Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Verbs: Tense Problems

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 crucial to direct the focus of students and the teacher towards the specific learning goals of the lesson. By clearly establishing what is expected to be achieved, this section ensures that both the students' prior preparation and the conduct of the lesson are aligned to achieve concrete results. The outlined objectives guide practical activities and ensure that students can practically and effectively apply theoretical knowledge about verb tenses in Spanish.

Main Objectives:

1. Enable students to recognize and differentiate the different verb tenses in Spanish, identifying their specific purposes.

2. Develop the ability to correctly apply verb tenses in practical situations, reinforcing learning through exercises and discussions in the classroom.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage active participation from students in discussions involving the use of verb tenses, promoting confidence in oral expression in Spanish.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of the introduction is to engage students in critical and reflective thinking about the practical application of verb tenses in Spanish, using problem-situations that simulate real communication challenges. Additionally, it aims to contextualize the importance of studying verb tenses with examples and curiosities that demonstrate their relevance and applicability in daily life, motivating students and paving the way for deeper learning during classroom activities.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine that you have to explain to a foreigner what is happening at the moment, but you don't know if you should use the simple present or the present continuous in Spanish. How would you resolve this?

2. Think of a letter you would write to a friend about an event that occurred in the recent past. Would you be able to use the present perfect correctly? Discuss with your colleague which verbal form would be more appropriate and why.

Contextualization

Verb tenses in Spanish are essential for precise communication in everyday situations, such as describing past, present, or future events, expressing habits, or even talking about possibilities and conditions. Interestingly, the use of verb tenses in Spanish can vary significantly from Portuguese, which can create confusion for native Portuguese speakers. For example, the present subjunctive in Spanish is widely used in situations where in Portuguese we often use the future subjunctive. These nuances make the study of verb tenses a fascinating linguistic adventure and fundamental for those who wish to express themselves accurately and naturally in the Spanish language.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to practically and interactively apply the concepts studied about verb tenses in Spanish. Through playful and collaborative activities, students will have the opportunity to solidify their understanding of the different verb tenses and their uses while developing communication and teamwork skills. This practical approach aims not only to reinforce learning but also to make the class more dynamic and engaging for students.

Activity Suggestions

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

Activity 1 - Time Travel: Simple Present vs. Present Continuous

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice the correct use of the simple present and present continuous in contexts of past and future, reinforcing understanding of the purposes of each verb tense.

- Description: Students are divided into groups of up to 5 people and each group receives a situation of traveling to the past or future. They must create a dialogue between characters that includes the description of their actions with the correct use of the simple present and present continuous.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of no more than 5 students.

• Distribute the scenarios: travel to the past and travel to the future.

• Ask each group to create a dialogue that describes the actions of the characters using the simple present and the present continuous correctly.

• The dialogues must contain at least 10 sentences that alternate between the two verb tenses.

• Each group will present their dialogue to the class, and others will identify the correct use of the verb tenses.

Activity 2 - Cinegrammar: Present Perfect vs. Preterite

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop the ability to differentiate and apply the present perfect and preterite through the analysis of real-world usage contexts in films, promoting a deeper understanding of the Spanish language.

- Description: In this activity, students, organized in groups, watch excerpts from films in Spanish and identify the use of the verb tenses present perfect and preterite. They must then discuss and justify why each verb tense was used in the observed scene.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students.

• Present excerpts from films in Spanish that contain varied dialogues.

• Students must watch and then discuss in their groups which verb tense was used and why.

• Each group chooses a scene to analyze and present to the class, explaining the use of the verb tenses.

• At the end, there will be a class discussion to compare the analyses of the groups.

Activity 3 - Future Builders: Simple Future vs. Periphrastic Future

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Enhance the use of the simple future and periphrastic future in contexts of planning and prediction, encouraging creativity and understanding of the subtleties of future verb tenses.

- Description: Students, in groups, create a 'future newspaper' where they must write headlines and news items using the simple future and periphrastic future. The goal is to train the application of verb tenses in contexts of uncertainty and planning.

- Instructions:

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

• Explain the difference between the simple future and periphrastic future, with clear examples.

• Each group receives the task of writing three headlines and two news items, using both verb tenses.

• Groups present their 'future newspaper' to the class.

• Conduct a group revision activity to discuss and correct the use of the verb tenses.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to allow students to reflect on the learning acquired during the practical activities and share insights with their peers. This group discussion helps consolidate knowledge about verb tenses in Spanish, allowing students to identify and correct common errors in a collaborative learning environment. It also provides the teacher with an opportunity to evaluate students' understanding and clarify any remaining doubts, promoting a deeper comprehension of the topic.

Group Discussion

Start the group discussion with a brief recap of the activities carried out, emphasizing the importance of understanding and correctly applying verb tenses in Spanish. Encourage each group to share their experiences and key learnings, focusing on how the challenges posed in the activities helped clarify the practical use of verb tenses. Suggest that students also discuss the difficulties encountered and how they managed to overcome them.

Key Questions

1. What were the main difficulties you faced when applying the different verb tenses in the proposed activities?

2. How did understanding the purposes of each verb tense help in solving the exercises?

3. Was there a moment when you needed to review the use of a verb tense after the correction in class? How did this influence your learning?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of the Conclusion is to consolidate learning, ensuring that students have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the discussed concepts. This stage also serves to reinforce the importance of verb tenses in the everyday use of the Spanish language, motivating students to continue exploring and improving their language skills. Additionally, it provides a moment for students to reflect on the integration of theory with practice, recognizing the applicability of what they have learned.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the main topics addressed regarding verb tenses in Spanish, highlighting the differences between them and the specific contexts of use. It is essential to recapitulate the simple and continuous present, the present perfect and preterite, and the simple and periphrastic future, emphasizing practical examples discussed during the activities.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the connection between theory and practice was established through interactive activities that allowed students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical and real situations. This approach not only reinforced the understanding of verb tenses but also demonstrated the importance of understanding the theory for effective use in daily language.

Closing

Finally, it is crucial to highlight the relevance of verb tenses in Spanish for effective and precise communication. Mastery of these tenses allows students to express themselves clearly and appropriately in different contexts, both formal and informal, enriching their linguistic and cultural skills.