Lesson Plan: Un cuento en el pretrito

Standard

World Language Standards/Benchmarks:

Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret written and spoken

Objective/Target
and I can
statements

language on a variety of topics.

Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the
relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture
studied.
1.1.N.RW.b Exchange information by asking and answering basic
questions in writing about the weather, health/physical conditions,
self, family, and friends.
1.2.N.L.d Understand main idea of an audio presentation (CD,
lecture, radio, podcast, songs/music)
2.1.N.F.e Explain the practices and significance of an important: civil or religious holiday or celebration and regional holiday or
celebration and personal or family holiday or celebration within a
community or culture in which the target language is spoken.

Objective: In this lesson, students will learn the importance of

learning the past tense in authentic Spanish readings. Students will

review the Spanish past tense endings of -ar verbs. Most
importantly, students will see those conjugate verbs in a Spanish
children book that I will read them. The book is called Mi abuela
ya no esta, which is a book. Throughout the Spanish story,
students will see the preterite tense. In addition, the book goes
with the unit topic El da de los muertos because its the theme
of the story. Also, students will see several vocabulary words
learned from the lesson El da de los muertos. The purpose of
this lesson is for students to learn the importance of conjugating
verbs and the importance of the holiday El da de los muertos.
Students will notice the value of learning the Spanish tense by
seeing those Spanish verbs in authentic reading.The Spanish story
will help students understand how the preterite is applied in realworld literature.

I can conjugate Spanish preterite verbs in all form endings.

I can practice conjugating Spanish preterite verbs in a worksheet.
I can identify Spanish preterite verbs in Spanish stories.
I can recognize Spanish vocabulary words related to El da de los
muertos in the Spanish story.

I can explain what the Spanish story is about to the teacher.

I can translate Spanish sentences to English sentences.
I can write about a family/friend who passed away.
I can state the relevance of this story to El da de los muertos.

Lesson
Management:
Focus and
Organization

Students are expected to be in their assigned seat. Because the

Introduction:
Creating
excitement and
focus for the
lesson target.

To motivate students, I will show them a short video clip related

Input: Setting up
the lesson for
student success

seating chart was designed to avoid side conversations and

distractions with close friends. For this reason, students are
expected to be seated in their assigned seats while I reading the
Spanish story. Furthermore, students who talk or move from their
assigned seats while I read will be given a warning by calling their
name and asking them to follow the classroom rules. If they fail
the first time, students will be given a second warning and their
name will be written on the whiteboard. If misbehavior continues,
students will stay after class to talk with the teacher. Moreover, I
will try to call on students who are not actively involved by asking
them questions related to the material being studied. Also, I will
ask them questions related to the Spanish story after every page I
read. I will ask some students to translate the Spanish sentences to
English. So, students will be involved while I read the Spanish
story.
to the Spanish preterite. These video clip will motivate students to
learn how to conjugate Spanish verbs in the past tense. The video
clip is a Spanish song that contains the preterite -ar verbs endings.
Its a great song for students to learn those past tense endings.
Then, I will review the Spanish past tense ending for -ar verbs,
which this will help them for their warm-up assignment. Their
warm-up assignment is a worksheet where students will be
conjugating preterite verbs in a Spanish sentence. The worksheet
comes from their Spanish book. Students will have 8-10 minutes
to complete the worksheet. After 8-10 minutes have passed, I will
ask 10 volunteers to come up to the whiteboard and to write down
their conjugations for a given verb. Students will have the
opportunity to check their answers and ask any questions related
to this assignment or preterite tense.
1. Task Analysis
Before reading the Spanish story, we will review the vocabulary
related to El da de los muertos because students will need to
know those words to understand the story. So, we will practice the
Spanish vocabulary words by pronouncing each word. The
vocabulary words come from the lesson of El dia de los
muertos. Then, I will read the Spanish story to the class,
however, I will stop and check student comprehension by asking

them questions related to the story. In addition, students have to

write down any preterite verbs they see in the Spanish story.
Finally, students will have time to do a Spanish activity. Students
will have to choose a family/friend who has passed away and
answer a few questions related to the decease person. For
example, student will have to answer questions like what was
his/her favorite food? Students will be thinking about these
things and will draw things to represent their loved one. Students
will have 15 minutes to finish the activity and then students will
share with the class. But I will give students a choice to present
because I know this could be a sensitive topic for some students. I
will offer extra credit for those students who are willing to share
with the class.
2. Think Levels: Questions to engage students thinking:
I will ask questions related to the Spanish story:Qu est
celebrado la chica? Por qu celebra el da de los muertos?
Qu significa la muerte?
I will ask questions related to the Spanish preterite verbs. Qu
verbo vez conjugado al pretrito? Cual es el infinitivo del verbo
empez?
I will ask students to translate the Spanish sentences to English.
Cmo se traduce esta frase al Ingls?
3. Accomodations:
Remediation/Intervention: I will show a video clip of a Spanish
song singing the Spanish preterite endings. This song will help
those students who are having a hard time understanding the
preterite tense. In addition, I will read a Spanish story where
students will be able to see the preterite tense used. Furthermore, I
will ask the native speakers to translate the Spanish sentences to
English, which this will help those students who are having a hard
time understanding the Spanish story.
Extension/Enrichment: I will ask the native speakers to translate
the Spanish sentences to English. These will engage those
students who have met the target language.
Learning Styles: Students will have an opportunity to hear a
Spanish story and they will have an opportunity to see a visual
that goes with the story. So, if students do not understand the
Spanish story, they will be able to see the pictures to help them
guide them throughout the story.
4. Methods, Materials, and Integrated Technology
Instructional techniques: I will be reading a Spanish story that will
have key words from El da de los muertos unit and preterite

tense verbs. By reading this Spanish story, students will have a

chance to see how the preterite verbs are applied in a Spanish
reading.
Engagement strategies: Students will have the opportunity to be
engage by answering questions related to the story or translating
to Spanish to English.
Materials and Integrated Technology list: Video link and Spanish
story online link
Modeling: I DO

Show/Tell- Students will know they have learned the Spanish

preterite if they are able to identify Spanish preterite verbs in the

story. By identifying, students will be able to tell the differnce
between the Spanish present tense and the Spanish past tense. As
as matter of fact, students will be asked to write the Spanish
preterite verbs they see in the story. In addition, students will
learn the importance of El da de los muertos by doing the altar
de papel activity.
How/What- Cmo se llama la chica? Por qu esta triste?

Cules verbos estn en el pasado? Qu est celebrado la chica?

Por qu celebra el da de los muertos? Qu significa la
muerte?
Checking for
understanding:

I will stop and check for student comprehension by asking

Guided Practice:
We do

Before students write down any Spanish preterite verb from the

Collaborative
(You do
together) and/or
independent
practice

At the end of the story, students will be ask to list the Spanish

students questions related to the Spanish story. In addition, I will

ask some students to translate Spanish sentences because I want to
assure every student understands the story. Also, I ask students if
they notice any Spanish preterite verbs in the story.
story, we will first identify one verb together as a class. I ask a
student to read a page from the book and then I will ask students
to raise their hand if they notice a past tense verb. If so, I will call
on a student to identify a Spanish past tense verb. Since the
Spanish story is an online book, students will see the book from
the projector.
verbs they identity in the story. I will ask some students to write
them on the whiteboard. Then, students will have the opportunity
to understand the importance of El da de los muertos with an
activity called Altar de papel. Students will answer the three
questions related to a person who has passed away and draw
pictures to represent their deceased loved one. Students will have
a choice to present to the class.

Closure

I can conjugate Spanish preterite verbs in all form endings.

I can practice conjugating Spanish preterite verbs in a worksheet.
I can identify Spanish preterite verbs in Spanish stories.
I can recognize Spanish vocabulary words related to El da de los
muertos in the Spanish story.
I can explain what the Spanish story is about to the teacher.
I can translate Spanish sentences to English sentences.
I can write about a family/friend who passed away.
I can state the relevance of this story to El da de los muertos.

Finally, students will do an activity where they will choose a

family/ friend who has passed away and will remember them by
answering three questions and drawing pictures to represent them.
For example, what was his/her favorite food? However, students
will have the choice to choose a deceased celebrity because some
students might not feel comfortable talking about a loved one. In
addition, students will have the choice to present their information
to the class. Those students who present will receive extra credit.
Assessment

I will know students have mastered the objectives of this lesson

because students will be able to identify the Spanish past tense

verbs and share with the class their list of past tense verbs. In
addition, I will know students have mastered the part of El da de
los muertos because they will share with the class a family
member who passed way or friend. They will answer three
questions that will help them understand the holiday better.
Reflection: for
every lessonquestions to ask
yourself after
every lesson

I will know students have mastered the lesson by asking students

what past tense verbs they identified in the story.

The Spanish story will help me know who's having a hard time

identifying the Spanish past tense verbs.

Students did not struggle in identifying the Spanish verbs. They

recognized them because they were familiar with their endings.

Next time, I will print a copy of the book and assign students to

read in groups of three or four. By doing this, students will be able

to practice their reading skills.
Several students were interested in the story and looked excited to
see the ending of the story.
Students will have their own reading time when they learn about
La llorona.