Jillian’s Apostrophe Adventure

Materials Needed

• Pencil or colored pencils
• Notebook or writing paper
• Small slips of paper or index cards
• A favorite book, toy, or household object
• Optional: timer, sticky notes, and a whiteboard or paper for modeling

Learning Objectives

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

• Explain that an apostrophe is a small mark: ’.
• Use apostrophes in contractions, such as can’t and she’s.
• Use apostrophes to show that something belongs to someone or something, such as Jillian’s book.
• Write sentences with apostrophes correctly with at least 80% accuracy.

Success Criteria

Jillian is successful when she can:

• Tell whether an apostrophe is showing missing letters or ownership.
• Place the apostrophe in the correct spot.
• Explain why she used an apostrophe.
• Write at least four correct sentences using apostrophes.

Introduction: The Tiny Mark with Two Big Jobs

Hook: Tell Jillian: “Imagine a tiny mark that can help words become shorter and can also show who owns something. What mark could do both jobs?”

Show or write these examples:

• do not → don’t
• Jillian’s pencil

Say: “Today we will become Apostrophe Detectives. We will look for two clues: missing letters and ownership.”

Quick Prediction

Ask Jillian:

• “What do you think the apostrophe is doing in don’t?”
• “What do you think it is doing in Jillian’s pencil?”

Accept her ideas, then explain that she will test them during the lesson.

Body: Learn and Practice

Part 1: I Do — Apostrophes in Contractions

Explain:

“A contraction is a short way to write two words as one word. The apostrophe shows where some letters went missing.”

Model the steps:

1. Write the two words: will not.
2. Put the words together: willnot.
3. Remove the letters that are left out: won’t.
4. Place the apostrophe where the missing letters were: won’t.

Say: “The apostrophe is like a little flag saying, ‘Some letters are missing here!’”

Quick Check

Ask Jillian to turn these into contractions:

1. is not
2. they are
3. I am

Expected answers: isn’t, they’re, I’m.

Part 2: We Do — Contraction Detective

Write or read each sentence aloud. Work together to decide which contraction belongs in the blank.

1. “I ____ going to make a sandwich.” (I’m)
2. “We ____ finished with our game.” (aren’t)
3. “____ you like to read this book?” (Would does not need an apostrophe; discuss why.)
4. “Jillian ____ forget her detective notebook.” (won’t)

After each answer, ask: “What two words make this contraction?”

Part 3: I Do — Apostrophes Show Ownership

Explain:

“An apostrophe can also show that something belongs to someone or something. This is called showing possession, or ownership.”

Model the steps:

1. Start with the owner: Jillian.
2. Add an apostrophe and s: Jillian’s.
3. Add the thing she owns: Jillian’s notebook.

Give more examples:

• the dog’s bone — the bone belongs to the dog
• Mom’s keys — the keys belong to Mom
• the robot’s button — the button belongs to the robot

Helpful question: “Whose thing is it?” If the answer is “the cat,” write the cat’s toy.

Quick Check

Ask Jillian to complete these phrases:

• the teacher’s ____
• Jillian’s ____
• the bird’s ____

Let her choose silly or real objects, such as the bird’s hat or Jillian’s spaceship.

Part 4: We Do — Apostrophe Sort

Write these words and phrases on slips of paper:

• can’t
• the cat’s bowl
• we’re
• Jillian’s pencil
• isn’t
• the dragon’s cave

Create two groups:

• Missing Letters — contractions
• Ownership — something belongs to someone or something

Have Jillian sort the cards. For each card, she should explain her choice:

• “Can’t belongs in Missing Letters because it means cannot.”
• “The cat’s bowl belongs in Ownership because the bowl belongs to the cat.”

Part 5: You Do — Apostrophe Adventure Choices

Jillian may choose one of these activities or complete both.

Choice A: Apostrophe Hunt

1. Look through a favorite book, magazine, or reading passage.
2. Find five apostrophes.
3. Copy each word or phrase.
4. Label each one Missing Letters or Ownership.

Choice B: Make a Silly Story

Write a short story with at least six sentences. Use:

• Three contractions
• Three ownership phrases
• At least one funny character or object

Possible beginning: “The dragon’s backpack is missing, but it isn’t under the bed.”

Choice C: Apostrophe Detective Cards

Create six cards. Write one sentence on each card, leaving out the apostrophes. Give the cards to a family member or tutor to solve together.

Example:

• Jillians dog cant find its bone.
• Corrected: Jillian’s dog can’t find its bone.

Independent Practice

Add the apostrophes where they belong. Then explain whether each apostrophe shows missing letters or ownership.

1. I cant find my book.
2. Jillians backpack is blue.
3. Theyre playing outside.
4. The rabbits ears are soft.
5. We wont be late.
6. My brothers room is tidy.

Answer Key

1. I can’t find my book. — Missing letters
2. Jillian’s backpack is blue. — Ownership
3. They’re playing outside. — Missing letters
4. The rabbit’s ears are soft. — Ownership
5. We won’t be late. — Missing letters
6. My brother’s room is tidy. — Ownership

Assessment

Formative Assessment

• Listen to Jillian’s explanations during the contraction and ownership sorts.
• Check whether she can identify the two words inside a contraction.
• Ask, “Who owns the object?” when she writes a possessive phrase.
• Use thumbs up for “missing letters” and hands on head for “ownership” during quick examples.

Summative Assessment: The Apostrophe Challenge

Ask Jillian to complete the following without help:

1. Write a contraction for she is.
2. Write a contraction for they will.
3. Write a phrase showing that a toy belongs to Jillian.
4. Write a phrase showing that a bone belongs to a dog.
5. Write one sentence using a contraction.
6. Write one sentence showing ownership.

Suggested scoring:

• 1 point for each correctly formed contraction
• 1 point for each correctly formed ownership phrase
• 1 point for each complete sentence with correct apostrophe use
• 5–6 points: Ready for a new apostrophe adventure
• 3–4 points: Practice with a few more examples
• 0–2 points: Review one apostrophe job at a time with sentence frames

Differentiation and Support

For Extra Support

• Practice contractions with only three examples: can’t, don’t, I’m.
• Use color coding: one color for the original words and another for the missing letters.
• Use sentence frames such as “The ____’s ____” and “I ____ going to ____.”
• Read sentences aloud so Jillian can hear whether the words are a contraction.
• Work with one apostrophe job at a time instead of mixing contractions and ownership.

For an Extra Challenge

• Write a paragraph using at least five different contractions.
• Find and correct apostrophe mistakes in a made-up paragraph.
• Explore plural ownership, such as the dogs’ toys.
• Explain why its and it’s have different meanings: its shows ownership, while it’s means it is.

Conclusion: Tell What You Learned

Ask Jillian to complete these sentences aloud or in writing:

• “An apostrophe can show that letters are __________.”
• “An apostrophe can also show __________.”
• “In the word don’t, the apostrophe shows __________.”
• “In the phrase Jillian’s book, the apostrophe shows __________.”

End with this recap:

“Apostrophes have two important jobs. They show missing letters in contractions, and they show ownership. When you see an apostrophe, ask: ‘Are letters missing, or does something belong to someone?’”