Lesson: Sustantivos de gnero irregular /Irregular Gender Nouns

Context: 27 students, 1 ELD, 1 IEP (speech impediment: slight stutter)

Time: 40-50 minutes maximum, I will have the full class period to use and set up
Materials:
-27 worksheets with answer key
-Powerpoint presentation/Computer
-Flyswatter x2
Key Standards: Foreign Language: Communication and Comprehension
ACTF-5C.1.1- Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of
topics. (i.e. sustantivos de gnero irregular)
Learning target for students:
By the end of class, I can/will be able to distinguish whether irregular nouns are masculine or
feminine, as evidence by determining if they classify as following the known characteristics of
irregular gender nouns.
Measurable objectives:
Content- Identify the gender of irregular words by recognizing characteristics to determine
whether either they are masculine or feminine.
Skills- According to vocal stress, distinguish between whether a word requires an article change
to the opposite gender. Determine if a word is either masculine or feminine, by using the
background characteristics listed below chart.
Background:
Las palabras que terminan en -ma, -pa, -ta son masculinos (Word ending: -ma, -pa, -ta are
masculine)
Las que terminan en -tud, -tad, -ez, -dad, -cin son femeninos. (Words ending: -tud, -tad, -ez,
-dad, -cin are feminine)
Si una palabra comienza con la letra A y el estrs enfoca en la primera silaba, es masculino.
If a word begins with the letter A with stress on the first syllable, then it is masculine.
Words are masculine while singular but feminine when they are plural because the -s sound in
las/los breaks up the incorrect phonetic flow of the word. Ex: el agua, las aguas

Academic language:

sustantivo- noun

Femenino- feminine

Masculino- masculine

el estrs- stress

neutro- neutral

Motivation:
-This is important to know how to explain why irregular feminine words have masculine articles
attached. So they are qualified to know when to apply the rules and how to not overuse them
with regular words, that do not require changes.
Connections to prior knowledge:
The students should be able to apply this lesson to what they know about regular word endings
according to gender. There are 3 genders: masculine, feminine and neutral. The generalization
that words that end with -a are feminine, and words that end with -o are masculine.
Ex: El perro, La gata *Also view table below

Lesson Sequence:
At first, the students will be in a whole
group set up for the explanation then
transition into small working groups to
complete the worksheet. Lastly, the
students will compete individually in a
game of Matamoscas, where students
compete to choose the correct article of the
given irregular words(el, la, los, las). The
check for understanding will be seen
through the students performances in the
activity and by the accurate completion of
the worksheet.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set:
I will start by introducing the topic of Los Sustantivos de Gnero: Irregulares by prompting
the class to use their prior knowledge, to answer the warm up questions.

Based on: Piaget-> Allowing the students to discover, guess and make mistakes, while searching
for the correct information: The goal is to individually construct knowledge.
Differentiation: (Will apply to lesson only)
What the teacher does..

What the Students will do..

I will ask Who can tell me what their

definition of gender is? How does it relate to
this class?
I will guide their thinking by asking them to
consider.. how many types of gender exist in
Spanish versus English?
*The question is broad/vague to allow the
students to create their own vision of what it is
I am truly asking.

Students will raise their hands to answer in Spanish.

I will ask guiding questions until students agree

there are 3 types: masculine, feminine, and
neutral.
-I will pose the questions like What the
opposite of that? How can you tell the
difference between the two? Are they still
feminine? Can they be both?
-I will Explain that we will only be focusing on
masculine and feminine sustantivos in todays
lesson.

Students will need to provide evidence or an

example of word and explanation of gender.

Teacher will pose question to the class and

have them answer to classify the gender. What
do think the is the gender of the word map
(mapa)? Why? Explain your answers as best
you can But the word ends with -a, How can
that be?

The students will have to discuss question with their

elbow partners. Request three share backs, Three
students will share what they discussed in their
groups.
* The room will most likely be split 50/50 depending
on general knowledge, skills set of topic (native
speakers) or if they have seen the material before.

Explain to the class learning target listed above.

Give timeline of day: lesson, activity, and lastly
the activity.
Ask for questions, comments or concerns.
Select a volunteer to paraphrase what they
heard. Encourage other students to add on to
the discussion.

Students will do their best to paraphrase the desired

learning topic.

Depending of answers of student I can scaffold and

guide comprehension through questioning.

Students are encouraged to take notes and write

thoughts in journals/notebooks.

Body of instruction:
The students will listen and participate throughout the Powerpoint presentation. There will be
different sections where the students can participate and make inferences about the new topic.
Differentiation:
ELD: Throughout the presentation, try to provide pictures, charts, and videos; that are visually
appealing for our different learning styles. Point out connections.

IEP: Set clear expectations and provide room for feedback.

Based on: Vygotsky->By practicing making inferences, students are able to determine what and
when inferences needed to be made.
What the teacher does...

What the Students do....

The presentation begins with general

vocabulary and definitions.
I will allow for time to clarify the students
questions and provide extra guidance to where
they are struggling.

The students will be asked to take notes in their

notebooks. If students have questions, they can write
them down and ask when the time is appropriate.

I will explain give a brief reviews of how

Nouns are words we use to express people,
animals, things or concepts. Examples of
nouns are: apple, teacher, car, hapiness
or elephant. Pause and ask for other examples
from the students.

During the presentation, the students will volunteer

to read slides out loud. They will also be asked
questions and encouraged to respond, and make
inferences. Examples of reading off slides:
Todos los sustantivos tienen un gnero y un
nmero determinados.

Nouns in Spanish are calledsustantivos. In

English, nouns may be either singular or
plural: cat-cats, child-children, fish-fish. In
Spanish, nouns may also be singular or plural
but they also may be masculine or feminine.

En cuanto al gnero, un sustantivo puede ser de

gnero masculino o femenino o Neutro....Si el
sustantivo admite delante el artculo el o los, es de
gnero masculino, si permite utilizar el artculo la
olas, es de gnero femenino.

Extra Guiding questions: How are all of

these feminine nouns alike? What do you
notice about the last letter of these nouns?

La mayora de los sustantivos tienen una sola forma

(de gnero masculino femenino), ejemplo el
verano, la mesa. Algunos, que nombra a personas o
animales, tienen una forma para el masculino y otra
para el femenino.

I will begin asking the students the help answer

a few example questions that arise. Who can
tell me if the word friendship is masculine or
feminine?

The students will make inferences when asked to

participate. They will use prior knowledge and
newly acquired skill to react and answer the
teachers questions.

A: La amistad is fem, singular, with stress at

end, no article change to masculine.

What the teacher does...

What the Students do....

I will point out for them to Notice there is an

agreement between the article and a noun. An
agreement that it is almost perfect. I said almost
because there are a few cases where, because of
phonetic reasons, a feminine noun is combined
with a masculine article.

The students will read and discuss the answers to the

irregular nouns.

I ask the students to Try to make inference and

determine the correct article for the words water
and eagle
I will provide comedic relief and explain how
The good news is that articles and pronouns
are already predetermined and never change.
You will always know if an article or a pronoun
is singular or plural, masculine or feminine.

Examples:
El agua The water (EL -masculine, singular)
(AGUA feminine, singular)
El guila The eagle (EL masculine, singular)
(EAGLE feminine, singular)
Finally the Class will discuss as whole group.

Elaboration on the content/Check for Understanding:

The students will be separated into small groups based on skill level (Advanced withIntermediate) (Intermediate with Beginners). There should be approximately 13 groups. Each
student will complete a worksheet while working and discussing the topic with their partner.
Differentiation:
IEP: Allow her to act as a tutor for another lower level student to gain confidence in using her
speech impediment.
ELD: Ask for their specific help when choosing volunteers while performing corrections.
Based on: Vygotsky-> ZPD which uses social interaction with more knowledgeable others to
move development forward. Also by practicing making inferences, students are able to determine
what and when inferences needed to be made.
What the teacher does..

What the Students do...

After students have settled into their groups, I

will explain the expectations and directions for
the worksheet. Ask if There are any questions
or where I can clarify the activity more?

Students will ask basic questions about the

procedure, and working groups.

I will ask for a student to help out their fellow

classmate and explain what needs cleared up.
Can anyone help student explain the
directions of the sheet?

Students will complete the worksheet in pairs or

trios.

* Fill in holes if the students misinform one

another.

What the teacher does..

Once Completed: Ask students to take out a
colored pen for corrections.
I will model my expectations for the share back
by giving the first answer and answer in the
form desired. Question, answer, explanation or
reason. Number one is masculine because the
stress is on the first a, This is why we instead use
the article el.
Teacher will made interjections and lead
conversation of students... have you
considered, What if you change this, How
would that change the overall sound?

What the Students do...

Students correct their partners paper and make
corrections if needed.
Various students will share back. Correcting and
changing as the activity wraps up.

* Lastly, ASSESSMENT (informal, game): The students will compete individually in a game of
Matamoscas on the white board, where students compete to choose the correct article of the
given irregular words(el, la, los, las). Can serve as assessment and check for understanding.