In the outlined lesson plan, participants engage in a BBQ setting. The immersive educational experience aims to enhance the practice of the past simple tense within the social context of a BBQ gathering. In the first activity, with graphic organizer, students look at regular and irregular verbs and put them into the correct column based on their choices. In the next exercise, four sentences are given to students, three being grammatically incorrect. The aim is to find the grammatically correct answers. Then, students move on to the last exercise, where there is a chart with numbers. Each number represents a verb related to the BBQ party. Students should come up with sentences in the past tense using the verbs and create a story using the upcoming verb.
Target Age: 15
Target Language Level (based on CEFR): B1
Location (indoors, outdoors, gym, classroom, etc.): Backyard BBQ
Reception and Oral Production
Develop a recognition of past simple tense through engaging in activities in a thematic BBQ setting and orally produce a story based on the given prompts.
Background knowledge needed for this lesson is familiarity with the concept of past simple tense. Students should know how to form past tense verbs and understand the basic rules. They should also know at least a little about grammar fundamentals and sentence structures. They should have some kind of familiarity with verbs related to BBQ activities and, the ability to analyze and correct grammatical errors. Lastly, students should be familiar with technology to understand how to play the game.
Students will be able to categorize regular and irregular verbs, demonstrating proficiency in distinguishing between these two verb forms.
Students will be able to identify and correct grammatically inaccurate sentences in past simple tense, showcasing an understanding of proper verb conjugation and sentence structure.
Students will be able to construct meaningful past tense sentences using specified BBQ-related verbs.
Students will be able to create a cohesive narrative using a series of past tense sentences formed with verbs related to the BBQ setting.
· Computer
· Smartphone
· Wi-Fi
· The game itself
Pre-Task (5 minutes)
In the initial 5 minutes, the focus is on establishing the lesson's theme. Introduction to the BBQ setting and the significance of practicing past simple tense within this context occurs.
Main Task (35 minutes)
The main task has three activities. First, students engage in the graphic organizer exercise, spending about 10 minutes categorizing regular and irregular verbs. Then, students move to the second exercise, where they analyze and correct grammatically inaccurate sentences. This activity spans around 10 minutes, promoting critical thinking and application of past simple tense rules. The final stage of the main task, lasting around 15 minutes, involves students creating sentences and a story using BBQ-related verbs from a numerical chart. This phase integrates thematic vocabulary into practical application, fostering an understanding of past simple tense within a social context.
Post Task (5 minutes)
In the post-task stage, as a whole class, students debrief answers and briefly discuss their experiences and insights gained during the activities. The teacher provides feedback on key learning points and addresses any lingering questions or misconceptions.