Storytelling, Future Tense, Letter Reading and Informal Letter Writing for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 6
Age: 9 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: English Language Studies
Previous Lesson: Stress Patterns, Active Voice, Drama Reading and Formal Invitation Writing.
Topic: English Language Skills: Storytelling, Future Tense, and Letter Writing
Subject Matter: Speech: Storytelling with moral lessons; Grammatical Accuracy: Future tense using shall and will; Reading: Informal letter reading; Writing: Writing letters to mother.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain:

• Identify moral lessons in simple stories.
• Explain the use of ‘shall’ and ‘will’ to form the future tense.
• Recognize the key features of an informal letter.

Affective Domain:

• Show appreciation for storytelling and its moral values.
• Develop interest in reading and writing informal letters.

Psychomotor Domain:

• Narrate a short story with a clear moral lesson.
• Construct simple sentences using ‘shall’ and ‘will’ correctly.
• Read an informal letter clearly and expressively.
• Write a simple informal letter to their mother.

Social Domain:

• Participate actively in class discussions and storytelling sessions.
• Collaborate with peers when identifying letter features.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum (Primary 4 English Language)
• State Unified Scheme of Work for Primary 4
• New Oxford English Course for Primary Schools, Book 4
• https://www.education.gov.ng/
• https://nigerianinfopedia.com.ng/nigerian-primary-school-curriculum/

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Storybooks with moral lessons
• Charts showing examples of future tense sentences
• Charts displaying the format of an informal letter
• Pupils’ notebooks
• Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils develop important communication skills in English. Understanding storytelling enables them to convey messages and values, while learning future tense improves their ability to talk about upcoming events. Writing informal letters allows pupils to express themselves personally to family members.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have a basic understanding of present and past tenses, can read simple sentences, and have some experience with listening to and telling short stories.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

English Language Skills: Storytelling, Future Tense, and Letter Writing

Storytelling with Moral Lessons

Storytelling is the act of telling a story. A story is a narrative of events, either real or imaginary, told for entertainment or to teach a lesson.

A moral lesson is the teaching or message conveyed by a story, which often helps people understand right from wrong or how to behave well.

Examples of moral lessons include:

• Honesty is the best policy.
• Slow and steady wins the race.
• Unity is strength.

Future Tense Using ‘Shall’ and ‘Will’

The future tense is used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future.

Using ‘Will’:

‘Will’ is commonly used with all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) to express:

• Future actions or events: She will travel tomorrow.
• Predictions: It will rain soon.
• Promises: I will help you with your homework.

Using ‘Shall’:

‘Shall’ is mostly used with ‘I’ and ‘we’ in more formal contexts or to offer suggestions and make polite requests.

• Formal statements or questions with ‘I’ or ‘we’: I shall be there by noon. Shall we go now?
• Offers or suggestions: Shall I open the door for you?

Informal Letter Reading

An informal letter is a personal letter written to friends, family members, or relatives. It uses simple and friendly language.

The key features of an informal letter are:

• Sender’s Address: The writer’s address.
• Date: The date the letter is written.
• Salutation: A friendly greeting (e.g., Dear Mum, Hello Auntie).
• Body: The main message of the letter.
• Closing: A friendly closing (e.g., Yours lovingly, With love).
• Signature: The writer’s name.

Writing Letters to Mother

Writing a letter to your mother allows you to share your thoughts, feelings, or news with her personally. It is a way to show love and appreciation.

When writing a letter to your mother, remember to:

• Include your address and the date.
• Use a warm salutation like “Dear Mum” or “My Dearest Mother.”
• Write clearly about what you want to tell her.
• End with a loving closing and your name.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to recall any short stories they know or have heard. The teacher also asks pupils if they know how to talk about things that will happen in the future and if they have ever written a letter to someone they know well.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions, mentioning stories and sharing their experiences with future events or letters.
Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the lesson’s topics and connect them to their prior knowledge.

Step 2: Presentation of Storytelling with Moral Lessons

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly explains what storytelling is and the importance of moral lessons. The teacher then narrates a short story (e.g., “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”) and asks pupils to identify the moral lesson.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the story, identify the moral lesson, and some volunteer to narrate another short story they know.
Learning Point: Pupils understand storytelling and can identify moral lessons in stories.

Step 3: Explanation of Future Tense using ‘Shall’ and ‘Will’

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the concept of future tense and how ‘will’ is generally used for future actions, predictions, and promises with all subjects. The teacher then explains that ‘shall’ is mostly used with ‘I’ and ‘we’ for formal statements, offers, or suggestions, providing examples for each.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, take notes, and ask questions for clarification.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the rules for using ‘shall’ and ‘will’ in the future tense.

Step 4: Practice on Future Tense

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes incomplete sentences on the board and asks pupils to complete them using ‘shall’ or ‘will’ correctly. E.g., “I ____ visit my grandmother next week.” “____ we go to the park?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils complete the sentences orally and in their notebooks, demonstrating their understanding of ‘shall’ and ‘will’.
Learning Point: Pupils practice constructing grammatically correct future tense sentences.

Step 5: Informal Letter Reading

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Reading
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays a chart with an example of an informal letter (e.g., a letter from a child to a friend or relative). The teacher reads it aloud, highlighting the features such as address, date, salutation, body, closing, and signature.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen as the teacher reads and observe the features of the informal letter. Some pupils may volunteer to read parts of the letter.
Learning Point: Pupils recognize the structure and features of an informal letter.

Step 6: Guided Writing of Letters to Mother

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guidance
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils on how to write a simple informal letter to their mother, emphasizing the features discussed. The teacher encourages pupils to think about what they would like to tell their mothers. The teacher provides a template on the board for pupils to follow.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils begin to write a simple informal letter to their mothers in their notebooks, following the teacher’s guidance and the template.
Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge to write a personal letter.

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 is a moral lesson in a story?
2. Give two examples of sentences using ‘will’ to express future actions.
3. When do we typically use ‘shall’ in a sentence?
4. Mention three important parts of an informal letter.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization/Assignment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the main points of the lesson, reinforcing the importance of storytelling, correct use of future tense, and the skill of writing informal letters. The teacher assigns pupils to complete their letters to their mothers and share them at home.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and note down the assignment.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and apply it further.

Home Task: Write four correct English sentences that demonstrate the main language skill in English Language Skills: Storytelling, Future Tense, and Letter Writing.

Lesson Keywords

• Storytelling – The act of telling a story.
• Moral – A lesson, especially one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story.
• Future Tense – A verb tense used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
• Shall – A modal verb used to indicate future action, often with ‘I’ and ‘we’, or to make suggestions/offers.
• Will – A modal verb used to indicate future action, prediction, or promise, with all subjects.
• Informal Letter – A personal letter written to friends, family, or relatives.
• Salutation – A greeting used at the beginning of a letter (e.g., Dear Mum).
• Closing – The concluding words of a letter (e.g., Yours lovingly).

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can encourage them to narrate more complex stories or write longer letters. For pupils needing more support, the teacher will provide simplified story examples, more direct guidance for sentence construction, and a more structured template for letter writing, offering one-on-one assistance as needed.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Encourage active participation in storytelling by creating a relaxed and supportive classroom environment. When teaching future tense, emphasize the common usage of ‘will’ and the specific, often formal, contexts for ‘shall’. Provide clear, visual examples for the informal letter structure. Allow pupils creative freedom in their letter writing, focusing on the correct format and clear expression rather than perfect grammar at this stage.