Grade Level: 6th - 8th grade
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify, define, and apply the basic parts of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Teacher’s Note: It’s time to finally make grammar and parts of speech fun for your middle school students. Mad Libs are a creative and interactive way to teach nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more. Students should begin with a basic understanding of each of these parts of speech. This activity can be re-done throughout the year to strengthen their skills.
Ask: Begin by asking your students a simple question: "Who here thinks grammar is boring?" Chances are, you'll see plenty of hands go up. Let them know that today, you're going to prove them wrong!
Do: Read out a Mad Libs story without filling anything in. Where there’s a blank, say “blank.”
Ask: After reading, ask students if they can guess what's missing in those blanks.
Discuss: Briefly introduce the concept of "parts of speech."
Discuss: To ensure everyone is on the same page, conduct a quick review. Encourage students to contribute their own examples and definitions. Use the whiteboard to list examples of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Say: Now, it's time to get your creative juices flowing!
Do: Hand out a Mad Libs worksheet to each student. Choose a relatively simple one for this warm-up.
Say: You’ll need to fill in the blanks with specific parts of speech. For each blank, I’ll tell you the part of speech you need (e.g., "Give me a noun!" or "I need a verb!"), and you shout it back to me. I’ll pick the one I like the best.
Do: Read the Mad Libs story aloud once until everyone has filled in the blanks. Prepare for a lot of laughter.
Discussion: After reading, ask students how understanding parts of speech helped them complete the Mad Libs. Emphasize how choosing the right words made the story funny and entertaining.
Say: Now, it's time for the main event. You’re going to do your own Mad Libs stories!
Do: Divide the class into small groups, and give each group a blank Mad Libs worksheet.
Share: Have each group take turns sharing their completed Mad Libs stories with the class.
Discuss: After the groups present, discuss how the different parts of speech influenced the story's humor. Talk about the importance of choosing words that fit the context.
Say: Wrap up the lesson by emphasizing that understanding parts of speech can make language exciting and fun.
Ask: Ask your students if they still think grammar is boring. Hopefully, the answer will be a resounding "No!"
For those who want to take their love for Mad Libs beyond the classroom, assign a Mad Libs worksheet for homework. Encourage them to complete the task with their family or friends.
Written by Brooke Lektorich
Education World Contributor
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