Property Patrol Lesson Plan Property Patrol Lesson Plan
Mastering Possessive Nouns
Grade Level: 6-7
Duration: 50-60 Mins
Subject: ELA / Grammar
Objectives
Correctly apply apostrophe + s to singular nouns to show possession.
Apply apostrophe only to plural nouns ending in 's'.
Identify the difference between possessive nouns and plural nouns.
Standards
CCSS ELA L.6.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Materials
Property Patrol Slides
Apostrophe Academy Poster
Property Patrol Worksheet
Case Closed Exit Ticket
Anticipatory Set (5 Mins)
Start with the "Who Owns It?" hook. Hold up a few student items (a pencil, a notebook, a backpack). Ask the class: "If I find this on the floor, how do I write that it belongs to Sarah?" Write Sarahs pencil on the board. Ask: "Is this correct? What's missing?" Introduce the concept of the Apostrophe as a "hook" that latches onto an owner.
Direct Instruction (15 Mins)
Step 1: The Singular Rule
Show Slide 3. Explain that for singular nouns, we always add 's. Examples: The dog's bone, Chris's coat (even names ending in 's' usually take 's in this grade level).
Step 2: The Plural Rule
Show Slide 4. If a plural noun ends in 's', we just add the apostrophe after the 's'. Examples: The dogs' bones (belonging to multiple dogs).
Step 3: Irregular Plurals
Show Slide 5. Words like children or mice don't end in 's'. They follow the singular rule: 's. Examples: The children's toys.
Guided Practice (10 Mins)
Use the "Property Mystery" scenarios on Slide 7. Have students come up to the board to "arrest" incorrect sentences by adding the missing apostrophe or moving a misplaced one. Focus on identifying the "owner" first to decide which rule applies.
Independent Practice (15 Mins)
Students complete the Property Patrol Worksheet . Circulate the room and check for common errors, specifically confusing simple plurals with possessives (e.g., writing "I have two dog's" instead of "dogs"). Encourage students to use the Anchor Chart for reference.
Closure (5 Mins)
Distribute the Case Closed Exit Ticket . Students must solve the final "Property Mystery" to leave the room. Collect these to identify students who need reinforcement on the "Its vs. It's" trap.
Differentiation & Extensions
Support
Provide a "Cheat Sheet" version of the Anchor Chart. Focus only on singular possession first, master it, then introduce plurals ending in 's'.
Challenge
Have students research joint possession (e.g., Tom and Mary's house vs. Tom's and Mary's houses) and create their own mini-rulebook for complex cases.
Property Patrol Worksheet Answer Key Worksheet Answer Key
Property Patrol: Official Solutions
Teacher Resource
Section 1
Singular Property Solutions
1. The cat belonging to Sarah Sarah's cat
2. The notebook owned by James James's notebook (Also: James')
3. The tail of the dog The dog's tail
4. The desk of the teacher The teacher's desk
Section 2
Plural Property Solutions
Owner(s) Correct Possessive Form Three dogs Three dogs' All the teachers All the teachers' The mice (irregular) The mice's Ten players Ten players'
Section 3
Rewriting Evidence Solutions
1. The locker that belongs to Marcus
Marcus's locker (Also: Marcus' locker)
2. The den shared by the foxes
The foxes' den
3. The dinner of the family
The family's dinner
4. The toys of the children
The children's toys
Grading Guide
Scene Report
Sample Model Answer:
"The student's backpack was buried under the players' sweaty jerseys."
Mastery Criteria:
Includes 1 Singular Possessive
Includes 1 Plural Possessive
Note: Verify proper apostrophe placement and ensure the sentence context justifies the possessive form used.
Property Patrol Slides CRIME SCENE: DO NOT CROSS • PROPERTY PATROL • CRIME SCENE: DO NOT CROSS
Property
Patrol
Cracking the Case of the Missing Apostrophe
CASE ID: 004-POSS
The Ownership Mystery
"The girls notebook was found."
Wait! How many girls?
Without the apostrophe, we don't know who owns what. Is it one girl? Multiple girls?
Let's learn the rules of the patrol!
Rule #1
Singular Owners
Owner + 's
Add an apostrophe and an 's' to any singular noun.
The dog
Dog's bowl
My teacher
Teacher's desk
James
James's locker
Rule #2
Plural Owners
Owners ending in S + '
If the plural word already ends in 's', just add the apostrophe at the end!
The dogs (plural)
The dogs' bowl
The students
The students' grades
The Wild Cards
Some plural nouns don't end in 'S'!
Use the Singular Rule for these!
The children's toys
The people's choice
Apostrophe Trap!
It's vs. Its
It's
A contraction of
"It's a beautiful day for a patrol."
Its
The possessive form.
"The dog chased its own tail."
Case Files: Practice
1. The birds nest is in the tree.
[ONE BIRD]
2. The students projects are due.
[MANY STUDENTS]
3. Bess bike was stolen.
[ONE PERSON]
4. The men locker room is down the hall.
[IRREGULAR PLURAL]
Case Solved: Answer Key
1. The bird's nest is in the tree.
2. The students' projects are due.
3. Bess's bike was stolen.
4. The men's locker room is down the hall.
Case Closed
Go forth and protect the property of nouns everywhere!
Case Closed Exit Ticket Answer Key Exit Ticket Answer Key
Case Closed: Final Verdicts
Teacher
1
Multiple Choice
"The pencils lead is broken." (One pencil)
B) pencil's
2
Rewrite Possession
The lockers of the students (plural)
The students' lockers
3
Analysis
"The tree lost its' leaves." Is this correct?
NO
Explanation:
Its is the correct possessive form. The word its' does not exist in the English language. Students often confuse it because they think all possessives need apostrophes, but possessive pronouns (like its, hers, ours, theirs) do not use them. It's is a contraction for "it is."
Grading Key
3/3
Mastery
2/3
Developing
0-1/3
Intervention
Property Patrol Worksheet Property Patrol Worksheet
Official Case File: Possession Mastery
Patrol Agent:
Date:
Rules of Engagement:
Singular: Add 's
Plural ending in S: Add '
Irregular Plural: Add 's
Section 1
Singular Property
Write the complete possessive form for each owner.
1. The cat belonging to Sarah
2. The notebook owned by James
3. The tail of the dog
4. The desk of the teacher
Section 2
Plural Property
Provide the official possessive form for the plural owners below.
Owner(s) Official Possessive Form Three dogs All the teachers
|
| The mice (irregular) |
|
| Ten players |
|
Section 3
Rewriting Evidence
1. The locker that belongs to Marcus:
2. The den shared by the foxes (plural):
3. The dinner belonging to the family (one family):
4. The toys belonging to the children:
High Priority
Scene Report
Write a descriptive sentence about a messy locker room using one singular possessive and one plural possessive noun.
Apostrophe Academy Poster Property Patrol
Possession Rules
Singular
The Rule:
Owner's
Boy → Boy's bike
Tree → Tree's leaves
James → James's desk
Plural (S)
The Rule:
Owners'
Boys → Boys' locker
Dogs → Dogs' park
Girls → Girls' shoes
Irregular
The Rule:
Add 's
(Same as singular!)
People → People's rights
Children → Children's park
The Trap!
It's = It is
"It's a hot day."
Its = Belonging
"The bird flapped its wings."
Possessive 'its' has NO apostrophe!
Property Patrol Academy Official Resource
Case Closed Exit Ticket Evidence Log A
Case Closed Exit Ticket
AGENT:
DATE:
1. "The pencils lead is broken." If ONE pencil is broken, how should you write it?
A) pencils'
B) pencil's
C) pencils
D) pencil'es
2. Rewrite showing possession: The lockers of the students (plural)
3. Is this correct? "The tree lost its' leaves." Why or why not?
Case ID: POSS-67-TICKET
Evidence Log B
Case Closed Exit Ticket
AGENT:
DATE:
1. "The pencils lead is broken." If ONE pencil is broken, how should you write it?
A) pencils'
B) pencil's
C) pencils
D) pencil'es
2. Rewrite showing possession: The lockers of the students (plural)
3. Is this correct? "The tree lost its' leaves." Why or why not?
Case ID: POSS-67-TICKET
