Uppercase and Lowercase

Week 2 Language Arts

Grade: 1 (Age: 5-6 years)
Curriculum: Alberta Education
Subjects: English Language Arts (ELA)

Weekly Objectives

This week students will learn about:

• Recognizing and identifying uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Beginning sounds associated with each letter.
• Blending sounds to form simple words.
• Introducing sight words to build vocabulary.
• Developing fine motor skills through writing activities.

Materials

To complete this lesson, you will need:

• Alphabet flashcards
• Whiteboard and markers
• Beginner reading books
• Notebooks and pencils
• Craft supplies (construction paper, glue, scissors)
• Laminated letters
• Chart paper
• Index cards
• Sight word flashcards

Curriculum Alignment

Area: English Language Arts (ELA)
Level: Grade 1
Curriculum Outcomes:

• ELA1.3: Recognize and identify uppercase and lowercase letters
• ELA1.4: Demonstrate understanding of beginning sounds
• ELA1.5: Blend sounds to form simple words
• ELA1.6: Recognize and read basic sight words
• ELA1.7: Develop and demonstrate age-appropriate fine motor skills

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Day 1: Letter Identification and Sounds

Timeframe: 60 minutes

Activity 1: Warm-Up (10 minutes) Objective: Review letter identification
Materials: Alphabet flashcards
Procedure:

1. Teacher holds up alphabet flashcards one-by-one.
2. Each student gets a turn to identify the letter and say a word that begins with that letter.

Activity 2: Interactive Group Reading (20 minutes) Objective: Identify beginning sounds
Materials: Beginner reading books
Procedure:

1. Teacher reads a short picture book to the class.
2. Pause at specific words in the book, and ask the students to identify the beginning letter and its sound.
3. Engage students with interactive questions related to the story.

Activity 3: Hands-on Activity (15 minutes) Objective: Recognize uppercase and lowercase letters
Materials: Craft supplies (construction paper, glue, scissors)
Procedure:

1. Students create individual alphabet books.
2. Each page represents one letter; students are encouraged to decorate their letters creatively using craft supplies.

Activity 4: Closing Circle (15 minutes) Objective: Reiterate learning
Materials: None
Procedure:

1. Gather students in a circle.
2. Discuss what letters and sounds they have learned.
3. End with a fun letter song or chant to reinforce their learning.

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Day 2: Blending Sounds

Timeframe: 60 minutes

Activity 1: Warm-Up (10 minutes) Objective: Review letter sounds
Materials: Whiteboard and markers
Procedure:

1. Teacher writes random letters on the whiteboard.
2. Students take turns coming up to the board to say the sound each letter makes.

Activity 2: Phonics Game (20 minutes) Objective: Blend sounds to form simple words
Materials: Laminated letters
Procedure:

1. Teacher uses laminated letters on the board to form simple 3-letter words (Consonant Vowel Consonant - CVC).
2. Students come up to the board to blend the sounds and say the word aloud.

Activity 3: Writing Exercise (15 minutes) Objective: Practice writing simple words
Materials: Notebooks and pencils
Procedure:

1. Teacher guides students in writing a list of simple words.
2. Emphasis on proper letter formation and spacing.

Activity 4: Reading Circle (15 minutes) Objective: Reinforce blending skills
Materials: Beginner reading books
Procedure:

1. Teacher reads a storybook aloud.
2. Encourages students to blend the sounds of new words together.

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Day 3: Sight Words Introduction

Timeframe: 60 minutes

Activity 1: Warm-Up (10 minutes) Objective: Introduce new sight words
Materials: Sight word flashcards
Procedure:

1. Teacher shows flashcards with new sight words.
2. Students repeat the words together.

Activity 2: Sight Word Bingo (20 minutes) Objective: Recognize sight words in a fun way
Materials: Bingo cards with sight words, markers
Procedure:

1. Teacher distributes Bingo cards that feature sight words.
2. Play a game of Sight Word Bingo, with the teacher calling out the sight words.

Activity 3: Crafting (15 minutes) Objective: Create visual aids for sight words
Materials: Index cards, markers, decorative materials
Procedure:

1. Students create their own sight word flashcards to take home.
2. They use markers and other decorative materials to make the cards engaging.

Activity 4: Pair Reading (15 minutes) Objective: Practice reading sight words
Materials: Beginner reading books
**Procedure:

1. Students pair up and take turns reading from beginner books.
2. They identify and read sight words as they come across them in the text.

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Day 4: Fine Motor Skills

Timeframe: 60 minutes

Activity 1: Warm-Up (10 minutes) Objective: Letter review game
Materials: Alphabet flashcards
Procedure:

1. Review flashcards with a physical twist.
2. Students perform a physical activity (jump, clap) corresponding to each letter shown.

Activity 2: Writing Practice (20 minutes) Objective: Improve writing skills
Materials: Notebooks, pencils
Procedure:

1. Students practice writing the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase.
2. Emphasis on proper pencil grip and letter formation.

Activity 3: Creative Drawing (15 minutes) Objective: Enhance fine motor skills through drawing
Materials: Paper, crayons
Procedure:

1. Students draw pictures associated with specific letters.
2. They label their drawings using simple words.

Activity 4: Group Activity (15 minutes) Objective: Collaborative letter activity
Materials: Chart paper, markers
Procedure:

1. Group students into small teams.
2. Each team traces letters on chart paper and decorates them creatively.

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Day 5: Review and Reinforcement

Timeframe: 60 minutes

Activity 1: Warm-Up (10 minutes) Objective: Quick review
Materials: Sight word flashcards, alphabet flashcards
Procedure:

1. Quick review of sight words and letters.
2. Students take turns identifying and reading words.

Activity 2: Interactive Storytelling (20 minutes) Objective: Apply learned concepts
Materials: Beginner reading books
Procedure:

1. Teacher reads a story aloud, pausing for students to predict what might happen next.
2. Emphasis on identifying letters, beginning sounds, and sight words.

Activity 3: Writing and Drawing (15 minutes) Objective: Integrate writing and drawing
Materials: Notebooks, pencils, crayons
Procedure:

1. Students write a simple sentence using sight words.
2. They draw a picture to accompany their sentence.

Activity 4: Celebration Activity (15 minutes) Objective: Celebrate the week’s learning
Materials: Stickers, small prizes
Procedure:

1. Students share their favourite activity of the week.
2. Hand out stickers or small prizes for participation and effort.
3. End with a class dance or song to celebrate learning.

Thank you for using this detailed lesson plan. We hope it brings an engaging and enjoyable learning experience to your classroom!