Learning Through Language

Curriculum Alignment

Subject Area:

Languages – ESOL

Year Level:

Year 8

Curriculum Level:

NZ Curriculum – ESOL Level 2
Aligned with the Learning Languages area of the New Zealand Curriculum and supported by the NCEA ESOL Progressions, this lesson focuses on understanding and using stative verbs, a key concept for building language fluency and accuracy.

Big Idea:

Learners understand that some verbs describe states or feelings, rather than actions, and require different usage patterns.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify common stative verbs
• Differentiate between action verbs and stative verbs
• Use stative verbs correctly in simple present tense
• Reflect on personal opinions and experiences using stative verbs using New Zealand-specific topics

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Key Competencies Developed

• Thinking: Critically analyse verb use in context
• Using language, symbols and texts: Apply stative verbs in relevant contexts
• Relating to others: Share personal insights using appropriate vocabulary
• Participating & contributing: Collaborate respectfully in class discussions and paired activities

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Resources

• Flashcards of stative and action verbs
• Whiteboard and markers
• Small cards with Kiwi-themed statements
• Printed mini worksheet page per student
• Devices/tablets (optional, not required)

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45-Minute Lesson Plan

⏱ 0:00–5:00 | Whakawhanaungatanga – Warm Welcome & Game

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and build engagement.

Activity:
Begin with a "Quick Sketch Verbs" game:

• Say a verb (e.g., “run”, “love”, “believe”)
• Students quickly draw it on mini whiteboards or paper.
• Discuss which verbs can be drawn (action) and which are harder to draw (state).
• Lead into the question: “Why can we act out some verbs, but not others?”

Transition Statement: "Today we’re learning about verbs that don’t always show action – they describe feelings, thoughts, or our senses."

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⏱ 5:00–15:00 | Ako – Explicit Teaching

Objective: Build understanding of stative verbs

Teacher Input:
Use a whiteboard to introduce the idea of stative verbs, defined as verbs that describe a state rather than an action. Break them into categories:

1. Emotions: love, hate, like, enjoy
2. Possession: have, own, belong
3. Thoughts and opinions: know, believe, think (opinion), understand
4. Senses: see, hear, smell
5. Other common stative verbs: need, want, prefer, seem

Tip for students: “You don’t usually see people DO these verbs – they’re what we think or feel.”

Write simple NZ-centric examples:

• I love feijoas.
• He owns a pāua shell.
• We believe the Treaty is important.

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⏱ 15:00–25:00 | Whakatā – Sort the Verbs

Objective: Deepen understanding of verb types through active learning

Activity: Group Sorting Challenge
Each group gets a set of mixed verb cards (e.g., play, love, own, smell, kick, hate, see, eat, understand, believe).
The task: in groups of 3–4, students sort the cards into two piles – action verbs and stative verbs.

Once sorted, students compare their sort with the teacher’s master list. Discuss differences:

• Which were tricky?
• Can ‘think’ fit into both categories?

Extension: Introduce examples of verbs that can be stative or action depending on context (e.g., “I think you’re right” vs “I’m thinking about my homework”).

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⏱ 25:00–35:00 | Waihanga – Creative Writing Challenge

Objective: Apply learning in personal, culturally relevant context

Activity: Writing Task – “Stative Snapshots of My Life”

Prompt learners to write three short sentences using a stative verb to describe themselves. Encourage New Zealand-specific contexts:

• “I love eating hāngī.”
• “My whānau owns two greenstone necklaces.”
• “I believe Aotearoa is beautiful.”

Students personalise and write their sentences on provided printed slips. Invite 3–4 volunteers to share with the class.

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⏱ 35:00–42:00 | Tākaro Taumata – Interactive Practice Game

Objective: Reinforce correct usage of stative verbs in context

Activity: Stative or Action “Yes or No” Line Game
Label one wall STATIVE and the opposite wall ACTION. Teacher reads a sentence aloud (e.g., “She understands te reo Māori.” / “He is swimming in the ocean.”).

Students move to the corresponding wall.
Pause to discuss trickier examples. Encourages physical movement and fun while reinforcing grammar.

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⏱ 42:00–45:00 | Whakakapi – Wrap-Up & Reflection

Objective: Consolidate learning and celebrate achievement

• Recap the stative verb categories
• Quickfire questions: “Give me one ‘emotion’ stative verb?”, “What’s a sense stative verb?”
• Thumbs up/down: “Can we use ‘own’ as an action verb?”
• Distribute mini sticky notes for Exit Pass: Students write one stative verb they learned and one sentence that uses it.

Collect exit passes at the door as learners leave.

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Differentiation

Learner Need	Strategy
Visual Learners	Use images, sketching and physical games
ELLs with emerging literacy	Provide sentence frames: “I ___ pavlova.”
Confident speakers	Invite to model bilingual sentences using L1 and stative verbs
Need extra challenge	Extend by using stative verbs in 'if' or 'because' sentences: “I like kapa haka because it’s exciting”

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Assessment for Learning

• Observations during categorisation activity
• Participation in wall game and classroom discussions
• Accuracy and creativity in sentence writing
• Exit slips demonstrating understanding

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

1. Did all students grasp the concept of ‘stative’ as different from ‘doing’?
2. Which learners need more scaffolding before using stative verbs in full paragraphs?
3. How did using culturally relevant contexts (Aotearoa-specific) impact engagement?

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Next Steps

In the following session, students will:

• Identify errors where stative verbs are used inappropriately (e.g., “I am liking…”)
• Rewrite informal speech using correct stative forms
• Explore cross-cultural differences in showing thoughts and emotions through language

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Ngā mihi nui! Let learning speak – through language, culture, and connection.