Gerunds & Infinitives

Curriculum Area

• Subject: English Language Arts
• Grade Level: 6th Grade
• Focus: Gerunds and Infinitives; Adjectives Describing Personality Traits

Objectives

• Students will:
  • Differentiate between gerunds and infinitives.
  • Use gerunds and infinitives correctly in sentences.
  • Identify and use adjectives to describe personality traits.
  • Engage in speaking, listening, and writing activities to reinforce understanding.

Materials

• Whiteboard/Interactive screen
• Virtual flashcards with adjectives and personality traits
• Writing materials (digital or traditional)
• Video clips exemplifying personality traits (pre-selected and age-appropriate)

---

Lesson Flow

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greeting and Agenda Overview
  • "Good morning, class! Today, we’re delving into gerunds and infinitives, and learning new adjectives to describe personality traits. By the end, you’ll be masters at incorporating these into your writing and speech."

Explanation of Gerunds and Infinitives (10 minutes)

• Define Gerunds and Infinitives:
  • Gerunds: Verb + -ing (e.g., swimming)
  • Infinitives: To + Verb (e.g., to swim)
• Examples:
  • "Running is fun." (Gerund)
  • "I like to run." (Infinitive)
• Visual Aids:
  • Use virtual whiteboard to write out examples and definitions.
  • Provide contrasting sentences for clarity.

Interactive Activity #1: Sentence Construction (10 minutes)

• Group Work:
  • Break students into pairs using breakout rooms.
  • Each pair receives a list of verbs and must construct sentences using gerunds and infinitives.
• Examples: (Prompt the pairs)
  • "Eating healthy is important." (Gerund)
  • "She wants to eat healthy." (Infinitive)
• Sharing:
  • Post breakout, each pair shares their favorite sentence.

Adjectives for Personality Traits (10 minutes)

• Introduction:
  • Discuss how adjectives are used to describe personality traits.
  • "She is kind. He is brave."
• Interactive Flashcards:
  • Use virtual flashcards showing adjectives (kind, brave, shy, outgoing, etc.)
  • Ask students to guess the adjective based on a short description.
• Activity:
  • Show short video clips.
  • After each clip, students identify personality traits of characters using adjectives learned.

Interactive Activity #2: Personality Match (10 minutes)

• Descriptions and Matching:
  • Provide students with descriptions of different personalities.
  • Students must match adjectives to the descriptions.
  • Example:
    • "She always helps her friends and listens to their problems." (Match: empathetic, kind)
  • Discuss correct matches as a class.

Closing Activity: Creative Writing (5 minutes)

• Prompt:
  • Write a short paragraph about a character (could be fictional or someone they know) using at least two gerunds or infinitives and three adjectives.
  • Example: "My friend, Anna, loves to read. She is always kind and respectful. Reading makes her happy."
• Sharing:
  • Have a few students volunteer to read their paragraphs.

Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment (5 minutes)

• Review Key Points:
  • Recap the difference between gerunds and infinitives.
  • Highlight a few adjectives describing personality traits.
• Homework:
  • Write a 5-sentence paragraph using at least two gerunds or infinitives and three new adjectives learned in class.
• Goodbyes:
  • Encourage students to observe the use of personality adjectives around them in conversations, movies, and books.

---

Assessment

• Informal:
  • Monitor participation and understanding through activities and breakout room discussions.
• Formal:
  • Review the homework assignment for correct usage of gerunds, infinitives, and adjectives.

---

Extensions

• Create a virtual bulletin board where students can post examples of sentences using gerunds and infinitives found in their reading or written independently.
• Organize a virtual "Word Wizard" week where students bring in new adjectives and use them in sentences.

This lesson plan aims to foster interactive learning, critical thinking, and practical application while engaging 6th-grade students in a virtual setting.