Title: Contraction Surgery
Student Teacher:
Sara McCarthy
Date:
st
Grade:
1 Grade
Subject:
Language Arts
Supervisor:
______________________________________________________________________________
PRELIMINARY PLANNING
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1.d - Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns (e.g., I, me, my;
they, them, their, anyone, everything).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3.g - Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
Pre-Assessment:
Students have had prior exposure to joining contractions with is, not and will. Students will be
given the opportunity to verbally describe a contraction and identify the punctuation mark used
to form contractions through class discussion.
Objectives:
 Students will be able to understand contractions as being a shorter way of writing two words
by physically combining words using sentence strips and band-aids (apostrophes) to form
contractions.
 Students will be able to identify words that combine to create contractions through
highlighting and forming contractions in on-level biblical text.
Individual Modifications:
 This lesson is highly engaging for students who have trouble staying on task. Manipulating
the sentence strips and using various materials to heal words will keep students interested and
engaged.
 Struggling students will be given contractions with “not” to heal, as opposed to 2 or more
contraction endings (i.e. is, will, have).
Materials:
 Sentence strips
 Latex-free Band-Aids (three per student)
 Scissors
 Glue sticks
 Pocket Chart
 Promethean Board
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

Bible quotes extension sheet
If You Were A Contraction
Whiteboards and dry erase markers
2
LEARNING SEQUENCE
Description:
Time: 5 minutes
INTO
Introduction/Motivation/Focus Attention
 Present a sentence on the interactive whiteboard containing two words that can be combined
to form a contraction. Can you make this 6 word sentence into a 5 word sentence? I do not
like green eggs. How?
 Review definition of contraction.
 What is the punctuation mark we use to join the words together?
Description:
Time: 30 minutes
THROUGH
Learning Activities (Input, Modeling, Checking for Understanding, Guided Practice, Independent
Practice)
 Read If You Were A Contraction aloud.
 Use the metaphor that making a contraction is like performing surgery. When we perform
surgery on our words, we cut them apart with a scalpel (or scissors). Next, we fix the words.
After the surgery is over, or we finish putting our contraction together, we put a band-aid on
it so it can heal. The band-aid should be positioned in the same place the apostrophe is
placed in the word.
 Model joining two words to make a contraction using sentence strips.
 Create anchor chart on interactive whiteboard to refer to when deciding which letters should
be replaced with an apostrophe.
Examples:
have ‘ve
are
‘re
is
‘s
not
n’t
will ‘ll
 Guided practice. All students will be given the same two words on sentence strips (they
have; snowman sticker marked on the back). Practice forming contractions.
 Independent practice. In a small, plastic bag, give each student four words to make two
contractions. Students will perform contraction surgery on their words. Students will be
given latex free band-aids (which represent apostrophes) to allow the words to heal into a
contraction.
 Words are put in bags prior to lesson and are color coded based on student levels.
Approaching level students are given one word to join with a base word to form a
contraction. On level students are given two words to join with a base word to form a
contraction. Beyond level students are given three words to join with a base word to form a
contraction. Anchor chart is displayed on the board for students to use as a reference.
Description:
Time:
BEYOND
Closure (Review, Check for Understanding, Summarize, Future Forecast, Transition)
10 minutes
3



Share contractions that are “healing after surgery”. What two words did we start with? What
is our contraction?
Display sentences from familiar miracles on interactive whiteboard. Emphasize that Jesus
healed others. Let’s show Jesus we are his followers and heal the contractions. Students will
use whiteboards to write contractions from the sentences describing Jesus’ miracles on the
interactive whiteboard.
Assess understanding by identifying two words in sentences to join and form contractions
correctly.