Conventions: Singular and Plural Nouns (Regular)
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students are taught to form and use singular and plural nouns. Students are introduced to the
three basic ways of forming regular plural nouns. Students practice identifying nouns as singular or plural,
forming plural nouns, and crafting sentences that include singular and plural nouns. Finally, students search
for and identify singular and plural nouns within a piece of their own writing.
Materials Needed:
1. Anchor Chart: What are Singular and Plural Nouns?
2. Singular and Plural Nouns Worksheet
3. Student Writer’s Notebooks/ Previously written stories
4. PowerPoint lesson
Instructional Focus Addressed:
Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
Explicit Instruction:
1. Explain to students that today they will be learning about singular and plural nouns. Explain that a
singular noun is a word that names one person, place, thing, or idea and plural nouns name more than
one person, place, thing, or idea.
2. Explain to students that today they will identify nouns as singular or plural, change singular nouns into
plural nouns, and write sentences using both singular and plural nouns.
Modeled Instruction:
1. Remind students that nouns are words that name a person, place, thing, or idea.
2. Display the Anchor Chart: What are Singular and Plural Nouns? Explain to students that a singular noun
is a word that names one person, place, thing, or idea. Explain that a plural noun is a noun that names
more than one person, place, thing, or idea. Review the examples of nouns listed on the chart with
students.
3. Explain that in many nouns, the last letter helps you decide how to form the noun as a plural. Use the
How do I change a singular noun to a plural noun section of the anchor chart to review the guidelines
for changing singular nouns into plural nouns. Discuss the examples listed with students.
4. Demonstrate identifying nouns as singular or plural. Think aloud as you decide, modeling for students
by noticing whether the noun names one person, place, thing, or idea or more than one person, place,
thing, or idea.
stories
store
watermelon
sisters
smiles
meters
foxes
pattern
5. Demonstrate changing the following nouns from singular to plural form. Be sure to model examining
the end of the singular noun when deciding how to form the plural noun.
trip – trips
crutch – crutches
lady – ladies
branch – branches
picture - pictures
book - books
story - stories
computer - computers
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6. Choose one or more of the above singular and plural nouns. Demonstrate for students crafting a
sentence using a singular noun. Demonstrate crafting a sentence using a plural noun. Write each
sentence for students as you demonstrate.
Guided Instruction:
1. Distribute the Singular and Plural Nouns worksheet to each student. Assign partnerships for guided
practice.
2. Explain to students that they will now do the same thing you just did. Students should work with their
partner to complete the Singular and Plural Nouns worksheet. Review the worksheet tasks (3 sections
– Identifying Singular and Plural Nouns, Forming Plural Nouns, Using Singular and Plural Nouns)
aloud with students.
3. Allow students time to work together to sort and record their work.
4. When students are finished, review their work. Ensure that all students have correctly identified each
singular/plural noun, formed plural nouns, and crafted sentences using singular/plural nouns
accurately.
Independent Practice:
1. Explain to students that they will be locating and identifying singular and plural nouns within a piece of
their own writing.
2. Instruct students to choose a piece of writing from their writer’s notebook. Ask students to search for
singular and plural nouns that they have included within their writing.
3. Explain to students that they should identify and record any singular and plural nouns they included in
their writing. Then, they should choose one singular noun from their writing, change it into a plural
noun, and craft a sentence using the plural noun.
4. After allowing students time to work, ask students to share their findings and crafted sentences with a
partner.
5. Share out student thinking as appropriate.
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