LAFS.1.L.1.2Archived Standard

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  1. Capitalize dates and names of people.
  2. Use end punctuation for sentences.
  3. Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.
  4. Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
  5. Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
General Information
Subject Area: English Language Arts
Grade: 1
Strand: Language Standards
Idea: Level 1: Recall
Date Adopted or Revised: 12/10
Content Complexity Rating: Level 1: Recall - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 02/14
Status: State Board Approved - Archived

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
5010010: English for Speakers of Other Languages-Elementary (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022 (course terminated))
5010030: Functional Basic Skills in Communications-Elementary (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5010042: Language Arts - Grade One (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2021, 2021 and beyond (current))
7710012: Access Language Arts - Grade 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

The Difference Between Fact and Opinion:

Using the book Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, students will explain facts and opinions about worms from the text. Students will decide if information from the text is a fact or opinion and write a factual statement about worms from the text.

Type: Lesson Plan

Squeaky Clean:

Students will learn that personal hygiene is needed for overall health. Students will investigate different types of hand cleansers and cleaners in order to find the best solution to keeping germs at bay.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Pizza Party Planners:

In the story Curious George and the Pizza Party (by Rey, H.A., and Margret Rey), Curious George attends a pizza party for a friend. Now the man with the yellow hat wants to plan his own pizza party for Curious George, but he needs the students' help. Help the man with the yellow hat use the data about the different pizza companies in his area to rank the options from best to worst, considering the toppings offered, crust options, prices, and customer satisfaction ratings. Then the students will use the special promotions from each pizza company and their math skills to figure out which pizza place offers the best deals. Each team of students will write letters to the man with the yellow hat explaining how they ranked the companies and why they chose their rankings to help him choose the best pizza for George's party.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Arthur's Perfect Pet:

In the story Arthur's Pet Business, Arthur shows his parents that he is responsible enough to deserve a pet dog and his mom gives him permission to get one. However, Arthur needs your help choosing the perfect dog. Help Arthur meet all the requirements needed to find the perfect pet for his family from the research he shares with you about the breeds they are considering, taking into consideration size, shedding, barking, friendliness, etc. Then write a justification to describe why you chose the perfect pet for Arthur and his family.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Cause and Effect: Practicing the Skill with Picture Books:

In this lesson, students will listen to picture books and then use a graphic organizer to explain the cause-and-effect relationships in the picture books. Students will create their own storybook using cause-and-effect relationships.

Type: Lesson Plan

"Handy" Constellations:

This lesson allows students to explore constellations, starting with Gemini. Students will learn about constellations and learn that there are more stars in the sky than anyone can easily count. Students will create a constellation of their own using the outline of their hand. At the end of the lesson, the students will understand that constellations can be viewed differently by others. A worksheet will be completed as a summative assessment.

Type: Lesson Plan

A Piece of Cake:

In this lesson, students will present their opinion through drawing, writing and speaking. Students will enjoy discussing their favorite animals, pizza and cake. Students will learn about self-expression and the different ways to present their opinion.

Type: Lesson Plan

Arthur's Directorial Debut: A Thanksgiving MEA:

In the story Arthur's Thanksgiving, Arthur is chosen to direct the school's Thanksgiving play, but he has a hard time deciding who should play each part. In this MEA, the students will work in teams to help Arthur choose the perfect person for each part in the play. Then the students will write a letter to Arthur explaining their casting decisions and their decision making process. During the lesson, students will also have to reconsider their casting decisions and help Arthur solve the problem in the story when no one wants to dress up as the most important part in the play, the turkey!

Type: Lesson Plan

Make Your Mark with the Mice:

In this lesson, students will be engaged with the story The City Mouse and the Country Mouse and see what happens when the mice visit each other’s homes. Students will take part in a discussion about the characters, setting, and the major events of the story. They will be asked to take the perspective of the City Mouse and write a letter of complaint about how visiting the countryside was just not a good thing to do. There are also several opportunities in these lessons for students to practice grade appropriate conventions of writing including ending punctuation and capitalization.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

Detecting Capitals:

Learn to detect words that need capitals with Detectives Sadie, Sam, and Scout in this interactive tutorial. Help fix their secret messages by capitalizing the first word in a sentence, names, the pronoun I, days of the week, and months of the year.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Punctuation Play:

Learn to use a period, a question mark, and an exclamation mark at the end of sentences in this interactive soccer-themed tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Student Center Activities

Advanced Phonics: Double Time:

In this activity, students will write corresponding spelling patterns for long vowels in multisyllabic words. As an extension activity, students will write the correct vowel for the schwa sound.

Type: Student Center Activity

Advanced Phonics: The Write Word:

In this activity, students will produce words with different spelling patterns while playing a game.

Type: Student Center Activity

Advanced Phonics: Word-O-Matic:

In this activity, students will make words using letter cards containing digraphs, silent letter combinations, vowel teams, and vowel diphthongs.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: Word Plus:

In this activity, students will identify and write individual words in compound words.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: Say and Spell:

In this activity, students will read and spell high frequency words.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: Map-A-Word:

In this activity, students will orally segment phonemes in words and write the corresponding letters in Elkonin boxes.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: Say and Write Letters:

In this activity, students will orally segment words represented by picture cards and write the corresponding letters on spaces in Elkonin boxes.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: A Digraph A Word:

In this activity, students will segment names of pictures into phonemes and use letter tiles to spell each word.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: Make-A-Word:

In this activity, students will segment names of pictures into phonemes and use letters to make each word.

Type: Student Center Activity

Phonics: How Many Words?:

In this activity, students will make words using letter tiles containing digraphs and vowel pairs.

Type: Student Center Activity

Text Resource

Guide to Grammar and Writing: Capitalization:

This text resource is a guide to proper capitalization. A PowerPoint is included.

Type: Text Resource

STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity

Arthur's Directorial Debut: A Thanksgiving MEA:

In the story Arthur's Thanksgiving, Arthur is chosen to direct the school's Thanksgiving play, but he has a hard time deciding who should play each part. In this MEA, the students will work in teams to help Arthur choose the perfect person for each part in the play. Then the students will write a letter to Arthur explaining their casting decisions and their decision making process. During the lesson, students will also have to reconsider their casting decisions and help Arthur solve the problem in the story when no one wants to dress up as the most important part in the play, the turkey!

Arthur's Perfect Pet:

In the story Arthur's Pet Business, Arthur shows his parents that he is responsible enough to deserve a pet dog and his mom gives him permission to get one. However, Arthur needs your help choosing the perfect dog. Help Arthur meet all the requirements needed to find the perfect pet for his family from the research he shares with you about the breeds they are considering, taking into consideration size, shedding, barking, friendliness, etc. Then write a justification to describe why you chose the perfect pet for Arthur and his family.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Pizza Party Planners:

In the story Curious George and the Pizza Party (by Rey, H.A., and Margret Rey), Curious George attends a pizza party for a friend. Now the man with the yellow hat wants to plan his own pizza party for Curious George, but he needs the students' help. Help the man with the yellow hat use the data about the different pizza companies in his area to rank the options from best to worst, considering the toppings offered, crust options, prices, and customer satisfaction ratings. Then the students will use the special promotions from each pizza company and their math skills to figure out which pizza place offers the best deals. Each team of students will write letters to the man with the yellow hat explaining how they ranked the companies and why they chose their rankings to help him choose the best pizza for George's party.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Squeaky Clean:

Students will learn that personal hygiene is needed for overall health. Students will investigate different types of hand cleansers and cleaners in order to find the best solution to keeping germs at bay.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Original Student Tutorials for Language Arts - Grades K-5

Detecting Capitals:

Learn to detect words that need capitals with Detectives Sadie, Sam, and Scout in this interactive tutorial. Help fix their secret messages by capitalizing the first word in a sentence, names, the pronoun I, days of the week, and months of the year.

Punctuation Play:

Learn to use a period, a question mark, and an exclamation mark at the end of sentences in this interactive soccer-themed tutorial.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorials

Detecting Capitals:

Learn to detect words that need capitals with Detectives Sadie, Sam, and Scout in this interactive tutorial. Help fix their secret messages by capitalizing the first word in a sentence, names, the pronoun I, days of the week, and months of the year.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Punctuation Play:

Learn to use a period, a question mark, and an exclamation mark at the end of sentences in this interactive soccer-themed tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Student Center Activity

Advanced Phonics: Word-O-Matic:

In this activity, students will make words using letter cards containing digraphs, silent letter combinations, vowel teams, and vowel diphthongs.

Type: Student Center Activity