GETTINGSTARTED

LEVEL(450)
(ContributedbyMaryRuthSpencer)
EstimatedTime:

331/2hours

LessonObjectives:

Writeatleast1paragraphaboutyourhometown
usingavarietyofregularandirregularverbtenses

LanguageSkillsFocus:

Speaking,listening,reading,writing

EFFNonlanguageSkills:

Interpersonal:Cooperatewithothers
DecisionMaking: Plan
LifelongLearning:Takeresponsibilityfor
learning
ReflectandEvaluate

ResourcesandMaterials
Needed:

Chartpaper,markers,indexcards,overhead
projector,Overheadmarkers,overheadfilm,
sentencestrips,tape,IrregularVerbssheet

LessonPlanandTeacherNotes:

Usingagroupingstrategy,getstudentsinpairs.Theparagraphbelowshouldbe
cutupintoindividualsentences.Placetheparagraphinabaggie.Eachteam
shouldhavetheirownbaggie.Eachteamshouldtakethesentencesandcreatethe
paragraph.

GrowingupinVirginiawasawonderfulexperience.Ilivedinalargehomewith2parents
and2siblings.Welivedona1/2acrelotoflandwithmanyniceneighborsandlotsofkidstoplay
with.Mybestfriendhappenedtobeaneighborandwespentallofourfreetimetogether.Mybest
friendandIalsoattendedthesameschool.Wewereblessedtohavegoodteacherswhocared
aboutusaspeopleaswellasourlearning.Iwasluckytohaveallofthiswhilegrowingupin
Virginia.

Whengroupshavefinished,havethemsharewiththeclass.Teacherthenshares
theparagraphshownabove.Teacherasksstudentscomprehensionquestions
abouttheparagraphandansweranyquestionsaboutvocabulary,etc.
IntroductionandPresentation:
Introduceobjectives.Writepast,present,
futureonchartpaper.Discusstheparagraphfromthewarmupactivity.Wasit
writteninpast,present,orfuture?Choose1ofthesentencesandwriteitinthe
pastcolumn.Asagroup,changethesentencetopresent,thenfuture.
PresentationandPractice:
Begintofocusonsimplepasttense.Usethe
paragraphfromthewarmupandhavestudentspickouttheverbs.Theteacher
thenwritesthemontheoverheadprojector.Discusspatternswithregularverbs
(ed)Giveeachstudentanindexcardwitharegularverboneachcard.(Seelist
below)Studentsworkwithpartnerstocreatesentencesusingtheverbgivento
them.Thesesentencesshouldbewritteninpasttense.Studentswritethe
sentencesonsentencestrippaper.
Answer

hope

purchase

Dance

desire

watch

Act

design

talk

Laugh

clean

explain

Design

continue

cook

Own

follow

wish

Studentssharewiththeclass.
Next,theteacherintroduces(reviews)irregularverbs.Theteachergivesexamples
andpassesoutCommonIrregularVerbschart.Reviewcomponentsofchart.
Distinguishbetweenpasttenseandpastparticiple.

Passoutindexcardswithbaseformofirregularverbs(seelistbelow).Students
createpasttensesentencesusingsentencestrippaper.Groupssharewithclass.

Awake

come

feel

give

meet

sing

Become

dig

fly

hear

pay

spend

Build

drive

forgive

hurt

rise

swim

Buy

eat

get

leave

sleep

teach

Catch

drink

grow

make

speak

write

Placefollowingchartonoverheadorbutcherpaperoroverhead.
HomeandFamily

Neighborhood

Friends

School

Teachermodelswritingabouttheabovetopics.Theteacherwritesinpasttense.
Studentscompletechartforthemselvesandsharewithpartner.Theteacherthen

takesthischartasaguidetowriteaparagraphtitled,MyHometown.Remember
toteachtopicsentence,supportingsentences,andconcludingsentence.Reviewthe
following:
Indentthefirstwordofanewparagraph
Begineachsentencewithacapitalletter
Endeverysentencewithaperiodorotherpunctuation
mark
DoNOTbegineachnewsentenceonanewline!
Studentswritetheirparagraphs.
Whenstudentshavefinishedwriting,havestudentsedittheirpartnerswriting.
Dependingonthelevelofstudentswritingability,studentscanreviseandedit.
Writefinaldrafts.Sharewithclass.
Application:

Studentswriteaboutaspecificincidentfromtheirchildhood.

Evaluation:
Teachercollectsstudentswriting.Editforparagraph
formation,andcorrectverbtenses.

MyHometown
HomeandFamily

Neighborhood

Friends

School

Some Common
Irregular Verbs
Base Form

Simple Past

Past Participle

Am, be
Break
Drink
Eat
Drive
Fly
Give
Go
Know
Rise
See
Sing
Speak
Take
Write
Grow

Was, were
broke
drank
ate
drove
flew
gave
went
knew
rose
saw
sang
spoke
took
wrote
grew

been
broken
drunk
eaten
driven
flown
given
gone
Known
Risen
Seen
sung
Spoken
Taken
written
grown