Passato prossimo focus

Overview

Today students practise Italian “passato prossimo” using the irregular auxiliary verbs (essere/avere as needed), with particular focus on locative ci (“ci” to show place) in short, meaningful sentences. They will move from noticing patterns to controlled practice and a brief communicative output.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to form passato prossimo sentences with irregular verbs using the correct auxiliary and past participle.
• Students will be able to use ci (locativo) to express where something happens (e.g., “ci sono / ci siamo / ci sono andati/e”).
• Students will be able to accurately apply agreement rules when using essere (past participle matching).
• Students will communicate about recent experiences using a clear structure.

Success criteria

• I can correctly choose essere or avere for common irregular verbs in familiar contexts.
• I can produce a correct past participle and (when required) match gender and number with essere.
• I can include ci to show location in at least two sentences in my output.
• I can explain my choices using sentence-level metalanguage (auxiliary choice and agreement).

Curriculum links

• Developing communication in Italian by using grammar as a tool for meaning in spoken and written texts.
• Creating and interpreting texts by applying language features such as tense, verb choice, and cohesive devices.
• Reflecting on language system patterns (auxiliary selection, participle agreement) to improve accuracy.
• Building vocabulary and grammatical control appropriate to Year 12 language study.

Lesson structure (20 minutes)

1. 1–3 min: Hook + purpose Use the introduction slides to show two “yesterday” mini-stories with a missing verb/auxiliary and a highlighted “ci” in one. Students predict which tense is used and what “ci” is doing (place reference).

2. 3–7 min: Teach the pattern (notice and name) On the introduction slides, review irregular passato prossimo support: auxiliary selection (essere vs avere) and past participle irregular forms used in class examples. Explicitly model agreement when essere is the auxiliary, and contrast with cases where avere does not require agreement in these sentence types.

3. 7–10 min: CI locativo modelling Continue with the introduction slides. Model 3–4 frames aloud, e.g. “ieri ci + essere…”, “sabato ci + andare (con essere)…”, “lunedì ci + essere stato/a…”, then read them as a class. Ask: “What does ci replace— a noun, or the location?”

4. 10–14 min: Guided practice (pairs, sentence building) Distribute the Italian passato prossimo irregulars with ci practice worksheet to pairs. Students complete a short set of sentences by choosing the correct auxiliary and past participle, then inserting ci where indicated. Circulate and check: auxiliary choice, participle form, and agreement when essere is used.

5. 14–17 min: Quick check in (teacher feedback loop) Call on 2–3 pairs for answers. Use the introduction slides to show the model answers and brief explanations. Ask one student per response: “How do you know the auxiliary is correct?” Keep feedback targeted: one accuracy point, one “next time” tip.

6. 17–20 min: Exit ticket (short output) Students write 4–5 sentences about “Where you went / what you did recently” using at least 2 locative ci sentences and at least one essere-based irregular verb sentence. Collect at end of time; keep responses short for pacing.

Resources

• the introduction slides
• the Italian passato prossimo irregulars with ci practice worksheet
• Teacher notes: irregular verb list used in examples (essere/avere focus and target participles)
• Board/markers for writing 3 sentence frames during modelling
• Timer for pair work (sentence building) and an independent final writing window
• Student pen/highlighter (for locating where “ci” belongs on the worksheet)
• Optional: small class glossary on board for auxiliary + agreement reminder

Assessment

• Formative: observe pair work for correct auxiliary choice and participle agreement, noting common errors.
• Formative: review 2–3 shared answers for accuracy and explanation (“how do you know?”).
• Summative snapshot: collect the exit sentences to check each success criterion (auxiliary + participle, ci locativo, agreement).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence frames on the worksheet (auxiliary + participle slots) and a short checklist: “auxiliary? participle? ci place? essere agreement?”
• Support for EAL: allow students to underline where “ci” goes and confirm meaning orally before final writing.
• Extension: ask students to add one extra sentence using a different irregular verb and specify the verb choice reason (one sentence-level justification).
• SEN: reduce the number of items on the worksheet by marking only selected questions for completion, while keeping “ci locativo” and at least one “essere” sentence mandatory.