Pronouns in Action

Objective

By the end of this 42-minute lesson, 6th-grade students will be able to:

• Identify subjective and objective pronouns in sentences
• Correctly use subjective and objective pronouns in their writing and speaking

Standards

This lesson is aligned with the following Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts, Grade 6:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1.A: Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive) when they are used.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1.B: Use intensive pronouns (myself, ourselves, etc.) appropriately.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed sentence strips (with pronouns)
• Student notebooks and pencils
• Worksheet: Fill-in-the-blank and sentence correction activities (created for the lesson)
• Pronoun cards (subjective on one side, objective on the other)
• Timer

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Time Breakdown and Activities

1. Warm-Up – “Who’s Talking?” (5 minutes)

• Goal: Activate prior knowledge of pronouns
• Procedure:
  • Write a simple sentence on the board: “She gave him the book.”
  • Ask: Which word is doing the action? (She) Which word is receiving the action? (him)
  • Briefly introduce that “she” is a subjective pronoun (doing the action), and “him” is an objective pronoun (receiving the action).
  • Invite a few students to give examples of pronouns they know.

2. Mini-Lesson – Understanding Subjective and Objective Pronouns (10 minutes)

• Goal: Teach rules and differences between subjective and objective pronouns
• Procedure:
  • Explain “Subjective pronouns” (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) - used as the subject of the sentence.
  • Explain “Objective pronouns” (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) - used as the object of a verb or preposition.
  • Use the whiteboard to diagram two simple sentences:
    • “She runs fast.” (Subjective pronoun as subject)
    • “I saw her at the park.” (Objective pronoun as object)
  • Highlight placement and role of each pronoun type.
  • Share a quick mnemonic: Subjective = Subject, Objective = Object.

3. Interactive Activity – Pronoun Card Match (10 minutes)

• Goal: Reinforce pronoun identification and usage
• Procedure:
  • Hand out pronoun cards to pairs of students (one side has subjective pronouns, the other side objective).
  • Read aloud sentences where students hold up the correct pronoun card (subjective or objective) based on the pronoun that fits in the sentence.
  • Example sentence: “___ am going to the store.” (Answer: I – subjective)
  • Rotate who reads and holds cards.
  • Encourage students to explain why their pronoun choice is correct.

4. Guided Practice – Sentence Correction (10 minutes)

• Goal: Apply correctly subjective and objective pronouns in writing
• Procedure:
  • Distribute worksheet with sentences containing incorrect pronoun usage. Example: “Her is my friend.” (Incorrect)
  • Students work individually or in small groups to correct sentences.
  • Review answers together on the board, discussing why the corrected pronoun is correct.
  • Ask: What clues helped you decide the right pronoun?

5. Quick Write and Share (5 minutes)

• Goal: Synthesize learning through creative use
• Procedure:
  • Prompt: Write 2 original sentences in your notebook using both a subjective and objective pronoun. Example: “They gave me tickets.”
  • After writing, ask 3-4 volunteers to share their sentences with the class.
  • Provide positive feedback and gently correct any errors.

6. Exit Ticket – Pronoun Check! (2 minutes)

• Goal: Assess individual understanding quickly
• Procedure:
  • On a small piece of paper, have each student write:
    1. One subjective pronoun
    2. One objective pronoun
    3. A sentence using both correctly
  • Collect these to review and inform tomorrow’s instruction if necessary.

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Differentiation & Support

• Provide a pronoun reference chart for students who need extra help.
• For advanced learners, challenge them to identify pronouns in a short paragraph or write a short dialog using varied pronouns.
• Use think-pair-share for students needing more processing time during guided practice.

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Reflection & Follow-Up

• Use exit tickets to assess mastery and adjust future lessons.
• Plan a follow-up lesson focused on possessive pronouns and intensive pronouns aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1.B.
• Encourage students to proofread their writing for correct pronoun usage regularly.

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Teacher Tip

Integrate technology by using an interactive whiteboard app where students can drag and drop pronouns into digital sentences. This variation can increase engagement and appeal to different learning styles.

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This lesson plan maximizes engagement through varied activities and clear stepwise instruction, ensuring students grasp the nuanced use of subjective and objective pronouns within common core expectations.