English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes
Past, present and future
Grammar
CCSS L.1.1.EEngland: Y1 GPSEngland: Y2 GPS (past and present tense)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Past, present and future.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Nouns and verbs
Leads to: Past tense (regular and irregular verbs); Present and past progressive (-ing); Past, present or future? Simple verb tenses
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Nouns and verbs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word is a noun (a person, place, animal or thing)? The baby laughed loudly. (loudly / baby / the / laughed) → babyPrompt: Nouns name things. Can you put 'the' or 'a' in front of it?
- Which word is a verb (an action word)? Maya paints a picture of the sea. (Maya / sea / paints / picture) → paintsPrompt: A verb tells you what someone or something does.
- Which word fits the gap? Is the gap a noun or a verb? The ___ barked all night. (dog / slowly / loud / barked) → dogPrompt: Read the sentence and think: does the gap need a thing or an action?
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Past, present and future. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Next week we ___ a picnic.
- Step 1: The verb changes to show when something happens.
- Step 2: It has not happened yet, so we use 'will' + verb.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "Next week we will have a picnic."
- Step 4: So the answer is: will have
- Answer: will have
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Two days ago it ___ all day. (rains / will rain / rained) → rainedPrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Yesterday we ___ to the park. (walked / walk / will walk) → walkedPrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Right now the baby ___. (will sleep / is sleeping / slept) → is sleepingPrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Tomorrow I ___ my grandma. (visited / visit / will visit) → will visitPrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Nouns and verbs.
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Past tense (regular and irregular verbs); Present and past progressive (-ing); Past, present or future? Simple verb tenses.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder