Using Subjects and Predicates

Subject: language arts

Grade: 3rd
ELA TEKS: 3.22B Use the complete simple and complete predicate in a sentence
ELPS: 3E share information in cooperative learning interactions.
5B write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade-level
vocabulary.

Instructional Strategies
Teacher Modeling and Guided Practice
In advance purchase a bag of chocolate chips and plain sugar cookies or some Oreo
cookies. Remove the cream filling from one of the Oreo cookies. Show the students the
plain cookie and tell them they are chocolate chip cookies or show them the Oreo cookie
without the filling. Ask the students what is wrong with the cookie. Explain that is what a
sentence is like without a subject or a predicate. Remind the students that the subject is
who or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells what the subject does. Have
students create word response cards by writing subject on one side and predicate on the
other side of an index card. Use sentence strips to show the students parts of a sentence.
They will use their response cards to identify if it is the subject or the predicate of a
sentence, ex. The soccer player or pulled weeds from the garden. Make about 12 15 of
these examples for students to practice. You may want to use some of the sentences from
reading text that your students are familiar with.

Independent Practice or Small Groups

In pairs students will be given a sheet of paper (or have them written on the board) about
ten incomplete sentences. In their writing journals have the students complete these
sentences. Students will get together with another pair of students and they will share
their responses with each other. Each student in the groups will pick their favorite
response. The teacher will give each student a cookie pattern. The students can add the
chips to one side of the cookie and write their completed sentence on the other side. If the
teacher used the Oreo cookie they may give the students two black circles and one white
circle for the students to write their completed sentences on. Students will share their
completed sentences with the class. The cookies may be placed in the classroom library
for students to read and review subjects and predicates.

Assessment: teacher observation and students writing journals

Materials: chocolate chips, sugar cookies or Oreos, manila paper or black paper and
white paper, sentence strips with incomplete sentences written on them, index card per
student
Other Aldine Resources

Lesson Plan Template

Aldine 2010