2005 Lesson Plans
Grades 4 through 6

6: Slowly But Surely

OBJECTIVE
Students will explore and experiment with various sentence structures. Students will identify
nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs and use these parts of speech in writing sentences.
Students will use addition and multiplication to compute the “value” of each sentence.

MATERIALS
• “Warm Up!” page
• “Verb List” page
• “Challenge Yourself!” page
• “Reproducible Coin Sheet, Obverse” page from the Additional Resources section
• “Coin Codes” page
• “Coin Codes Key” page
• “Crack the Code!” page
• 1 overhead projector
• Overhead markers
• Chart paper/markers
• 1 age-appropriate text relating to adverbs, such as:
– Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What Is an Adverb? by Brian P. Cleary, Brian Gable
– Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs by Ruth Heller
– Adverbs (Sentences) by Kelly Doudna
– Adverbs (Magic of Language) by Ann Heinrichs
• Chalkboard/chalk
• Lined paper
• Envelopes
• Scissors

PREPARATIONS
• Make copies of the following:
– “Warm Up!” page (1 half page per student)
– “Verb List” page (1 per group)
– “Challenge Yourself!” page (1 half page per student)
– “Reproducible Coin Sheet, Obverse” page from the Additional Resources section (1
per group)
– “Coin Codes” page (1 per group)
– “Coin Codes Key” page (1 copy)
– “Crack the Code!” page (1 per group)
• Make an overhead transparency of each of the following:
– “Warm Up” page
– “Challenge Yourself!” page
• Locate an age-appropriate text relating to adverbs (see examples under “Materials”).
• Cut out the coins from the “Coin Cut Outs” page and separate them into the group envelopes.

GROUPINGS
• Whole group
• Pairs
• Individual work

CLASS TIME
Three 45- to 60-minute sessions

CONNECTIONS
• Language Arts
• Mathematics

TERMS AND CONCEPTS
• Quarter
• Reverse (back)

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Students should have a basic knowledge of nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

STEPS
Session 1
1. Distribute one “Warm Up!” slip to each student and display the overhead transparency of the “Warm Up” page. Explain that the students will be reviewing what they know about nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Direct the students to complete the exercise individually.
2. Allow an appropriate amount of time for the students to complete the activity.
3. Review the “Warm Up!” page as a class. Record student responses on the overhead transparency.
4. Have the students brainstorm what other parts of speech they know or have heard of. If necessary, introduce the idea that an adverb is a part of speech and explain that the students will be exploring adverbs in this lesson.
5. Write the word “adverb” on a piece of chart paper. Have students discuss which other part of speech an adverb sounds like. The students should respond that the word “adverb” has the word “verb” in it.
6. Have the students predict what an adverb might be and record responses on chart paper.
7. Introduce the selected text.
8. Read the text aloud to the group. During the reading, attend to any unfamiliar vocabulary.
9. Have the students define “adverb.” The students should respond that adverbs are words that tell more about verbs and describe how, when, or where something is done. Students should also recognize that many adverbs end in “ly.” 
10.Write the word “run” on the board. Point out that the word “run” is a verb that shows action. Have the students brainstorm different ways to run (fast, quickly, slowly, straight, crooked, swiftly, excitedly, etc). List these words on the board. Circle the brainstormed words and explain to the students that these words are adverbs. Point out that many of these words end in “ly.”
11. Separate the class into groups of three and distribute one “Verb List” slip to each group.
12.Direct the groups to brainstorm two to four adverbs for each of the verbs listed on the page. Explain that all of the adverbs on their group worksheet should be different.
13.Allow an appropriate amount of time for the students to complete the activity.
14.Collect the group worksheets. Ask for one group to come up to the front of the class.
15.Read aloud the first verb from the list. Have the group act out this verb for the class. For example, if the verb is “run,” students will run in place.
16.Then, read aloud one of the adverbs that the groups brainstormed. Direct the students to act out the verb in the way the adverb indicates. For example, students may run “slowly” or “quickly” in place.
17.Continue steps 16 and 17 with the other groups, using the remaining verbs and adverbs on the group worksheets.

Session 2
1. Display the overhead transparency of the “Challenge Yourself” page and distribute a “Challenge Yourself” slip to each student.
2. Direct the students to complete the activity according to the directions.
3. Review the activity as a class. Record student responses on the overhead transparency.  Answer student questions.
4. Collect the “Challenge Yourself” slips from the students for assessment.
5. Explain to the students that they will be using what they know about parts of speech to play a game with coins.
6. Organize the students into pairs.
7. Give each pair an envelope of coin cut outs or real coins, if available, and one of the “Coin Codes” worksheets.
8. Explain that the students will be analyzing sentences for their parts of speech and assigning coin values to each word. Then, the students will calculate the value of each sentence.
9. Allow an appropriate amount of time for the students to complete the “Coin Codes” worksheets.
10.Review the activity as a class. Answer student questions.
11. Explain that each pair will now be creating its own coin code. Have each pair assign a coin (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) to each part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb).
12.Distribute one “Crack the Code!” page to each pair. Then, direct each group to create a key for their system. Explain that this key should be kept secret from the other groups.
13.Allow a few minutes for each pair to create its own coin code and key.
14.Direct each group to write five sentences and analyze them using its key. Then, direct the students to calculate the value of each sentence.
15.Explain that, in the next session, the students will be attempting to crack each others’ codes.

Session 3
1. Direct the students to meet in their pairs from the previous session.
2. Have each pair of students review its coin code and double-check the accuracy of the sentence coin values.
3. Explain that the students will try to break each others’ coin codes in this session.
4. Model the process of attempting to break a coin code. On the board, write the following sentence: “Mary walked quietly.” Next to the sentence, write “40 cents” and indicate to the students that this is the sentence’s coin value.
5. Allow a few minutes for the students to figure out which coin values have been assigned to the parts of speech.
6. When most of the students feel they have cracked the code, write the following sentence on the board: “Billy creates beautiful drawings.” Next to the sentence, write “21 cents” and indicate to students that this is the sentence’s coin value.
7. Direct the students to check their coin codes to see if they work for this sentence.
8. Have student volunteers share how they cracked this coin code. If necessary, reveal that your coin code assigned the following values to each part of speech:
– Noun: 5 cents.
– Adverb: 25 cents.
– Adjective: 1 cent.
– Verb: 10 cents.
9. Explain to the students that this is how they will try to break the codes of the other groups.
10.Direct each pair to copy the five sentences from their “Crack the Code” page onto a piece of paper. Have the students include the value of each sentence.
11. Direct each pair to swap papers with another group. The groups will try to break each other’s codes and will write down the keys.
12.Challenge the groups to continue swapping coin codes, breaking as many as possible.
13.Keep a tally on the board of how many codes each group has broken. At the end of class, determine which pair broke the most codes and declare them the “Crack the Code” experts.

ENRICHMENT/EXTENSIONS
• Revisit this game as students learn about the other parts of speech.
• Have the students use the “Crack the Code” page to write sentences about the 50 State Quarters® Program.

DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING OPTION
Students needing more practice with adverbs can visit any of the following sites for interactive practice identifying and using adverbs:
– www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/rdg/adverbhelp.html
– grammar.englishclub.com/adverbs_quiz.htm
– webster.commnet.edu/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/adverbs_quiz.htm
– www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/quiz/adjadvb.htm

CONNECTION TO WWW.USMINT.GOV/KIDS
Have students learn more about the coins in their pockets by having them play Mark My Words, an information-packed word-find puzzle on the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket ChangeTM Web site! (www.usmint.gov/kids/index.cfm?fileContents=games&pick=6)

Student Worksheet
Name (blank)
Warm Up!

[This worksheet is printed twice on the page, separated by a cutting line across the middle.]
Directions: See how much you remember about nouns, verbs, and adjectives by answering the questions below.
1. What is a noun? (blank)
2. Circle all of the nouns in the following sentence:
The students studied very hard for their spelling test.
3. What is a verb? (blank)
4. Give three examples of verbs. (blank)
5. What is an adjective? (blank)
6. Write three adjectives that describe your favorite food. (blank)

Student Worksheet
Name (blank)
Verb List!

[This worksheet is printed twice on the page, separated by a cutting line across the middle.  Each word appears at the top of its own box.]
Directions: Brainstorm several adverbs for each verb listed below.
Blink, Bounce, Laugh, Yell, Swim, Growl, Look, Shake, Whistle, Sleep

Student Worksheet
Name (blank)
Challenge Yourself!

[This worksheet is printed twice on the page, separated by a cutting line across the middle.]
Directions: In the following list of words, circle the adverbs, put a box around the adjectives, and underline the nouns.
SADLY, SCHOOL, WATER, BOY, QUIET, SMALL, PRETTY, GIRL, EASILY, WILDLY, BRAVELY, BLUE

Student Worksheet
Name (blank)
Coin Codes

Directions:  In each sentence below, label each noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. Use the key to assign a coin value to each word. Finally, calculate the value of each sentence.
Key:  penny is noun.  Nickel is verb.  Dime is adjective.  Quarter is adverb.
Example: Ellen sang loudly.
Noun (one cent) Verb (five cents) Adverb (twenty-five cents)
1+5+25=31
This sentence’s value is 31 cents.

1. Malik swam gracefully. (blank) (blank) (blank)
This sentence’s value is (blank)
2. Sarah quickly ran home. (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank)
This sentence’s value is  (blank)
3. Peyton easily stole second base. (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank)
This sentence’s value is  (blank).
4. Kevin’s comedy routine made Jill laugh hysterically. (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank) (blank)
This sentence’s value is  (blank).

Teacher Key
Coin Codes

1.	Malik swam gracefully.
	Noun Verb Adverb
	(1¢) (5¢) (25¢)
This sentence’s value is 31 cents.
2.	Sarah quickly ran home.
	Noun Adverb Verb Noun
	(1¢) (25¢) (5¢) (1¢)
This sentence’s value is 32 cents.
3.	Peyton easily stole second base.
	Noun Adverb Verb Adjective Noun
	(1¢) (25¢) (5¢) (10¢) (1¢)
This sentence’s value is 42 cents.
4.	Kevin’s comedy routine made Jill laugh hysterically.
	Noun Adjective Noun Verb Noun Verb Adverb
	(1¢) (10¢) (1¢) (5¢) (1¢) (5¢) (25¢)
This sentence’s value is 48 cents.

Student Worksheet
Name (blank)
Crack the Code!

Directions: Create a coin code with your partner. Then, fill out the Key below. Do not share your coin code key with anyone else. Write five sentences and analyze them using your coin code key. Record a value for each sentence.  Use the “Coin Codes” worksheet as a format guide.
KEY
Penny  (blank) Nickel  (blank) Dime  (blank) Quarter  (blank)

Sentence 1: (blank)
Parts of speech:
Coin code:
This sentence’s value is  (blank).
Sentence 2:  (blank)
Parts of speech:
Coin code:
This sentence’s value is  (blank).
Sentence 3: (blank)
Parts of speech:
Coin code:
This sentence’s value is  (blank).
Sentence 4: (blank)
Parts of speech:
Coin code:
This sentence’s value is  (blank).
Sentence 5: (blank)
Parts of speech:
Coin code:
This sentence’s value is  (blank).