You Scratched Me!

Ian Carpenter, ESOL Instructor
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
The Riverside Language Program NYC
The American English Group

Lesson Title: You scratched me!

Focus of Lesson: Verbs in three forms: base, past and progressive together with questions.

Objectives: Accelerate the memorization and understanding of verb forms and tenses together with questions in a fun way.

Level of students: Low and high intermediate.

Applicable Learning standards: ELA 1

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.

Implementation Time: Initially, the teacher introduces several new verb forms and provides pronunciation and spelling correction. Next, the game is introduced, demonstrated and the students begin to play it. This could take 1.5 hrs. After the students are familiar with the game it can be played for shorter periods of time.

Materials and Supplies: Index cards.

Room Arrangement: Situate students in groups of (3 – 5) in different areas of the classroom so noise interference is minimized. Ideally, each group’s works around a small table but this is not important. What is important is that the students can touch each other.

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Introduction for Teachers:

Procedure:

On the blackboard (BB), Teacher (T) introduces several new verbs. With lower levels this might be as little as 5 verbs. With higher levels, and after some practice, as many as 15 verbs can be used.

Here is a good batch to start with: touch, scratch, bite, hit, pinch and squeeze and caress.

(After the students are comfortable with the game introduce more verbs like: congratulate, bore, tease, bore, flatter, pat, pet, insult, hug, rub, bribe, inspire.)

Teaching these verbs will be real fun!

(T) demonstrates the verb action on a student before modeling any pronunciation. Of course, the (T) only pretends when demonstrating verbs like scratch, bite, pinch or hit.

During the demonstration, check to see if any students already know the verb.

Spell each verb introduced on the BB. Model the pronunciation and have the students repeat it together and individually. Then have the students do the action of the verb on the person sitting closest to them while saying it at the same time. This is fun and educationally sound!

The game can easily be modified to different levels and here the teacher must make a decision on how complicated to make the game. Certainly you must also demonstrate the past tense of each verb and write it on the BB beside it’s base form but whether you want or feel your class is ready to use the progressive forms is really dependent on their level and whether you have already given them an introduction to progressive forms. Either way, it’s not a big deal because it’s easy to modify this game, as you will see.

So now the BB has several verbs written on it (together with base forms and past and maybe progressive) and your students understand their meanings and can pronounce them too. Here the game begins.

Write on the BB. 1. She / He is ____(progressive)____________-ing you.

2. You (past) me.

3. I was (past) by you.

4. Did you (base) her/ him?

5. Are you -ing her/ him now?

6. Were you -ing her/ him before?

I like to provide each group with a photocopy of the above at their tables for easy reference (and with large letters!).

The teacher invites three students to the front, seats them at chairs and demonstrates how the game is played.

A group of index cards is introduced. On one side is written the base form of the verbs previously introduced.

One student picks an index card after without letting the others see it. That student now performs the verb action on a fellow group member.

The third group member must now figure out what verb action is being performed and make a statement using it in sentence #1. (*It is extremely important that the student performing the action continues the action until another student correctly guesses the correct verb).

The student who received the action must now use statement #2 and #3 and create two sentences using sentences #2 & #3. The third group member then asks the three questions (#4, #5, and #6).

After the group demonstration, the class is divided into groups and each group is given a set of the index cards. They now start playing the game and can refer to the sentences on the BB or the handout (identical information) if they need to.

Reflection

You should have no problems with this fun game. Students pick it up fast even if they are uncertain at the beginning as to how the different tenses work. The game so clearly demonstrates action and time relationships that simply by following through with the six questions they will be become cognizant of the grammar involved. As each group plays, walk around and assist where needed. Usually the student performing the verb action forgets to continue the action (until another states the correct verb action) – so here you

Remind them "Keep doing the action until somebody guesses correctly what you are doing." Some students need a little encouragement to be physical with the game – definitely give them this encouragement. This is what makes the game so fun!

In future classes introduce more verbs. They already know the game now so they can focus on the language.

Ian Carpenter
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
The Riverside Language Program NYC
The American English Group