N

Learning to Live

Ns’ Story

N’s story helps us think about growing old. If you have some older students in your class, this can be their moment to shine. The story includes some Latin, an old language and an ancestor of English.

Keywords

Age, Grow up, Remember, Senior, Youth, The meaning of life, Look back

Lesson Ideas

Verb Tenses

This is a great opportunity to explore the power of verb tenses. Not as a set of grammar rules, but as a way to organize our lives. Where have I come from? Where am I now? Where will I be? Grammar with the edges worn smooth by the passage of time.

Activity Sheet

Verb Tenses

Are you a creative person? I just have rough drafts for most of my activity sheets, maybe you can help me think of better designs for these.

Looking back, and forward, in life is a useful way to put English verbs tenses to work. This worksheet asks students to use: the simple past (When I was…), the present progressive ( Now…), and the simple future (When I …). You can easily adapt it for other forms by changing the lead. For example from “When I am 60 …” to “By the time I am 60… “

I have also included a song. I like songs. I especially like rewriting songs. In this case singing the same song in different tenses.

“This Little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine” I am, I did, I will, I have always let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!