A trip to the zoo – using apostrophes

An extract from the resource:

Teaching notes

1. Remind children what apostrophes are and that they are used in two different ways:

• Contraction/omission, e.g. do not contracts to don’t, I am contracts to I’m
• Possession, e.g. Tom’s jumper shows that the jumper belongs to Tom,
  birds’ wings shows that the wings belong to birds

2. Children should complete the starter editing activity on the sheet then mark as a class, correcting misconceptions.
3. Read the dictation below about a trip to the zoo, repeating each sentence clearly. Allow children time to read, check and edit their work, before peer-marking along with the class. They should give them a mark out of 16 – one mark for each correct apostrophe. Make children aware that plurals (i.e. penguins) and other words ending in ‘s’ (i.e. includes) do not have an apostrophe. One mark is to be deducted for incorrect use. Encourage written peer feedback.