Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Prepositions of Time

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 establish the learning goals for the lesson and ensure that students clearly understand what is expected of them. By defining specific objectives, the teacher guides students' focus and prepares the ground for the practical application of concepts already studied at home. This initial clarity helps maximize the use of classroom time and the effectiveness of proposed activities.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to distinguish and correctly use the prepositions 'at', 'on', and 'in' in time contexts in the English language.

2. Develop the ability to associate time prepositions with specific temporal expressions, such as 'at night', 'on Monday', and 'in December'.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage active student participation through discussions and practical examples that reinforce the application of time prepositions.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction serves to engage students with the content they previously studied at home, using problem situations that stimulate critical thinking and practical application. Moreover, contextualizing the theme with everyday situations reinforces the relevance of learning time prepositions, preparing the ground for more complex and interactive activities.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are planning a special event for next weekend. How would you use the prepositions 'at', 'on', and 'in' to describe different parts of the event, such as the start time, the day it will happen, and the month it is planned?

2. Think of a friend who is traveling the world and sharing their experiences. They mention specific places like 'Paris', 'the airport', and 'Africa'. How would they use the prepositions 'at', 'on', and 'in' to describe when they were at those places?

Contextualization

Time prepositions are essential for daily communication in English as they help situate events in relation to time. For example, 'at night' is used to describe events that occur during the night, 'on Monday' for events that happen on a specific Monday, and 'in December' for events that occur in December. Understanding these prepositions correctly can prevent misunderstandings and enrich communication in English.

Development

Duration: (75 - 80 minutes)

The Development stage aims to provide students with the opportunity to apply their prior knowledge of time prepositions in a practical and interactive way. The suggested activities seek to consolidate learning, stimulating collaboration among students, critical thinking, and creativity. Additionally, this stage aims to reinforce content retention by placing students in situations that simulate the everyday use of time prepositions, ensuring a deeper and more lasting understanding of the topic.

Activity Suggestions

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

Activity 1 - Time Travel

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice using time prepositions in a contextualized and playful way, reinforcing prior learning.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people and each group will receive a 'time passport'. The passport will contain different places and events, each associated with a specific time preposition ('at', 'on', or 'in'). Students must use the passport to describe when and where these events occurred, using the correct time prepositions.

- Instructions:

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

• Distribute a 'time passport' to each group.

• Explain that each page of the passport contains a description of an event or place, and students must fill in the correct information using the time prepositions.

• Students should discuss in their groups the correct prepositions and justify their choices.

• Each group will present a page of the passport to the class, explaining their preposition choices.

Activity 2 - Temporal Cinema

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop creativity and practical application of time prepositions in a fun context.

- Description: Students will create short film scripts that involve time travel. Each scene will need to be described using the correct time prepositions ('at', 'on', or 'in'). After creating them, the groups will present their scenes to the class, which must identify and correct the use of prepositions.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of no more than 5 people.

• Ask each group to create a film script that involves time travel, including at least five scenes.

• In each scene, students must use the correct time prepositions to describe when the scene is occurring.

• After creation, each group will present one scene to the class.

• The class will discuss and correct the use of time prepositions in each scene.

Activity 3 - Festival of Parties

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Apply knowledge of time prepositions in a practical planning scenario, promoting collaboration and discussion.

- Description: In this activity, students will plan a festival of parties throughout the year. They must use the correct time prepositions to describe when each party will take place. Each group will be responsible for one type of party (birthdays, holidays, cultural festivals).

- Instructions:

• Divide students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Assign each group a type of party to plan within a year (birthday, holiday, cultural festival).

• Groups must choose specific dates within the year for each party and use the time prepositions correctly.

• Each group will present their party plan to the class, explaining the use of the time prepositions.

• The class will discuss and provide feedback on the use of the time prepositions.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This feedback stage is crucial for consolidating learning, allowing students to articulate what they learned and hear their peers' perspectives. The group discussion helps reinforce the knowledge gained, allows for the exchange of ideas and strategies among students, and provides the teacher with valuable insights into students' understanding of the use of time prepositions.

Group Discussion

After completing the activities, gather all students for a group discussion. Start the conversation with a brief introduction: 'Now that everyone has had the chance to explore time prepositions in different contexts, let's share our discoveries and challenges. Each group will have the opportunity to briefly present what they created and discuss the difficulties encountered and how they overcame them.'

Key Questions

1. What were the main difficulties your group faced when deciding on the time prepositions to be used in each context?

2. How can understanding the prepositions 'at', 'on' and 'in' help in daily communication in English?

3. Was there any surprise or interesting discovery during the activities that you would like to share?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Conclusion serves to consolidate students' learning, ensuring they can link theoretical concepts to the practices carried out in class. In addition, it reinforces the importance of using time prepositions in everyday English, preparing students to apply this knowledge in real communication situations. This stage is crucial to ensure that students leave the class with a clear understanding and an appreciation of the practical value of the content learned.

Summary

To close, the teacher should summarize the main points covered, highlighting the prepositions 'at', 'on', and 'in' and their applications in time contexts. It is essential to recap the examples and situations discussed during the activities, reinforcing the correct use of prepositions in different scenarios.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the connection between theory and practice was established through activities like 'Time Travel', 'Temporal Cinema' and 'Festival of Parties', where students applied theoretical knowledge to practical and creative situations. This allowed for better understanding of the use of time prepositions in English, reinforcing the importance of active and contextualized learning.

Closing

Finally, the teacher should emphasize the relevance of time prepositions in daily life, highlighting how correct usage can prevent misunderstandings and enrich communication in English. These prepositions are fundamental to describing events and activities in relation to time, making them essential for fluency in English.