Activity 01
Simulation Game: Action Charades
A student acts out a verb from a 'mystery hat' without speaking. The rest of the class must guess the action word and then use it in a simple sentence (e.g., 'He is jumping').
Does your name start with a capital letter?
Facilitation TipFor Action Charades, give each student a verb card with one action word to act out clearly and silently so others can guess it.
What to look forPresent students with a list of words. Ask them to circle the proper nouns and underline the common nouns. For example: 'dog', 'Rover', 'park', 'Central Park', 'girl', 'Anjali'.
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Activity 02
Think-Pair-Share: Animal Actions
The teacher names an animal. Pairs think of three things that animal can do (e.g., 'A bird can fly, sing, and hop'). They share their verbs with the class while mimicking the movements.
Can you find a name on this page?
Facilitation TipDuring Animal Actions, pair students and assign each pair one animal to brainstorm three actions for before sharing with the class.
What to look forGive each student a small card. Ask them to write one proper noun (like their name or a pet's name) and one common noun (like 'school' or 'book'). They should also write one sentence using both words.
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Activity 03
Inquiry Circle: The Verb Hunt
Groups look through a picture book and find as many 'doing words' as possible. They list them or draw the actions on a chart to show the class during a Gallery Walk.
Which words on this card start with a big letter?
Facilitation TipIn The Verb Hunt, assign small teams different classroom areas to find and list all verbs they can locate on objects or labels.
What to look forShow a picture of a familiar place, like a market or a school. Ask students: 'What is the name of this place?' (proper noun). Then ask, 'What are some things you see here?' (common nouns). Discuss why the place name starts with a capital letter.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teach proper nouns as names of specific people, places, or things that always begin with capital letters. Use real-life examples from the students' environment, like their classroom objects or family members, to make the concept relatable. Avoid overwhelming them with too many rules at once; focus on noticing capital letters in context first.
By the end of these activities, students will confidently point out proper nouns in sentences, explain why they need capital letters, and distinguish them from common nouns in everyday contexts. They will also show this understanding through speaking, writing, and collaborative tasks.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Action Charades, watch for students who only act out loud or big movements and miss 'quiet' verbs like 'think' or 'dream'.
Practice 'Freeze Frames' after charades: students hold a still pose to represent a quiet verb, like sitting still for 'wait' or closing eyes for 'sleep', to show that action can be internal or subtle.
During The Two-Part Dance, watch for students who confuse the noun (the doer) with the verb (the action they perform).
Use name tags during the dance: one student wears 'Noun' (e.g., 'Tiger') and the other wears 'Verb' (e.g., 'roars'). The noun student must perform the verb action, making the separation clear.
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