Overview

This three-day plan focuses on teaching Year 4 students various verb tenses as part of their English learning, strongly aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (Te Mātaiaho English). The lessons develop understanding and correct use of present, past, and future tenses through engaging, hands-on activities. The plan supports 18 students for 50 minutes each day.

Curriculum Alignment

• Learning Area: English
• Level: Year 4 (Level 2)
• Achievement Objectives:
  • Use verbs in present, past and future tenses accurately in writing and speaking
  • Use vocabulary and grammar appropriate to audience, purpose and context
• Key Competencies: Thinking, Using language, symbols and texts, Relating to others
• Strands Addressed: Writing (composition and grammar), Oral language, Vocabulary and Grammar
• Relevant Sequence Statements:
  • Communicate in complete sentences using correct verb tenses (present -ing and -s forms, past -ed)
  • Select and use words and phrases that clearly express when things happen (time connectives)
  • Use simple sentence structures with subject and verb, avoiding fragments and run-ons

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Day 1: Understanding Present and Past Tenses

Learning Objectives

• Identify and use present tense verbs (regular present forms with endings -s and -ing)
• Identify and use past tense verbs (regular past with -ed)
• Understand how verb tense signals when an action happens

Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Verb cards (with base, present, and past forms)
• Sentence strips for oral and written activities
• Visual timeline (past, present, future)

Structure (50 mins)

1. Warm-up / Recap (10 mins)

   • Begin with a brief discussion: What is a verb? What does tense tell us?
   • Introduce or review everyday verbs (e.g., run, jump, play) and show their present and past forms on cards.
   • Model actions and give sentences orally, emphasising verb changes ("I run every day." / "Yesterday, I ran.")

2. Exploration and Practice (20 mins)

   • Use a visual timeline to place actions in past and present.
   • Small group activity: Students pick verb cards and make sentences using present and past tenses, orally sharing with the class.
   • Colour-code verbs and sentences to highlight tense endings (-s, -ing, -ed).

3. Application (15 mins)

   • Students write 3 simple sentences: one in present, one in past, one mixed.
   • Share a few examples with the class; highlight correct tense usage and punctuation as per Te Mātaiaho expectations.

4. Reflection & Goal Setting (5 mins)

   • Discuss: Why is it important to use the right tense? How does it help the reader?
   • Set a small goal for tomorrow (e.g., listen for verbs in stories).

Assessment & Feedback

• Observe student participation during oral activities.
• Review written sentences for correct tense and sentence completeness.
• Provide formative feedback immediately and set individual next steps.

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Day 2: Introducing Future Tense and Time Connectives

Learning Objectives

• Identify and use future tense with “will” and “going to” constructions
• Use adverbs and phrases showing time (e.g., tomorrow, next week, soon)
• Combine verbs and time connectives to clarify when actions happen

Resources

• Storybook or short text with future tense verbs
• Flashcards with time connectives
• Poster with examples of future tense sentence stems
• Worksheets for matching verbs to time phrases

Structure (50 mins)

1. Revisit Previous Learning (10 mins)

   • Quick review game: Present and past verb tenses flashcard quiz.
   • Discuss how verbs tell when something happens.

2. Introduce Future Tense (15 mins)

   • Read aloud a short story containing future tense verbs ("will" and "going to").
   • Highlight and explain the use of future tense and time connectives. Use teacher modelling on the whiteboard.

3. Guided Practice (15 mins)

   • Students match verbs with appropriate time connectives on worksheets.
   • Pair work: create sentences using "will" or "going to" plus time phrases orally. Use sentence stems like "Tomorrow I will..."

4. Independent Application (10 mins)

   • Write 3 sentences predicting actions for the future, including appropriate time connectives.
   • Share orally with their partners or the class.

Assessment & Feedback

• Use observations from paired discussions and written work for assessing understanding of future tense and time connectives.
• Give inclusive, positive feedback supporting vocabulary and grammatical accuracy

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Day 3: Sentence Combining and Using Tenses in Context

Learning Objectives

• Combine sentences using appropriate verb tenses for clarity and effect
• Use sentence structures to show sequence and time in narratives
• Self-monitor and adjust verb tense consistency while writing

Resources

• Sentence strips with simple sentences about events
• Graphic organisers for story sequencing
• Writing notebooks or paper
• Audio recording device (optional)

Structure (50 mins)

1. Sentence Combining Warm-up (10 mins)

   • Model oral sentence combining: take two simple sentences, vary order and verb tense appropriately ("I played outside. I am tired." → "After I played outside, I felt tired.")
   • Group brainstorm to combine given sentence strips, focusing on verb tense agreement.

2. Guided Writing (20 mins)

   • Using a graphic organiser, students plan a short sequence of events (past, present, future).
   • Students write 4-5 sentences combining events using correct tenses and time connectives.
   • Encourage use of adverbial phrases and avoidance of run-ons/fragments.

3. Peer Review & Oral Presentation (15 mins)

   • In pairs, students read their writing aloud, listening for correct tense use and clear sequencing.
   • Provide sentence stems for feedback and questions (e.g., "I heard you used…", "Can you explain why you chose that tense?").
   • Option to record a reading for self-assessment.

4. Class Reflection & Next Steps (5 mins)

   • Discuss what helps keep writing clear and interesting.
   • Reinforce the importance of thinking about tense and audience.

Assessment & Feedback

• Use anecdotal notes from oral feedback and peer review discussions.
• Collect and assess written sequences for coherence, tense consistency, and use of time connectives.
• Provide individual or group feedback for refinement and further learning

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Additional Teaching Considerations

• Scaffolding: Use colour-coded verbs and sentence structures; visual aids like timelines for students needing support.
• Differentiation: Challenge fluent students by asking them to include irregular past tense verbs and more complex sentence structures.
• Metacognitive Strategies: Encourage self-talk and goal setting related to language use and clarity.
• Cultural Inclusivity: Include verbs and examples from students' own cultural contexts where appropriate.
• Digital Tools: Optionally, use simple word-processing tools for sentence editing to build digital literacy.
• Feedback: Provide timely, specific feedback focused on tense use, clarity, and punctuation, aligned with writing standards

By embedding active, student-centred tasks with clear curriculum links, this plan offers a thorough, engaging approach that supports Year 4 learners’ mastery of verb tenses and construction of coherent texts.