NOUNS

Teacher Guidelines ▶ pages 1 – 2

4-6
Instructional Pages ▶ pages 3 – 4
Activity Page ▶ page 5
Practice Page ▶ page 6
GRADE

Homework Page
Answer Key
▶
▶
page 7
page 8
 ClassroomProcedure: Approximate Grade Level: 4 – 6

1. Display the collected items for display. Ask: Objectives: The students will be able to rec-
ognize and use common and proper nouns,
What do all of the items have in common? including identifying the categories and
2. Allow for responses and discussion. Separate types of nouns.
the items into the three categories. State Educational Standards*
LB.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1
3. Ask the same question for each category. LB.ELA-Literacy.L.5.1
Lead the discussion to nouns. LB.ELA-Literacy.L.6.1
4. Ask students to give examples of persons, Class Sessions (45 minutes):
places, and things. 1 - 2 class sessions

5. Distribute the Nouns content page. Teaching Materials/Worksheets:

6. Read and review the information with the
students, asking for examples of each type.
Use as many examples as necessary to
reinforce understanding. (Review proper punctuation for
possessive nouns.)
7. Distribute the Activity page. Pair students.
8. Review the instructions. Students may write
the name of another student, but limit the proper
nouns if necessary, otherwise they may write
all students’ names on the page.
9. Once completed, allow students to share their responses
checking specifically if they correctly labeled each noun.
10. Distribute the Practice page. After completion,
allow students to share their responses. Check
for understanding.
11. Distribute the Homework page. Review and
check students’ work the next day.
12. In closing, review the types of nouns by asking
each student to give an example of a person,
place, or thing plus naming the type of noun.
Tell students to give a personal example such
as something they own, someone they know,
or a place they have visited.
Nouns content page, Activity page, Practice
page, Homework page
Student Supplies:
handouts
Prepare Ahead of Time:
Collect some items to represent persons,
places, and things for step one of the les-
son. Copy handouts.
Options for Lesson:
Students may work alone for the activity. Do
the activity outdoors, in the gym, or anoth-
er location. Use a current novel the class is
reading to identify nouns on certain pages of
the book, or another popular reading selec-
tion. There are several videos in Additional
Resources which would be helpful as a wrap
up to the lesson.
*Lessons are aligned to meet the education objectives and goals of
most states. For more information on your state objectives, contact
your local Board of Education or Department of Education in your state.

1
 Teacher Notes
The lesson is a basic introduction of nouns and can be adapted to lower grade levels as well.
The students usually clearly understand the differences between person, place, and thing, but may have
difficulty with the different types of nouns. It is important to place more emphasis on the types versus the
categories of nouns.

2
Nouns
A noun is a word for a person, place, or thing. You may
even hear people refer to a noun as a “naming: word.
A noun will answer the question: What is it?
Nouns can be the name for things you:
SEE or TOUCH: bird, water, mother, paper, phone,
sun
NOT TOUCH: joy, happiness, tiredness, bravery
Nouns can also be Proper, which represent a specific
person, place, or thing; or Common, which describe
a class or group of person, place, or thing.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF NOUNS:

Abstract: cannot see or touch like bravery,
happiness, joy, kindness.
Concrete: you can see or touch like book, table,
desk, rock, pencil.
Collective: include groups such as team, class,
herd, army, family.
Countable: common nouns that can become plural
combined with a number such as two dogs.
Non-countable: things that cannot be counted
such as water, air, music, furniture, indigestion.
Gender-specific: definitely male or female such as
queen, king, actor, actress, waiter, waitress, rooster.
Possessive: names who or what has or owns
something such as Tracy’s desk, dog’s dish, players’
numbers. (Notice the apostrophes for possessive
nouns.)

3
 COMMON PROPER
irl Melissa
city New York
street Rose St.
singer Adele
lake Erie
car Ford
computer Apple
whale Shamu
cookie Oreo

PLACE
Nouns are not difficult to learn. When trying to identify a noun, first ask if it is a person, place, or thing. Once
you believe it is a noun, ask the question:
What is it? If you can answer this question with the word you think is a noun, then you identified a noun.
1. What is it people live in? house
2. What is it that causes him to smile? happiness
3. What is it that she is so liked? honesty
4. What is it that makes up water? oxygen
A noun is one of the seven parts of speech you have learned how to identify. Learning about nouns will
help with your reading, as well as help you become a more effective, and better writer. Here’s an interesting
question:

Is a noun considered a noun? Yes, or No?

4
 Activity Name __________________________ Date _________

List as many nouns as you can see, feel, touch, not see, or not touch in the classroom.
Place an X in the box for person, place, or thing. The noun may also be more than one type.Write a
sentence for the given noun(s) – Circle the nouns in your sentence.

Noun Person Place Thing Type* Noun Person Place Thing Type*

*TYPES: C= COMMON, P=PROPER, A= ABSTRACT, CT= CONCRETE, CL= COLLECTIVE, NC=NONCOUNTABLE

5
 Practice Name __________________________ Date _________

1. Abstract common
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Concrete common
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Collective common
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Noncountable common
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Countable
____________________________________________________________________________________
6. Proper
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Possessive proper
____________________________________________________________________________________
8. Proper and common (2)
____________________________________________________________________________________
9. Proper and common (2)
____________________________________________________________________________________
10. Gender-specific
____________________________________________________________________________________
11. Possessive gender-specific
____________________________________________________________________________________
12. Possessive collective
____________________________________________________________________________________
13. Common (3)
____________________________________________________________________________________
14. Possessive common
____________________________________________________________________________________

6
Homework Name __________________________ Date _________

31 Place  a  one  in  the  ones  place  and  a  three  in  the  tens  place.

2, 5 48
Place  a  four  in  the  tens  place,  a  five  in  the  hundreds  place,  
an  eight  in  the  ones  place,  and  a  two  in  the  one  thousands  
place.

5 0 3, 4 89
Place  a  five  in  the  one  hundred  thousands  place,  a  nine  in  
the  ones  place,  a  zero  in  the  ten  thousands  place,  an  eight  
in  the  tens  place,  a  three  in  the  one  thousands  place,  and  a  
four  in  the  hundreds  place.

3 10 Place  a  one  in  the  tens  place,  a  three  in  the  hundreds  place,  
and  a  zero  in  the  ones  place.

9 7, 6 21
Place  a  two  in  the  tens  place,  a  six  in  the  hundreds  place,  a  
seven  in  a  one  thousands  place,  a  one  in  the  ones  place,  
and  a  nine  in  the  ten  thousands  place.

7 0, 6 58
Place  a  seven  in  the  ten  thousands  place,  an  eight  in  the  
ones  place,  a  zero  in  the  one  thousands  place,  a  five  in  the  
tens  place,  and  a  six  in  the  hundreds  place.

5, 4 09
Place  a  five  in  the  one  thousands  place,  a  zero  in  the  tens  
place,  a  four  in  the  hundreds  place,  and  a  nine  in  the  ones  
place.

2 2, 3 46
Place  a  two  in  the  one  thousands  place,  a  three  in  the  
hundreds  place,  a  four  in  the  tens  place,  a  two  in  the  ten  
thousands  place,  and  a  six  in  the  ones  place.

1, 7 8 9, 0 65
Place  a  one  in  the  one  millions  place,  a  five  in  the  ones  place,  a  
nine  in  the  one  thousands  place,  a  seven  in  the  one  hundred  
thousands  place,  a  six  in  the  tens  place,  an  eight  in  the  ten  
thousands  place,  and  a  zero  in  the  hundreds  place.

7 Place  a  seven  in  the  ones  place.

2 3 4, 7 98
Place  a  four  in  the  one  thousands  place,  a  seven  in  the  
hundreds  place,  a  nine  in  the  tens  place,  an  eight  in  the  
ones  place,  a  three  in  the  ten  thousands  place,  and  a  two  in  
the  one  hundred  thousands  place.

7
Homework Answer Key
Name __________________________ Date _________