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Is, Are, Am: Copula Crew!

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Lesson Plan

Is, Are, Am: Copula Crew!

Students will identify and use the uncontractible copulas 'is,' 'are,' and 'am' correctly in simple sentences, enhancing their grammatical understanding and ability to form complete thoughts.

Mastering these foundational 'to be' verbs helps students build grammatically correct sentences, express ideas clearly, and develop strong foundational language skills necessary for reading and writing. This lesson directly supports the development of expressive language and early literacy.

Audience

Pre-Literacy Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through visual cues and interactive practice, students will learn to apply 'is,' 'are,' and 'am'.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Slide Deck: Is, Are, Am: Copula Crew!, Script: Copula Crew Introduction, Activity: Sentence Builder Cards, Picture cards (e.g., 'a dog,' 'two cats,' 'I,' 'happy,' 'running'), and Cool Down: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Greeting Song (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Begin with a fun greeting song that incorporates 'I am happy,' 'You are kind,' etc., to subtly introduce the concept of 'to be' verbs. (e.g., 'Hello, Hello, How are you? I am happy, how about you?').
    - Ask students, 'How are you today?' and encourage them to respond with 'I am...' or 'We are...' focusing on the 'am' and 'are' for group responses.

Step 2

Introduction to the Copula Crew (7 minutes)

7 minutes

  • Use the Slide Deck: Is, Are, Am: Copula Crew! to introduce 'is,' 'are,' and 'am' as the 'Copula Crew' – special words that help connect ideas.
    - Follow the Script: Copula Crew Introduction for precise language and explanations.
    - Show examples for each word: 'He is tall,' 'They are friends,' 'I am learning.' Emphasize that these words don't change, even if the sentence sounds a little different (uncontractible).

Step 3

Guided Practice: Sentence Builder Activity (10 minutes)

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Activity: Sentence Builder Cards or use prepared picture cards.
    - Guide students to create simple sentences using 'is,' 'are,' and 'am.' For example, show a picture of 'a boy' and ask, 'What word goes with 'a boy'?' (is). 'The boy is running.'
    - Encourage repetition and provide positive reinforcement. Focus on the uncontracted form: 'He is happy,' not 'He's happy.'

Step 4

Check for Understanding: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Use the Cool Down: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down activity.
    - Read sentences, some with correct copulas and some with incorrect ones. Students give a thumbs up for correct, thumbs down for incorrect.
    - Provide immediate feedback and brief explanations for incorrect responses. For example, 'The dog are barking.' (thumbs down) 'No, the dog is barking.'

Step 5

Wrap-Up (3 minutes)

3 minutes

  • Briefly recap the 'Copula Crew' and their job.
    - Praise students for their participation and effort.
    - Remind them to listen for 'is,' 'are,' and 'am' in their everyday conversations.
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Slide Deck

Is, Are, Am: Copula Crew!

Meet our special helper words that make sentences complete!

Welcome students to the lesson. Introduce the 'Copula Crew' as special helper words.

When do we use 'IS'?

Use 'IS' when talking about ONE person or ONE thing.

  • He is happy.
  • She is tall.
  • The dog is barking.

Explain that 'is' is used for one person or thing. Give examples and ask students to repeat.

When do we use 'ARE'?

Use 'ARE' when talking about MORE THAN ONE person or thing, or with 'you' and 'we'.

  • They are playing.
  • We are friends.
  • You are kind.

Explain that 'are' is used for more than one person or thing, or when talking about 'you' or 'we'. Give examples and ask students to repeat.

When do we use 'AM'?

Use 'AM' only when you are talking about YOURSELF, with 'I'.

  • I am learning.
  • I am excited.
  • I am a student.

Explain that 'am' is special and only used with 'I'. Give examples and ask students to repeat.

Let's Practice Together!

Which word from our Copula Crew fits best?

  • The cat _______ sleeping.
  • We _______ going to the park.
  • I _______ ready to learn!

Review all three words with quick checks. Ask students to identify which 'Copula Crew' word is missing.

Great Job, Copula Crew!

You've met the Copula Crew: IS, ARE, AM!

They help us make complete sentences. Keep listening for them and using them!

Reinforce that these words are important for clear communication. Encourage them to listen for and use these words.

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Script

Copula Crew Introduction

Warm-Up: Greeting Song (5 minutes)

(Teacher sings a simple greeting song, incorporating "I am" and "You are")

"Hello, hello, how are you? I am happy, how about you?"

"Hello, hello, how are you? We are ready, how about you?"

Teacher: Good morning/afternoon, everyone! How are you feeling today? Let's use our words! Who can tell me how they are feeling? Remember to say "I am..."

(Pause for student responses, encouraging "I am happy," "I am good," etc.)

Teacher: Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that. And look around, we are all here together, ready to learn!

Introduction to the Copula Crew (7 minutes)

(Transition to Slide Deck: Is, Are, Am: Copula Crew! - Slide 1)

Teacher: Today, we're going to meet some very important helper words. I call them the "Copula Crew"! They help our sentences make sense. They connect who or what we are talking about to what they are doing or how they are. These words are 'is,' 'are,' and 'am.' Can you say that with me? 'Is, Are, Am!' (Pause for repetition).

(Transition to Slide 2: When do we use 'IS'?)

Teacher: Our first crew member is IS. We use IS when we are talking about just ONE person or ONE thing. Like if I say, "He is happy." How many boys am I talking about? (Pause for answer: One). That's right! Or, "The dog is barking." How many dogs? (Pause for answer: One). Exactly!

Let's try some examples. Listen carefully. "She is tall." "The ball is red."

When do we use 'ARE' (7 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 3: When do we use 'ARE'?)

Teacher: Next up is ARE. We use ARE when we're talking about MORE THAN ONE person or thing. Or, we use it with the words 'you' and 'we'. So, if I say, "They are playing," am I talking about one person or many? (Pause for answer: Many). Yes! And "We are friends." Who is 'we'? (Pause for answer: Us, many people). Great job! And don't forget, "You are kind."

Let's try these: "The birds are singing." "My shoes are new."

When do we use 'AM' (7 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 4: When do we use 'AM'?)

Teacher: Our last crew member is super special! It's AM. We only use AM when we are talking about OURSELVES, with the word 'I'. So, you would say, "I am learning." or "I am excited." Can you try saying, "I am a student"?

(Pause for student responses)

Teacher: Fantastic! Remember, AM is just for 'I'.

Let's Practice Together! (10 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 5: Let's Practice Together!)

Teacher: Now let's see if we can use our Copula Crew words. I'll read a sentence, and you tell me if 'is', 'are', or 'am' fits best! Look at the picture and think about how many people or things we are talking about.

  • "The cat _______ sleeping." (Pause for answer: is). Yes! Why 'is'? (Because it's one cat).

  • "We _______ going to the park." (Pause for answer: are). That's right! Why 'are'? (Because it's more than one person, 'we').

  • "I _______ ready to learn!" (Pause for answer: am). Perfect! Why 'am'? (Because you are talking about yourself, 'I').

(Continue with a few more examples, providing the correct answer and a brief explanation for each.)

Wrap-Up (3 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 6: Great Job, Copula Crew!)

Teacher: Wow, you all did a wonderful job meeting and practicing with our Copula Crew: IS, ARE, and AM! They are super important words that help us make our sentences clear and complete.

Keep listening for these words when people talk, and try to use them correctly in your own sentences. You are all becoming amazing sentence builders! Great work today!

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Activity

Sentence Builder Cards

Cut out the cards below. Work with your teacher to match the cards to make complete sentences using "is," "are," or "am." Remember, we are practicing how to use these words without squishing them together!

Subject Cards

Card 1Card 2Card 3
The boyWeI
Card 4Card 5Card 6
TheyThe catYou
Card 7Card 8Card 9
My friendsSheThe flowers

Copula Crew Cards (Use these words to connect!)

Card 10Card 11Card 12
isaream
Card 13Card 14Card 15
isaream
Card 16Card 17Card 18
isaream

Predicate Cards (What is happening or what they are like?)

Card 19Card 20Card 21
happy.playing.a student.
Card 22Card 23Card 24
sleepy.learning.kind.
Card 25Card 26Card 27
beautiful.running.reading.

Example:

I + am + happy.

The boy + is + running.

They + are + playing.

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Cool Down

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Copula Check!

Listen carefully to each sentence your teacher reads. Give a thumbs up if the sentence uses "is," "are," or "am" correctly. Give a thumbs down if it is used incorrectly.

Be ready to explain why!

Sentences for Teacher to Read:

  1. The girl is singing. (Correct: Thumbs Up)
  2. We am playing outside. (Incorrect: Thumbs Down - Should be "are")
  3. I am hungry. (Correct: Thumbs Up)
  4. They is running fast. (Incorrect: Thumbs Down - Should be "are")
  5. The cat are sleeping. (Incorrect: Thumbs Down - Should be "is")
  6. You are a good listener. (Correct: Thumbs Up)
  7. He am drawing a picture. (Incorrect: Thumbs Down - Should be "is")
  8. The books are on the table. (Correct: Thumbs Up)
  9. I is happy today. (Incorrect: Thumbs Down - Should be "am")
  10. My mom is at work. (Correct: Thumbs Up)
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