Lesson Plan | Teachy Methodology | Verbal Agreement: General Rule and Special Cases

Objectives

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

This stage aims to guide students on the main objectives that will be achieved throughout the lesson. By clearly defining what is expected for students to understand and be capable of doing at the end of the lesson, a clear direction for learning is established, promoting students' motivation and engagement. Additionally, by aligning objectives with necessary skills, students gain a clear view of how they can apply this knowledge in real contexts.

Main Objectives

1. Understand the importance of subject-verb agreement in constructing correct sentences in Portuguese.

2. Identify and correctly apply the general rule and special cases of subject-verb agreement in various contexts.

3. Develop skills to analyze and correct subject-verb agreement errors in texts produced by different sources.

Side Objectives

1. Encourage collaboration among students through practical group activities.
2. Promote the use of digital tools for investigating and correcting grammatical errors.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to create an initial connection with the topic of the lesson and stimulate students' curiosity about subject-verb agreement. By using digital tools and social media, students can visualize the practical application of grammatical rules, making the learning process more contextualized and interesting. This also sets the stage for an initial discussion where students can share their findings and questions, promoting a deeper understanding of the topic.

Warming Up

Subject-verb agreement is the correspondence of number and person between the subject and the verb in a sentence. To make this introduction more dynamic and relevant, ask students to use their cell phones to search for an interesting fact or example of subject-verb agreement errors in texts on social media, online news, or blogs. Encourage them to share what they found with the class.

Initial Reflections

1. What is subject-verb agreement and why is it important in written and spoken communication?

2. What are the main challenges you faced while studying subject-verb agreement?

3. Did you find any examples of subject-verb agreement errors during your online searches? Can you share with us?

4. What are the special cases of subject-verb agreement that intrigue or confuse you the most?

Development

Duration: (70 - 80 minutes)

The Development phase is crucial for students to apply the knowledge they have acquired about subject-verb agreement in practice. The proposed activities aim to provide active and collaborative learning, integrating technology and real-world contexts to make the experience more relevant and engaging. Students work together to solve problems and create content that reflects situations they may encounter outside the classroom.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended that only one of the suggested activities be carried out

Activity 1 - Digital Grammar Influencers 

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Develop students' ability to apply the general rule and special cases of subject-verb agreement in a dynamic and modern format, using social media as an educational platform.

- Description: In this activity, students will become digital influencers with the mission of educating their followers about subject-verb agreement. They will need to create varied content such as posts for social media, stories, and short videos addressing the general rule and special cases of subject-verb agreement.

- Instructions:

• Divide students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Each group must choose a fictional social media platform to create their content (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc.).

• Students have 60 minutes to create a series of posts, stories, and/or short videos explaining the general rule and special cases of subject-verb agreement.

• Incorporate practical examples and common errors observed on social media.

• Use video and image editing tools available on their cell phones or computers.

• After creation, each group must present their content to the class, explaining their choices and how they approached the topics of subject-verb agreement.

Activity 2 - Grammar Escape Room ️‍♂️

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Promote understanding and application of subject-verb agreement rules in a playful and engaging manner, encouraging teamwork and logical reasoning.

- Description: Students will participate in a digital escape room where each challenge will be based on rules of subject-verb agreement. They will need to solve grammatical puzzles to advance and 'escape' the room.

- Instructions:

• Divide students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Each group will access the digital escape room platform previously set up by the teacher.

• Students will need to solve a series of puzzles, quizzes, and multiple-choice challenges, all focused on subject-verb agreement.

• Each correctly solved challenge reveals a clue for the next one, and so on until they escape the virtual room.

• The group that 'escapes' first or that advances the furthest by the time limit wins the activity.

• During the activity, the teacher can provide hints and clarify doubts to help the groups advance.

Activity 3 - Future Digital Journalists 

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Develop students' competence in identifying and correcting subject-verb agreement errors in real texts, using digital tools for support.

- Description: Students will be virtual journalists who need to review and correct a news article before publication. The article will be full of subject-verb agreement errors, and students must identify and correct them properly.

- Instructions:

• Divide students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Provide each group with a fictional article, digitally via email or an online learning platform, filled with subject-verb agreement errors.

• Using collaborative text editors (like Google Docs), students must review the text, identify the errors, and correct them.

• They can also use digital grammar checking tools to assist in identifying errors.

• After corrections, each group must present their edits and justify them based on the subject-verb agreement rules studied.

• Groups can compare their corrections and discuss different approaches to solving the same issues.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 25 minutes)

The Return stage is crucial for consolidating learning and promoting deep reflection on the activities carried out. During this phase, students have the opportunity to share their experiences, discuss challenges and solutions, and receive constructive feedback from peers, which strengthens the understanding and application of subject-verb agreement rules in various contexts.

Group Discussion

Promote a group discussion with all students, asking each group to share their experiences while carrying out the activities and the conclusions they reached. Suggest the following outline to start the discussion:

1. Introduce the Discussion's Objective: Explain that the purpose is to reflect on learning and share different perspectives.
2. Ask about Experiences: Ask students how it was to create digital content or solve the escape room challenges.
3. Request Practical Examples: Encourage groups to present practical examples of subject-verb agreement they discussed.
4. Discuss the Challenges: Question what the main challenges faced were and how they resolved them.
5. Conclusion and Learning: Request that each group summarizes the main lessons learned about subject-verb agreement.

Reflections

1. What were the main challenges you encountered when applying the rules of subject-verb agreement during the activities? 2. How did digital tools help or not in the learning process and application of subject-verb agreement rules? 3. In what way can the activities carried out be useful to you outside the classroom?

360° Feedback

Instruct students to participate in a 360° feedback stage, where each student receives feedback from their group peers. Explain the importance of feedback being constructive and respectful, focusing on positive aspects and suggestions for improvement. To guide the class, suggest the following:

1. Positive Aspects: Each student highlights at least one positive quality about a peer's performance.
2. Challenges and Improvements: Each student mentions a challenge faced by a peer and suggests a possible solution or improvement.
3. Personal Perspective: Encourage students to reflect on how group collaboration contributed to their own learning and how they can improve in future collaborative activities.

Conclusion

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

 Purpose of the Conclusion: The conclusion aims to consolidate learning, reinforcing the main points discussed throughout the lesson and connecting the content with the current context of the students. This stage also serves to highlight the practical relevance of the topic, motivating students to apply the knowledge gained in real situations and future communication opportunities.

Summary

 Fun Summary of the Lesson: Let's imagine that subject-verb agreement is like a lively party. The subject is the DJ choosing the music, and the verb is the dance floor. For the party to be a success, the music needs to match the vibe of the floor! If the DJ (subject) plays an upbeat song (singular), the floor (verb) reacts one way; if they play a calm song (plural), the floor reacts differently. The general rule and special cases of agreement are like the different playlists the DJ can choose from to keep the harmony of the party. 

World Connection

 In the Modern World: In today's world, communication is instant and happens on various digital platforms. Whether writing an email, posting on social media, or drafting an article, the correct application of subject-verb agreement is essential for conveying your ideas clearly and professionally. With the popularity of social media and the increase in digital content creation, understanding and applying these grammatical rules becomes even more relevant and necessary.

Practical Application

 Importance in Daily Life: Mastery of subject-verb agreement is not just about performing well in tests and essays. It is about communicating effectively and accurately in any context, be it academic, professional, or personal. The ability to identify and correct agreement errors improves the quality of any text, making communication smoother and more understandable for everyone.