The Power of Habits

Curriculum Area and Standards Alignment

Curriculum Area: English Language Arts (ELA)
Grade Level: 5th Grade
US Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.1.B: Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.A: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson:

1. Students will be able to identify and form sentences using the present simple tense.
2. Students will engage in creative and collaborative activities to use the present simple tense in real-world scenarios.
3. Students will create personal sentences that express daily habits and routines using the present simple.

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Materials Needed

• Whiteboard or chalkboard
• Markers or chalk
• Printed activity sheets (one per student)
• A large jar and slips of paper for the “Habit Jar” activity
• Timer (can be a physical timer or a stopwatch on the teacher’s phone)

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Lesson Plan Overview (45 minutes)

1. Engage (5 minutes) – Building Prior Knowledge

• Greet the students warmly and ask:
  “What do you do every day? What are some things you always do in the morning, afternoon, or evening?”
  Example responses to encourage: “I brush my teeth.” “I eat breakfast.” “I go to school.”
• Write a few of the students’ responses on the board and underline the verbs: brush, eat, go, etc. Highlight that these are actions we perform regularly—habits!

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2. Explain (10 minutes) – The Present Simple Tense

• Briefly teach the present simple tense using the examples on the board.

• Key points to cover:

  1. The present simple is used to describe actions we do often or always.
  2. For singular subjects (he, she, it), verbs get an -s or -es:
     • Example: He plays, she watches, it rains.
  3. For plural subjects (they, we, you, I), verbs do NOT change:
     • Example: They play, we watch, you jump, I like.

• Provide a mini-chant for singular vs. plural subjects (clap along for engagement):
  “He/she/it: Add the -s!
  I/we/they: Let it rest!”

• Write examples on the board as you teach:

  • She walks to school every day.
  • We eat lunch together at noon.

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3. Explore (10 minutes) – Hands-on Practice

Activity: The Habit Jar

1. Write 12 common habits/routines on slips of paper (enough for the class size): examples include “wake up,” “eat breakfast,” and “play basketball.”
2. Fold the slips and put them in a “Habit Jar.”
3. Students take turns picking a habit and turning it into a complete sentence using the present simple tense. For example:
   • If the paper says “wake up,” the student might say, “I wake up at 7:00 AM every day.”
4. For paired interaction, have the other students respond to each sentence with one question in the present simple, such as:
   • “What time do you wake up?”
   • “How do you wake up in the morning?”

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4. Elaborate (10 minutes) – Applying Knowledge

Activity: Design Your Daily Schedule

1. Pass out a “Daily Habits Worksheet” with 6 blank sections.

   • Label each section: Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Weekends, Favorite Habit, Fun Fact.

2. Students work individually to create their own daily habit schedule using the present simple tense.

   • Example: In the morning, I eat cereal for breakfast.
   • On weekends, I visit my grandma.

3. After completing the worksheet, students will share their favorite sentence aloud with the class.

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5. Evaluate (8 minutes) – Reflection and Review

• Conduct a quick, whole-class review. Draw two columns on the board labeled Correct and Incorrect. Call out example sentences:

  • “He go to the park.”
  • “We eat dinner at home.”
  • “She play basketball after school.”

• Students will raise their hands to signal whether the sentence is correct or incorrect. Discuss why incorrect sentences need to be revised.

• Optional: Play a 1-minute rapid-fire quiz game to reinforce learning.

  • The teacher says a subject + verb (e.g., he + run), and students have to quickly shout out the correct present simple sentence: “He runs every morning.”

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Homework (Optional)

Ask each student to write 5 sentences describing their family members' daily habits using the present simple tense.

• Example: My mom cooks dinner every night. My dad reads the newspaper in the morning.

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Classroom Modifications for Engagement

1. Incorporating Movement: After students pick a habit from the Habit Jar, ask them to act it out silently for their classmates to guess before turning it into a present simple sentence.
2. Personalization: Allow students to pick habits specific to them (e.g., unique hobbies, favorite foods).

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Reflection Questions for Teacher

• Did students demonstrate an understanding of when and how to add -s or -es?
• Were students able to engage with the Habit Jar activity collaboratively?
• What worked well for extending engagement through the Daily Habits Worksheet?

This lesson integrates grammar concepts with creative practice and opportunities for social interaction, all geared toward 5th Grade students’ learning needs. ✏️