1. Editing Invitation
4th Grade / Proper Nouns

2. Invitation to Notice Day 1 Henry looked for his family.
At lunchtime, Henry rushed to the center of town. A large group of slaves were tied together. The owner shouted at them.
Henry looked for his family.
“Father! Father!”
Henry watched his children disappear down the road.
Where was Nancy?
He saw her the same moment she saw him.
When he wiped away his tears, Nancy, too, was gone.
Excerpt from Henry’s Freedom Box by Kadir Nelson

3. Invitation to Notice Day 1
He asked James and Dr. Smith to help him. Dr. Smith was a white man who thought slavery was wrong.
They met early the next day at an empty warehouse.
Henry arrived with a box.
“I will mail myself to a place where there are no slaves!” he said.
James stared at the box, then at Henry. “What if you cough and someone hears you?”
Excerpt from Henry’s Freedom Box by Kadir Nelson

4. Invitation to Notice Day 1 To: William H. Johnson Arch Street
Dr. Smith wrote on the box:
To: William H. Johnson
Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Henry would be delivered to friends in Philadelphia.
Then he printed on the crate in big letters:
This side up with care.
Excerpt from Henry’s Freedom Box by Kadir Nelson

5. Invitation to Notice Day 1
Nouns are words that name a person, place, thing, or idea. A sentence must have at least one noun.
Common nouns are the general names of a person, place, thing, or idea.
Proper nouns name a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
Common Nouns
Proper Nouns
boy
street
city
store
Matthew
Rio Grande
Houston
Target

6. Day 2
Invitation to Notice

7. Invitation to Notice Day 2
In your writers notebook, classify the nouns as common or proper. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
Mary
toy
girl
Florida
HEB
United States
Coach Robert
dog
San Jacinto Monument
month
school
armadillo
book
coach
Houston Texans
Dallas
Tuesday
baseball

8. Which words do I capitalize?
Day 2
BONUS
Which words do I capitalize?

9. Invitation to Imitate Day 2 He asked James and Dr. Smith to help him.
Imitate a sentence using a proper noun:
He asked James and Dr. Smith to help him.
He asked ______ and ________ to help him.

10. Invitation to Imitate Day 2 Imitate a sentence using a proper noun:
Dr. Smith wrote on the box:
To: William H. Johnson
Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dr. _____ wrote on the box:
To: _________________
_________________
________, ________

11. Invitation to Write Day 3
Using a current piece of your own writing, notice your own use of proper nouns.
Did you capitalize your proper nouns?
Where can you replace a common noun with a proper noun to make your writing more clear?
For example: Our coach told us the other team was tough.
Better: Our coach told us the Giants were a tough team.

12. Invitation to Celebrate
Day 3
Invitation to Celebrate
Share with a partner a place in your writing where you replaced a common noun with a proper noun to make your writing better.

13. Day 4
Invitation to Edit
(1) I will probably only be a few hours late for the first day of school. (2) From, Michael. (3) P.S. Please don’t let nicholas sit in my place.
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?
Change sit to sat.
Change don’t to dont.
Change nicholas to Nicholas.
Make no change.

14. Day 4
Invitation to Edit
(1) My family and I went camping in Yellowstone National Park for a whole week. (2) It was so beautiful. (3) We got up early and hiked to fairy falls. (4) When we got there we swam around under the waterfall.
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?
Change got to get.
Change hiked to hike
Change fairy falls to Fairy Falls.
Make no change.

15. Day 4
Invitation to Edit
(1) wednesday is our family’s spaghetti night. (2) It’s the night my sister Jessica, my brother Michael, and I make dinner. (3) She makes sure no one gets hurt. (4) Spaghetti is fairly easy to make. (5) We boil water, cook the spaghetti, and heat up sauce. (6) Sometimes all three of us make the salad together, but that’s mostly my job. (7) Michael usually makes dessert.
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?
Change wednesday to Wednesday.
Change family’s to Family’s.
Change spaghetti to Spaghetti.
Make no change.