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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can read, understand and give my opinion about a short story in Spanish.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. 'Ser' is 'to be' for traits.
      2. 'Estar' is 'to be' for states and locations.
      3. A common way to give opinions in Spanish is to use the verb ‘dar’ with a noun.

      Keywords

      • Ser - Spanish verb meaning 'to be' for traits

      • Estar - Spanish verb meaning 'to be' for states and locations

      Common misconception

      There is only one verb for 'to be' in Spanish.

      There are two verbs for 'to be' - 'ser' and 'estar'.

      Teacher tip

      It may be useful to explain the meaning of the title. In Amazonian Peru the common potoo bird is popularly nicknamed 'ayaymama' because its night-time call sounds like a drawn-out 'ay-ay-mamá' wail. Local legend says the bird is the spirit of abandoned children who forever cry out for their mother.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which word means 'hardly'?

      además
      Correct answer: apenas
      pero
      también
      ya

      Q2.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:besar,to kiss, kissing
      Correct Answer:pasar,to spend, spending (time)
      Correct Answer:romper,to break, breaking
      Correct Answer:saludar,to greet, greeting
      Correct Answer:seguir,to follow, following
      Correct Answer:sufrir,to suffer, suffering

      Q3.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:accidente (m),accident
      Correct Answer:cocina (f),kitchen
      Correct Answer:cultura (f),culture
      Correct Answer:Estados Unidos (mpl),USA
      Correct Answer:policía (f),police
      Correct Answer:padres (mpl),parents

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'I follow him and I stop her'.

      1 - lo
      2 - sigo
      3 - y
      4 - la
      5 - paro

      Q5.
      Write in English: '¿Tú conoces a Aisha?'

      Correct Answer: do you know Aisha

      Q6.
      Write in Spanish: 'I leave the book here'.

      Correct Answer: dejo el libro aquí, yo dejo el libro aquí

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:soy,I am (trait)
      Correct Answer:eres,you are (trait)
      Correct Answer:es,she, he, it is (trait)
      Correct Answer:estoy,I am (state, location)
      Correct Answer:estás,you are (state, location)
      Correct Answer:está,she, he, it is (state, location)

      Q2.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:me da pena,it makes me sad
      Correct Answer:me da rabia,it angers me
      Correct Answer:me da alegría,it makes me happy
      Correct Answer:me da miedo,it scares me
      Correct Answer:me da sueño,it bores me
      Correct Answer:me da risa,it makes me laugh

      Q3.
      Write in Spanish: 'the child (m) is pale'.

      Correct Answer: el niño está pálido

      Q4.
      Write in Spanish: 'the child (f) is short'.

      Correct Answer: la niña es baja

      To help you plan your 8 Spanish lesson on: Extended reading (Ayaymamá), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...