What is An Adjective?

Instructors: Toni DAmato & Kendall McCarthy

Grade: Second
Lesson Essential Question(s):
When do you use an adjective?
What can an adjective describe?
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.E

Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be
modified.
Objectives

Assessment

SWBAT identify adjectives that

describe how things feel and
sound.

Students will identify adjectives in teacher-provided

sentences.

SWBAT describe images using

appropriate adjectives.

Students will complete the final activity by writing their own

two sentences using adjectives that explain how something
feels and sounds.

Materials:
PowerPoint Presentation
Students writing journals
Lined paper
Document camera
Pre-lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge:
Students have previously worked with Mrs. Ayling on adjectives and know what
function they serve in the English language.
The students will have an informal pre-assessment through the PowerPoint, which
will determine the students comfort level and knowledge of using adjectives.
Lesson Beginning:
Teachers will ask the students to explain what an adjective is using prior knowledge
from previous lessons.
PowerPoint presentation will be displayed with various items on it.
o Teacher will ask the students to list adjectives for the image that is displayed
on the PowerPoint in a class discussion format.
Instructional Plan:
The teacher will explain that some adjectives tell how something feels or sounds.
Using the doc cam the teacher will write the sentence and tell the students to write it
in their writing journals along with her: The penguin made a loud splash. The she will

ask What is the adjective that describes how the splash sounds? and circle the word
loud as the students raise their hand to respond.
She will then write the sentence: The water was cold. Then ask What adjective
describes how the water feels? and circle the word cold as the students raise their
hand to respond.
The teacher will write the sentence: Penguin chicks have soft feathers. Then tell the
students to circle the word that describes how the feathers feel. The teacher will walk
around to make sure the students are on task and on the right track. After 2 minutes
the teacher will ask for the students to raise their hands and respond.
The teacher will write the sentence: Adult penguins can make noisy calls. Do the
same as the previous sentence.
Next the teacher will ask the students for other words they can use to describe how
something feels or sounds and make a list as a class on the doc cam, and tell the
students they do not have to write this list down. Ask the students if any of them can
make an animal sound if they are stuck and the other students can describe it.
Then the teacher will tell the students to think of their favorite animal. As the teacher
is handing out pieces of paper she will tell the students to talk about their favorite
animal with their tablemates. Then write it on the top of their paper. Explain the
activity. They will write a sentence using an adjective that describes how their animal
feels and a sentence describing how the animal sounds. When they finish writing their
sentences they will draw a picture of their animal.
o Differentiation:
The pictures in the beginning of the lesson will help more visual learners.
The teachers will walk around as the students are identifying adjectives and writing
sentences to make sure struggling students understand.
The teacher will separate the feeling and sounding sentences in the beginning to make
sure all students understand before writing their own two sentences at the end.
Drawing a picture for the final activity will let the faster working students have
something to do when they finish.
o Questions:
How would you explain what an adjective is?
What can an adjective describe?
What is the adjective that describes how the splash sounds?
What adjective describes how the water feels?
Name other adjectives that describe how something feels or sounds.
o Classroom Management:
Teacher will make sure students know to raise their hand to respond and not answer
out of turn.
The students will work independently when finding the adjectives in the sentences.
While doing the closing activity, the students can talk among their tables to find ideas
and ask questions.
The students will be at their desks during the lesson and have their writing journals in
their desks. The teacher will hand out the final piece of paper to each student after
they make the list of adjectives as a class. The students can talk quietly to name their
favorite animal with the students at their table while the teacher is handing out the
activity.

o Transitions:
Opening activity will be in a class discussion format.
After this the students will be asked to take out their writing journals to move on to
the next activity.
The students will talk about their favorite animal with their tablemates after taking
notes and brainstorming to transition into the final activity.
If time allows the students will share their sentences and drawing with the class.
Closure:
The students will complete their favorite animal activity and write two sentences. The
first sentence will use an adjective that describes how the animal feels and the second
sentence will use an adjective that describes how the animal sounds individually.
They can brainstorm and ask questions with each other but each student must
complete their own paper. Then they will draw a picture of their animal.
When each student is finished, some can still be drawing, the teacher will ask for a
few volunteers to share their sentences.
Teacher will collect the paper from the last activity at the end as a formal assessment.

Adjective Lesson Reflection

Starting out my adjective lesson I think the students had prior knowledge to
answer what adjectives were and were able give me some examples which was what I
expected. I think the PowerPoint pictures really got the students engaged in the lesson
and active in the learning. They really wanted to answer and share their ideas about the
pictures; they used great adjectives to describe them. Then transitioning to the next part
of the lesson could have gone a little smoother as the students were taking out their
notebooks. I should have given them a little more time to do this and get ready for the
next task. I noticed that I need to watch for every student as I move on to make sure I do
not miss anyone and let them get stuck behind.
The next part of the lesson the students were again really involved in telling me
the adjectives that described how things feel and sound. In the beginning I think I went to
fast and some students had to catch up as I went along. I just need to remember that they
all work and write at a different pace, so I need to watch out for that. As taking notes and
finding adjectives went along, all of the students caught up. I think it went well when I
gave them time to do it independently and walked around so every student had a chance
to figure it out; then we said the answer as a class.
After we listed the adjectives of feeling and sound words I told the class to think
of their favorite animal. I then explained the directions to the last activity and handed out
the blank paper. I think I could have done my own example first with the class watching
so they knew exactly what to put on their paper, or written the directions on the board for

clarification. Most of the students knew what to do, and only a few were not sure but
asked me and understood right away.
As Dr. Pan suggested I could have made the lesson more challenging. Especially
for the higher level students that knew the answers so quickly. I think they needed more
of a challenge and difficulty to really get their brains thinking and higher level
understanding. I could have differentiated it more and gave those students more of a
challenge for the final activity.
Overall, I think this lesson went well and I had a good experience teaching it. I
realized things that I can fix for next time and am more confident teaching by myself.