Tonya Robertson

Grade: 2nd
Subject: Literacy; Grammar

Modifying Nouns with Awesome Adjectives

I. Common Core Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1.e: Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on
what is to be modified.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3: Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of
events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal
words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5: With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen
writing as needed by revising and editing.

II. Objectives:
1. Students will independently brainstorm a list of adjectives that describe an apple.
2. Working in collaborative partnerships, students will identify and modify nouns within a
provided sentence to generate descriptive adjectives.
3. Students will revise writing pieces from their Writers Workshop notebook/folder by
adding vivid adjectives.
III.

Materials:
5 Apples, SmartBoard, individual dry erase boards, dry erase markers and erasers, prepared
sentence strips (tan and blue), glue and scissors, black/brown marker, partner cards, reminder
cards, exit slips.

Tonya Robertson

IV.

Anticipatory Set
Introduce myself to the class
Today we will be having lots of fun and describing nouns (person, place, thing or

idea)!
Pass out an apple out to each table while describing: Today we are going to
focus on describing words because when we write, description is extremely
important. So, when the reader reads your writing, a picture is being painted in
their head or the reader can see it like a movie. (Writers Workshop)

V. Guided Practice
We are going to write a sentence about this apple. I will take a bite of my

apple... Mmm, how can we describe this apple?

How does this taste?
What did you hear when I took a bite of the apple?
What does it smell like?
What does the apple feel like?
What does it look like?
Write on the SmartBoard: 1. I took a bite of the apple. Good sentence, huh?
How about: 2. I took a bite out of the juicy apple. Which one is better or more

interesting, 1 or 2? Sentence 2!
Pass out dry erase boards and markers
The students will have 1 minute to write a list of at least 5 words to describe
the apple.
Examples: What does the apple look like? red, small, circular

What does the apple smell like? sweet

When one minute is up, have the students hold up their dry erase boards Show

and Share!
Invite the students to share their words describing the apple and make a list on

the SmartBoard
These words are called: ADJECTIVES
Write the definition on the board. Adjectives are words that describe a noun.

(person, place or thing.)

I know in Writers Workshop, during the month of December you will be
working on realistic fiction writing, so keep adjectives in mind because

descriptive words spice up your writing and keep the reader interested!
Lets take a look at this sentence: The boys cat ran up a tree.
How can we make the sentence more descriptive interesting... exciting
spicy? Model:
What kind of boy was it? Young.

(add young to the sentence)

Tonya Robertson

What kid of cat was it? scared. (add scared to the sentence)
What kind of tree was it? bare. (add bare to the sentence)
Now lets take a look at our new sentence: The young boys scared cat

ran up the bare tree.

Awesome! Lets take a look at another sentence together: I walked on top of
the leaf pile.
The sentence will be on a tan sentence strip. (Modeling for Independent Practice)
Remind the students adjectives describe a noun- a person, place or thing.
So, what noun, what word, in the sentence are we trying to describe
more?

Answer: leaf / leaf pile

Cut the tan sentence strip in front of the word leaf.
Invite students to add adjectives to the sentence.
Possible Answers: I walked on top of the crunchy leaf pile.

I walked on top of the red and yellow leaf pile.

Write the adjective(s) on the blue sentence strip and glue it to the original

sentence.
The blue sentence strip shows the adjective in the sentence. (visual)
Encourage students to use vivid descriptive brilliant adjectives! Third grader
words! (example: big enormous, small miniature)

I. Independent Practice
I think the class is ready for a fun activity! Were going to do some partner

work.
I will pass out partner cards.

The partner cards are organized in the following manner: The cards with the words Pick a partner!
in red are on top of the stack, and cards with the words Pick a partner! in blue are on the bottom
of the stack. I will hand out the cards accordingly. This is to manipulate which students are partner
with other students. On the other hand, students feel they are able to pick their own partners.
Organized Chaos!

For example: A pair of friends or a high student and a low student would receive the same
color partner cards. The student has to pick a partner with a different color card.

Have everyone stand up and move to a desk near his or her partner. The

students will need scissors, glue sticks and a black/brown marker.

Hand out a tan sentence strip with the sentence and a blank blue sentence strip
to a pair of partners.
At this time, pass out reminder cards

(see below under modifications and attached)

to the students with modifications.

Also pass out sentence strip with pictures

(see below under modifications)

for students with modifications.

Now you are going to take apart the sentence to spice it up!

Tonya Robertson

Explain to the students: Each partner pair will perform the same activity that

was just modeled.

Tell the students, this time the students will be adding two adjectives to the
sentence!
Remind students to find the noun (person, place or thing) first.
Ask yourself is the word a person? Is the word a place? Is the
word a thing?

II. Closure
The students will share their sentences with the inserted adjectives. Once all
students have shared, I will pass out the exit slips.
III.

Assessments
1. The teacher will assess individual lists (describing the apple) before
having the students proceed to ensure all students are on task.
2. The teacher will assess completed sentences to make certain all students
accurately identified the nouns and modified them using appropriates
adjectives.
3. Teacher will review revisions made to students Writers Workshop
pieces, to assess his or her ability to apply adjectives to their writing.

IV.

Modifications/Adaptations for Specific Students

For students needing modification: I placed a picture above the words in
the sentence strip. I also made a reminder card for nouns and

adjectives, which are the two key terms in this lesson.

Adaptations for students who are performing above expectations will be
encouraged to add multiple adjectives.

V. Extension
During the independent practice, I would have students revisit their Writers
Workshop notebook/folder and add adjectives to his or her writing. This would
also show differentiation because each student would be working with his or her
own work at a personal level.

Tonya Robertson

Sentences on Tan Sentence Strips

1. The _____ cat sat on the _____ rug. *

2. My _____ friend and I took a _____ walk.
3. I like _____ candy and _____ ice cream.
4. My _____ brother wants a _____ toy.
5. The _____ girl sang a _____ song.
6. My _____ dad went to the _____ store.
7. The _____ bug ran down the _____ leaf. *
8. Do you know the _____ man in the _____ jacket?
9. Three _____ witches made a _____ potion.
10. The _____ clown made a _____ face.
11. Where did the _____ teacher put the _____ books?

Tonya Robertson

*Modified
Sample Exit Ticket:

Name:

~*Adjectives*~

Directions: Fill in the blank.

1. An adjective describes a noun.
Fill in the blanks with adjectives.
2. The tiny girl went on a walk with her elderly Grandpa
and immature brother.
3. I have a gigantic lunchbox with delicious food inside.

Tonya Robertson

Person

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

Place
Thing

A word that
describes a noun.