Prepositions & Phrases

Grade: 9 | Duration: 40 minutes | Class Size: 20 students

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Common Core Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1
  Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • 1a: Use parallel structure.
  • 1b: Use various types of phrases (e.g., prepositional) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3
  Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• I can identify prepositions and prepositional phrases in sentences.
• I can explain the function of prepositional phrases in writing and speaking.
• I can create sentences using prepositional phrases to enhance clarity and description.

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Success Criteria

• Students accurately highlight prepositions and prepositional phrases in sample texts with 80% accuracy.
• Students clearly explain how prepositional phrases modify parts of sentences.
• Students compose 3 original sentences incorporating prepositional phrases that demonstrate understanding.

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Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector or interactive board
• Student notebooks/journals
• Printed handouts with sample sentences and dyslexia-friendly fonts (e.g., OpenDyslexic)
• Colored highlighters or pens

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Lesson Procedure

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Display 3 simple sentences on the board (e.g., The cat is on the table.).
• Ask students: What word tells us where the cat is?
• Introduce the term "preposition" and briefly define it as a word that shows direction, location, or time in relation to another word.

Differentiation: Use concrete examples with visuals (e.g., a photo of a cat on a table) to support understanding.

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2. Direct Instruction: Prepositions & Prepositional Phrases (10 minutes)

• Show a mini-lecture with examples of prepositions (e.g., in, on, under, beside) and prepositional phrases (e.g., on the table, under the bridge).
• Explain that a prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and ends with the object of the preposition (noun or pronoun), sometimes with modifiers.
• Use color-coding on the board: prepositions in blue, objects in green, and entire prepositional phrases in purple.
• Model identifying prepositional phrases in sentences from grade-appropriate texts.

Dyslexia friendly: Use handouts printed with OpenDyslexic font and high contrast colors to reduce reading stress.

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3. Guided Practice: Sentence Analysis (10 minutes)

• Distribute handouts with 6-8 sentences containing multiple prepositional phrases.
• In pairs, students highlight the prepositions and underline the full prepositional phrases using color codes.
• Walk around providing targeted support, particularly for English Language Learners (ELLs) or students needing extra help.

Differentiation for Diverse Learners:

• For struggling learners, provide sentence frames or partial sentences to complete with prepositional phrases (scaffolded approach).
• For advanced learners, challenge them to find multiple prepositional phrases in a complex sentence and to explain the nuance each phrase adds.

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4. Independent Application: Writing Activity (10 minutes)

• Ask students to write 3 original sentences that include at least one prepositional phrase each. Encourage vivid or creative sentences.
• After writing, students exchange notebooks with a partner and identify the prepositional phrases in each other’s sentences.

Extension for Advanced Learners:

• Challenge students to use multiple prepositional phrases in a single sentence without losing clarity.
• Optionally, have them write a short descriptive paragraph (3-4 sentences) featuring prepositional phrases.

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5. Review & Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

• Quick verbal quiz: Call on students randomly to give examples of prepositions or prepositional phrases they learned.
• Exit Ticket Prompt (written): Write one sentence using a prepositional phrase and underline the phrase.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation during guided practice and partner work.
• Exit tickets evaluated for correct identification and usage of prepositional phrases.
• Review writing samples for clarity and correct use.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual learners: Use color-coding and diagrams to represent phrases.
• Auditory learners: Discuss examples aloud and encourage verbal explanations.
• Kinesthetic learners: Use sentence strips to physically arrange words into prepositional phrases.
• ELL students: Provide bilingual glossaries or simplified definitions with examples.
• Students with Dyslexia: Offer dyslexia-friendly fonts, colored overlays, and oral reading options.

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Extensions & Enrichment

• Investigate how prepositional phrases can be used to create more complex sentence structures in literary texts (e.g., analyzing a passage from To Kill a Mockingbird).
• Explore prepositional phrase placement and how it affects sentence meaning or tone.
• Write a short creative story or poem highlighting the use of prepositional phrases for vivid imagery.

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This lesson plan integrates Common Core grammar standards with engaging, student-centered methods that respect diverse learning styles and literacy needs. The use of "I can" statements and clear success criteria targets student self-confidence and ownership of learning, while the scaffolded and extension activities ensure all learners are challenged appropriately.