Teacher Edition
Starter • Unit 2: People & Things

Where Are My Keys?

Name everyday objects, use a/an correctly, form plurals with -s and -es, and describe what's in your bag.

50 min
singular/plural nouns + a / an
14 words
1

Reading

10 minutes
Say to student:

"What things do you have in YOUR bag? Let's learn the names!"

Reading

Where Are My Keys?

Read the text aloud. Then discuss the questions below.

Top 8 things people lose

Every day, people say 'Oh no! Where's my...?' The top 8 things people lose: 1. keys 2. phone 3. glasses 4. wallet 5. pen 6. umbrella 7. charger 8. bag

Key Words from the Text

keys — Where are my keys?
phone — My phone is in my bag.
wallet — Where's my wallet?
glasses — My glasses are on the table.
umbrella — I have an umbrella in my bag.
pen — I need a pen.
bag — What's in your bag?
charger — My charger is in my bag.

1. What's number 1?

2. Do YOU lose your keys?

3. What do you lose most often?

2

Language Focus

12 minutes

Grammar Discovery: a/an + singular and plural nouns

Look at these phrases. When do we use A and when AN?

a pen, a book, a bag, a phone

an umbrella, an email, an address

A + consonant sound. AN + vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).

Expected answer: A before consonant sounds. AN before vowel sounds.

Explain:

How do we make plurals?

key → keys, pen → pens — Most words: just add -S

glass → glasses, bus → buses — Words ending in -s/-ss/-sh/-ch: add -ES

Quick Check (oral):

1. Say: "___ phone (a / an)"

Expected: a

If wrong: Phone starts with /f/ (consonant) → A phone.

2. Say: "___ umbrella (a / an)"

Expected: an

If wrong: Umbrella starts with /ʌ/ (vowel) → AN umbrella.

3. Say: "one glass → two ___ (glasss / glasses)"

Expected: glasses

If wrong: Words ending in -ss add -ES: glasses.

Common Errors

a umbrella → an umbrella
Umbrella starts with a vowel sound → AN umbrella.
two glass → two glasses
Words ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch add -ES: glass → glasses.
Explicação (PT-BR):
A = antes de som de consoante (a pen, a book). AN = antes de som de vogal (an umbrella, an email). Plural: +s (keys, pens) ou +es (glasses, buses).
3

Practice

15 minutes
Watch for:
- No dialogue in this lesson — compensate with real objects. Bring extras: umbrella, glasses, charger if possible.
- A vs AN: rule is by SOUND, not letter. 'An umbrella' (vowel), 'a university' (sound /j/ = consonant). For Starter, simplify: 'an + a/e/i/o/u'.
- Plural irregulars: 'glasses' is already plural (no 'a glass' for eyeglasses — 'a glass' = cup). 'Sunglasses' same.
- 'They're' for plural objects (keys, glasses). Brazilian finds it strange: 'keys don't have gender!' Explain: 'plural things = they'.
- Pronunciation: wallet /wɑːlɪt/, charger /tʃɑːrdʒər/, umbrella /ʌmˈbrɛlə/.

Everyday Objects

Match the object to the word.

Column A

🔑
📱
👓
👛
✏️
☂️
🔌
👜

Column B

charger
phone
keys
pen
bag
glasses
umbrella
wallet

A or AN? + Plurals

Complete with a or an. Then write the plural.

1. phone
2. umbrella
3. key → two
4. email
5. bag → three
6. address
7. one glass → two
8. one bus → three

It's a ___ / They're ___

Complete with words from the box.

aankeysphoneglassesThey're
1. It's phone.
2. It's umbrella.
3. What is it? It's pen.
4. What are they? keys.
5. Are they ? No, they're sunglasses.
6. Where's my ? It's in your bag!

What's in Your Bag?

Take things out of your bag and name them in English.

Scenario:

Your teacher asks about items in your bag. Take things out one by one.

Useful Expressions

What is it? → It's a/an ___.What are they? → They're ___.How many? → One, two, three...

Round 1 — You show, teacher asks

YOU: (take out an item)
TEACHER: What is it? / What are they?
YOU: It's a phone. / They're keys.
TEACHER: How many keys?
YOU: Three keys!

Round 2 — Teacher describes, you guess

TEACHER: I have something. It's small. I use it to open my house.
YOU: Keys!
TEACHER: Yes! They're keys.
4

Let's Talk

13 minutes

Let's Talk!

Use what you learned today to answer these questions. Elaborate as much as you can!

Talking about things you carry.

1. What's in your bag right now?

Follow-up: How many keys do you have?

Target: I have a phone, keys, a wallet, and a pen.
Expected answer: A phone. Keys. A wallet.
Tip: Accept single words. Build to 'I have a phone, keys, and a wallet.' Count items together.

2. Do you lose things? What do you lose?

Follow-up: Where do you find them?

Target: I lose my keys. / I lose my phone.
Expected answer: My keys. / My phone.
Tip: Connect to the reading. Model: 'I always lose my keys!' Accept 'keys' alone, build to sentences.
Extension activity: Aluno rapido: descrever TODOS os objetos na sala usando 'a/an' e 'singular/plural'. Memory game: teacher shows 8 objects for 30 seconds, covers them, student lists from memory.

Self-Assessment

How did you do today?

  • ✓
    I can say what's in my bag: a phone, keys, an umbrella.
  • ✓
    I can use a/an correctly: a phone / an umbrella.
  • ✓
    I can form plurals: key → keys / glass → glasses.

Great work today!

Next class: Next class: shopping! How much is this T-shirt?