Preposition House

Preposition House

Subjects

• Language Arts

Grades

• 3-5

• 6-8

Brief Description

Rather than simply memorizing a list of prepositions, this lesson helps students visualize how prepositions describe things in relation to one another. It incorporates multiple intelligences by allowing students to learn by drawing.

Objectives

Students

• identify and use prepositions to describe objects in relation to one another.

Keywords

preposition, prepositional phrase

Materials Needed

• paper and pencil/pen

• drawing supplies

• creative imagination!

The Lesson

Start the lesson by drawing a simple house on the board -- a square house with a triangle roof, windows, a door, and a chimney.

Then request students to copy your drawing exactly on their own paper.

Preposition List

Here are some prepositions you might provide for students as they complete this activity.

above

against

around

behind

beside

by

inside

near

on

outside

over

under

Next, write a preposition on the board. Start with a simple preposition such as on and have students draw something on their picture of the house. For example, students might draw a knocker on the door, an antenna on the roof, a bird on the chimney… Students should work independently so their pictures will look very different from the pictures drawn by their peers.

Continue the activity by providing 5 to 7 more prepositions, one at a time. [See the sidebar for a list of prepositions you might use.] After providing each preposition, give students time to illustrate it in relation to the house.

Next, have students compare their drawings and note how different they became with the use of prepositional phrases.

Instruct students to write a sentence for each preposition; the sentence should describe their drawing of a house. For example:

• I can see a person inside the house.

• The ladder is leaning against the house.

• A shrub is growing near the front door.

Instruct students to underline each prepositional phrase in their sentences and to (circle) each preposition.

Assessment

After completing the activity, provide a list of sentences for students. Have them underline the prepositional phrase in each sentence and circle each preposition.

Submitted By

Colleen Moak, Blessed Sacrament School in Was

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