The Past Simple Tense
SUMMARY OF LESSON IDEA:
- To present and practice irregular verbs in the past simple tense.
- To promote learners’ autonomy as well as co-operation, using e-sources.
SHORT CLASS PROFILE:
(with individual profiles covering the learners’ linguistic and ICT knowledge and skills)
A group of 4 students with sound language background. They are university juniors, keen on promoting their language skills to meet one of the job market requirements. They have regular access to the computer and can browse the net efficiently.
LEVEL / AGE : intermediate level/ 18-20 years old.
TIMETABLE FIT:
The plan covers second and third session (3 hrs.) of a 4 weeks course (total: 18 hrs.).
DATE OF SCHEDULED LESSON (week 19):
Saturday (4/6/2011)/ Monday (6/6/2011)
MAIN LANGUAGE OUTCOMES:
- To use the past simple tense in the affirmative, negative and interrogative.
- To practice writing, using the new TL.
ICT RELATED AIMS:
- To browse websites, searching for due data.
- To handle / post tasks on class wiki.
- To tackle/ create interactive, online quizzes.
SUBSIDIARY AIM(S):
- To enhance blended learning and develop learners’ self-learning.
- To leave ample room to practice the new TL, outside the classroom.
SITES / TECHNOLOGY:
- Mobile phones.
- Class Wiki.
- Workbook Audio CD.
- Laptops/ internet access to browse some related websites in class.
OTHER RESOURCES / MATERIALS:
- New Headway Plus/ Intermediate Workbook, p.22.
- New Headway Workbook audio CD.
DETAILED PROCEDURE OF LESSON STAGES
Session 1
Stage
n°
|
Procedure
|
Focus
Time
|
Aim
| |||
Warmer
|
*Teacher asks Ss to send an SMS to each other on the mobile, asking a personal question. She models first: e.g. (when were you born?).
*Ss give an answer to the questions asked. Teacher gets their F/B to correct errors.
|
10 ms.
|
To re-cycle using verb (to Be: was/were) in the simple past.
| |||
Lead-in
|
*Teacher sets the context of 20th century celebrities. Ss browse Biography.com to check some names.
* Ss focus on the three names included in the following exercise: Helen Keller, Amy Johnson and Charles Blondin. They check dates of their key life events like birth, marriage and death.
* On getting F/B, teacher writes down their sentences on board as marker sentences to highlight the simple past rule.
* Teacher elicits the past function as describes completed events at a specific time.
|
15 ms.
|
To introduce the past simple tense& its main function and rule.
| |||
Listening task
|
*Ss, in pairs, fill in the blanks with past verbs in the exercise (appendix 1).
* They listen to the Workbook CD (typescript/ appendix 1) to check their answers.
*On getting F/B, teacher elicits the past regular verbs and briefly re-cycles different endings and spelling (play-ed/try-tried/…etc).
* Ss give some True/False statements on the exercise figures to their peers to correct.
* Teacher elicits negative and affirmative rule of past regular verbs.
|
20 ms.
|
To present regular past verbs in the affirmative, negative and interrogative.
| |||
Introducing a new language rule
|
*Teacher opens discussion of a famous singer (e.g. Madonna) and urges Ss to come up with some facts about her life online.
* During F/B, teacher points out the gap between regular and irregular verb forms and elicits some more examples from Ss.
|
10 ms.
|
To introduce past irregular verbs.
| |||
Controlled Practice task
|
*Teacher involves the class in an interactive grammar exercise (appendix 2) to distinguish between regular and irregular forms.
* Ss, then, tackle another exercise (appendix 3) to classify irregular verbs according to similar sound groups.
* In pairs, Ss create a number of sentences about famous people, using the verbs tackled.
* Teacher elicits the rule of changing into the negative and forming questions.
|
20 ms.
|
To identify different irregular past verb forms in the affirmative, negative and interrogative.
| |||
Wrap-up
|
*Ss handle an online bingo game (appendix 4) for further practice.
*Teacher urges them to browse some grammar websites, using the links posted on class wiki (appendix 5) to fully digest the new rules.
*Ss are assigned to handle an online test on class wiki (appendix 5).
|
15 ms.
|
To finalize the lesson and promote learners’ autonomous online practice.
| |||
Session 2
Stage
n°
|
Procedure
|
Focus
Time
|
Aim
|
Warmer
|
*Teacher gets F/B on class wiki tests and scores.
* She divides class into two groups: each handles a list of irregular verbs (appendix 6).
|
10 ms.
|
To brainstorm the Ss.
|
Quiz orientation
|
*Teacher creates a brief interactive, online quiz for Ss as a model.
|
10 ms.
|
To familiarize Ss with creating online quizzes.
|
Creating an interactive, online quiz
competition
|
*Each pair creates an online test, using Quia, based on the verbs list, provided by the teacher.
* Ss post their tests on class wiki for their peers to tackle.
*Teacher checks results and re-cycles the rules taught from F/B.
|
30 ms.
|
To promote learners’ co-operation and re-cycle the TL.
|
Writing task
|
*Ss, in pairs, plan the outline of a famous person’s mini-biography.
*They upload it to class Wiki for their peers to edit.
*They upload the final draft.
|
35 ms.
|
To practice writing, using the new TL.
|
Wrap-up
|
*Teacher gives final comments.
*Ss are asked to vote for the best biography in terms of language accuracy.
|
5 ms.
|
To finalize the lesson.
|
Follow Ups / Variations:
· Ss may develop their biography into a shared PPT and upload on class wiki.
· Ss may also be encouraged to plan a treasure hunt, based on the posted biographies, for their peers to handle on class wiki.
· They can plan a role-play task and record a Skype interview: one as the famous person and his colleague as the interviewer, to develop their language fluency.
Anticipated problems and suggested solutions:
· In exercise 1, Ss happen to encounter some sentences in the passive past. Teacher should briefly comment on the rule in advance.
- Accessing class wiki and creating interactive quizzes can be quite time-consuming. Teacher is expected to give a pre-class orientation for Ss to save time.
- Though the net connection is quite potent in KSA and rarely down, an offline version of the data should be available too, to overcome undue technical difficulties.
A webliography:
