Visual Verbs: Using Manipulatives to Teach Verb Tenses

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Visual Verbs: Using Manipulatives to Teach Verb Tenses San Diego Regional CATESOL Conference October 20, 2012 Marla Yoshida marla.yoshida@unx.uci.

1 Visual Verbs: Using Manipulatives to Teach Verb Tenses San Diego Regional CATESOL Conference October 20, 2012 Marla Yoshida UC Irvine Extension International Programs Verb timelines: A grammar teaching tradition Timelines for teaching verb tenses usually look something like this: X Past Now Future What s the advantage of a 3-D timeline? Real objects keep students interest better than flat drawings. Moving verbs around on their own small timelines keeps students involved and helps them understand tense usage. It s effective for kinesthetic learners (and others too). You don t have to redraw the timeline on the board every time. You can move and change verbs easily. The verbs aren t static; they can be made to show qualities of verb tenses by rolling or stretching. Constructing a 3-D timeline (large classroom version) 1. Gather your materials: A strip of corner molding wood or plastic. (2-3 feet is a good length.) A metal strip or strips slightly shorter and narrower than the molding. Hacksaw blades work well, but be careful of the sharp edges. You can also use the metal strips from the top of hanging file folders. Magnetic tape that you can buy in rolls at craft stores may work. Magnets will stick to it, but small metal objects might not. They need more surface area contact. 1

2 Hard-drying clay to make the ends of the timeline. Air-drying clay is easiest: Crayola Model Magic, Play-Doh, or homemade flour clay. (There s a recipe at the end of the handout.) Sculpey and Fimo are good too, but they need to be baked in an oven to harden.) Hot glue gun and glue sticks, Gorilla Glue, or other strong glue Elmer s won t work on metal. Paint is optional. Use puffy paint or a Sharpie to label the ends of the timeline. Verbs: Ball-shaped magnets, marbles or other small balls, pieces of drinking straws or something of a similar shape, strips of paper folded accordion-style. 2. Measure the metal strips and figure out how long the molding needs to be. Cut it to the right length with a hand saw. (Since molding is easier to cut than metal, it s a good idea to cut the molding to match the metal rather than the other way around.) 3. Glue the metal strip(s) in place on one of the inside surfaces of the molding. If you re using hacksaw blades, make sure the sharp edge is tight against the inside corner of the molding. 4. Use clay to shape triangular ends for the molding. Make sure the timeline sits at a slight angle so the marbles won t roll off. If you use air-drying clay, you can shape it right on the molding and leave it to dry. Oven-drying clay will need to be removed before baking, then glued on. 5. When the clay is dry, use puffy paint or a permanent marker to mark the ends past and future. (You don t have to label Now. Use a magnet to mark it; then it s moveable.) 6. Add verbs and experiment with representing different verb tenses. Future Past Another way: Easier but less durable 1. Gather your materials: A long strip of poster board, cardboard, or foam board Metal strips Tape, glue, felt marker Verbs (as above, but keep them lightweight) 2

3 2. Cut a strip of poster board, cardboard, or foam board according to the pattern below. The overall size should be about 2-3 feet long and 4 inches wide. Keep the little triangle bits you ll cut off the ends. Carefully cut a small slit near each end of the timeline. Now 3. Score and fold lengthwise along the dotted line. 4. With a felt marker, label the ends Past and Future. 5. Glue metal strips in place inside the V. 6. Insert two of the little triangle pieces you cut off the ends into the slots at the ends to serve as a stand. They ll also keep marbles from falling off the ends of the timeline. Smaller timelines for students The easiest way: Photocopy a timeline like the one below on a half sheet of paper. Give students beans, beads, or other small objects to represent short verbs and sections of drinking straws or strips of paper for long verbs. Here s a pattern: Past Now Future Another way: Cut the pattern below from heavy paper or a manila folder. (Make it longer if you want.) Cut two small slots near the ends as shown. Score and fold in half lengthwise. Insert small rectangular base pieces into slots. (Or use the triangular bits you cut off the ends as bases.) If you want to use magnets with the timeline, glue a magnetic strip or a narrow metal strip, such as a file folder fastener, inside the fold. Past Now Future Bases! 3

4 Verb tenses in English Here s a summary of a standard presentation of English verb tenses. The timelines are from Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4 th Edition by Betty Azar and Stacy Hagen. Explanations of the meanings of tenses are from Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners by Keith Folse. Verb Tense Example Meaning Timeline Simple present I often walk to school. A habitual or repeating action. Present (Present I am walking now. A current action. Present perfect I have lived in Irvine for two years. I have already walked five miles. I have seen this movie twice. An action that began in the past but continues to be true. A past action (indefinite time) that could happen again. 2 yrs. Present perfect (Pres. perfect I have been walking for two hours. An action that began in the past but is continuing now (with emphasis on the fact that it is still happening.) Verb Tense Example Meaning Timeline Simple past I walked to school yesterday. A single past event. Past (Past While I was walking to school, I stopped at Starbucks. A past action that was happening (when it was interrupted by another). Past perfect Past perfect (Past perfect I had walked to school many times before I bought a car. I had been walking for two hours by the time I stopped. A past action that was completed before a second past action. An action that began in the past before a second past action (with emphasis on the duration of the action). 4

5 Verb Tense Example Meaning Timeline Future with be going to Future with will Future (Future I am going to walk soon. I will walk tomorrow. I ll walk with you if you want me to. I will be walking at 10:00 tonight. You can join me if you want to. An event in the future, especially one already planned. An event in the future, especially one that is scheduled or expresses strong desire to do something. An action that will be taking place at some point in the future. Future perfect By the time I graduate, I will have read 100 textbooks. An action that will be finished by a specified time in the future. Future perfect (Future perfect By the time I get to school, I will have been walking for two hours. How long an action has been happening at a future point; focus is on the duration. Visual Verbs: Representing the verb tenses with manipulatives Ball-shaped magnet Use these for verbs that are linked to a specific point in time (e.g. past tense). Use several for repeated actions. Marble or small plastic ball Use these for verbs that show indefinite time (e.g. present perfect). Roll them back and forth to show that they re not stuck in time. Straw or other longish object Use these for actions that extend over a longer time (e.g. continuous tenses, some uses of the present perfect). Accordionfolded paper or Slinky spring These expandable verbs can also be used for actions that extend over a longer time. 5

6 Try these on the timeline: 1. I ate breakfast at 7:00 this morning. 2. While I was eating, I spilled some orange juice. 3. I ve been at this conference for five hours. 4. I ve seen that movie three times. 5. I had decided to see that movie even before I saw the trailer. 6. I wear glasses. 7. I m wearing glasses. 8. I m going to wear glasses again tomorrow. 9. When you see me again, I ll still be wearing glasses. Other possible materials for timelines/verbs Glue a strip of Velcro (the non-fuzzy side) onto the timeline. Attach bits of fuzzy Velcro to marbles or balls. Stick them on the timeline to show they re stuck in time. Use normal marbles for verbs with indefinite time. Draw a timeline on the board or on poster board. Use Post-It notes to mark the verbs. Use a flat strip of thick paper for the timeline. Attach paper clips, binder clips, or other clip-type things to the edge to represent short verbs. Use strips of paper for longer ones. Recipe for flour-and-salt clay 2 c. flour 1/2 c. salt 7/8 c. warm water Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands. Knead the clay dough until it s smooth and easy to shape. After making objects, set them out to air dry. References Azar, Betty and Stacy Hagen, Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4 th Edition. Pearson Longman, ISBN: Folse, Keith, Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners. University of Michigan Press, ISBN:

Making a dinosaur. Dinosaur head covered with rubber molding compound.

Making a dinosaur. Dinosaur head covered with rubber molding compound. Making a dinosaur Do we love dinosaurs? Yes, we really do. My husband has built two life size dinosaurs and having built one in our living room; you ve got to love them! When you make an object in three