2nd Grade

Unit 5: Past Times

Take the challenge!

NAME: CAN CAN’T

1. ______________________________


2. ______________________________

count down from 20 to zero
3. ______________________________

in English in 15 seconds
4. ______________________________

NAME: CAN CAN’T

1. ______________________________


2. ______________________________

spell his or her last name
3. ______________________________

backwards
4. ______________________________

NAME: CAN CAN’T

1. ______________________________

write down ten
2. ______________________________

classroom objects in English
3. ______________________________

without making a mistake
4. ______________________________

NAME: CAN CAN’T

1. ______________________________


2. ______________________________

mention three things
3. ______________________________

they did last month
4. ______________________________

NAME: CAN CAN’T

1. ______________________________

describe what the teacher
2. ______________________________

is wearing without
3. ______________________________

looking at him or her
4. ______________________________

NAME: CAN CAN’T

1. ______________________________

say the days of the week
2. ______________________________

in English
3. ______________________________

in 5 seconds
4. ______________________________

DISEÑO
La página está dividida en dos columnas de 6 filas. Cada celda tiene la información incluida del lado derecho y del
izquierdo tiene 4 líneas lo suficientemente grandes como para que los alumnos escriban un nombre en ellas y dos
columnas de recuadros para tachar el que aplique.
ACTIVITY: Take the challenge! – Groupwork: speaking
TIME: 40 min
AIM: To find out what people can or can’t do by trying out a series of challenges
LANGUAGE: Function 5.1 Expressing ability and inability in the past Grammar: Modals can and could

PROCEDURE
Before class: Make one copy of the worksheet for every four students in the class.
In class:
1. Divide students into groups of four and give each group a copy of the worksheet.
2. Tell them to write the names of every member of their groups next to the first challenge
on the worksheet.
3. Explain that each one should take the challenge in turns and tick the can or can’t
column next to their name according to whether they are successful or not.
4. Encourage students to do the first challenge as an example. Be prepared to answer any
questions.
5. When students finish, ask them to follow the same procedure with the rest of the
challenges until they complete the chart. OPTION:
PE If time is short,
6. Once they have finished, ask a group: Could (name of a student in the group) count you can have
down from 20 to 0 in English in 15 seconds? Right, how about (another student)? Make students report
R on L students reflect on why you are asking them to report using could. the information to
7. Tell them to write down a summary of their results. Encourage them to use linkers and another group
orally instead of
and but to make longer sentences. in writing.

PERFORMANCE EVIDENCE: Students can recognize and
understand quotidian texts (conversations) in order to use
them purposefully (obtain information about (in)abilities.
Students can use language creatively and appropriately by
selecting lexis, phrases and grammatical resources in order
to produce short, relevant texts (conversation) regarding
(in)ability in the past.
REFLECTION ON LANGUAGE: Students notice that the
modal verb could indicates past ability and has a regular form
for all persons, that some words are used to replace nouns
(e.g. I enjoyed the party. It was wonderful, Romeo and
Juliet belonged to enemy families. They died young, I really
liked Oaxaca. I went there last year) and that some linking
devices indicate contrast (but), and use such language
features appropriately.

POSSIBLE FOLLOW UP: You can ask students to make new and bigger groups (for example, if there were 9 groups
of four students, have them rearranged into 4 groups of 9 students, formed by one member from each original group)
in order to compare their reports orally and create a whole class summary. For example:
Pablo, Sara and Julia can count down from 20 to 0 in English in 15 seconds, but Luis and Mario can’t.
15 people in the class can’t say the days of the week in English in 5 seconds, but 20 can., Etc.

IDEAS FOR EVALUATION: You can ask students to create a set of five different challenges and challenge members
of their family or friends for homework and write a similar report to the one produced during the follow up. You can
check the reports yourself or having students exchange their reports and check them focusing on particular features
such as the use of linking devices and spelling.