Your next great Lessn starts here.

Getting to Know Contractions – What are contractions? – Words combined to make a shorter word, like ‘do not’ to ‘don’t’ – Why use contractions? – They make speaking & writing quicker and more natural – Examples of contractions – ‘I am’ becomes ‘I’m’, ‘You are’ turns into ‘You’re’ – Practice with contractions – We’ll combine words using apostrophes to create contractions | This slide introduces the concept of contractions to third-grade students. Begin by explaining that contractions are a way to shorten words and make them easier to say and write. They are often used in everyday conversation, which makes our speech flow more smoothly. Provide clear examples by showing the contraction and the words it comes from, highlighting the apostrophe’s role. Encourage students to think of contractions they already use and prepare them for an activity where they will practice creating contractions from given words. This will help solidify their understanding of how contractions are formed and used.

Pronoun-Verb Contractions – Combining pronouns with verbs – Apostrophes show missing letters – The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter – Example: He is -> He’s – ‘He is’ becomes ‘He’s’ when we combine – Example: They have -> They’ve – ‘They have’ turns into ‘They’ve’ with a contraction | This slide introduces the concept of pronoun-verb contractions to third-grade students. It’s important to explain that contractions make our speech and writing more fluent and natural. Emphasize the role of the apostrophe, which replaces omitted letters when we combine a pronoun with a verb. Provide clear examples like ‘He’s’ for ‘He is’ and ‘They’ve’ for ‘They have’ to illustrate the concept. Encourage students to practice by writing sentences using contractions and to listen for them in conversations. This will help them become more familiar with common contractions and how to use them correctly.

Crafting Contractions with Pronouns and Verbs – Learn to create contractions – Combine a pronoun and a verb to make a contraction, like ‘I am’ to ‘I’m’ – Practice with pronouns and verbs – Use common pairs like ‘she’ll’ from ‘she will’ or ‘we’re’ from ‘we are’ – Activity: Matching game – Find the correct verb contraction for each pronoun – Understanding usage in sentences – Learn how contractions fit into our daily conversations | This slide introduces the concept of contractions, focusing on those made with pronouns and verbs. Start by explaining that contractions are a way to shorten words and make our speech and writing flow better. Provide examples of common pronoun and verb pairs, and demonstrate how they combine to form contractions. For the activity, prepare a matching game where students pair pronouns with their contracted verbs. This interactive element helps solidify their understanding. Emphasize the importance of using contractions correctly in sentences, as they are a key part of everyday communication. Encourage students to listen for contractions in conversations and to practice using them in their writing.

Mastering Pronoun-Verb Contractions – When to use contractions – Use in casual talk & writing, like with friends – Formal vs. informal writing – Avoid in formal essays, use in stories or letters – Exceptions in contractions – Not all words can be contracted, e.g., ‘will not’ to ‘won’t’ – Irregular contractions – Some don’t follow rules, like ‘am not’ to ‘aren’t’ | This slide aims to teach third graders the basic rules of using pronoun-verb contractions. Contractions are often used in spoken language and informal writing to combine a pronoun and a verb, making the speech or text flow more naturally. It’s important to highlight the difference in usage depending on the context: contractions are generally acceptable in informal scenarios but should be avoided in formal writing. Additionally, some contractions don’t follow the standard rules and are considered irregular, such as ‘won’t’ from ‘will not’ or ‘aren’t’ from ‘am not’. Teachers should provide examples of both regular and irregular contractions and encourage students to practice identifying when it’s appropriate to use them.

Let’s Practice Contractions! – Play a matching game with contractions – Match two words with their contraction form – Fill in blanks with the right contractions – Use context clues to find the correct contraction – Create your own sentences – Practice using contractions in writing – Understand how contractions are used | This interactive slide is designed to engage third graders in practicing pronoun-verb contractions. Begin with a matching game where students pair words with their contracted form, reinforcing their understanding of how contractions are formed. Move on to fill-in-the-blank exercises to apply their knowledge in context. Then, encourage creativity by having them write sentences using contractions they’ve learned. Emphasize the importance of contractions in making writing and speaking more natural and fluent. For the teacher: Prepare a list of common contractions for the matching game, create sentences with missing contractions for the fill-in-the-blank activity, and consider a worksheet where students can write their sentences. Rotate between activities to cater to different learning styles.

Class Activity: Contraction Surgery – Play the role of word surgeons – ‘Operate’ on words to make contractions – Remove letters where the apostrophe will go – Use scissors and bandages (apostrophes) – Apostrophes replace the letters you take out – Pair up and list your contractions – Help each other and compare contractions | This activity is designed to help students understand and practice forming contractions in a fun and interactive way. Provide students with pairs of words that can be contracted, such as ‘do not’ to ‘don’t’. Students will use scissors to physically cut out the unnecessary letters and then use a bandage (apostrophe) to ‘heal’ the word into a contraction. Working in pairs encourages collaboration and allows students to help each other learn. As a teacher, walk around the classroom to assist and ensure students are correctly forming contractions. After the activity, have each pair share some of their contractions with the class to reinforce their learning.

Contractions Review and Quiz – Recap on contractions – A contraction is a shortened form of two words, like ‘can’t’ from ‘cannot’ – Take a contractions quiz – We’ll answer questions to show what we’ve learned – Discuss everyday contractions – Think of contractions you hear at home or school – Share our favorite contractions – Tell us the contractions you like using and why | This slide is aimed at reviewing the concept of pronoun-verb contractions with the students and assessing their understanding through a quiz. Begin by summarizing the key points about contractions, emphasizing that they combine a pronoun and a verb, and an apostrophe replaces the omitted letter(s). The quiz should include examples of contractions and ask students to identify the two words that make up each contraction. After the quiz, engage the students in a discussion about the contractions they commonly hear or use in their daily conversations. Encourage them to share their favorite contractions and explain their choices. This activity will help reinforce their learning and make the concept more relatable.

Wrapping Up: Pronoun-Verb Contractions – Recap on pronoun-verb contractions – We’ve learned to shorten words like ‘I am’ to ‘I’m’ – Homework: craft a short story – Create a tale with contractions like ‘can’t’, ‘she’s’, ‘we’re’ – Use 10 different contractions – Examples: ‘I’m’, ‘you’re’, ‘he’s’, ‘they’ve’ – Bring stories for next class | As we conclude today’s lesson, remind students of the importance of pronoun-verb contractions in making sentences shorter and more natural sounding. For homework, students should write a short story, ensuring they use at least 10 different contractions. This will help them practice what they’ve learned and understand how contractions fit into everyday writing. Encourage creativity and remind them to bring their stories to the next class for sharing, which will provide them with an opportunity to showcase their understanding and to learn from each other’s examples.