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Past simple: Questions

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Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Elementary/A2
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Grammar
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
45-60 min
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Low-Resource
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Overview

In this elementary ESL lesson plan, students will learn how to frame questions in the past simple tense. They will explore and practice various structures for questioning past events, starting from basic queries to more complex interrogative forms. Knowing how to ask questions in the past simple is crucial for students to gather information about historical events.

In this lesson, we suggest a boardwork strategy for introducing different question formats in the past simple tense. We then guide students through several low-resource activities focused on grammar practice and cooperative speaking. Finally, we end the session with an interactive classroom game that will memorably reinforce the target language.

Lesson Outline
Activities
Low-resource ESL lesson plan
Boardwork
1Interview prep
2Cinema interview
3Reporting
Games
1Call my bluff
2Alibi
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Classroom activities

Low-resource ESL lesson plan

Use of the board

The students will look at several common structures for forming past simple questions.

Start by reviewing the grammar of basic past simple questions and short answers before moving on to the more complex structures. If you can, use the L1(Student's first language) to confirm understanding before starting the next point.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

Interview prep

Students will prepare a list of interview questions that they will use for the next task.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

Cinema interview

For this follow-on speaking activity, students will take turns interviewing each other using the questions they created during the previous task.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

Reporting

The students will answer a few questions from the teacher about what they learned from their interview.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Classroom games

Low-resource ESL activity

Call my bluff

Players have to trick the opposing side using a past simple statement about themselves.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
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Low-resource ESL activity

Alibi

Students will interrogate two suspects of an imaginary crime to look for holes in their story.

Low-resource ESL lesson plan
This lesson plan is exclusive to TEFLHandbook members. Join today and get instant access to our expanding library of teaching resources.