2.6.

4 Modal Review Lesson Plan

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, K-3

In the BrainPOP ELL movie, Recycling (L2U6L4), the two friends pack their
lunches for a picnic at the park, and Moby reminds Ben to use eco-friendly
products, such as reusable bottles and bags. When they arrive at the park,
they are shocked by its polluted state and work together to clean it up,
recycling paper, plastic, and glass. In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades K-
8, students review modals by participating in a variety of activities.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

1. Create a poster or multimedia presentation about caring for the Earth

using images and captions with modals.
2. Rephrase sentences from the movie, with alternate ways to express the
same ideas.
3. Create a poster of rules for various settings using modals.
4. Act out scenes in which they demonstrate their understanding of the
different modals.

Materials:

 BrainPOP ELL
 Index cards
 Poster boards or chart paper

Preparation:

For Activity 1, Table of Modals, make a modal chart to post in the room.
Organize it by function, as presented in the Grammar section of the movie or
in Know More. You can present the information in six columns, or in rows, as
follows:

Ability: can / could / be able to

Advice: should / ought to / had better
Possibility: may / might / could
Expectation: should / be supposed to
Obligation: must / have to
Prohibition: mustn’t / can’t / not supposed to

For Activity 5, Role Play, write brief descriptions of scenarios on index cards,
such as the following. You may add more or different ones:

You have a bad cold with aches, congestion, and fever.

You have a big exam tomorrow but can’t decide whether to study or go to the
movies with a friend.
You arrive at your favorite park to find it full of trash.
You see someone steal something from a store.
You made two different plans for the same time by mistake.

Lesson Procedure:

1. Table of Modals. You can review the modals before any of the
following activities by referring to the table on the board (see
Preparation). Point out how some modals mean the same thing. Provide
an example of a caption such as, You should drink water from a
reusable bottle. Tell students that they can also include what not to do,
such as, You mustn’t litter. Have small groups share their posters or
presentations with the rest of the class.
2. What Should We Do? While watching the movie Recycling (L2U6L4),
instruct students to pay attention to the different ways Moby and Ben
take care of the environment, such as using reusable bottles and bags.
After the movie, have students work in small groups to list in two
columns what we should and shouldn't do to help the environment.
For example: Should: use reusable bags / recycle
newspapers. Shouldn't: use paper bags / throw newspapers in the
garbage. To review their ideas, make sure students use complete
sentences.
3. Web It. After the movie, create a web together on the board of different
things Ben and Moby did. Then have students Think-Pair-Share at least
three sentences about the web, using modals.
4. Rules! To begin a discussion about rules, ask the class about your
class rules. If you have a Classroom Rules chart posted, then refer to it,
and ask students to explain the rules, using modals. For example: We
must not chew gum in class. Next, assign each small group a different
setting they are familiar with, such as home, school, library, park,
restaurant, etc. Each group is to make a poster with a list of rules for
 that setting. The rules are to include what people can and can’t do in
that setting. Display the finished products around the room.
5. Role Play. Distribute different scenarios (see Preparation) to each pair
of students that encourage the use of one modal or another. For
example, one pair might act out a scene in which a student is giving
advice to the other, so they will use the modals should, ought to,
and had better while another pair may be discussing what they are
good at and so will use the modals related to ability including can,
could, and be able to. Invite pairs to switch roles so each person has
an opportunity to use the modals in context. Then invite pairs to share
their scenes with the class.
6. Another Way to Say It. Watch a repeat viewing of the movie Recycling
(L2U6L4), pausing each time you hear Ben use a modal. Invite students
to identify the modal and then to repeat the sentence using an alternate
modal that has the same meaning. You can model the first example:
Original sentence: Today is supposed to be sunny and
warm. Modal: supposed to. Alternate sentence: Today should be
sunny and warm.
7. Words with the Prefix re. Point out the prefix re in the word recycle.
Explain that the prefix re means again. Recycle, then, means to cycle
again, or use again. Brainstorm with the class suggestions of other
ways we can do or use things again to help the environment. Whenever
possible, encourage students to describe or rephrase their ideas using
words with the prefix re. For example, We can reuse plastic bags, rather
than throwing them out. We can rethink how much we throw away to
reduce garbage. Then, elicit from students words with the prefix re that
mean: build something again / paint something again / read something
again / send again / try again / order again / tell again / make again / do
again / play again. For example: to pack again = repack.

RELATED

BrainPOP ELL Movies

I Have To Practice (L2U2L4)
We Can Be Waiters (L2U2L5)
You Must Be Polite (L2U3L2)
Scientific Method (L2U4L3)
I Should Rest (L2U4L4)
We Might Babysit (L2U4L5)
Mobylocks (L2U6L5)

Recycling - Review of the Modals

Ben and Moby are packing their lunches for a picnic. Moby reminds Ben about recycling, using eco-friendly products,
and being “green.” While the students learn along with Ben, they review the use of modal auxiliary verbs, as well.
What are modals and how are they used in the English language? This lesson plan allows students
to explore the use of modals in English as the class discusses their meaning and practices using
modals in conversation.

Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, stills will be able to:

 Explain what a modal is

 Offer examples of modals used in spoken language

Length
50-60 minutes

Curriculum Standards
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.C

Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.D

Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the
discussion.

Materials
 Handout for each student that outlines categories for modals (with space for students to take
notes in each category). Categories should include:
 Lesson Plan of Modal Verbs

English Grade V

Students’ Learning Outcomes

 Illustrate use of can/can’t, may/mayn’t, and should/ shouldn’t to express permission, prohibition, doubt,
and obligation.

Information for Teachers

 A modal is a kind of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or
obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same things as modals

 Can, may and should are called modal verbs.

 Can is used to express ability or to say that something is possible.
For example: I can speak English.

 To form the negative we add “not” after can to form one word: can’t.

For example: She can’t eat two burgers.

 May is used in formal style to request for permission (in questions) giving permission (in affirmative
sentences) and refusing permission (in negative sentences).

For example: May I borrow your book for a day? You may have my book.

 To form negative we add “not” after may: may not.

 The verb that comes after can and may is in the infinite (base form of the verb) without to.
 For example: I can bake cakes. May I sit here?

 We use should and shouldn’t to give advice, opinions, to talk about what we think is right or
wrong (correctness) to make suggestions, or to talk about obligation.

 The negative of should is shouldn’t.

For example:

o He should exercise every day. (Advice)

o She should wear black sandals with this dress. (suggestion)

o You shouldn’t write on the wall. (correctness)

o We should respect our elders. (obligation)

 The verb that comes after should is in the infinitive (base form of the verb) without to.

 Time allocation is flexible and can change as per need of the activity.

Material / Resources
Chalk/markers, board, textbook

Worm up activity
 Begin the lesson by telling the students that you have chosen an animal (e.g. monkey) and they have to
guess it. Tell the students that all of them know the animal; some must have even seen it also. They have
to ask questions to guess the animal. Their question must start with can. Tell the students that you will
reply with “yes, it can”, or “no, it can’t”,

 Start the game. Continue the game till students have asked several questions using ‘can’. Provide them
with words if they didn’t know the English words for what they want to say.

 Students will mostly likely guess the animal. If they couldn’t guess it within five minutes, you can end the
game by saying that now they must give the name.

 Ask them to clap for themselves in the end.

 Ask the students if they can now tell when can and can’t are used. They must be able to give correct
answer. If they couldn’t give the answer, tell them that we use can and can’t to tell whether someone has
an ability to do something.

 Similarly ask students about ‘may’ and ‘mayn’t’.

 Write a sentence on the board using ‘should’. E.g. students should speak English in the classroom.

 Ask the students when is ‘should’ used?

 Praise the students if they give correct response.

 Development

Activity 1
 Tell the students to write in their notebooks five sentences on what they believe they can do.

 Tell them to write two more sentences about what they think they can’t do.

 Explain to the students that when they write ‘can do’ sentences, they must write the truth. When they
write ‘can’t do’ sentences, they should write what they can’t do. E.g. I can’t fly a plane.

 Move about in the class to monitor students and provide help where needed.

Activity 2
 Tell the students to write in their notebooks three sentences using ‘may’ and two sentences using ‘may
not’.

 Explain to the students that when using ‘may’ they are giving permission to do. Something. E.g. you may
play after the class. When using ‘may not’ they are refusing to give permission to do something. E.g. you
may not take my pencil.

 Provide support where and when needed while students are doing the work.

Activity 3
 Write ‘Playground Rules’ on the board.

 Tell students to think and tell some playground rules. They must use ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ in each rule.

 Write one rule on the board for students’ understanding. E.g. playground should be used by students to
play.

 Write rules on the board as students give them. Provide students with vocabulary where they needed.

 Tell the students to write in their notebooks the ‘playground Rules’.

Sum up / Conclusion
 Recap the lesson by asking the students would they be able to use can/can’t, may/mayn’t in the future.

 Quickly review with the students the situations in which should/shouldn’t is used.

Assessment
 Assess students’ ability to demonstrate use of verb can/can’t, may/mayn’t through their correct
responses during worm up activity.

 Assess students’ ability to identify use of can/can’t through the activity 1 and the follow up.

 Assess students’ ability to use may/mayn’t for seeking or giving permission/prohibition through the
sentences produced during the activity 2.
 Assess students’ ability to demonstrate use of verb should/shouldn’t through their correct responses
during worm up activity.

 Give students a written test in which they have to write five classroom rules for behavior.

Follow up
 Give students five professions (doctor, teacher, farmer, driver, and mechanic) and tell them to write five
sentences telling what they can do.

 Tell the students to write two sentences on what they shouldn’t do so that their house becomes dirty.