Unit: The Imperfect Tense

Author: Micah Warners

Unit Plan Overview

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
The school is a Christian school and
faith is the main priority. Spanish is
just one of the students many
classes where faith is the underlying
theme and main goal. Spanish is a
class where Gods love can be shown
and shared, and where students can
draw closer to him.
Established Goals
This school is strongly Christian. As
Christians, we are called to love
those around us. The Hispanic,
Spanish-speaking population in the
United States and in our very own
city is growing. By learning Spanish
we may be better able to love those
who speak it. The past imperfect
tense is an important basic skill of
Spanish.
Michigan World Language Standards
addressed:
1.1: InterpersonalCommunication:Students
engageinconversations,provideandobtain
information,expressfeelingsandemotions,
andexchangeopinions.
1.2: Interpretive Communication: Students
understand and interpret written and
spoken language on a variety of topics.
1.3: Presentational Communication:
Students present information, concepts,
and ideas to an audience of listeners or
readers on a variety of topics.

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Speak, understand, and write Spanish accurately in the past imperfect tense, being able to recount
stories in the past
Speak, understand, and write Spanish accurately overall
Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand
Students will keep considering
The meaning of the imperfect tense as used
In what contexts will I use the imperfect?
in English
How was I different in the past? How have I
The verb conjugations for ar, er, and ir verbs
changed?
The verb conjugations for the irregular verbs
(ver, ser and ir)
Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions
Students will know (be able to)
Students will be skilled at
Students will exhibit

Speaking in the imperfect

Full comprehension of the
Speak, write, understand and
tense
imperfect tense
know the meaning and usage Writing in the imperfect
The value of understanding
of the imperfect tense
tense
the past and understanding
Speak, write, understand and Understanding the imperfect
the people we used to be
know the conjugations of the
tense when spoken
imperfect tense
Knowing when to use the
Speak, write, understand and
imperfect tense and its
know the irregular verbs in
meaning
the imperfect tense

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

4.1: ComparingLanguages:Students
demonstrateunderstandingofthenatureof
languagethroughcomparisonsofthelanguage
studiedandtheirown.
5.2:UseofLanguage:Studentsusethe
languagebothwithinandbeyondtheschool
setting.
Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Accuracy and automaticity in speech (teacher will listen as they
Students will take part in (almost) daily activities where they are
speak)
required to speak and respond to partners, using the imperfect,
Homework will be graded for completeness and some
teacher uses clipboard to take down points for who is speaking
assignments will be graded for accuracy2
Students will do daily homework assignments pertaining to each
Quiz will be graded on accuracy of conjugation, spelling, and use
lesson, checking their answers each class period
of imperfect, according the rubric
Students will take a quiz on the imperfect, its conjugations, and its
uses
Evaluative Criteria

Accuracy of the imperfect will be observed in the presentation to

the class
Students will be graded according to the rubric
Students will be graded for completion

OTHER EVIDENCE:
Students will work in groups on a famous person assignment,
eventually presenting their work to the class
Students will take an oral quiz on their childhoods
Students will be required to interview a Spanish speaker using the
imperfect and the new vocabulary

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Pre-assessment: students participate in a group speaking activity where they are required to speak in the past. Teacher walks around the
classroom
monitoring and evaluating the overall performance of the students in their use of the imperfect and general speaking skills.
Learning Events

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their

participation in these learning events
Monday:
Students talk in small groups about their weekends, using the past tense
Students help complete verb chart, teacher works through the note packet

Progress Monitoring
The students homework will be
checked for completeness and
accuracy
Students will be actively observed
and monitored by the teacher
when in group activities, during

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

with the students

Students conjugate verbs on personal whiteboards according to PowerPoint
Tuesday:
Students work through a whiteboard activity to review the previous days
material
Students play battleship to practice formation and pronunciation of the
imperfect tense
Students write sentences using the imperfect in the personas famosas
activity.
Wednesday:
Students talk to each other in the Actividad del Imperfecto to practice
formation and speaking of the imperfect
Teacher helps students complete their note packet, learning of the irregular
verbs in the imperfect tense
Students fill in charts in notes to practice conjugation of these verbs
Students work in pairs to conjugate verbs in the story, practicing conjugation
of the irregular verbs

this time the students will also

receive feedback from other
students and the teacher

Students will check their own

homework with the correct
answers, actively monitoring their
own progress

The quiz will be graded for

accuracy, students will be given
back written feedback

Thursday:
Students fill out their vocabulary list according to the PowerPoint, learning
new vocabulary
Students play Kahoot and Pictionary to practice the new vocabulary
Students fill out a worksheet (Nuestra Infancia) to practice writing both the
imperfect and the new vocaculary words
Friday:
Students talk about their childhoods, practicing speaking the new vocabulary
and the imperfect
Students partake in a translation activity, practicing writing and translating
sentences from English to Spanish using the imperfect and the new
vocabulary
Students take a written, oral, and applicational assessment to assess what
they have learned

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum