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?