Bridge Builder Teacher Guide Construction Crew Teacher Guide
Lesson: Relative Pronouns & The Linking Bridge
Target Grade
5th Grade
Learning Objective
Students will identify and categorize relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, that, which) based on whether they refer to people , things , or both .
Timeline
5 min
Warm-up: Noun Brainstorm
Categorize "People" and "Things" on the board to set the stage for pronoun sorting.
5 min
Video Viewing & Charting
Watch the Khan Academy video. Pause at 0:45 for the color-coding activity in journals.
20 min
Activity: Pronoun Sort Relay
Teams match nouns to acceptable relative pronouns in a fast-paced relay race.
5 min
Closure: The "Universal That"
Discuss why "that" is the most useful relative pronoun and introduce the extension poster.
Materials
Bridge Builders Slides
Pronoun Power Relay Cards
Linking Logic Anchor Chart
Bridge Talk Discussion Cards
Timer for Relay Race
Key Instructional Moments
The "Which" Restriction (Video 1:12)
When the narrator talks about "The witch which...", have students read it aloud. Most will instinctively feel it sounds "clunky" or "wrong." Explain that English "shook out" this way to help differentiate between people and objects clearly.
The Versatility of "That"
Encourage students to see "That" as the "Universal Connector." Ask: "If you're ever stuck and don't know whether to use 'who' or 'which,' what's your safest bet?" This builds confidence for struggling writers.
Common Misconceptions
Misconception: "That" is only for objects.Correction: The video explicitly shows "The man that I saw" is acceptable, though "who" is often preferred in formal writing.
Relay Race Setup
Team Formation
Split the class into 4-5 teams. Place a "Pronoun Pile" at one end of the room and a "Noun Pile" at the other.
Winning Condition
The first team to create 5 grammatically correct "bridges" (Noun + Relative Pronoun) wins. Bonus points for using the "Universal That" correctly!
Bridge Builders Slides Language Engineering
BRIDGE
BUILDERS
Mastering Relative Pronouns: Connecting Ideas One Word at a Time
Warm-Up: The Sorting Yard
People
Examples: Teacher, Firefighter...
Things
Examples: Desk, Apple...
"Brainstorm as many as you can in 2 minutes!"
How do we connect them?
The man
Clause A
WHO
The Bridge
sold the world...
Clause B
"The man who sold the world is coming by on Tuesday."
Khan Academy Construction Site
Pause at 0:45
Embedded media
Prepare your journals for the Color Chart!
Green = People | Purple = Things
The Bridge Building Materials
These five words are your primary relative pronouns:
WHO
WHOM
WHOSE
THAT
WHICH
Prediction Time: Which of these can we use for people? Which for things?
The Blueprint
People
Who / Whom / Whose
That
Things
Which / Whose
That
Notice anything special? THAT and WHOSE are double agents!
THAT
The Universal Connector
"The man..."
THAT
"The salad..."
THAT
If you aren't sure which bridge to use, THAT usually fits both sides!
Restricted Area
Does this sound right to your ear?
The witch WHICH owns a cat...
The witch who...
The witch that...
RULE: "Which" does NOT play nicely with people!
Sort Relay
20:00
1
Assemble
Form teams. One builder at a time runs to the sorting yard.
2
Match
Grab a NOUN card and find a PRONOUN "Bridge" that fits it.
3
Check
Race back and tag the next builder. First team to 5 correct bridges wins!
People: Who, That
Things: Which, That
Final Safety Check
"Which bridge is the most useful because it connects both people and things?"
Bridge Talk Discussion Cards Bridge Talk Discussion Cards
Relative Pronoun Prompts & Critical Thinking
Discussion Anchor #1 Video 0:41
"Why do you think we need so many different words just to link ideas together?"
Hint: Think about how it helps the listener know if we're talking about a person or a thing right away.
Discussion Anchor #2 Video 1:05
The narrator uses "that" for a person ("The man that I saw"). Does this sound formal or informal to you?
Follow up: Would you use "who" or "that" when writing a letter to a principal?
Discussion Anchor #3 Video 1:30
Why does "The witch which..." sound wrong? Is it just the grammar rule, or does the sound of the words matter?
Challenge: Say "The witch which" five times fast. Notice the "alliteration" effect!
Discussion Anchor #4 Reflection
If "THAT" can work for both people and things, why do we bother using "WHO" or "WHICH" at all?
Key Concept: Precision. "Who" immediately tells the reader to look for a human character.
Discussion Anchor #5 Deep Dive
What happens to a sentence if the relative pronoun "bridge" collapses?
Example: "The girl won the race is my sister." vs "The girl WHO won..."
Discussion Anchor #6 Grammar Logic
The video says "WHOSE" works for both people and things. Can you think of an example for a thing?
Example: "The house WHOSE windows were broken..." (Yes, it works!)
Cut these cards along the edges to use during small group or whole-class discussions.
Linking Logic Anchor Chart Grammar Construction Crew
Linking Logic
Relative Pronouns Bridge Our Sentences!
A Relative Pronoun connects a noun or pronoun to more information (a dependent clause).
Who
Whom
Whose
That
Which
People
Example: The man who sold the world...
Things
Example: The salad that I bought...
The Universal That
"That" is our most useful bridge because it connects to both people and things!
The "Which" Restriction
"Which" never plays with people. We can't say: "The witch which..."
Bridge Builders Inc. Quality Inspected
Bridge Builder Relay Cards Bridge Builder Relay Cards
Activity: Match the Noun to its Pronoun Bridge!
Lesson: Relative Pronouns
5th Grade Grammar
Part 1: The Noun Pile (Cut along the dashed lines)
Firefighter
Teacher
Doctor
Astronaut
Rocket
Apple
Computer
Desk
Artist
Scientist
Athlete
Baker
Painting
Microscope
Trophy
Oven
Part 2: The Pronoun Bridges (Cut along the dashed lines)
THAT
Universal Bridge
THAT
Universal Bridge
THAT
Universal Bridge
THAT
Universal Bridge
WHO
People Bridge
WHO
People Bridge
WHOSE
People/Thing
WHOM
People Bridge
WHICH
Thing Bridge
WHICH
Thing Bridge
WHICH
Thing Bridge
WHICH
Thing Bridge
THAT
Universal Bridge
THAT
Universal Bridge
WHO
People Bridge
WHICH
Thing Bridge
Teachers: Print multiple copies of Part 2 for larger classes!
