Contextualization

The theme 'Simple Past' in English, also known as Simple Past, is one of the most fundamental for the construction of effective communication in the language. It is the verb tense used to express actions that happened at a time prior to the present and have already been completed. Whether to tell a story, describe a previous experience, or discuss historical events, mastery of the simple past is crucial.

The use of the simple past covers a wide range of situations, from casual conversations with friends to formal contexts. Therefore, it is vital that we develop a good understanding of this topic, as it represents an extremely versatile tool in our ability to communicate ideas and events in English.

Theoretical Introduction

The simple past is formed differently for regular and irregular verbs in English. While regular verbs form the simple past by adding -ed to the end of the infinitive verb, irregular verbs have past forms that must be learned individually, as they do not follow a single pattern.

For example, the regular verb 'to walk' becomes 'walked' in the simple past, while the irregular verb 'to go' becomes 'went'. Furthermore, it is important to note that all persons (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) use the same form of the verb in the simple past, which differs from some other verb tenses in English.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: 'Counting Stories in Simple Past'

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to allow students to apply their knowledge of the simple past through the creation and presentation of a story. This will help them practice the use of the simple past in a real and playful context. In addition, students will develop teamwork, time management, communication, and creative thinking skills.

Detailed Project Description

For this project, students will be divided into groups of 3 to 5 people. Each group will have the task of creating an original story that effectively and creatively uses the simple past in English. The story can be of any genre (adventure, comedy, drama, etc.) and must be written in English.

The stories must contain at least 10 verbs in the simple past, including both regular and irregular verbs. In addition, the groups must also illustrate their story by creating a minimum of 5 illustrations representing different parts of the story.

The groups must present their stories to the class through an oral presentation, using the illustrations created to help narrate the story. The presentation of the story should last between 10 to 15 minutes.

Required Materials

1. Paper and pen for story conception
2. Drawing materials (color pencils, markers, drawing paper) for illustrations
3. Computer with Internet access for research and presentation rehearsal

Detailed Step-by-Step for Activity Execution

1. Divide students into groups of 3 to 5 people.
2. Groups should decide on the plot of their story and start writing it, ensuring the correct use of the simple past.
3. After writing the story, groups should create the illustrations for it. The illustrations should represent important parts of the story and help visually tell it.
4. Groups should rehearse the presentation of their story, ensuring that all group members have a role in the presentation.
5. Presentation of the story to the class. Each group will present their story and answer questions from the class and the teacher about it.

Project Deliverables

At the end of the project, groups must deliver:

1. A written copy of the story with all verbs in the simple past highlighted.

2. The illustrations created for the story.

3. A written report on the project. This report should cover:

   a. Introduction: The student must contextualize the theme, its relevance and real-world application, as well as the objective of this project.

   b. Development: The student must explain the theory behind the central theme of the project (use of the simple past), detail the activity, indicate the methodology used, and finally present and discuss the results obtained (the story created and presented).

   c. Conclusion: The student must conclude the work by summarizing its main points, explaining the learnings obtained, and drawing conclusions about the project.

   d. Bibliography: The student must indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project such as books, web pages, videos, etc.

The project report is an essential element of the deliverables, as it will allow students to reflect on what they learned during the project and how they applied that knowledge in the activities they carried out. Specifically, the Development section should establish a clear connection between theory (use of the simple past) and practice (the story created). It is in this section that students should make a detailed analysis of how they used the simple past in the story, citing specific examples from their story and explaining why they chose to use the simple past in those cases.