Lesson plan of Verbs: Simple Past

Learning Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Understanding the Simple Past: The primary objective is for students to grasp the concept of the simple past tense in the English language. They should be able to differentiate simple past from other verb tenses previously learned.

2. Conjugating Regular and Irregular Verbs in Simple Past: Students should be able to correctly conjugate verbs in the simple past tense, both regular and irregular. This includes forming affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.

3. Practical Use of Simple Past: The ultimate goal is for students to use the simple past tense correctly and naturally in communicative contexts. They should be able to form sentences and questions in the simple past and use them in speech and writing.

Secondary Objectives

• Identifying Regular and Irregular Verbs: Besides knowing how to conjugate verbs in the simple past, students should also be able to identify if a verb is regular or irregular.

• Developing Listening and Speaking Skills: Throughout the hands-on activities, students will have the opportunity to practice their English listening and speaking skills, improving their fluency and listening comprehension.

Introduction (10 - 12 minutes)

1. Review of Previous Content: The teacher starts the lesson by reminding students of previously learned verb tenses, especially the present simple, since the simple past is closely related to it. The teacher can ask quick questions to check students' understanding and ensure everyone is on the same page. (3 - 4 minutes)

2. Problem Situations: The teacher may present two situations that call for the use of the simple past tense. The first could be a story about a past event, where students need to identify and use the correct tense. The second could be a dialogue where characters are discussing events that happened in the past. (3 - 4 minutes)

3. Contextualization: The teacher should explain the importance of the simple past tense in English, highlighting that it is a verb tense frequently used to talk about completed actions that happened in the past. Examples of everyday situations where the simple past is used can be mentioned, such as telling stories, recounting past experiences, and describing events in the news. (2 - 3 minutes)

4. Grabbing Students' Attention: To spark students' interest, the teacher can share some fun facts about the simple past. For instance, mention that while many English verbs are regular (meaning they follow a specific pattern to form the simple past), there are many verbs that are irregular and have past tense forms that don't follow any pattern. The teacher can also mention that the simple past is frequently used in popular songs, movies, and books, and by mastering this tense, students will be able to better understand and appreciate these forms of media. (2 - 3 minutes)

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Simple Past Theory (7 - 10 minutes):

   • Definition: The teacher starts by explaining what the simple past tense is, emphasizing that it is used to express actions that happened and were completed in the past. Mention that, unlike in Spanish or Portuguese, English does not use helping verbs (like "did" or "have") to indicate the past but instead changes the main verb. (2 - 3 minutes)

   • Regular Verb Simple Past Formation: The teacher should explain that, for the majority of verbs, the simple past is formed by simply adding "-ed" to the infinitive form of the verb. Remind students of a few spelling rules, such as adding "-ed" to verbs that end in "e" (for example, "live" becomes "lived") and doubling the last consonant before adding "-ed" to short verbs that end in a vowel followed by a consonant (for example, "plan" becomes "planned"). (2 - 3 minutes)

   • Irregular Verb Simple Past Formation: The teacher should explain that, for irregular verbs, there are no fixed rules for forming the simple past, and students need to memorize the irregular forms. The teacher can provide students with a list of common irregular verbs and ask them to study it. (2 - 3 minutes)

2. Conjugating Verbs in the Simple Past (8 - 10 minutes):

   • Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Simple Past: The teacher demonstrates the conjugation of regular verbs in the simple past, including affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms. Clear and contextualized examples should be used to facilitate students' understanding. (3 - 4 minutes)

   • Conjugating Irregular Verbs in the Simple Past: The teacher should then demonstrate the conjugation of irregular verbs in the simple past, again including affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms. Remind students that they will need to memorize the irregular forms. (3 - 4 minutes)

3. Guided Practice (5 - 7 minutes):

   • Gap-Filling Exercises: The teacher gives students a series of sentences with gaps that they need to fill with the correct verb in the simple past tense. The teacher should circulate around the room, providing guidance and feedback as needed. (2 - 3 minutes)

   • Creating Their Own Sentences: Students are then asked to create their own sentences in the simple past tense, using a mix of regular and irregular verbs. The teacher should encourage students to be creative and use the simple past in contexts that are relevant to them. (2 - 3 minutes)

Review (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes): The teacher leads a group discussion, allowing students to share their answers and insights from the practice activities. The teacher can ask questions such as: "What was the most challenging part of the activity?", "What strategies did you use to determine if a verb was regular or irregular?", and "How do you feel about conjugating verbs in the simple past now?". This discussion enables the teacher to assess students' comprehension and identify any areas that may need further reinforcement.

2. Connecting to Theory (2 - 3 minutes): The teacher then draws connections between the practice and the theory, highlighting examples from sentences the students created during the practice activity that illustrate the theoretical concepts discussed. For instance, the teacher could say: "Many of you used the simple past to describe events that happened yesterday, which is a great example of how the simple past is used in real life."

3. Individual Reflection (2 - 3 minutes): The teacher should then ask students to take a minute to reflect individually on what they learned in today's lesson. The teacher can ask questions such as: "What was the most important concept you learned today?" and "What questions do you still have?". This reflection allows students to consolidate their learning and identify any areas of confusion that may need further clarification.

4. Feedback and Next Steps (1 minute): Finally, the teacher requests feedback from students on the lesson, noting any unanswered questions or areas of confusion to be addressed in future classes. The teacher should then summarize the main points of the lesson, reinforcing what the students have learned, and indicate what will be covered in the next lesson.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Content Recap (2 - 3 minutes): The teacher revisits the main points covered in the lesson, summarizing the definition and usage of the simple past, the formation of regular and irregular past simple forms, and conjugating verbs in the simple past. The teacher should ensure that all students have understood these concepts before moving on.

2. Bridging Theory, Practice, and Applications (1 - 2 minutes): The teacher reinforces the connection between the theory presented, the hands-on activities completed, and real-world applications of the simple past. For example, the teacher may mention that practicing gap-filling and creating sentences in the simple past helps students grasp how to use this tense in actual communicative contexts.

3. Supplementary Materials (1 - 2 minutes): The teacher suggests additional reading and study materials for students who wish to delve deeper into the simple past tense. This may include grammar books, English-learning websites, online videos, English-language songs, and English-language TV shows or movies. The teacher may provide a list of these resources or post them on an online learning platform for students to easily access.

4. Relevance to Students' Lives (1 minute): Finally, the teacher emphasizes the relevance of the simple past tense to the students' everyday lives. Remind them that by learning to use the simple past correctly, they will be able to communicate more effectively in English, both in speech and in writing. This can be especially useful for students planning to travel to English-speaking countries, study at an English-speaking university, or work in an environment where English is widely used.