Lesson Plan | Active Methodology | Verbs: Introduction to Past Continuous

Premises: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class duration, prior student study both with the Book and the beginning of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be carried out during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a large part of the available time.

Objective

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage is crucial for establishing the lesson's learning expectations, ensuring that students understand what's expected of them. By setting specific goals, the teacher guides students through the essential aspects of the past continuous, laying the groundwork for effectively applying prior knowledge. This helps transition to practical in-class activities where students can actively consolidate and apply what they've learned at home.

Objective Utama:

1. Develop the ability to recognize and use the past continuous tense in English to describe actions that took place over a specific time in the past, with continuity or relevance to the present.

2. Explore the practical application of the past continuous in various contexts, allowing students to enhance their English communication skills.

Objective Tambahan:

1. Encourage active participation from students through discussions and hands-on group exercises, fostering collaboration and critical thinking.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction stage engages students and reviews previously covered material, using problem situations that challenge their understanding and application of the past continuous. Furthermore, by contextualizing this verb tense, students can see its relevance in real-world scenarios and recognize the importance of using it correctly in everyday life. This lays a solid foundation for subsequent practical activities, facilitating the shift from knowledge to application.

Problem-Based Situation

1. Ask students to imagine they're reading the diary of a character from a book they're studying. The character writes about their day, saying something like, 'I was walking to school when I spotted a lost puppy.' Students should identify and correct any mistakes in the use of the past continuous.

2. Propose a scenario where students are watching a movie in class, and a character describes a past event: 'We were having a blast at the party when suddenly the power went out.' Have students transform this statement into a question for the character, maintaining the correct use of the past continuous.

Contextualization

To provide a context for the past continuous, the teacher can briefly narrate the story of how this verb tense came to be in modern English. For example, explaining that the past continuous describes an ongoing action at a particular moment in the past, such as 'I was studying when my friend called.' Additionally, everyday examples or literary references can illustrate the relevance of the past continuous, like in recounting past events that resonate with the present, such as 'He was always going on about his travels.'

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage aims to allow students to practically and interactively utilize their prior knowledge of the past continuous. The proposed activities are designed to reinforce learning through enjoyable and challenging exercises, fostering active language use while encouraging creativity and teamwork. By selecting one of the activities, the teacher can tailor the content to meet the specific learning needs of the class, ensuring full immersion in the topic.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended that only one of the suggested activities be carried out

Activity 1 - Past Continuous Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice using the past continuous in a fun and collaborative environment, boosting communication and teamwork skills.

- Description: Students will be divided into groups of up to 5, taking on the role of detectives investigating a fictional case. Each group will receive a set of cards containing descriptions of past events, but with some clues left incomplete. They must use the past continuous to fill in the gaps and assemble the sequence of events.

- Instructions:

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

• Hand out the clue cards to each group.

• Explain that they need to use the past continuous to complete the sentences on the cards.

• Each group must piece together the sequence of events in a logical manner.

• Once completed, each group will present their version of the sequence of events to the class.

Activity 2 - The Great Temporal Debate

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Enhance argumentation skills and the correct use of the past continuous in different contexts, encouraging critical thinking and oral expression.

- Description: In this activity, students will engage in a simulated debate, defending the use of the past continuous in various scenarios. The teacher will present different situations, and groups will argue using the past continuous to illustrate the continuity of actions in the past.

- Instructions:

• Arrange the room for a debate, ensuring the groups are clearly separated.

• Present scenarios where the use of the past continuous is essential to describe ongoing past events.

• Allow each group 15 minutes to prepare their arguments.

• Initiate the debate, giving each group an equal opportunity to present their arguments.

• Wrap up with a vote to determine which group made the most persuasive arguments.

Activity 3 - Past Continuous Comic Strips

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Promote creativity and practical application of the past continuous while enhancing writing and presentation abilities.

- Description: In groups, students will craft a comic strip that uses the past continuous to tell a sequence of events. Each frame of the story must showcase dialogue or narration that exemplifies the correct use of the past continuous.

- Instructions:

• Form groups and supply drawing and writing materials.

• Instruct each group to create a comic strip that illustrates a sequence of events using the past continuous.

• Students should include at least 5 frames in their story, each depicting a continuous action in the past.

• After finishing, groups will present their stories to the class, explaining the use of the past continuous in each frame.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This stage of the lesson plan allows students to reflect and express what they learned about the past continuous, solidifying knowledge gained through shared experiences. This group discussion aims to assess students' understanding of the topic while enhancing their communication and argumentation skills in English, critical for advancing language learning.

Group Discussion

After the activities, facilitate a group discussion with all students. Start with a brief introduction that emphasizes the significance of reflecting on their learning and sharing insights. Encourage each group to summarize their discoveries and challenges faced during the activities. Use targeted questions to steer the conversation, ensuring that all elements of the past continuous have been grasped and accurately applied.

Key Questions

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced in using the past continuous during the activities?

2. How can the past continuous be useful in real-world scenarios or while interpreting texts in English?

3. Was there any moment during the activities where the application of the past continuous seemed unclear? How did you work through it?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Conclusion stage is intended to reinforce the learning acquired during the lesson, ensuring that students have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the past continuous in English. Additionally, it aims to highlight the importance and practical application of this grammatical structure, preparing students to use it in future learning and communication situations.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the key points regarding the past continuous, reinforcing examples and real-life scenarios discussed during the lesson. It's vital that students can visualize and articulate the grammatical structures and contexts in which the past continuous is used.

Theory Connection

Throughout the lesson, the link between theory and practice was established via engaging and interactive activities that enabled students to apply theoretical knowledge in both real and fictional situations. This included problem-solving, debates, and content creation, ensuring a thorough understanding and practical application of the past continuous.

Closing

Finally, it's important to underscore the significance of the past continuous in students' everyday lives, both for interpreting texts in English and for their ability to communicate in daily situations. Understanding and using this tense correctly enriches communication and enhances their ability to narrate past events in English.