Name: ________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Giving Directions: an Exercise in Prepositions

OH NO! Lilly, a little Kindergartener with a loose tooth,

was trying to find the office, but she found you on the
playground, instead! Please help her. To make sure she
doesnt get lost again, write down the directions explaining
how she can find the office using at least six prepositions.
Please highlight the prepositions within your directions.
 Giving Directions: an Exercise in Prepositions Rating Scale

Excellent: Acceptable: Needs Work:

6 points 3 points 0 points

I identified all of
the prepositions.

2x points

I followed the rules

for preposition
use.
2x points

My directions
make sense. They
would help the
Kindergartener
find the office.

Score: ______ / 30

Teacher Comments:
Name: ________________________________________ Da te: _____________________

Preposition Test

1. Fill in the blanks to complete the definition. You may use the
word bank provided.

Word Bank:
an adverb a pronoun an adjective

A preposition is word or group of words that combines with ____________

or a noun to form a phrase that usually acts as _______________,

_____________, or a noun.

2. Prepositions are used to show relationships with time, space,

and movement. Please write a sentence with an example of
each. Underline the prepositions you use.

Time:

Space:

Movement:
3. Are prepositions interchangeable? Please explain.

4. Should sentences end in prepositions? Please explain.

5. Please underline the correct preposition in the following

sentences.
a. The man went (into, unto) the hardware store.

b. Jonathan threw the dart (on, at) the dartboard.

6. Please circle the prepositional phrases in the list below.

a. at home

b. of time

c. with Wally

d. three pigs

e. underneath the hood

f. obviously not

g. simply perfect

h. after the fireworks

Name: __________________________________ Date: _____________________

How are you feeling about the following?

Im practically an Its starting to make I dont get it

expert sense

I know the
definition of a
preposition.

I know at least
2 rules for using
prepositional

phrases.
I can give an
example of a
prepositional

phrase.
I know how to
locate
prepositions in

a sentence.
I can write
sentences using
prepositions

correctly.
Was anything confusing? What was your favorite part of the lesson?
 Assessment Summary

Stage One Objectives Assessments for

Measurement
1. Students will be able to define the term preposition. Pre-assessment,
Formative Activity 2,
Test
2. Students will be able to explain the rules for using Pre-assessment,
prepositions in sentences. Formative Activity 3,
Test
3. Students will be able to give examples of prepositional Test, Formative
phrases. Activity 2
4. Students will be able to identify appropriate prepositions Performance
in provided sentences. Assessment, Test,
Formative Activity 1
Formative Activity 3
5. Students will be able to construct multiple types of Performance
sentences using prepositions correctly. Assessment, Test

For my pre-assessment, I will offer students a pre-quiz asking them to describe

what they think a preposition is. Next, I will ask them if they know any rules for using

prepositions. I will also ask them to identify prepositions in a few provided sentences.

The quiz would require mostly written responses, eliminating the possibility for

guessing. I will review their responses, but students will not receive scores for their

work. Their responses will allow me to determine how much exposure my students have

had to prepositions. If the majority of my students seemed comfortable with the

definition of a preposition, prepositional usage rules, and can successfully identify

prepositions within a sentence, I will assume that they are proficient in the content area.

As a result, I will reduce the time I had intended to spend on the lesson. However, if

they are not at all familiar with prepositions, I will allot time to ensuring that my students

master the objectives.

 My test is partially objective with fill in the blank questions, and questions that

involve identifying prepositions. The rest of the test is subjective, with three written

response questions. The test focuses primarily on the lower-level processes outlined in

Blooms taxonomy. I will use points to grade my fifth graders, as they will soon be

entering middle school. The objective questions will be worth .5 points for each correct

answer, and the subjective questions will receive 1 point for each correct portion. Partial

credit will be given on the subjective portions of the test, as students may be partially

correct.

My performance assessment focuses on the use of prepositions while giving

directions. The assessment requires students to construct multiple types of sentences

(objective 5) and identify prepositions in the sentences they have created (objective 4).

I chose to have students write their own sentences using prepositions, because it

showcases higher level thinking according to the action verbs in Blooms taxonomy.

Giving directions is a very authentic use of prepositions, and students are likely to have

experience with it. The assessment will require only a pencil, highlighter, and a general

understanding of the schools layout. I will give students around forty-five minutes to

complete the activity to ensure that students have sufficient time to write the directions

and identify the prepositions within them.

To grade the performance assessment I created a rating scale. I chose to use a

rating scale, because I want students to be able to receive partial credit. Using a rating

scale allows me to incorporate levels of quality. I chose not to use a rubric, because it

seemed overkill to have descriptors of each situation on a relatively simple assignment.

I wanted to make sure that I reserved the ability to give no credit on the assignment if
the situation merited it. I retained the validity of my grading tool, by building it around the

objectives for the unit, and the requirements for the performance assessment. I made

the two requirements that are most closely tied to the objectives carry a larger weight to

more accurately represent my students understanding.

The self-assessment activity that I created is an exit ticket which student will

complete each day during the unit. Initially, the majority of their checks will appear in the

I dont get it column, but as the unit progresses, students will begin to see progress.

In this way students can assess their own growth, and I can take inventory as to what

my students are struggling with.

The first formative activity will help students work on identifying prepositions

(objective 4) within songs. Students will be given one of three childrens songs (Over the

River and Through the Woods, On Top of Spaghetti, or Yankee Doodle). I will review

their identification to assess how successful they are at identifying prepositions. If they

are struggling, I will teach them the Preposition Song to give them a better feel for some

to the words that we consider prepositions.

For the second formative activity, students will be given a box and a toy farm

animal. They will experiment with different positions for the animal in relation to the box.

They will be asked to write down the prepositional phrases they create (objective 3),

then sort them based on whether they relate to space or movement (objective 1). This

will help solidify students comprehension of the multiple purposes prepositions serve.

This will help me figure out which students understand the idea of prepositional

phrases, as well as the different types of prepositions. If students are making mistakes
like using on instead of on the box, I will focus my teaching on prepositional phrases.

However, if students are unable to sort the prepositional phrases, I will revisit the

relationships which prepositions are used to show.

My third activity involves the use of rules, particularly the placement of

prepositions within a sentence. I will have students read three sentences and determine

where the prepositions are in respect to nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. This

will allow me to assess their ability to identify prepositions (objective 4), while my

students gain a better understanding of the rules for prepositional usage (objective 2).

As an understanding of the other parts of speech is a prerequisite to understanding this

lesson, it will be a good review. If students are unable to identify a pattern, we will

discuss in more detail the rules surrounding prepositions. If students are struggling with

identifying prepositions we will go back to the beginning to learn about them once more.