Lesson Plan | Socioemotional Learning | Verbs: Modal Verbs

Objectives

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage of the Socioemotional Lesson Plan is to introduce students to the topic of modal verbs, establishing a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, it promotes the development of socioemotional skills, such as self-awareness and responsible decision-making, by exploring how and when to use these verbs in everyday situations. This phase prepares students for the practical activities and discussions that will follow, ensuring that everyone has a clear and uniform understanding of the topic.

Main Goals

1. Recognize and understand the most important modal verbs in English, such as can, could, may, must, and should.

2. Develop the ability to identify and apply modal verbs in different contexts and situations.

Introduction

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

Emotional Warm-up Activity

Guided Meditation for Focus and Concentration

The chosen emotional warmup activity is Guided Meditation. This practice helps promote focus, presence, and concentration among students, emotionally preparing them for the lesson.

1. Ask students to sit comfortably in their chairs with straight backs and feet flat on the floor.

2. Ask them to close their eyes and begin to pay attention to their breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

3. Guide students' attention to the present moment, asking them to focus on body sensations, breathing, and surrounding sounds without judgment.

4. Invite students to visualize a calm and peaceful place, like a beach or a flower-filled field, and to imagine themselves there, feeling relaxed and at peace.

5. After a few minutes, ask them to slowly open their eyes and bring their attention back to the classroom, carrying the feeling of calm and focus with them.

Content Contextualization

Modal verbs are essential in communication in English, as they allow expressing possibilities, obligations, permissions, and abilities. Think of everyday situations, like asking for permission to leave the room or expressing the ability to complete a task. These verbs help convey these intentions clearly and precisely. Beyond grammar, understanding and using modal verbs correctly also involves socioemotional skills. For instance, knowing when and how to use 'can' or 'may' can show respect and consideration for the feelings and rights of others. Thus, learning about modal verbs is not just a matter of language, but also about developing more empathetic and effective communication.

Development

Duration: (45 - 60 minutes)

Theoretical Framework

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

1. Definition of Modal Verbs: Modal verbs are auxiliaries that express possibilities, abilities, permissions, or obligations. They are essential for communication in English and are not conjugated or changed in form.

2. Can: Used to express ability or possibility. Example: 'I can swim.'

3. Could: Past form of 'can,' but can also express a possibility or a polite suggestion. Example: 'Could you help me?'

4. May: Used to express permission or a possibility. Example: 'May I come in?'

5. Must: Expresses an obligation or a logical deduction. Example: 'You must wear a seatbelt.'

6. Should: Used to give advice or suggestions. Example: 'You should see a doctor.'

7. Analogies: Compare modal verbs to tools in a toolbox, where each has a specific function to help accomplish different tasks in communication.

Socioemotional Feedback Activity

Duration: (30 - 40 minutes)

Applying Modal Verbs in Everyday Situations

In this activity, students will work in groups to create dialogues that use modal verbs in different contexts. Each group will receive a specific scenario and must present their dialogue to the class.

1. Divide the students into groups of 3 to 4.

2. Distribute cards with different scenarios (for example, 'asking for permission to leave the room', 'giving advice to a friend', 'talking about a skill').

3. Instruct the groups to create a short dialogue (5-7 lines) using the appropriate modal verbs for the given scenario.

4. Ask the groups to rehearse and then present their dialogues to the class.

5. After each presentation, open the floor for questions and discussions about the use of modal verbs.

Group Discussion

After the dialogue presentations, use the RULER method to guide the group discussion:

Recognize: Ask students to identify the emotions expressed in the presented dialogues. Ask: 'What emotions did you notice in the lines?'

Understand: Explore with students the causes and consequences of the expressed emotions. Ask: 'Why do you think the character felt that way? What were the consequences of these emotions?'

Label: Encourage students to correctly name the emotions. Ask: 'How would you describe the emotions felt by the characters?'

Express: Discuss appropriate ways to express these emotions in real situations. Ask: 'How can we express these emotions properly?'

Regulate: Talk about how to regulate these emotions in different contexts. Ask: 'What can we do to manage these emotions in similar situations in the future?'

Conclusion

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

Emotional Reflection and Regulation

For the reflection and emotional regulation activity, suggest that students write a paragraph or participate in a group discussion about the challenges they faced when using modal verbs in the dialogues and how they managed their emotions during the activity. Ask: 'What were the main difficulties you encountered while creating the dialogues? How did you feel working in a group? How did you handle these emotions?'. Encourage students to share their experiences and reflect on how they could improve their emotional management in future activities.

Objective: The objective of this subsection is to encourage self-assessment and emotional regulation, helping students identify effective strategies to deal with challenging situations. By reflecting on the emotions felt and challenges faced, students will develop a better understanding of themselves and learn to regulate their emotions more efficiently, applying these strategies in academic and personal contexts.

Closure and A Look Into The Future

To close the lesson, ask students to set personal and academic goals related to the use of modal verbs. Explain that these goals may include using modal verbs correctly in writing, dialogues, or future presentations. Guide students to write their goals on a piece of paper or share them in a brief group discussion.

Possible Goal Ideas:

1. Use modal verbs correctly in writing and dialogues.

2. Practice using modal verbs in everyday situations to gain confidence.

3. Review and study modal verbs regularly to consolidate knowledge.

4. Apply emotional regulation strategies during challenging academic activities. Objective: The objective of this subsection is to strengthen students' autonomy and the practical application of learning, aiming for continuity in academic and personal development. By setting clear goals, students can direct their efforts to improve their linguistic and emotional skills, promoting continuous and balanced growth.