Infinitive Verbs 
             Regular -AR –ER –IR 
                   Conjugation 
               Present Indicative 
                   Lesson Plan 
                              
                              
    Learn and practice the regular  –AR –ER 
          –IR verbs present conjugation                        
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                  Learn and practice the –AR –ER –IR verbs present conjugation  
                                            (English version) 
        
       Objectives 
       ●  At the end of this activity, students will be familiar with the three Spanish conjugations, and will be able to 
          conjugate regular verbs in present indicative. Also, they will have used them in simple sentences. 
           
       Activity Summary 
       Students will learn verbs’ classification into three categories by trying to classify some verbs on their own. 
       Later, they will watch a video where conjugation of regular verbs in present indicative is explained. After 
       preparing a cheat sheet, they will practice conjugation in a team contest that includes: a. saying to what 
       conjugation belongs each verb, b. conjugating it in all its persons, and c. after throwing a die, make a simple 
       sentence in the corresponding person with the help of some expressions that are provided. 
        
       Time allocation 
       30-40 minutes 
        
       Procedure    
       -  Activity 1 - Introduction – Discovering the three conjugations  
             a.  Individually, students will fill in the Handout 1, part 1, trying to infer what the three ‘families’ of 
                Spanish verbs are from a sample of 6 verbs (two for each conjugation). After finishing part 1, the 
                teacher shows the video Spanish Grammar: Verb Infinitives (https://youtu.be/B3zEPjRdxmA) that 
                reveals that the infinitive verbs in Spanish end with -AR, -ER o –IR. After that, they use a larger list 
                of verbs (part 2) in order to confirm or reconsider their first guessing. 
                 
             b.  When finished, they will get together in pairs in order to compare (and correct if necessary) the 
                answers (Handout 1, part 1 and 2). Then they will chose from the list the 10 verbs they consider 
                more useful. Each pair explains their list to the entire class. The teacher can write on the 
                blackboard the most ‘popular’ verbs in order to facilitate memorizing. 
        
       -  Activity 2 – Present indicative for the three conjugations (regular verbs) and oral practice 
             a.  Students watch the video Las conjugaciones (https://youtu.be/dhY5NNH5VBY) and fill out in 
                Handout 2, part 1. 
                 
             b.  In pairs, ask them to analyze the similarities and differences between the endings in all three 
                conjugations on the Handout 2, part 2. Ask them to create a cheat sheet to easily memorize and 
                remember them (Handout 3). Each group must explain their cheat sheet to the class, and the most 
                understandable will be displayed in the classroom for everyone to see. 
        
             c.  Now, the teacher explains on the board the uses of the present indicative while the students take 
                notes and write one example on Handout 4. 
                 
                The uses of the present tense: 
                1. To express actions that are happening now 
                Ella escucha música latina. 
        
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         Yo preparo la cena. 
         Jorge canta el himno de Estados Unidos. 
          
         2. To express frequency or ongoing actions 
         Raúl viaja a San Juan todos los meses. 
         Yo estudio todos los días. 
         Las tiendas abren a las 10am todos los días. 
          
         3. Characteristics of things that stay the same 
         Los cubanos hablan español. 
         Mi mamá es puertorriqueña. 
         Todos los bebés lloran. 
     
       d.  The class in divided into two groups. Each group is given a die. There is a deck of verb cards. In the 
         first turn, a student from group A takes a verb card from the deck: first, they say to what conjugation 
         group the verb belongs (1 point if answer is correct), then they conjugate it in the present (2 points if 
         all conjugation is correct, 1 point if they make up to two mistakes) and finally they throw the die and 
         make a simple sentence in the corresponding person (1=yo, 2=tú, etc.) using the elements in 
         Handout 5 (2 points for right sentence). When finished, it’s the other group’s turn, who will repeat 
         the steps, and so on. 
     
    Suggested evaluation method 
    It is advisable to have a rubric to assess speaking activities in which it should be clear to students how to move 
    from one level to the next. A rubric indicating how a student is Meeting, Exceeding or not Meeting Expectations 
    is the most useful. The suggested “Speaking Production Rubric” can be used (Handout 6). 
     
    Materials 
    Videos: 
       1.  Spanish Grammar: Verb Infinitives - https://youtu.be/B3zEPjRdxmA 
       2.  Las conjugaciones, «Aprende español con Carmencita» - https://youtu.be/dhY5NNH5VBY  
     
    Handouts: 
    In the following pages you will find the below list of handouts ready to print: 
     
       HANDOUT 1: The Three Conjugations in Spanish (pages. 5-6) 
       HANDOUT 2: Regular Verbs in the Present Indicative (pages 7-8) 
       HANDOUT 3: Regular Verbs Cheat Sheet (page. 9 paper size 11” x 17”) 
       HANDOUT 4: The Uses of the Present Tense in Spanish (pages 10-11) 
       HANDOUT 4: Verb Conjugation Contest (pages 12-13) 
       HANDOUT 6: Speaking Production Rubric (page 14) 
     
    Other: 
       Two dice           
     
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                HANDOUTS 
                  
     
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