Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Augmentative and Diminutive

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage is fundamental to direct the focus of students and the teacher towards the learning goals of the lesson. By clearly establishing what is expected to be achieved, it facilitates the understanding and application of the concepts of augmentative and diminutive. This section serves as a guide for subsequent activities, ensuring that all involved are aligned with educational expectations.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to form the augmentative and diminutive of words using the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho, respectively.

2. Develop the ability to recognize and identify words in the augmentative and diminutive in texts, promoting understanding of how these forms modify the meaning of words.

Side Objectives:

1. Stimulate students' curiosity and interest in exploring different forms of words.
2. Promote interaction and teamwork during practical activities.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction stage aims to engage students and rekindle their prior knowledge about augmentative and diminutive. Through problem situations, it seeks to activate critical thinking and curiosity, while contextualization aims to show the practical relevance and semantic richness of these suffixes in the Portuguese language. This approach prepares students for practical activities and the application of concepts in real reading and writing contexts.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Ask students to think about how a word can change meaning when we use the augmentative or diminutive. For instance, how does 'house' transform when using 'little house' or 'big house'? Encourage them to discuss in small groups.

2. Present a list of words in the augmentative and diminutive, but with the suffixes removed. Challenge students to complete the list correctly, explaining the reasoning behind their choices.

Contextualization

Explain that the use of the augmentative and diminutive not only modifies the size of the words but can also express affection, disdain, or intensity, depending on the context. Use examples like 'little kiss' to demonstrate affection and 'big mountain' to emphasize something large and imposing. Share curiosities, like the frequent use of the diminutive in Brazil, which may be a cultural characteristic or a way to soften communication.

Development

Duration: (65 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to engage students in practical activities that consolidate the learning of the augmentative and diminutive suffixes. The proposed activities are interactive and aim to apply knowledge in a playful manner, facilitating comprehension and retention of content. This section is essential for students to actively experience the formation and impact of augmentatives and diminutives, preparing them to identify and use these forms in reading and writing.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Circus of Suffixes

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop skills of expression and understanding of the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho, in a dynamic and interactive way, promoting the fixation of content through theatrical representation.

- Description: Students will participate in a playful activity where they will transform words into their augmentative and diminutive forms. The setting will be set up like a circus, and each group will represent a circus act. Each act should present a base word and its derivatives in the augmentative and diminutive, demonstrating the altered meaning and acting according to the new form of the word.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group will choose a base word and secretly form its augmentative and diminutive.

• Groups should plan a small act, as if they were at the circus, to present the words and their altered meanings.

• Prepare a small presentation where each group member must act with the chosen word, displaying gestures and expressions that correspond to the new size or meaning of the word.

• In the end, each group must explain what changed in the meaning of the word and how the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho influenced it.

Activity 2 - Word Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Stimulate creativity and understanding of the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho, through the construction of visual representations that assist in fixing the concept.

- Description: In this activity, students will become 'architects' of words, building models that visually represent the concept of augmentative and diminutive. They will use materials like play dough, sticks, and fabrics. Each group will receive a box of assorted materials to represent the words in different sizes.

- Instructions:

• Organize the room into workstations, each equipped with construction materials.

• Distribute the base words among the groups, and each group will choose whether to work on the augmentative or diminutive.

• Students must build models that represent the base word in its original size and then in its augmentative or diminutive form.

• In the end, groups will present their models, explaining how the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho were used to modify the word and what this alters in its meaning.

• Promote a class discussion about the different approaches and representations of the suffixes.

Activity 3 - Suffix Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop skills of textual analysis and understanding of the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho, promoting the ability to identify and discuss the use of these suffixes in different contexts.

- Description: Students will take on the role of linguistic detectives, investigating words in a text in search of their augmentative and diminutive forms. Each group will receive a 'clue' (a text excerpt) and must find the words modified by the suffixes, discussing together the effect of these changes in context.

- Instructions:

• Prepare envelopes with small excerpts of texts that contain words in the augmentative or diminutive.

• Distribute one envelope to each group and allow them to read the text.

• Groups must find and highlight the words that are in the augmentative or diminutive, and note the meaning that these altered forms bring to the text.

• Each group will present their findings, explaining the impact of the modified words on the understanding of the text.

• Promote a debate on how the use of augmentative and diminutive can enrich communication.

• Conclude with a question and answer game to reinforce what was learned.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate learning, allowing students to reflect on the activities performed and articulate what they learned in a broader context. The group discussion helps reinforce the understanding of augmentative and diminutive concepts, as well as promote communication and argumentation skills. This collective feedback also provides the teacher with valuable insights into the students' learning process, facilitating any adjustments in content teaching.

Group Discussion

After completing the activities, gather all students for a group discussion. Start the conversation with a brief introduction, saying it's time to share what each group learned and what the most exciting discoveries were. Encourage students to express their opinions and comment on what they found most challenging and enjoyable in the activities. Use questions like 'What surprised you the most while exploring augmentatives and diminutives?' and 'How would you apply what you learned in other reading or writing situations?' to guide the discussion.

Key Questions

1. What are the main differences you found when transforming words to the augmentative and diminutive?

2. How can the use of augmentatives and diminutives alter the tone of a conversation or text?

3. Was there any word that you found difficult to transform? Why?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Conclusion stage serves to reinforce what was learned, highlighting the importance of the topics addressed and how they apply both in the academic context and in everyday life. Summarizing and recapping the main points helps students consolidate knowledge, while the discussion of the connection between theory and practice reinforces the relevance of learning beyond the classroom. This section closes the lesson in a reflective and integrative manner, preparing students for future applications of the discussed concepts.

Summary

To conclude, it is crucial to summarize the content worked on regarding the augmentative and diminutive with the suffixes -ão and -inho/-zinho. During the class, students explored not only the formation of these suffixes but also how they alter the meaning of words, whether in terms of size, affection, or intensity. This summary helps consolidate the acquired knowledge and fix the main learnings.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was structured to effectively connect theory and practice. Through interactive and contextualized activities, students were able to directly apply the concepts studied, such as the formation of the augmentative and diminutive, in an active learning environment. This facilitated understanding and retention of content, showing the practical relevance of the suffixes in the Portuguese language.

Closing

Understanding and correctly using augmentatives and diminutives is essential not only for writing but also for everyday life. This ability allows students to enrich their communication, expressing themselves more clearly and adapting the tone of their speech and writing according to the context. Furthermore, the use of suffixes can reveal cultural and emotional aspects of the Portuguese language, making learning richer and more meaningful.