Nouns and Pronouns: Naming people, animals, places and things for Primary 1

Class: Primary One
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 6 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Grammatical Accuracy
Focal competence: Using nouns and pronouns appropriately in sentences
Key competencies/values: Communication; Environmental Literacy; ICT and Digital Competencies
Skills:

• Identifying and using nouns and pronouns appropriately

Previous Lesson: Guided Reading: Reading short decodable sentences aloud
Topic: Introducing Nouns And Pronouns
Subject Matter: Naming people, animals, places and things

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify nouns as names of people, animals, places, and things.
• State simple personal pronouns.

Psychomotor Domain

• Match pronouns to the nouns they replace.
• Use nouns appropriately in short sentences.
• Use pronouns appropriately in short sentences.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Approved Primary 1 English Studies textbook
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Pictures of animals and things
• Approved publisher-neutral text
• Letter, word and picture cards
• Exercise books and pencils

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding nouns and pronouns is fundamental to building basic sentences and communicating effectively in English. This lesson helps pupils name objects and people around them and use appropriate words to refer to them without repetition, laying a strong foundation for more complex grammar in the future.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise common objects and people around them and can say simple words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Introducing Nouns And Pronouns

What are Nouns?

Nouns are words used to name people, animals, places, or things.

Examples of Nouns:

1. People:
   1. boy
   2. girl
   3. teacher
   4. mother
   5. father
2. Animals:
   1. dog
   2. cat
   3. bird
   4. lion
   5. fish
3. Places:
   1. school
   2. house
   3. market
   4. church
   5. park
4. Things:
   1. table
   2. chair
   3. book
   4. pencil
   5. ball

What are Pronouns?

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns to avoid repeating the noun many times.

Common Personal Pronouns (Primary 1):

1. I (used when you talk about yourself)
2. You (used when you talk to someone)
3. He (used for one boy or man)
4. She (used for one girl or woman)
5. It (used for one animal or thing)
6. We (used when you talk about yourself and others)
7. They (used for many people, animals, or things)

Matching Pronouns to Nouns:

1. A boy → He
2. A girl → She
3. A dog → It
4. A book → It
5. Boys → They
6. Girls → They
7. Dogs → They
8. Books → They
9. My mother and I → We

Using Nouns and Pronouns in Sentences:

1. The boy is playing. → He is playing.
2. The girl is reading. → She is reading.
3. The dog is barking. → It is barking.
4. The children are singing. → They are singing.
5. I am happy.
6. You are kind.
7. We are friends.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Demonstration, Oral Drills

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to name some things they see in the classroom (e.g., table, chair, book). The teacher then asks them to name their friends.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the greetings and name objects and friends.

Learning Point: Naming familiar objects

Step 2: Introduction to Nouns (People)

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that words used to name people are called nouns. The teacher uses picture cards of different people (e.g., boy, girl, teacher, mother) and asks pupils to name them. The teacher writes the names on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and name the people in the pictures. They repeat the names after the teacher.

Learning Point: Nouns for people

Step 3: Introduction to Nouns (Animals, Places, Things)

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual learning/Guided practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows pictures of animals (e.g., dog, cat), places (e.g., school, house), and things (e.g., ball, book). The teacher explains that these are also nouns. Pupils are guided to name them and say sentences using these nouns orally.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and name the animals, places, and things. They form simple oral sentences using the nouns.

Learning Point: Nouns for animals, places, things

Step 4: Introduction to Pronouns

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that sometimes we use other words to stand in for nouns so we don’t repeat them. The teacher introduces simple pronouns like “he,” “she,” “it,” “they,” “I,” “you,” “we” with examples, showing how they replace nouns (e.g., “The boy is happy. He is happy.”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and observe how pronouns replace nouns. They repeat the pronouns and their uses.

Learning Point: Replacing nouns with pronouns

Step 5: Practising Nouns in Sentences

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Oral drills/Sentence construction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes simple nouns on the board (e.g., ‘table’, ‘flower’, ‘baby’). The teacher guides pupils to form short, complete sentences using these nouns. The teacher corrects any errors.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils orally construct simple sentences using the given nouns.

Learning Point: Noun sentence construction

Step 6: Practising Pronouns in Sentences

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided practice/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gives sentences with nouns and asks pupils to replace the nouns with appropriate pronouns. For example, “Mary is eating.” “The cat is sleeping.” “John and I are playing.” The teacher guides them to say “She is eating,” “It is sleeping,” “We are playing.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils replace nouns with pronouns in sentences and say the new sentences.

Learning Point: Pronoun sentence construction

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What do we call words that name people, animals, places, or things?
2. Give two examples of nouns for people.
3. Which pronoun do we use for one boy?
4. Which pronoun do we use for many animals?
5. Complete this sentence: “My mother is cooking. ____ is cooking.” (with the correct pronoun)

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Noun and pronoun identification

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on nouns and pronouns into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Nouns and pronouns notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils that nouns name things around us, and pronouns help us talk about them without repeating their names too much. The teacher encourages them to look for nouns and pronouns in their storybooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the summary.

Learning Point: Noun and pronoun importance

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework / Practice Exercise

Instruction: Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with a suitable noun or pronoun.

1. The ____ is barking loudly. (animal)
2. My ____ is reading a book. (person)
3. ____ is a big city. (Lagos/place)
4. The ____ is on the table. (thing)
5. The teacher is kind. ____ teaches us well. (pronoun for teacher)
6. My sister and I are playing. ____ are happy. (pronoun for sister and I)

Lesson Keywords

• Noun – A word that names a person, animal, place, or thing.
• Pronoun – A word that takes the place of a noun.
• People – Human beings.
• Animals – Living creatures that are not plants.
• Places – Locations or areas.
• Things – Objects that are not alive.

Differentiation

For pupils who are struggling, provide more one-on-one guidance with picture cards and simple oral repetition. For faster learners, encourage them to create more complex sentences using different nouns and pronouns, or identify more nouns and pronouns from a short story.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for “Nouns and Pronouns for Kids Primary 1” or “What are Nouns and Pronouns for Grade 1”.

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, gather various picture cards of people, animals, places, and everyday things. Prepare word cards for common nouns and pronouns. Start with familiar examples that pupils can easily relate to from their environment. Emphasise oral practice and repetition to build confidence. When introducing pronouns, clearly demonstrate how they replace nouns to avoid confusion. Encourage pupils to use nouns and pronouns in short, complete sentences. During the note-taking stage (Step 8), ensure pupils copy the Board Summary accurately. Pay attention to common errors such as using “he” for a girl or “it” for a person, and gently correct them through repeated examples and practice.