Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Prepositions

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 crucial to establish a clear foundation for students and the teacher about what will be achieved during the lesson. This section ensures that everyone involved has a common understanding of the learning goals and can direct their efforts effectively. By detailing the objectives, students can better focus on the proposed activities, maximizing classroom time for practicing and deepening the topic studied previously at home.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to use prepositions in English correctly in different contexts and situations.

2. Develop students' ability to differentiate prepositions based on their use in sentences and texts, identifying their nuances and implications.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage collaboration and dialogue among students for a more dynamic and interactive learning of prepositions.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction stage serves to reactivate students' prior knowledge of prepositions and contextualize the importance of the topic in daily use of the English language. The problem-based situations provide an opportunity for students to apply knowledge practically, while the contextualization brings real relevance to learning, increasing engagement and understanding of why it is essential to master the correct use of prepositions.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are planning a trip to an English-speaking country. How would you use prepositions to describe your itinerary to friends and family, considering movements between cities, tourist attractions, and accommodation?

2. You received an email in English from a foreign friend describing a series of recent events in their life. In the email, there is confusing use of prepositions that alters the meaning of the sentences. How would you help correct these mistakes to ensure the message is understood correctly?

Contextualization

Prepositions are essential tools in constructing sentences in English, acting as true guides that direct the flow of communication. They define relationships of time, space, and logic between different parts of the discourse. For example, the difference between 'I am at school' and 'I am in school' may seem subtle, but the first expresses a specific location while the second may indicate that someone is studying or participating in school activities. This subtlety highlights the importance of choosing the correct preposition to avoid misunderstandings and ensure precise communication.

Development

Duration: (75 - 80 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to apply practical and creative knowledge of prepositions acquired at home. By working in groups, they not only enhance their language skills but also develop social and problem-solving skills, which are essential for effective learning of the English language. The proposed activities aim to solidify understanding and appropriate use of prepositions in diverse contexts, making learning more meaningful and enjoyable.

Activity Suggestions

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

Activity 1 - Treasure Hunt for Prepositions

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice recognizing and correctly using prepositions in context, promoting teamwork and critical thinking.

- Description: In this playful activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people and receive a treasure map, where each treasure is hidden in locations described by sentences containing prepositions. Each group must interpret the clues, identify the correct prepositions, and find the hidden treasures in the school.

- Instructions:

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

• Distribute a treasure map to each group, containing various clues with prepositions.

• Explain that each clue leads to a location in the school where a 'treasure' (it can be a small object or a symbol) is hidden.

• The groups must decipher the clues, identify the correct use of prepositions, and find the treasures.

• Each found treasure should be marked on the map.

• The first group to find all the treasures and return to the classroom wins.

Activity 2 - Prepositions on Stage

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop preposition usage skills in diverse contexts and stimulate creativity and oral expression.

- Description: Students will create and present small plays that involve using prepositions in various contexts. Each group will receive a different scenario (such as a park, a kitchen, or a school) and must use prepositions to describe actions and situations during the play.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students.

• Assign a different scenario to each group where the play will take place.

• Students must write a short script that includes abundant use of prepositions, clearly describing actions and locations.

• Allow the groups to rehearse their plays.

• Each group will present their play to the class, and the other students should identify the used prepositions and discuss whether they are correct.

Activity 3 - Prepositional City Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Facilitate understanding and use of prepositions by describing spatial relationships, as well as fostering cooperation and planning in teams.

- Description: In this activity, groups will use building blocks to create a mini city. Each building or area of the city must be described in English using prepositions. For example, the school is next to the park, the bakery is in front of the bank, etc.

- Instructions:

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

• Provide building blocks and a city plan for each group.

• Instruct students to build a mini city in the designated classroom space.

• While building, students must describe each part of the city using prepositions correctly.

• At the end, each group will present their city, highlighting the use of prepositions.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The aim of this stage is to provide an opportunity for students to reflect on the use of prepositions and share their experiences, consolidating learning. Through group discussion, students can learn from each other, identify common mistakes, and reinforce their understanding of the topic. This feedback moment also allows the teacher to assess the effectiveness of the activities and deepen students' understanding of the nuances of prepositions in different contexts.

Group Discussion

Start the group discussion with a brief recap of the activities conducted, emphasizing the importance of each task in understanding prepositions. Invite students to share their experiences, challenges faced, and learnings acquired during the practical activities. Encourage students to report how correct use of prepositions influenced communication during the activities and ask how they can apply this knowledge in real-life situations of using the English language.

Key Questions

1. What were the main challenges you encountered when using prepositions in the practical activities?

2. How can understanding prepositions improve your communication in English on a daily basis?

3. Was there any preposition or context that you found particularly difficult? How did you overcome this challenge?

Conclusion

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of the Conclusion section is to consolidate students' learning by connecting theory with practice and highlighting the application of prepositions in daily communication. This recap helps reinforce acquired knowledge and understand the importance of choosing appropriate prepositions for each context, ensuring clear and precise communication.

Summary

Summarize the main prepositions studied and their functions, highlighting practical examples used during the activities. Reinforce the role of prepositions in providing clarity and precision in communication, and how they help form coherent and contextually appropriate sentence structures.

Theory Connection

Explain how the practical activities, such as the 'Treasure Hunt for Prepositions' and 'Prepositional City Builders', directly linked to the theoretical concepts studied previously, demonstrating the application of prepositions in real and diverse contexts, thus facilitating understanding and correct use of them.

Closing

Highlight the relevance of prepositions in daily use of the English language, underscoring how appropriate choices of prepositions can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence and improve effective communication in real-life situations, whether academic, professional, or personal.