Una historia de inmigración: 'ser' and 'ir' preterite
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use plural forms of ‘ser’ and ‘ir’ in the preterite tense in the context of stories of immigration.
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- In Spanish, it is important to differentiate between vowel sounds in a diphthong.
- The verbs ‘ser’ and ‘ir’ have the same preterite tense conjugations.
- The singular preterite tense forms of ‘ser’ and ‘ir’ are ‘fui’, ‘fuiste’ and ‘fue’.
- The plural preterite tense forms of ‘ser’ and ‘ir’ are ‘fuimos’, ‘fuisteis’ and ‘fueron’.
- Preterite tense of ‘ser’ can be used to describe completed events or situations in the past.
Keywords
Diphthong - sound created by two vowels together in the same syllable
Ser - verb meaning to be, being for general traits
Ir - verb meaning to go, going
Preterite - verb tense used to talk about something completed in the past
Common misconception
The only translation of 'fuimos' is 'we went'.
'fuimos' can mean 'we went' or 'we were' depending on the context. The verbs 'ser' and 'ir' are identical in the preterite tense.
Teacher tip
You may need to repeat the sentences in Task A1 at a slower pace depending on the needs of your class. You could consider using mini whiteboards for Task B1 to assess for whole-class learning.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the Spanish and English.
playground
break (school)
boat
neighbourhood
country
island
Q2.Match the Spanish and English.
to be, being for general traits
to go, going
I am
I go
Q3.To which verb tense do 'fui', 'fuiste' and 'fue' belong?
Q4.What are the possible meanings of 'fuiste'?
Q5.Complete the sentence to say 'I went to buy chips': a comprar patatas fritas.
Q6.Complete the sentence using the correct form of 'ser' in the preterite tense. ¡Nuestro intercambio escolar genial! (our school exchange was great!).
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the Spanish and English.
client
memory
parents
relating to family
longstanding
strong
Q2.A diphthong is the sound created by the combination of two in the same syllable.
Q3.Which Spanish words contain diphthongs?
Q4.Match the preterite forms of 'ser' and 'ir'.
we were, we went
you (pl) were, you (pl) went
they were, they went
Q5.What is the meaning of 'fuimos' in this sentence? Fuimos los peores estudiantes de la clase ese año.
Q6.Complete the sentence with the correct preterite form of 'ir'. Mis primos a buscar trabajo en Francia (my cousins went to find work in France).
To help you plan your 10 Spanish lesson on: Una historia de inmigración: 'ser' and 'ir' preterite, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 Spanish lesson on: Una historia de inmigración: 'ser' and 'ir' preterite, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 Spanish lessons from the People and lifestyle: La migración y la identidad nacional unit, dive into the full secondary Spanish curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.