Engaging Prepositions Lesson Plans: Fun Activities for Place and Time (5th Grade)

Discover two engaging 5th-grade lesson plans for teaching prepositions of place (in, on, under) and time (in, on, at). Features fun activities like a Treasure Map Mission and a Perfect Day Planner, complete with objectives and differentiation.

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Lesson Plan 1: Prepositions of Place - The Treasure Map Mission

Time Allotment: 30 Minutes

Grade Level: 5th Grade

Materials Needed:

  • Paper, pencils, and colored pencils or markers
  • A small, common object (e.g., an eraser, a small toy, a coin)
  • A whiteboard or large sheet of paper (optional, for modeling)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:

  • Identify at least five prepositions of place (e.g., in, on, under, behind, next to).
  • Use prepositions of place correctly in spoken and written sentences to describe an object's location.
  • Create a simple drawing or map and describe it using at least three different prepositions of place.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 Minutes) - Hook & Objectives
  • Hook: "Where's the Object?" Game. Hide a small object (like an eraser) somewhere in plain sight in the room (e.g., under a book, next to a lamp). Ask the student: "Can you find the eraser?" Once they find it, ask: "Where was it?" Guide their answer to be a full sentence: "The eraser was under the book." Explain that words like under, in, on, and next to are special words that tell us *where* something is. They are called prepositions of place.
  • State Objectives: "Today, our mission is to become experts at using these 'where' words. By the end of our lesson, you'll be able to name them, use them to describe where things are, and even create your own treasure map using them!"
2. Body (20 Minutes) - Content & Practice (I Do, We Do, You Do)
  • I Do - Modeling (5 mins):
    1. Using a book and the eraser, demonstrate several prepositions. Say the sentence aloud as you move the object.
    2. "The eraser is on the book." (Place it on top).
    3. "The eraser is under the book." (Place it underneath).
    4. "The eraser is next to the book." (Place it beside).
    5. "The eraser is behind the book." (Place it behind).
    6. "The eraser is in front of the book." (Place it in front).
    7. "The eraser is between the book and the pencil." (Add a pencil to the setup).
    8. Explain clearly: "These words connect the object (the eraser) to its location (the book). They build a bridge in the sentence to show us the location."
  • We Do - Guided Practice (5 mins):
    1. "Simon Says... with Prepositions!" Give the student the eraser. You give the commands.
    2. "Simon says put the eraser on your head."
    3. "Simon says put the eraser in your hand."
    4. "Put the eraser under the table." (If they do it, remind them you didn't say Simon Says!)
    5. "Simon says put the eraser between your fingers."
    6. Switch roles. Have the student give you commands. This is a quick formative check to see if they understand the words kinesthetically.
  • You Do - Independent Practice (10 mins):
    1. "Design Your Treasure Map." Tell the student: "Now you get to be a mapmaker! Draw a map of a room, a backyard, or a fantasy island. On your map, you must hide some treasure and include at least three landmarks (like a tree, a desk, or a rock)."
    2. Once the map is drawn, they must write 3-5 sentences on the back of the paper giving clues to find the treasure. Each sentence must use a different preposition of place.
    3. Success Criteria:
      • The map is clearly drawn with a treasure and landmarks.
      • There are at least 3 complete sentences.
      • Each sentence uses a preposition of place correctly (e.g., "The treasure is buried under the skull rock. Go between the two palm trees.").
3. Conclusion (5 Minutes) - Closure & Recap
  • Share and Review: Ask the student to present their treasure map and read their clues aloud. Give positive feedback on their correct use of prepositions.
  • Formative Assessment/Recap: Ask final check-in questions:
    • "What is a preposition of place?" (A word that tells us *where* something is.)
    • "Can you give me an example of a sentence using the preposition 'behind'?"
  • Reinforce Takeaway: "Great work today! You are now an official mapmaker and preposition expert. You can use these words anytime you need to tell someone where something is."

Differentiation

  • Scaffolding for Struggling Learners: Provide a word bank of prepositions (in, on, under, next to, between, behind) for the "You Do" activity. Also, offer sentence starters like: "The treasure is ______ the ______."
  • Extension for Advanced Learners: Challenge the student to write a short paragraph (5-7 sentences) that tells a story about finding the treasure, using as many different prepositions of place as possible. Or have them physically hide an object and give you verbal directions to find it.

Lesson Plan 2: Prepositions of Time - The Perfect Day Planner

Time Allotment: 30 Minutes

Grade Level: 5th Grade

Materials Needed:

  • Paper and pencil
  • A whiteboard or large sheet of paper
  • Pre-written sentence strips for the sorting activity (or just write them out during the lesson)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:

  • Identify the three main prepositions of time: in, on, at.
  • Distinguish when to use 'in' (long periods), 'on' (days/dates), and 'at' (specific times).
  • Write a simple schedule using at least three different prepositions of time correctly.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 Minutes) - Hook & Objectives
  • Hook: "When is it?" Quiz. Ask the student a series of questions about their own life:
    • "When is your birthday?" (e.g., in May, on May 15th)
    • "When do you eat lunch?" (e.g., at noon)
    • "What year were you born?" (e.g., in 2014)
    Point out how they naturally used the words in, on, and at. Explain: "Just like some words tell us *where*, others tell us *when*. Today, we are learning about prepositions of time."
  • State Objectives: "Our goal today is to master the three main 'when' words: IN, ON, and AT. By the end of our lesson, you'll know exactly which one to use and will create a schedule for your own perfect day."
2. Body (20 Minutes) - Content & Practice (I Do, We Do, You Do)
  • I Do - Modeling (7 mins):
    1. Draw a large, upside-down triangle (a pyramid) on the whiteboard. Label the sections from top to bottom: AT, ON, IN.
    2. Explain the "Time Pyramid" rule: "We use these prepositions for different amounts of time, from the most specific to the most general."
    3. AT (Top/Most Specific): For exact times and specific points in the day. Write examples: at 3:00 PM, at noon, at midnight, at night.
    4. ON (Middle): For specific days and dates. Write examples: on Sunday, on my birthday, on October 31st.
    5. IN (Bottom/Most General): For longer periods like months, seasons, years, and decades. Write examples: in August, in winter, in 2025, in the 90s.
    6. Give a few example sentences for each: "I have a meeting at 10 AM. The party is on Friday. My birthday is in July."
  • We Do - Guided Practice (5 mins):
    1. "Sentence Sort." Present 5-6 sentences with a blank where the preposition should go. Work together with the student to choose the correct preposition (in, on, or at) for each, referencing the Time Pyramid.
    2. Example sentences:
      • School starts ______ 8:30 AM. (at)
      • We go on vacation ______ summer. (in)
      • My soccer game is ______ Saturday. (on)
      • The movie was made ______ 2021. (in)
      • I go to bed ______ night. (at)
  • You Do - Independent Practice (8 mins):
    1. "My Perfect Day Schedule." Instruct the student: "Now, plan your perfect day! Write at least 5 sentences describing what you would do. You must use IN, ON, and AT at least once each."
    2. Encourage creativity. The day can be realistic or fantastical. For example: "My perfect day is on a Saturday. I wake up at 9:00 AM. In the afternoon, I fly a dragon..."
    3. Success Criteria:
      • There are at least 5 complete sentences.
      • The prepositions 'in', 'on', and 'at' are each used at least once.
      • The prepositions are used correctly according to the Time Pyramid rules.
3. Conclusion (5 Minutes) - Closure & Recap
  • Share and Review: Ask the student to share their "Perfect Day" schedule. As they read, listen for the correct use of prepositions and offer praise.
  • Formative Assessment/Recap: Point to the Time Pyramid and ask:
    • "When do we use 'at'?" (For specific times).
    • "What about 'on'?" (For days and dates).
    • "And the big one, 'in'?" (For months, years, seasons).
  • Reinforce Takeaway: "Excellent work! Now you have the secret code—the Time Pyramid—to always know whether to use in, on, or at when you're talking about time."

Differentiation

  • Scaffolding for Struggling Learners: Allow the student to keep the Time Pyramid diagram next to them while they write. Provide sentence frames like: "____ [time], I will...", "____ [day of the week], I will...", "____ [month], I will..."
  • Extension for Advanced Learners: Challenge the student to write a short paragraph about their plans for the upcoming year. They must use 'in' for a month or season, 'on' for a specific holiday or date, and 'at' for a specific time of an event.

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