Carin Jordan

EDU 550 - Individual Lesson Plan Assignment

Implemented February 13, 2013

Homographs and Homophones

3rd Grade Lesson Plan
A.

IDENTIFY/REFERENCE NATIONAL, STATE PERFORMANCE (OR QCC), LOCAL CURRICULUM STANDARDS: SCIENCE:

National Language Arts Curriculum Standards

NL-ENG.K-12.3 Evaluation Strategies: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate
texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of
other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., soundletter correspondence, sentence
structure, context, graphics).
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and
punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
Georgia Language Arts Performance Standards
ELACC5L5c: Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the
words.
ELACC3L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
d. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
Local Language Arts Performance Standards
Same as Georgia Performance Standards
B. SPECIFY ESSENTIALCONTENT/OBJECTIVES:
Knowledge:
Students will:
Demonstrate an understanding of homophones and homographs.
Skills:

Listen to books read by teachers on the subject of homophones and homographs and participate in group response activities
looking using homophones and homographs in sentences.

Students will use computer technology in the classroom to play interactive computer games about homophones and
homographs.

Students will read books and share riddles created using homophones and homographs.

Students will draw and define homophones and homograph pairs.

Students will sort homophones and homographs.

Students will use homophones and homographs in sentences.

Students will fill in the missing half of homophone pairs and write funny sentences using homophones.

Students will edit a paragraph filled with misused homophones and respond to an extended thinking prompt regarding the
importance of choosing the correct word and not depending merely on spell check.

Students will write a paragraph or riddles using homophones and/or homographs to demonstrate understand.

Enduring Understanding:
Language is used to describe our world and word choices are essential for communication. Readers use language structure and
content clues to identify the intended meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text.

Page | 2

Essential Questions:
What are homophones? How do we use visual and context clues to determine the meaning of the word in text?
What are homographs? How do we use context clues to determine the meaning of multiple meaning words in text?
C. COLLECT A VARIETY OF MATERIALS/RESOURCES FOR STUDENT USE:

PowerPoint slides
How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear? By Brian P Cleary
One Whole Doughnut, One Doughnut Hole by Valjean McLenighan
Interactive Computer Games: Choose from one of the following:
o http://www.spellingcity.com/homophones-and-homonyms.html Match it Homophones Game
o A Feast of Homonyms Game: http://www.quia.com/jg/1055.html
3 copies of The Dove Dove by Marvin Terban
4 Copies of Eight Ate by Marvin Terban
Literacy Journals
Classroom Dictionaries
Lesson Attachments:
o Pre-Assessment
o List of Common Homophones & Homographs
o Homophone & Homograph Draw and Define Activity
o Homophone & Homograph Word Pair Sorting Activity
o Homophone & Homograph Word Pair Sorting Activity (Response Sheet)
o Homophone & Homograph Sentence Writing Activity
o Homophone Word Pairs & Riddles Activity
o Homophone Paragraph Editing & Extended Response Activity
o Homophone Paragraph Editing Self Check Sheet
o Homophone & Homograph Writing Activity

D. ACTIVATE AND PRE-ASSESS STUDENT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:

Pre-Assessment of Prior Knowledge:
The day before the lesson, the pre-assessment will be administered to students to determine current level of student understanding
regarding homophones and homographs. Information gleaned from pre-assessment will also allow students to be placed in groups
according to ability level.
The pre-assessment is a one-paged mix of free response, picture-word matching, choosing the correct word or meaning, and using
words in sentences to demonstrate understanding of different word meanings.
Activation of Prior Knowledge:
Using PowerPoint, introduce lesson with the following joke:
A pony walked into a McDonalds and waited in line to place his order. When his turn finally came, he said (in a soft, raspy voice), "I'll have a Hamburger Happy Meal with a Coke, please."
The woman behind the counter frowned and replied, "Sir, you'll have to speak up. I can't hear you." The pony looked at her and repeated (in the same soft, raspy voice), "I'll have a
Hamburger Happy Meal with a Coke, please." The woman frowned again and looked rather aggravated. She said sharply, "Sir, I still can't hear you. There are lots of people waiting in
line. You'll have to speak up or leave the restaurant." The pony smiled understandingly and replied (in the same soft, raspy voice), "I'm sorry. You've got to excuse me. I'm just a little
hoarse." [Source: http://www.eds-resources.com/justalittlehorse.htm]

After the joke, ask students to explain why this joke was funny. Explain that the English language is full of words that either sound alike
or are spelled alike and when these words get mixed up things can get very confusing.
Introduce the terms homophone and homograph and provide students with definitions. Provide students with memory devices to
help remember the difference between terms.

Page | 3

Page | 4

E. PROVIDE FOR NEW KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION:

Students will be divided into three groups and participate in the following differentiated activities:

Group A (low group): Students in this group will sit with the teacher and read one of the following books: How Much Can a Bare Bear
Bare? by Brian P Cleary or One Whole Doughnut, One Doughnut Hole by Valjean McLenighan. The specific book selected will depend
on the results of the pre-assessment with the Doughnut book being the lower of the two books. While reading the book the teacher
will pause and discuss the individual pages to perform informal ongoing assessment to ensure student understanding.
After reading the books, the teacher will conduct an interactive activity. The teacher will display a series of sentences on a laptop
screen and students will respond as a group indicating the correct choice or whether the sentences are correct.

Group B (middle group): Students will divide into two groups and play interactive computer games on the classroom computer and
classroom interactive white board.

Group C (high group): Students in Group C will divide into pairs and take turns telling each other riddles from Martin Terbans book
Eight Ate.

F.

ADJUST ASSIGNMENTS FOR STUDENT APPLIED PRACTICE:

Students will be divided into three groups and participate in the following differentiated activities:

Group A (low group): Choose from either of the following:

Homophone & Homograph Draw & Define Activity: Choose a pair of homographs or homophones. Draw a picture and write a
definition for each word.

Homophone & Homograph Sorting Activity: Sort the word pairs and paste them onto the homophone or homograph sheet.
Write the definition for the words Homograph and Homophone at the top of each column.
Group B (middle group): Choose from either of the following:

Homophone & Homograph Sentences: Choose one pair of homophones and one pair of homographs and use each in a
sentence.

Homophone Word Pairs & Riddles: Complete the homophone word pairs with another word that sounds the same but has a
different spelling and a different meaning. Then try and create a funny sentence or riddle using homophones.
Group C (high group): Choose from either of the following:

Homophone & Homograph Paragraph Editing: Correct the paragraph filled with misused words. Then respond to the extended
thinking prompt about the importance of choosing the right words when writing.

Homophone & Homograph Writing Activity: Write a paragraph filled with misused homophones OR riddles using
homophones and/or homographs.

Page | 5

G. CONDUCT POST-ASSESSMENT FOR STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCIES:

At the end of the lesson, a post-assessment will be administered to students to determine whether an improvement in student
understanding regarding homophones and homographs has occurred during the lesson.
The post-assessment is a one-paged mix of free response, picture-word matching, choosing the correct word or meaning, and using
words in sentences to demonstrate understanding of different word meanings.

Page | 6

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Page | 7

Pre-Assessment: Homophones &

Homographs
Q: What is a homophone?

Q: What is a homograph?

Match the words to the correct picture:

flower

toe

flour

hair

hare

tow

Choose the correct word to complete this sentence:

(a)

The muffins were so delicious that I (eight/ate) all of them.

(b)

The cat was so stealthy its (pray/prey) didnt know it was there until it was too late.

(c)

James is tired because he didn't sleep very well all (night/knight) long.

(d)

Did your beach house have a view of the (sea/see)?

Read the sentences below. Choose the correct meaning for the
underlined word.
(a)

The strong wind blew down the tree branch.

(blowing air / twisting)

(b)

Carly set a school record in the 100 yard dash. (to write down / the best ever)

Write two different meanings for the following word:

bat
Page | 8

Common Homophones

Common Homographs

Page | 9

Homophones
& Homographs:
Draw & Defin
Homophone
& Homograph

Choose a pair of homophones or homographs. Draw a picture and write definition for eac

Word Pair Sorting Activity

Print
and cut
out
pairs

Homophone & Homograph Sorting

Activity
Sort and glue the word pairs into the correct columns.

Homophones
Definition:

Homographs
Definition:

Homophone & Homograph Sentences

Choose one pair of homophones and one pair of homographs and
use each in a sentence.

Homophon

Homograp

Homophone Word Pairs & Riddles

Complete the following homophone word pairs with another word
that sounds the same but has a different spelling.

meet

__________

bare

__________

eight

__________

son

__________

toad

__________

sea

__________

prey

__________

whole

__________

tale

__________

dear

__________

flour

__________

blew

__________

Try and use two of the word pairs to write some silly sentences,
jokes or riddles.
E.g. My pony is a little hoarse today.

Find & Correct the Homophones

Circle as many errors as you can.
If you know the correct word, write it above the incorrect word.

Computers are such wonderful inventions. Eye can right a

paper and use spellcheck to fix awl my errors. Every thyme
eye use spell check it seams to work fine accept when I use
won word when I mean another. It seams like there are
dozens of perplexing pears. Its knot fare that these errors
s

effect my grade because the teacher nose I rote the wrong

word. I will give yew a peace of advice: reed youre paper
closely sew that ewe do knot fowl up two. I wood knot want
ewe too bee embarrassed bye yore goofs.
Source: http://english.clas.asu.edu/files/shared/enged/Homophones.pdf

Extended Thinking
What did this activity show
you about the importance of
choosing the right word?

Find & Correct the Homophones: Self

Check
Words you should have circled:
eye, right, awl, thyme, eye, seams, accept, won, seams, pears, its, knot, fare, effect,
nose, rote, yew, peace, reed, youre, sew, ewe, knot, fowl, two, wood, knot, ewe, too,
bee, bye, yore

Oh, I guess this is why we

Corrected paragraph:
Use this to check your corrections.
cant just use spellcheck!

Computers are such wonderful inventions. I can write a

paper and use spellcheck to fix all my errors. Every time I
use spell check it seems to work fine except when I use one
word when I mean another. It seems like there are dozens
of perplexing pairs. Its not fair that these errors affect my
grade because the teacher knows I wrote the wrong word. I
will give you a piece of advice: read your paper closely so
that you do not foul up too. I would not want you to be
embarrassed by your goofs.
Source: http://english.clas.asu.edu/files/shared/enged/Homophones.pdf

Homophone & Homograph

Writing Activity
Write a paragraph filled with misused homophones
- or your own riddles using homophones and/or homographs.

Post-Assessment: Homophones &

Homographs
Q: What is a homophone?

Q: What is a homograph?

Match the words to the correct picture:

night

bark

meat

piece

bark

meet

knight

peace

Choose the
correct word to complete this sentence:
(a)

Did you have a long (weight/wait) for the bus this morning?

(b)

Without any leaves, all of the trees look so (bare/bear) during the winter season.

(c)

I fell asleep early and didnt see which team (one/won) the game.

(d)

Yesterday I was walking down the path and fell right into a large (hole/whole).

Read the sentences below. Choose the correct meaning for the
underlined word.
(a)

The view from the 3rd story is beautiful.

(a tale from a book / level of a building)

(b)

A box filled with feathers is very light. (not weigh very much / not dark)

Write two different meanings for the following word:

saw