Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Understanding the use of the past continuous in English: Students should be able to understand the logic and application of the past continuous in sentences and various contexts. This includes identifying when and how to use the past continuous in contrast to other verb tenses.

2. Building sentences in the past continuous: The goal is for students to be able to correctly formulate sentences in the past continuous, demonstrating proficiency in the necessary grammatical structure and vocabulary.

3. Distinguishing the simple past from the past continuous: Students should be able to distinguish between the simple past and the past continuous, identifying the situations in which each is more appropriate.

Secondary objectives:

• Developing reading and listening skills in English: During the learning process of the past continuous, students will be exposed to texts and audios in English, which will contribute to the development of their reading and listening comprehension skills.
• Promoting active student participation: Through practical and interactive activities, students will be encouraged to actively participate in the lesson, contributing to a more engaging and effective learning environment.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Review of related content: The teacher should start the lesson by briefly reviewing the verb tenses already studied, especially the simple past. This can be done through quick questions to the class, such as "What is the simple past?" and "When do we use the simple past?" The goal is to ensure that students have a solid foundation for the introduction of the new topic.

2. Problem situations: Next, the teacher can present two situations that require the use of the past continuous. For example, a sentence like "What were you doing last night?" can be presented, and students can be asked how they would translate it into English. Another situation could be the description of an action scene in a book or movie, where students must identify the actions that are taking place in the past continuous.

3. Contextualization: The teacher should explain the importance of the past continuous in the everyday use of English. It can be mentioned how common it is to use the past continuous to describe ongoing actions in the past, especially when telling stories or reporting events. Additionally, examples of how the past continuous is often used in news and reports can be cited.

4. Introduction of the topic: To capture the students' attention, the teacher can start the lesson with some curiosities about the past continuous. For example, it can be mentioned that, although the past continuous is widely used in English, it does not have an exact equivalent in all languages. Furthermore, the origin of the word "continuous" can be shared, which comes from the Latin "continuus," meaning "uninterrupted" or "constant," reflecting the idea of an action that was ongoing in the past.

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Past Continuous Mime Activity: (8 - 10 minutes) The teacher should divide the class into groups of 4 or 5 students. Each group will receive action cards (for example, "I was running," "She was cooking," etc.) that must be represented through mime. The goal is for the other students in the group to guess the action in the past continuous. This activity allows students to practice the formation and use of the past continuous in a playful and interactive way.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher divides the class into groups and distributes the action cards.
     2. Each student in the group has the chance to represent an action in the past continuous while the others try to guess.
     3. The group that guesses the most actions correctly wins the activity.

2. Comic Strip Story Writing Activity: (10 - 12 minutes) Still in their groups, students will create a brief comic strip story that uses the past continuous. They can use the "Storyboard That" app (or similar) to create their stories. This activity will help students practice writing sentences in the past continuous in a creative and visual way.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher instructs the students to create a comic strip story with a minimum of 3 panels, using the past continuous.
     2. Students should organize themselves to write the English sentences that correspond to the actions represented in the comic panels.
     3. After completing the comic strip stories, each group will present theirs to the class. During the presentations, students will be encouraged to identify and comment on the use of the past continuous in each story.

3. Discussion Activity: (2 - 3 minutes) To conclude the Development stage, the teacher should lead a brief classroom discussion. Students will be invited to share their insights on the use of the past continuous in the previous activities and in everyday situations. This discussion will help reinforce the understanding of the past continuous and its practical application.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher initiates the discussion by asking open-ended questions, such as "What did you notice about the use of the past continuous in your comic strip stories?" or "Can you think of everyday situations where we use the past continuous in English?".
     2. Students are encouraged to share their experiences and opinions, promoting a collaborative and reflective learning environment.

Return (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion: (3 - 4 minutes) After completing the activities, the teacher should gather all students for a group discussion. Each group will have up to 2 minutes to share the solutions or conclusions they found during the activities. It is important for the teacher to ask targeted questions to ensure that all aspects of the past continuous were addressed.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher gathers all students and asks each group to share their solutions or conclusions.
     2. During the presentations, the teacher asks targeted questions to ensure that all aspects of the past continuous were addressed.
     3. The teacher concludes the discussion by summarizing the main points and clarifying any remaining doubts.

2. Connection to Theory: (2 - 3 minutes) After the group presentations, the teacher should make a connection between the activities carried out and the theory of the past continuous presented at the beginning of the lesson. The teacher can highlight how each activity illustrated a different aspect of the past continuous and how these skills are important for effective communication in English.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher briefly reviews the theory of the past continuous, highlighting the key points.
     2. The teacher refers to each activity, explaining how it illustrated a specific aspect of the past continuous.
     3. The teacher emphasizes the importance of understanding and using the past continuous correctly for communication in English.

3. Individual Reflection: (2 - 3 minutes) To conclude the lesson, the teacher proposes that students reflect individually on what they have learned. The teacher can ask questions like "What was the most important concept you learned today?" and "What questions have not been answered yet?". Students will have a minute to think about their answers, which can be shared orally or in writing in the following class.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher poses the reflection questions and gives students a minute to think about their answers.
     2. Students are invited to share their answers, if they wish, providing an opportunity for the teacher to assess individual understanding of the topic and identify any areas that may need reinforcement in the following class.
     3. The teacher concludes the lesson, thanking the students for their participation and reinforcing the importance of the past continuous for effective communication in English.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Lesson Summary: The teacher should start the Conclusion by recapping the main points that were covered during the lesson. This includes the definition of the past continuous, its grammatical structure, and its use in contrast to the simple past. The teacher can review the examples and practical exercises that were done to reinforce the students' understanding.

2. Connection between Theory and Practice: Next, the teacher should explain how the lesson connected the theory of the past continuous with practice. The teacher can mention how the mime and comic strip story creation activities allowed students to apply what they learned in a creative and interactive way. Additionally, the teacher should reinforce how the group discussion and individual reflection helped students consolidate their knowledge.

3. Additional Materials: The teacher can suggest additional study materials for students who wish to deepen their understanding of the past continuous. This may include links to explanatory videos, online exercises, reading texts with examples of the past continuous, among others. Students should be encouraged to explore these resources at their own pace to reinforce what they learned in class.

4. Relevance of the Subject: To conclude the lesson, the teacher should highlight the importance of the past continuous for communication in English. The teacher can mention examples of real-life situations where the past continuous is commonly used, such as when telling stories, describing scenes from movies or books, reporting events, among others. Additionally, the teacher can reinforce how mastering the past continuous can enrich students' ability to understand and express themselves in English, both in speaking and writing.

   • Step by step:
     1. The teacher recaps the main points of the lesson, recalling the definition, structure, and use of the past continuous.
     2. The teacher explains how the lesson connected theory and practice, highlighting the activities carried out, the group discussion, and the individual reflection.
     3. The teacher suggests additional study materials for students who wish to deepen their understanding of the past continuous.
     4. The teacher reinforces the importance of the past continuous for communication in English, citing examples of its use in everyday situations.