Most contractions have verbs combined with not, will, forms of to be, have, would, or had. This lesson plan will address only words that combine with a shortened form of not.
Say the following sentences to students, emphasizing the verb plus not: Katie is not going to the party. Judy has not done her homework. Kevin was not at school today. He did not eat lunch.
Ask students if anyone can tell how these sentences sound different than the way people usually talk. Repeat the first sentence. Ask a student to say the sentence the way he usually says it. Repeat the next sentence and ask a student to say the sentence the way she usually says it.
Putting Two Words Together
Explain that words like do and not can be put together to make one word. Write the words do and not on the white board. Write the word don't next to the words. Tell students that the word don't means the same thing as the two words do not. Tell them that words like don't are called contractions. Contractions are made by putting two words together and leaving out some of the letters. Point to the apostrophe on the word don't. Tell students that the apostrophe is used to show the place where the letters were left out.
Write the word isn't on the white board. Ask a volunteer to come to the board and write the two words that go together to make the word. Ask which letter has been left out. Ask a student to point to the mark that tells where the letter was. Remind them that the mark is called an apostrophe. Continue with other words:
- hasn't
- wasn't
- didn't
- don't
- haven't
- weren't
- wouldn't
- doesn't
Matching Contractions Game
Make two sets of cards. One set should have a verb plus not. The second set should have a contraction of a verb plus not. Give each student one card. Tell them to find the person with the card that matches; e.g. the child who has a card with do not must find the classmate with the don't card. To make the game more exciting, give students a time limit of a minute or two. If there is one student without a card, that student could call time.
Cut and Paste Contractions
Make a worksheet similar to the one shown for a cut and and paste activity. Use only verbs and the word not for the worksheet. Have students work in pairs to cut the words from the word box and paste them in the correct places on the worksheet. Have the pairs trade their worksheets and check the work.
Check-up on Contractions
Observe the children as they play the games and complete the worksheets and record their progress. Include only contractions with the verb and the word not in this lesson. Give extra help to any students who are struggling with this concept. When most students have mastered the skill, give them a list of contractions and have them work in small groups or individually to write sentences using the contractions.
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