Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Verbs: Introduction to Present Continuous

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 - 7 minutes)

The objectives stage is fundamental to clearly establish what is expected for students to learn and be able to do by the end of the class. By focusing on the use of the present continuous to describe ongoing actions, this section directs students' attention to the practical application of previously studied content. Additionally, by including the identification of the present continuous in reading contexts, it aims to reinforce understanding and analysis of linguistic structures in real use.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to use the present continuous accurately to describe ongoing actions in the present.

2. Develop the ability to identify and analyze the present continuous in various contexts, including texts in English.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage critical thinking and active participation of students during practical classroom activities.
2. Promote the ability to work as a team and discuss solutions in groups.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students and make a smooth transition from individual study to practical application in the classroom. By presenting problem situations, it stimulates the review of pre-studied concepts and prepares the ground for practice. The contextualization helps students understand the relevance of the present continuous in real situations, thus increasing their interest and motivation to learn and apply the content.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are describing to a friend what a group of children is doing in the park at this very moment. How would you use the present continuous to describe the actions?

2. Think of a scene from a movie you like, where a character is performing several activities simultaneously. How would you translate these actions into English using the present continuous?

Contextualization

The present continuous is one of the most common and useful verb forms in English, as it allows us to talk about actions that are occurring at the moment of speaking. For example, when we watch a soccer game and want to narrate what is happening, we use the present continuous. Moreover, the present continuous is essential in everyday dialogues, such as in situations where we describe what someone is doing or planning to do. Knowing how to correctly use this verb form enriches communication and understanding in English.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The development stage is designed to allow students to practically and interactively apply the knowledge previously acquired about the present continuous. By working on playful and contextualized activities, they have the opportunity to solidify their understanding and linguistic skills through error correction, creating dialogues and theatrical pieces, and planning fictional future events. This approach not only helps in content retention but also develops collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills in English.

Activity Suggestions

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

Activity 1 - Present Continuous Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop skills in text analysis and correction, in addition to reinforcing the understanding of the use of the present continuous in various contexts.

- Description: In this activity, students become linguistic detectives, where they must investigate and identify the use of the present continuous in short texts and dialogues. Each group receives a 'file' with several cases (texts) that contain intentional errors or omissions in the use of the present continuous. They need to correct these errors and present their findings to the class.

- Instructions:

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

• Distribute the 'case files' to each group, each containing 5 texts with errors in the use of the present continuous.

• Students should read the texts, identify the errors, and correct them.

• Each group should prepare a brief presentation to explain the original error, the correction made, and why the correction is appropriate.

• After the corrections, each group will present one or two corrected texts to the class, explaining the reasoning behind the changes.

Activity 2 - Theater of Times

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice the use of the present continuous in a creative context and develop presentation and teamwork skills.

- Description: Students will create short plays where they should use the present continuous to describe actions that are happening. Each group will receive a scenario (e.g., a busy kitchen, a park full of activities) and should write and act out a scene that correctly and creatively uses the present continuous.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students and distribute different scenarios to each group.

• Students should discuss and plan a small scene that takes place in the assigned scenario, using the present continuous to describe the characters' actions.

• The groups write the script of the scene, ensuring that the present continuous is correctly employed.

• Each group presents its scene to the class, using English and the present continuous in a natural and understandable way.

• After the presentations, peers provide feedback on the use of the present continuous.

Activity 3 - Future Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Explore the use of the present continuous to describe future events and foster creativity and teamwork in planning.

- Description: In this activity, students will plan a 'time travel' to the near future, where they will describe actions that will be ongoing at the time of travel. Using the present continuous, they will create a detailed 'action plan' outlining what they and their 'future' classmates will be doing.

- Instructions:

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

• Explain that each group must design a trip to the near future and describe, using the present continuous, what will be happening at that moment.

• Groups should create a written 'action plan', outlining the ongoing activities during the trip to the future.

• Each group presents its plan to the class, justifying the choices of using the present continuous.

• Hold a class discussion about the different visions of the future and the use of the present continuous to describe future events.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this feedback section is to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to reflect on the use and application of the present continuous in various contexts. Through sharing experiences, students have the opportunity to verbalize what they learned, reinforcing their understanding and receiving feedback from peers and the teacher. This stage also aims to strengthen communication skills in English and critical reflection.

Group Discussion

To initiate the group discussion, the teacher can introduce the topic with a brief review of the lesson objectives, highlighting the importance of the present continuous and how it was applied in the activities carried out. Then, suggest that each group share their experiences and findings, focusing on how they approached the proposed challenges and what they learned from them. Encourage students to discuss the differences between the activities, what they found easier or more difficult, and how teamwork helped or could have helped more.

Key Questions

1. What were the main challenges in identifying and correcting errors in the use of the present continuous in the texts and dialogues?

2. How did the use of the present continuous in different contexts (texts, dialogues, theater) influence your understanding and application of the verb tense?

3. In what way did teamwork contribute to your learning about the present continuous?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of the conclusion is to ensure that students have a clear and consolidated understanding of the content covered, as well as to understand the practical application of the present continuous in real and fictitious contexts. This stage also serves to reinforce the importance of using the present continuous in daily life, motivating students to continue improving their linguistic skills.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the main points covered during the lesson, reinforcing the structure and use of the present continuous. It is necessary to revisit the practical activities, highlighting how students applied the present continuous in different contexts and situations, such as in text correction, theatrical dialogue creation, and future event planning.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was structured to effectively connect theory with practice. By using the flipped classroom method, students were able to apply prior knowledge in practical and interactive situations, solidifying theoretical understanding through practice. This was evident in activities that simulated real cases of using the present continuous, both in text correction and in creating future scenarios.

Closing

The present continuous is an essential tool in communication in English, allowing for the description of actions that are occurring at the moment of speaking. Understanding and correctly using this verb tense expands students' linguistic capabilities, making their communications more fluent and precise. Moreover, activities involving creativity and future planning help develop critical thinking and teamwork skills, which are essential in learning a foreign language.