SS1 English Studies First Term Lesson Plan
Week 1: Introduction to Word Classes (Parts of Speech)
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Define and identify the eight parts of speech.
2. Understand the function of each part of speech in a sentence.
3. Differentiate between various types of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Content:
1. Nouns
- Definition: A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Types of Nouns:
- Common Nouns: General names (e.g., boy, city, table).
- Proper Nouns: Specific names, always capitalized (e.g., John, Lagos, Christmas).
- Collective Nouns: Refer to a group (e.g., team, flock, family).
- Abstract Nouns: Refer to ideas, qualities, or states (e.g., love, happiness, freedom).
- Concrete Nouns: Refer to tangible things (e.g., book, chair, water).
2. Verbs
- Definition: A verb is a word that describes an action, state, or occurrence.
- Types of Verbs:
- Action Verbs: Show physical or mental actions (e.g., run, think, eat).
- Linking Verbs: Connect the subject to a noun or adjective that describes it (e.g., is, seems,
become).
- Helping/Auxiliary Verbs: Used with main verbs to form tenses or moods (e.g., has, will,
should).
3. Adjectives
- Definition: An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.
- Examples: beautiful, tall, red, intelligent.
4. Adverbs
- Definition: An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
- Examples: quickly, very, always, here.
5. Pronouns
- Definition: A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
- Examples: he, she, it, they, we, you, I.
6. Prepositions
- Definition: A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and
another word in the sentence.
- Examples: on, in, at, by, with, for.
7. Conjunctions
- Definition: A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases, or clauses.
- Examples: and, but, or, so, because.
8. Interjections
- Definition: An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses strong emotion.
- Examples: Oh!, Wow!, Alas!.
Conclusion:
Understanding parts of speech is fundamental to constructing grammatically correct and
meaningful sentences. Students should practice identifying and using them correctly.
Week 2: Narrative Composition/Essay Writing
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Define narrative composition.
2. Identify the key elements of a good narrative.
3. Plan and write a coherent narrative essay.
Content:
1. What is Narrative Composition?
- Definition: A narrative composition (or narrative essay) tells a story. It can be real or
imaginary, but it must have a clear plot, characters, setting, and theme.
2. Elements of a Narrative Essay:
- Plot: The sequence of events in the story, including:
- Exposition: Introduction of characters, setting, and basic situation.
- Rising Action: Events leading to the climax.
- Climax: The turning point or most intense moment.
- Falling Action: Events after the climax, leading to the resolution.
- Resolution: The conclusion of the story.
- Characters: The people, animals, or entities involved in the story.
- Setting: The time and place where the story occurs.
- Theme: The central message or idea of the story.
- Point of View: The perspective from which the story is told (e.g., first-person, third-person).
3. Steps to Writing a Narrative Essay:
1. Pre-writing: Brainstorm ideas, choose a topic, and outline the plot.
2. Drafting: Write the first version, focusing on getting ideas down.
3. Revising: Review and improve content, organization, and clarity.
4. Editing: Check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure errors.
5. Publishing: Share the final essay.
Conclusion:
Narrative writing allows students to express creativity and develop storytelling skills. Practice
is key to mastering this art.
Week 3: Reading Comprehension
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Define reading comprehension.
2. Identify different reading strategies.
3. Answer comprehension questions accurately based on a given passage.
Content:
1. What is Reading Comprehension?
- Definition: Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what you read.
It involves understanding vocabulary, identifying main ideas, recognizing details, and making
inferences.
2. Reading Strategies:
- Skimming: Reading quickly to get a general idea of the content.
- Scanning: Reading quickly to find specific information.
- Close Reading: Reading carefully to understand every detail and nuance.
- Identifying Main Idea: Determining the central point of a paragraph or passage.
- Summarizing: Condensing the main points of a text into a shorter form.
- Making Inferences: Drawing conclusions based on evidence and reasoning, even if not
explicitly stated.
3. Answering Comprehension Questions:
- Read the questions before reading the passage.
- Read the passage carefully, highlighting key information.
- Locate answers within the text.
- Use your own words to answer, but ensure accuracy.
Conclusion:
Effective reading comprehension is crucial for academic success and everyday life.
Consistent practice with various texts will improve this skill.
Week 4: Structure - Adjective and Adverb Usage
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Differentiate between adjectives and adverbs.
2. Use adjectives and adverbs correctly in sentences.
3. Understand the common errors in adjective and adverb usage.
Content:
1. Adjectives Revisited:
- Function: Modify nouns and pronouns.
- Placement: Usually before the noun they modify, or after linking verbs.
- Examples: The tall building; She is happy.
2. Adverbs Revisited:
- Function: Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
- Formation: Many adverbs are formed by adding '-ly' to an adjective (e.g., quick -> quickly).
- Placement: Can be placed in various positions in a sentence, depending on what they modify.
- Examples: He runs quickly; She is very happy; He drives too fast.
3. Common Errors:
- Using an adjective instead of an adverb: Incorrect: He sings good. Correct: He sings well.
- Misplacing adverbs: Adverbs should be placed to clearly modify the intended word.
Conclusion:
Precise use of adjectives and adverbs enhances clarity and descriptive power in writing.
Regular practice will help avoid common errors.
Week 5: Vocabulary Development - Words Associated with Libraries
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Identify and define words related to libraries and reading.
2. Use these words correctly in sentences.
3. Appreciate the importance of expanding vocabulary.
Content:
1. Key Vocabulary:
- Librarian: A person who works in a library.
- Catalogue: A complete list of items, typically arranged systematically.
- Fiction: Literature describing imaginary events and people.
- Non-fiction: Writing that is based on facts, real events, and real people.
- Biography: An account of someone's life written by someone else.
- Autobiography: An account of a person's life written by that person.
- Periodical: A magazine or newspaper published at regular intervals.
- Reference book: A book (such as a dictionary, encyclopedia, or atlas) intended to be
consulted for information rather than read through.
- Borrow: To take and use (something belonging to someone else) with the intention of
returning it.
- Return: To give, put, or send (something) back to a former position or owner.
- Shelf: A long, flat piece of wood or other rigid material attached to a wall or forming part of a
unit, used for holding objects.
- Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC): A proprietary library classification system first
published in the United States by Melvil Dewey in 1876.
2. Using Vocabulary in Sentences:
- The librarian helped me find a book on ancient history.
- I checked the catalogue to see if the book was available.
- My favorite genre is fiction, especially fantasy novels.
- For my research, I prefer reading non-fiction books.
Conclusion:
Expanding vocabulary enriches communication and understanding. Learning words in context,
such as those related to libraries, makes the process more engaging and practical.
Week 6: Oral English - Consonant Sounds /j/ and /z/
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Identify and produce the consonant sound /j/.
2. Identify and produce the consonant sound /z/.
3. Differentiate between similar-sounding words containing these sounds.
Content:
1. Consonant Sound /j/ (as in 'yes', 'yellow')
- Description: This is a voiced palatal approximant. The tongue is raised towards the hard
palate, but does not make full contact, allowing air to flow freely.
- Pronunciation Practice:
- Initial position: yes, yellow, yacht, young, yield
- Medial position: onion, canyon, opinion, million
- Minimal Pairs (for differentiation):
- yet vs. wet
- year vs. ear
2. Consonant Sound /z/ (as in 'zoo', 'zebra')
- Description: This is a voiced alveolar fricative. Air is forced through a narrow channel formed
by the tongue and the alveolar ridge, causing friction.
- Pronunciation Practice:
- Initial position: zoo, zebra, zero, zone, zeal
- Medial position: lazy, easy, busy, music, dizzy
- Final position: fuzz, buzz, sneeze, please, cheese
- Minimal Pairs (for differentiation):
- zip vs. sip
- prize vs. price
Conclusion:
Accurate pronunciation of consonant sounds like /j/ and /z/ is vital for clear communication
in English. Regular practice and listening to native speakers will improve fluency.
Week 7: Oral English - Vowel Sounds (Revision)
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Revise and identify the various pure vowel sounds in English.
2. Differentiate between long and short vowel sounds.
3. Improve pronunciation of words containing different vowel sounds.
Content:
1. Pure Vowels (Monophthongs):
- Short Vowels:
- /ɪ/ as in sit, pin
- /e/ as in bed, pen
- /æ/ as in cat, apple
- /ʌ/ as in cup, sun
- /ɒ/ as in hot, dog (British English) /ɑː/ as in father, car (American English)
- /ʊ/ as in put, book
- Long Vowels:
- /iː/ as in sheep, feel
- /ɜː/ as in bird, learn
- /ɑː/ as in car, father
- /ɔː/ as in door, more
- /uː/ as in moon, blue
2. Diphthongs (Gliding Vowels):
- Definition: A combination of two vowel sounds within the same syllable.
- Examples:
- /eɪ/ as in face, day
- /aɪ/ as in my, time
- /ɔɪ/ as in boy, coin
- /əʊ/ as in go, boat (British English) /oʊ/ as in go, boat (American English)
- /aʊ/ as in cow, house
- /ɪə/ as in near, here
- /eə/ as in hair, where
- /ʊə/ as in tour, pure
Conclusion:
Mastering vowel sounds is crucial for clear and accurate English pronunciation. Consistent
listening and speaking practice are essential for improvement.
Week 8: Phrasal Verbs
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Define phrasal verbs.
2. Identify common phrasal verbs and their meanings.
3. Use phrasal verbs correctly in sentences.
Content:
1. What are Phrasal Verbs?
- Definition: A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or an adverb (or both) to
create a new meaning that is often different from the original verb's meaning.
- Structure: Verb + Particle (preposition/adverb)
2. Common Phrasal Verbs and Meanings:
- Break down: Stop functioning (e.g., The car broke down.)
- Call off: Cancel (e.g., They called off the meeting.)
- Come across: Find by chance (e.g., I came across an old photo.)
- Get along with: Have a good relationship with (e.g., She gets along with everyone.)
- Give up: Stop trying (e.g., Don't give up on your dreams.)
- Look after: Take care of (e.g., Can you look after my cat?)
- Put off: Postpone (e.g., He put off his homework.)
- Take off: Depart (for planes); remove clothing (e.g., The plane took off; Take off your shoes.)
- Turn down: Refuse; reduce volume (e.g., He turned down the offer; Turn down the music.)
- Work out: Exercise; solve a problem (e.g., I work out every day; We need to work out this
problem.)
Conclusion:
Phrasal verbs are an integral part of English, especially in informal communication. Learning
them in context and practicing their usage will significantly improve fluency.
Week 9: Vocabulary Development - Words Associated with Home and Family Life
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Identify and define words related to home and family.
2. Use these words correctly in sentences.
3. Discuss aspects of home and family using appropriate vocabulary.
Content:
1. Key Vocabulary:
- Household: All the people living together in a house.
- Sibling: A brother or sister.
- Relative: A person connected by blood or marriage.
- Ancestors: A person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is
descended.
- Descendants: A person, plant, or animal that is descended from a particular ancestor.
- Nuclear family: A couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit.
- Extended family: A family that extends beyond the nuclear family, including grandparents,
aunts, uncles, and other relatives.
- Homely: (of a place or atmosphere) Simple but cozy and comfortable, as in one's own home.
- Domestic: Relating to the running of a home or to family relations.
- Upbringing: The treatment and training received by a child during childhood.
- Kinship: Blood relationship.
- Patriarch/Matriarch: The male/female head of a family or tribe.
2. Using Vocabulary in Sentences:
- The household chores are divided among all family members.
- I have two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister.
- We visit our relatives every holiday season.
- My ancestors migrated from a different country many generations ago.
Conclusion:
Understanding vocabulary related to home and family life is essential for discussing personal
experiences and social structures. This knowledge enhances communication in everyday
contexts.
Week 10: Revision and Assessment
Objectives:
By the end of this week, students should be able to:
1. Review all topics covered in the first term.
2. Identify areas of strength and weakness.
3. Prepare for the first term examination.
Content:
1. Review of Topics:
- Parts of Speech (Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Pronouns, Prepositions, Conjunctions,
Interjections)
- Narrative Composition/Essay Writing (Elements, Structure, Steps)
- Reading Comprehension (Strategies, Answering Questions)
- Oral English (Consonant Sounds /j/, /z/, Vowel Sounds)
- Phrasal Verbs
- Vocabulary Development (Libraries, Home and Family Life)
2. Practice Questions:
- Provide a variety of practice questions covering all topics, including:
- Multiple-choice questions on parts of speech and vocabulary.
- Short answer questions on narrative elements and reading comprehension.
- Essay prompts for narrative writing.
- Pronunciation exercises for oral English.
3. Feedback and Clarification:
- Address student questions and provide clarification on challenging concepts.
- Offer constructive feedback on practice essays and exercises.
Conclusion:
This revision week is crucial for consolidating learning and preparing for the first term
examination. Active participation and self-assessment will help students achieve success.