What did you do Yesterday?

A lesson plan for teaching the (regular)

simple past tense to elementary school students.


Alison Wise

Azusa Pacific University

TESL 515: Teaching Grammar: Dr. Nancy Ackles, professor


Time frame: One 40 minute class

Audience:
This lesson is intended for elementary school English language learners who have
already mastered the simple present tense and present progressive tense but are not yet
familiar or fully competent with the simple past tense. These students would be
considered to be at the beginner level.

Outcomes:
Students Will be Able to:
-Recognize activities as occurring now or in the past.
-Talk about past activities using the simple past tense.
-Write about past activities using the simple past tense.
-Demonstrate understanding of difference between simple past and
simple the present by answering questions such as what did you do?
and what are you doing? appropriately.

Rationale for Learning Outcomes:
The simple past tense is a basic staple of the English language that
students should be able to understand and use in order to be understood
by other English speakers. Student need to understand that activities
that are happening in the present are talked about using present
progressive verbs, and activities that have happened in the past art talked
about using past tense verbs. The present progressive tense is generally
learned before the simple past tense, and it is assumed that students are
comfortable understanding and using it. Additionally, the present
progressive tense is used instead of the simple present to contrast with
the simple past because it is more apparent that it is something
happening in the present and not the past. Simple present tense verbs
often infer that an activity is ongoing and has occurred in the past,
present, and future.


Materials:
-computer and projector or screen with PowerPoint capabilities
-PowerPoint presentation (see Appendix A)
-worksheet accompanying the PowerPoint presentation: 1 copy for each
student (see Appendix B)
-Information gap paper: half of the students will get sheet A and half will
get sheet B, so each student should not get both sheets (see appendix C)
-whiteboard and markers or chalkboard and chalk
-pencils
-broom
Procedures:
Greeting/motivation (~5 minutes):
Say hello to students and ask how they are.
Ask what students did over the weekend/yesterday (whenever you last
saw them). Ask in English, and if you get blank stares, try asking in their
native language (if they share a common first language). Ask students
to expound on what they said by asking a few follow-up questions if there
is time. Try to speak with as many students as possible within 5 minutes.
Presentation (~7 minutes):
Say The reason I asked you what you did yesterday (or over the
weekend or whatever is applicable) is because today we are going to
learn about how to talk about things we are finished doing. Draw a
chart on the board in the following format:
If you know the words for past and present in your students first
language(s), it might be beneficial to write them on the board next to
right now and finished.
Right now Finished
Jump
Clean
Smile
Study
Play

Jump up and down while saying I am jumping. If you have the
coordination, try to write I am jumping while you are jumping. Then
stop jumping and say Im finished. I jumped (really emphasize the
ending sound). Write I jumped under the finished column. Then get
a broom, pretend to clean, and say I am cleaning the classroom. Ask
students if I am cleaning should go under right now or finished.
Then stop cleaning, pretend to be very tired, and say I cleaned the
classroom (emphasizing the ending sound and pointing to the ending on
the board) and ask students which column I cleaned should go under.
Follow the same procedure for smile, study, and play the guitar,
acting out each one as dramatically as possible, and writing the
corresponding present progressive or past tense verb on the board in the
chart.

Presentation and Practice (~7-9 minutes):
Say to students, ok, now that I have acted out all of these things I want
you to try it. So please stand up and lets jump together. Ready? Go!
Now I want you to say I am jumping. Go ahead, say it. Have them
keep repeating I am jumping while they jump. Then tell them to stop,
and ask what should we say now that we are finished jumping? Thats
right! I jumped.
If students look confused, ask them if they are jumping now or if they
are finished jumping. If students still look confused, exaggeratedly
look at the finished column on the board. Repeat the same process for
various regular simple past tense verbs, having students act out each one
and tell you that once they are finished.
Explain to students that they need to put a +d (for verbs ending with a
vowel) or +ed (to verbs ending with a consonant) or change the y to i
+ed (for most verbs ending with a y) at the end of words (verbs) to
talk about things that are finished. Circle or underline these endings on
the verbs on the chart on the board. Mention this, but dont focus on it
as it will bore students and probably confuse young learners as well.
PowerPoint quiz and worksheet (more practice) (~6 minutes):
(see appendices A and B)
Tell students that next they will have a fun practice quiz. Say I will
show you a picture, and you write the correct words in the blank. Lets
do #1 together. Open the PowerPoint presentation. Should you write is
jumping or jumped? Is the cat jumping right now? or is the cat
finished jumping? Right, the cat is jumping. Note to teachers: #2
includes 2 slides, so try to time it so that when you see Kanye start
frowning, you switch to the next slide.
Go through the rest of the PowerPoint presentation, having students write
what they think the correct verb form is. Collect students papers when
they are finished.
Information gap worksheet (more practice) (~7 minutes):
(see appendix C)
Tell students they are now going to do a speaking game, but that they
need to listen carefully for instructions. Say you need to know how to
ask what someone did yesterday. Now, is yesterday finished, or is
yesterday right now? Thats right, its finished, so we need to use the
words that end with d. Put students in partners, and give one partner
part A and the other partner part B. Say Ok, some of you have paper A
and some have paper B. People who have paper A, you need to ask your
partner about the blanks on your sheet, and if you have paper B, you
need to ask your partner about the blanks on your sheet. Can I have
(choose a slightly more advanced pair of students) come up and
demonstrate? Ok, please come up to the front. Person with paper A
(just say the name of the student with this paper), you need to ask,
What did Joe do yesterday? And person with paper B (again, just say
the name of the student with paper B), you just read Joe played soccer.
And then switch, and ____(student with paper B), you ask What did Suzy
do yesterday? And _____(student with paper A), you say Suzy watched
TV. Please write down your answers. Understand? Ok, go! Give
students about 4 minutes to complete this activity, and walk around the
classroom as they do this so that you can listen to them speaking,
checking if they are using past tense verbs and are otherwise able to
complete the activity. At the end of 4 minutes, ask students to stop, and
hand in their papers to you.
Note: You may want to change the verbs to present tense and put them
in parenthesis in order to note that they are not currently in the past
tense. Appendix C has the verbs in the simple past tense in order for
low-level students to keep up. It would also be possible to use images
instead of words.
Review and farewell (~5-9 minutes)
Tell students We only have a few minutes left, so lets review. Can you
tell me what you did yesterday now? Call on several students and ask
What did you do yesterday? They should be able to use the past tense
of verbs they learned. Also, accept answers such as I readed a book
because students havent learned irregular past tense verbs yet. They
will learn that in a later lesson. If there is time, review by writing a
present progressive verb on the board and asking students what word we
use to make it finished. Students should say the past tense verb. If
there is still extra time, switch it around and write past tense verbs on the
board and have students say the present progressive tense of the verb.

Asessment:

Assessment will occur throughout this lesson.

1. During the introduction, take note if any students are able to use
past tense verbs when talking about yesterday or their weekend.
2. During the presentation, make sure that students are able to
classify verbs as either past tense (finished) or present
progressive (right now).
3. Collect the quiz and note the number correct out of 7.
4. During information gap activity, circle the room and make a note of
whether students are able to say the past tense verbs using the
following checksheet:

Name:
Student was able to say the past tense for of verbs while completing the
information gap.

Yes no sometimes

(circle one)


5. Take note of whether students are able to use past tense verbs at
the end of class when asking them about what they did
yesterday/over the weekend.

























Resources:

(2011, February 9). Cat jumping off table fail [Web Photo]. Retrieved
from http://www.gifbin.com/988216

(2011, January 6). Cleaning dog [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.gifbin.com/984918

Edginton, J. (Photographer). (2010, July 7). Portrait of James Rhodes
lying on a piano [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=lying+next+to+piano&safe=act
ive&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=6Pk_
U5yfNsSfiAe4ooD4Bw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1517&bih=725&d
pr=0.9#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=MI7kcO8YO2IBhM%253A%3B5E
nUGQP7xZD3OM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.thetimes.co.uk
%252Ftto%252Fmultimedia%252Farchive%252F00031%252F2I0T
7035_a_31963b.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.thetimes.co
.uk%252Ftto%252Farts%252Fmusic%252Fclassical%252Farticle25
87754.ece%3B780%3B520

Kanye frown [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=kanye+frown&safe=active&esp
v=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Tfc_U6m7N
6HtiAeFqYHIBw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1517&bih=725&dpr=0.
9#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=DcusRhm-bufX1M%253A%3B-
WcCBZztQBomlM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwac.450f.edgecastc
dn.net%252F80450F%252Fpopcrush.com%252Ffiles%252F2011%
252F12%252Fkanye-
west.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fdanrenfro.wordpress.com%
252Ftag%252Flil-wayne%252F%3B625%3B417

Kanye smile to frown [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.laughlocker.com/gifs-2/kanye-smile-to-frown-195

Monkey animated gif [Print Photo]. Retrieved from
http://giphy.com/gifs/8vEhb7zhaTsv6

(2008). Reading homework [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://tvo602.wikispaces.com/

(2013, December 9). TWELVE chapters of reading (for one class) [Web
Photo]. Retrieved from
http://thoughtandahalf.blogspot.kr/2013/12/the-12-days-of-
finals.html



Appendix A

You may need to download this file, as it contains several animated gifs
that may not be able to be viewed on the slideshare website.

http://www.slideshare.net/awise923/appendix-a-for-lesson-plan-tesl-515

















































Appendix B

Name: __________________________________

Please write the correct verb in the blank. Finished or
right now?

1. The cat is jumping

2. The dog _____________________________

3. Kanye __________ ____________________

4. The monkey ___________________________

5. The man______________________________

6. The boy ______________________________

7. The man______________________________

























Appendix C


Name:__________________________________
What did they do yesterday? Information gap activity: Sheet A

1. Joe .
2. Suzy watched TV.
3. Lee .
4. Sam studied English.
5. Bob .
6. Sally watched a movie.
7. Mo .
8. Mom cleaned the kitchen.
9. Jesse .
10. Tom played the guitar.





Name:__________________________________
What did they do yesterday? Information gap activity: Sheet B

1. Joe played soccer.
2. Suzy .
3. Lee cleaned his room.
4. Sam .
5. Bob studied math.
6. Sally .
7. Mo played baseball.
8. Mom .
9. Jesse played the piano.
10. Tom .