full stops. Encourage creativity and correct use of learned punctuation.

6. Closing and Reflection (5 minutes)

- Sharing: Invite a few students to share their sentences aloud with the class. Help them with corrections if needed.
- Discussion: Engage the class in a discussion on why capital letters and full stops are important in writing. Ask students how using these correctly might help the reader understand their writing better.

7. Assessment

- Informal Assessment: Observe participation during the lesson, reviewing completed worksheets and individual writing tasks for understanding and application of capital letters and full stops.

8. Extensions and Adaptations

- For students who may need extra support, provide more examples and one-on-one guidance.
- Advanced students can be asked to write a short paragraph rather than isolated sentences, focusing on maintaining proper punctuation and capitalisation throughout.

By following this plan, Year 3 students will gain a foundational understanding of correct punctuation practices, specifically capital letters and full stops, essential for their progression in writing skills according to the New Zealand Curriculum standards.