Lesson 3: Así Era
Duration of Days: 8
Lesson Objective
SWBAT conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the Imperfect tense.
SWBAT determine when to use the Imperfect vs. the Preterite to describe past actions and states.
SWBAT use the "Impersonal se" and "Passive se" to describe general situations where the subject is not defined.
SWBAT apply the "Se for accidental events" construction to describe unplanned occurrences (e.g., Se me cayó la pluma).
SWBAT utilize Reciprocal Reflexives to express actions shared between two or more people (e.g., nos escribimos).
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre decir "Comí una manzana" y "Comía una manzana"? (What is the difference between saying "I ate an apple" and "I was eating an apple"?)
¿Cómo usamos la palabra "se" para explicar que algo fue un accidente y no nuestra culpa? (How do we use the word "se" to explain that something was an accident and not our fault?)
Standard 1.1 (Interpersonal): Students interview one another about childhood habits and reciprocal relationships.
Standard 1.2 (Interpretive): Students read a narrative and fill in the blanks, choosing between the preterite and the imperfect to ensure logical flow.
Lesson Description
This lesson provides the tools for "painting a picture" of the past and handling complex social interactions.
The Imperfect Tense: Unlike the preterite, which focuses on completed actions, the imperfect is used for background info, habitual actions, physical characteristics, age, time, and mental states.
The "Se" Constructions: Students learn to use se for general observations (e.g., No se debe comer en clase) and for accidents where they wish to distance themselves from blame (e.g., Se me rompieron los anteojos).
Reciprocity: Focuses on actions that subjects do to "one another."
Purpose: The purpose is Narrative Texture and Social Nuance. Mastering the imperfect allows students to set the scene for stories, while the various uses of se allow them to speak more naturally about general societal rules and common mishaps without sounding overly blunt.
DOK Levels (Depth of Knowledge)
Level 1: Recall --> Conjugation --> Students conjugate verbs like bailar, leer, and the only three irregulars (ser, ir, ver) in the imperfect.
Level 2: Skill/Concept --> Categorize --> Students look at a sentence and decide if it represents a "habitual action" or a "completed event."
Level 3: Strategic Thinking --> Synthesis --> Students rewrite sentences about accidental events using the se + [indirect object pronoun] + [verb] + [subject] construction.
Support (Scaffolding): Provide a "Se" Construction Map. Break down the "Accidental Se" into a math-like formula: Se + [Person affected] + [Verb] + [The thing that broke/fell].
Extension (Challenge): Have students write a "Mystery Scene" where they must use the Imperfect to describe the spooky atmosphere and the Preterite to describe the sudden entrance of a character.
Visual: Use a Timeline Graphic. Use a single "dot" to represent the Preterite and a "wavy line" to represent the Imperfect to visualize the difference between a point in time and a duration.
Selected formative and summative assessments from the SENDEROS VISTA SUPERSITE.