Subject: English/Language Arts
Grade level(s): 4
Lesson Title: Editing Singular and Plural Nouns
Internet Site Title: Houghton Mifflin Power Proofreading
Internet Site URL: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/index.html
Author: Jennifer Holt

Site Description:  This site is a place filled with proofreading games to play.  After watching the thunderstorm, click in the middle of the screen to begin Power Proofreading.  Click a second time on the title screen where it reads “Click Here.”  A hound dog will ask you for your name.  Type it in to begin.  There will be a detailed set of starting instructions.  Follow those completely.

 

Site Purpose: I have chosen this site to practice the skills we’ve been learning in class.  We have been studying nouns: singular nouns (just one), plural nouns (more than one), common nouns (no capitals), and proper nouns (capital letters).  These fun games will help you to edit your writing for nouns.

 

Lesson Introduction: Choose a partner to work with for this activity.  You and your partner will play two games on the Power Proofreading site that I have selected for you.  To play the game, you will read the passage and click on any mistakes the author made with nouns.  The window will allow you to “fix” the mistakes, and show you in the bottom right corner how many more mistakes you have left to find.  After playing the game, you will create your own game for your classmates to correct.  Think about the noun rules we’ve been learning in class.

 

 Lesson Description: Once you have signed your names and reached the opening screen, choose the 4^th grade briefcase.  There will be a list of game titles in the middle of the screen.  Choose “The Big Clean Up” and begin editing. Work together to find the mistakes.  When you find an error, click on it.  A box will appear where you correct it, then click okay!  After completing the passage, go back to the main menu and choose “Memo to Dr. Pett.”  This is another game like the first.  You will work with your partner to edit the passage. 

 

Final Product or Task:  Now that you have explored some of the silly passages on this site, let’s make up our own!  Go to the Appleworks (or MS Word) icon and double-click.  Choose Word Processing to open a blank document.  You and your partner can work together to type your own story passage.  Be sure it is a 5-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence and concluding sentence.  Include 5 (and only 5) nouns that are spelled incorrectly.  They can be singular nouns that should be plural, plural nouns that should be singular, proper nouns that should be capitalized (brentwood, tennessee), or nouns that aren’t following the correct spelling rules (churchs instead of churches; toyies of toys). Be sure to type your name and your partner’s name in the document.  When you are finished, save the document in your folder by naming it Power Proofreading.  Then print out your passage and use a highlighter to highlight your 5 mistakes.  Turn this in to your teacher.

RUBRIC

Paragraph is at least 5 sentences long (15)

There is a topic sentence and concluding sentence (20)

There are 5 nouns that are used incorrectly (30)

There are no OTHER spelling and grammar mistakes (30)

Both partners’ names are typed on the page (5)

TOTAL POINTS  __________

 

Conclusion:  If you are finished early, you may return to the site and try other 4^th grade passages.  When we return to the lab next time, you will try to solve another group’s passage by correcting their mistakes and printing out a hard copy of your changes.

 

Teacher Notes:  Use this lesson after teaching singular and plural, common and proper, and irregular plural nouns.  Extensions can use the next Houghton Mifflin passage, “Wild About Animals” on possessives if you choose.  You can spread the lesson over 3 lab times by allowing students to play the games during one session, then plan paragraphs in the classroom and input those during the second session.  In the third session, allow students to open and correct other groups’ passages.  Hard copies can be recorded in the grade book and sent home to parents. 

 

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