Verb “to be,” present tense with subject pronouns – p. 4 “To be” with yes/no questions and answers – p. 5

Activity Ideas:

1. 
   What We Know  What We Don’t Know
   

2. 
   Compare the Simple Present with the Continuous Present
   

1. 
   Ask the learners to write sentences like that and then read them aloud.
   
• 
  I speak Spanish everyday, but now I am speaking English.
  

3. 
   What Are They Doing?
   

1. 
   Have learners form sentences in the present progressive describing what actions are taking place in an image (they can be drawn, or come from books, newspapers, comics or magazines).
   
2. 
   This activity can be used to familiarize students with thematic vocabulary by using images relating to work, health care, etc.
   
3. 
   Another nice variation on this activity which can be used for getting to know each other if everyone brings in images of family and friends, and describe who is in the picture, what their names are, where they are, and what they are doing.
   
   1. 
      It might be useful to provide some familiar words, and/or ask the question “What is he/she doing?” while displaying each image.
      
   2. 
      Asking learners to write their sentences on the board is good for confidence building, but if people still seem weary about spelling, they can write them on paper, the facilitator can collect them and return them with corrections.
      

4. Drill the structure with a worksheet.

5. 
   Who is doing what?
   

1. 
   Learners raise their hands in response to questions about what they will be doing in the future.
   
• 
  Who is doing laundry tomorrow? Who is cleaning tomorrow?
  

6. 
   What’s Your Schedule?
   
   1. 
      Each person writes down five times of the day (e.g. 7 am, 8:45 am, 1 pm, 5:15 pm, 10:00 pm).
      
   2. 
      Everyone pairs up, and each person looks at his or her partner’s schedule and asks, What are you doing tomorrow at ____ o’clock?
      
      1. 
         This activity can be done as a continuation of activity 3.
         

Plural These are my students. Those are my classmates.

Common phrases (Spring 2002 Sara & Olivia):

1. 
   Identifying Pictures:
   

1. 
   Make two groups of pictures (with old vocabulary) and hang them on the wall.
   
2. 
   Model the activity: This is a girl (point to picture close to you). That is a boy (point of picture far from you). Have students mimic.
   

1. 
   As a variation, repeat this activity with classroom objects – this is a good opportunity to introduce some more vocabulary.
   
2. 
   Another variation can be to identify things with groups of adjectives, for size, color, shape or anything else.
   

2. 
   Comparing Images around the Room:
   
   1. 
      Hand out a set of pictures of people with opposite qualities (e.g. old man and young man, tall woman and short woman, etc.).
      
   2. 
      Everyone places a picture somewhere in the classroom.
      
   3. 
      People walk around the room until the facilitator calls “stop”, at which point each person finds the picture closest to him and describes it using “this” as well as a picture far from him and describes it using “that.”
      

• 
  This person is young. That woman is tall.
  

3. 
   Practice this/these pronunciation distinction – find rhymes (this/kiss, miss; these/ cheese, please, he’s).
   
4. 
   All the exercises used for this/that can be used for these/those; just switch the subjects of the exercise from singular to plural.
   

8. 
   While teaching these topics, make sure to pace yourself, teaching first the possessive case and then possessive adjectives.
   
9. 
   Most of the activities described can be modified to teach either grammar point.
   

1. 
   How do we relate?
   

1. 
   Have students draw a family tree with at least 5 family members and then describe relationships between various relatives.
   

• 
  Pedro is Oscar’s cousin. Oscar is Miguel’s brother.
  

1. 
   After students grasp possessive form, have them use possessive adjectives.
   

• 
  Pedro is his cousin ; Miguel is his brother.
  

1. 
   Whose is that?
   
   1. 
      Each student puts an object in the middle of the table.
      
   2. 
      Everyone takes something that doesn’t belong to them.
      
   3. 
      People say who their object belongs to and ask someone else in the class who his object belongs to.
      

• 
  The comb is Fernando’s. Fernando, whose scarf is that?
  

2. 
   Whose shoe is this?
   
   1. 
      Everyone takes off a shoe and puts it in the middle of the table.
      
   2. 
      Person A picks up a shoe and asks someone, “Whose shoe is this?”
      
   3. 
      That person answers or guesses, saying “It is hers.” or “It is Claudia’s.”
      
   4. 
      Person A turns to the shoe owner and confirms, “Is this your shoe?” and the owner responds, “Yes it is mine.”
      

3. 
   Sample worksheet:
   

1. 
   Aldo se olvidó su libro.
   

2. 
   Julio y Thelma aman a sus nietos.
   

3. 
   Esta aula pertenece a todos nosotros. Es nuestra aula.
   

4. 
   Esta es mi hija. La quiero mucho.
   

5. 
   ¿Dónde está mi pluma? No puedo encontrarla.
   

6. 
   Esto pertenece a mi, es mío.
   

7. 
   Este libro pertenece a mi padre. Es suyo.Esta cucharra pertenece a ella. Es suya.
   

8. 
   Esa carpeta pertenece a Gaby y Sasha. Es de ellas.
   

9. 
   Este carro pertenece a mi y mi esposa. Es de nosotros.