First published online 04.03.09
©
Macmillan Polska 2009
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Teacher’s Notes
A jigsaw puzzle in Simple Past
by Iwona Wojsznisz-Gruszka
Type of school: Primary, grade 5
Title of activity: What did you do yesterday ?
Type of activity: mini group work, speaking,
matching
Focus: grammar – simple past
Level/age group: pre-intermediate
Time: 25 minutes
Preparation: Divide your students into 3 groups.
Print a copy of Student’s Worksheet and cut it
into pieces.
Procedure:
1. Make 3 copies on sheets of different colours.
Cut each of them into pieces and give each
group a puzzle of one colour.
2.Students shuffle the pieces and distribute
them. Every student should have the same
number of pieces.
3. The objective of the puzzle is to match the
pieces properly and form a picture by asking
and answering questions.
4. One student reads out his/her question in
simple past and places a piece of the puzzle
on a table. If somebody has a proper answer
he/she places his /her piece on the table and
puts the pieces together. Then he/she reads a
question written on his/her piece and waits
for the answer.
5. The group that puts all the pieces together
and forms a proper picture as first is the
winner.
6.Ifthefirstgroupfinishesthepuzzle,theycan
do an extension activity described below.
7.When all the groups finish and have their
puzzle picture - a house - tell them to outline
theirflatorahouse(nottodraworpaintbut
to outline). Tell them to think about activities
thatcanbedoneinsideandoutsideaflator
a house.
8. Then students should place verbs or phrases
of activities done inside the flat/ house in
simplepastinsidetheiroutlinedhouse/flat
and verbs and phrases of activities done
outside their outlined flat/house e.g. tidied
up(insideanoutline),washedmydad’scar
(outsideanoutline)
Extension
You can ask the students to work in their groups.
A student reads out questions written on the
pieces of puzzles and points out another student
to give an answer about him/her e.g. What time
did you wake up yesterday?