Sentence Tense Chain

Overview

In this lesson, students practise building correct Te reo Māori sentences by sorting mixed-up word cards into grammatically consistent sentences in different tenses. They then add their own sentence to continue a class “sentence chain”, using tense consistency and agreement in real time.

Learning intentions

• WALT construct simple Te reo Māori sentences by sorting mixed-up words into correct word order.
• WALT use familiar tense markers to form past, present, and future sentences.
• WALT check and correct tense consistency and agreement when writing a new sentence to extend a chain.
• WALT speak and write one sentence clearly during a timed challenge.

Success criteria

• I can sort word cards into a correct Te reo Māori sentence in the given tense.
• I can use the correct tense marker and keep it consistent across my sentence.
• I can build a sentence that matches the chain (same topic/person focus) and agrees grammatically.
• I can explain my choice briefly when I get stuck (e.g., “I chose this tense marker because…”).

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Te Reo Māori — learning is shaped by teachers designing learning in response to learners, adjusting emphasis and adding context as appropriate.
• During Novice 2 (productive speaking/writing) — write a series of simple sentences in te reo Māori describing the appearance or characteristics of something.
• During Emergent 2 (productive writing) — write information on familiar topics in a range of contexts, past, present, and future.
• Novice 2 teaching sequence — linguistic knowledge: understanding and using a wider variety of classroom language and formulaic expressions.
• Novice 2 teaching sequence — classroom language: use and respond to structured classroom phrases (e.g., “Kati te kuaha.” as a model of formulaic structure and timing).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Warm-up: “Tense quick check”. Teacher displays three tense cues (past/present/future) as short visuals and says one model sentence per tense (teacher models clear pacing). Students respond chorally with a matching single word from the cue set (no full sentence yet).

2. 4–7 min · Model the task: sort then read. Teacher shows one mixed-up card set on the board and works through a think-aloud: identify the tense marker, then build word order, then read the whole sentence with correct rhythm. Students do the same with a second set together (teacher leads, students call out the next word).

3. 7–16 min · Timed sentence construction challenge (round 1). Teacher explains: “You will have 3 minutes. Sort your word cards into a correct sentence, then read it to the group.” Students work in pairs at tables with word-card sets labelled by tense (past/present/future). During the timer, students sort and rehearse reading; when time ends, each pair reads their sentence once.

4. 16–20 min · Feedback and mini-correction. Teacher listens for 2–3 common issues (e.g., tense marker missing, wrong position, mismatch with the sentence’s topic/person focus). Students compare with a “correct example” displayed by the teacher and revise one sentence set neatly in their workbook (short rewrite only).

5. 20–27 min · Sentence chain: build the next link (real-time). Teacher sets the chain prompt on the board:

• Topic: “Ko au / Ko ia” (self or a class character) + familiar action/idea about school life (age-appropriate).
• Rule: each new sentence must continue from the previous one, keeping the tense consistent with the teacher’s cue for that turn and maintaining agreement (same subject/person focus across the chain). Teacher starts with a model sentence in a chosen tense, then points to a student to add the next sentence. Each student has 15–20 seconds to speak their sentence, then quickly records it. After two or three students, the teacher shifts tense (e.g., present → past) and students adjust using the correct tense marker.

6. 27–30 min · Exit ticket: “One sentence, one tense”. Teacher provides a single blank line and a tense cue (past/present/future). Students write one original sentence using the chain topic and read it quietly to themselves (teacher collects or checks quickly).

Resources

• Mixed-up Te reo Māori word-card sets (past/present/future), cut from cardstock or printed sheets
• Sentence frames on strips (e.g., subject + tense marker + action/descriptor) for scaffold copies
• Timer (phone or classroom timer)
• Student workbook pages: space for rewriting and the chain sentences
• Display cards for tense cues and a small subject focus cue (e.g., “Ko au”, “Ko ia”)
• Teacher model sentence examples on the whiteboard
• Coloured pens (optional) to mark tense marker visually

Assessment

• Formative during round 1: teacher checks correct order and tense marker by listening to pair readings.
• Formative during mini-correction: teacher circulates and looks for at least one revised sentence using the correct tense.
• Formative during chain: teacher notes whether each student’s added sentence matches the chain rule (tense + agreement).
• Exit ticket: teacher checks one written sentence for tense correctness and sentence completeness.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence frames and a “tense marker bank” (small cut-out options students can place at the start of their sentence).
• Support: allow students to discuss in pairs before sorting; offer an extra clue card showing where the tense marker goes.
• Challenge: for the last chain turns, ask students to add a descriptor or detail (e.g., “he…/kei…” style) while keeping tense consistent.
• SEN/EAL: reduce card load (fewer words per sentence) in round 1; accept oral sentence first, then add a written version with the same structure.

References to learning goals in student-friendly language

• “I can sort words into the right sentence order.”
• “I can use the right tense marker (past/present/future).”
• “I can keep tense and subject agreement when I add the next sentence.”
• “I can write my own sentence to finish the chain.”