What's in a name?

Aim: to develop rhythmical chants on the basis of proper names.

Focus: Naming: personal names, place names animal names, etc. 

Level: all 

Time: One hour

Preparation: As resources, it may be useful to have available: an atlas, a telephone directory, a recipe, a list of websites where information about names can be found. 

Procedure:

• Decide on one area of names you would like students to focus on. Working individually, each student makes a list of names in that category. Allow ten minutes for this. Students may need to consult reference books or websites for this step. You could set this step as a home work task to save time in class. 
• Students work in groups of three.
• Allow 20 minutes for them to compare their lists of names they have found and compile a rhythmic chant based on the names they have found. 
• Students rehearse their chants. Encourage them to present their chants dramatically, volume, pitch and intonation. 
• Each group performs its chant for the whole class. 

 

Which to colour 

Aims:

• Learn to recognize proper nouns.
• Work together to use their knowledge to build lists of proper nouns.

Materials Needed

• large sheets of chart paper
• markers or crayons of several different colors

Lesson Plan

A proper noun is a noun that names a specific person, place, or thing.

After introducing the concept and providing examples of proper nouns use this gallery walk activity to help build/reinforce students' awareness of the concept.

Arrange students into groups of three or four. Provide each group with a different colored marker or crayon. Post around the room large sheets of chart paper. Each sheet of paper should have at the top one of the "Proper Noun Gallery Walk Activity Sheet Headings" listed below. Post the same number of sheets as you have groups of students.

Nine sheets are listed below. If you only have six groups of students, eliminate some of the headings.
-- You might combine State, Country, and City Names into one large category, "Place Names."
-- Or you might include eliminate Vehicle Names and include it among the proper noun categories included under the "Other Proper Nouns" heading.

No matter how many headings you use, be sure to include one sheet of paper that is headed "Other Proper Nouns." That will accommodate a wide variety of proper nouns not included in other categories.

Proper Noun Gallery Walk Activity Sheet Headings

• State Names
• Country Names
• City Names
• Bodies of Water
• Team Names
• Company Names
• Languages
• Vehicle Names
• Other Proper Nouns -- Do not give students any hints about what "other" proper nouns might be listed there. Just see what they come up with. This sheet could capture a wide variety of proper nouns, including days of the week, months of the year, holidays, religions, names of special awards, club names, ship names, specific names of landmarks and buildings, names of specific products

 

When groups are set, each with a different colored marker or crayon, assign each group to a chart. Give students five minutes to write on the chart all the proper nouns they can come up with that fit under that heading.

 

Source: Lysanne Kamies