Opuestos Story – Elementary

Target structures for Part 1:

es

Adjectives used in the story:

alto/bajo; rápido/lento; simpático/antipático

Hay una chica. ¿Cómo te llamas? La chica se llama _1_ (student’s name). _1_ es alta.
_1_ tiene una amiga. ¿Cómo te llamas? La amiga se llama _2_. __2___ es baja.  _1_ es alta y _2_ es baja.

• I ask the students his or her name to practice responding to that question-I do this every time that I introduce a new character.

• As I tell the story aloud, I write the name of the student and draw a picture of the descriptive adjective on the board.

I add a new word with every pair of students. The first pair was James and Jack (not their real names). Then, I used the words again when I added Destiny and Zoey and again for Ashley and Darth Vader.

• I also make sure to give each adjective an action: for “alta/o” the kids raise their hands high above their heads; for “baja/o,” they lower their hands way down below their waists…I also make sure that the “baja” student is down on their knees to emphasize the difference between the words.
• After finishing, I send these two students back to their seats. I have all the students stand up and we practice the motions when we hear the words. Then, I start the next part of the story:

Hay un chico. ¿Cómo te llamas? (Answer) El chico se llama _3_. _3_ es alto y es rápido. _3_ tiene un amigo. ¿Cómo te llamas? (Answer) El amigo se llama _4_. _4_ es bajo y lento.

• I send them back to their seats and have the class stand up. They practice the motions for alto/a and bajo/a and then the actions for rápido/a and lento/a. Then, I start the final part of the story:

Hay una chica. ¿Cómo the llamas? (Answer) La chica se llama _5_. _5_ es alta, lenta, y simpática. _ 5_ tiene un amigo. ¿Cómo te llamas? (We decide earlier That his name will be Darth Vader). Darth Vader es bajo, lento, y antipático.

• I send them back to their seats and we practice the actions for the words.
• After practicing, we play Simon Says (known in my class as “Señor Fernández dice…”). I state the words and the students have to perform the actions.
• Next class, I will continue the story. Now that I have introduced the characters, I will put them into situations where they need to use the high-frequency vocabulary terms that we have been using (has, wants, likes) up to this point. Each of the character’s descriptions will be an important part of the story.

Story translation:

There is a girl. What’s your name? (answer) Her name is _1_. _1_ is tall. _1_ has a friend. What’s your name? The friend is named _2_. _2_ is short.

There is a boy. What’s your name? His name is _3_. _3_ is tall and fast. _3_ has a friend. What’s your name? The friend is named _4_. _4_ is short and slow.

There is a girl. What’s your name? Her name is _5_. _5_ is tall, fast, and nice. _5_ has a friend. What’s your name? The friend is named Darth Vader. Darth Vader is short, slow, and mean.

• I chose Darth Vader because the kids know that I love Star Wars and I use the characters’ names in examples in class. I also choose Darth Vader because I don’t want to state that a kid in my class is a mean kid.

Part 2

Target structures: Ayuda, Necesita

The rest of the new/unfamiliar words (estante-shelf, libro-book) I could either model or show them the actual object to establish meaning.

2 es bajo. 2 necesita un libro. El libro es muy alto en el estante. Pide ayuda al 1.
“Necesito ayuda! Soy bajo. Necesito ese libro allá.” (points to book far away, way up high on the shelf)
“No problema.” 1 ayuda a 2. 1 le da el libro a 2.

2 is short. 2 needs a book. The book is high up on the shelf. He asks for help from 1.
“I need help! I’m short. I need that book over there.
“No problem.” 1 helps 2. 1 gives the book to 2.

Part 3

Target Structures: (All previous structures) Traer

 

4 es lenta. 4 necesita traer un libro a Señor Fernández, pero 4 no tiene mucho tiempo. Pide ayuda al 3. 3 es rápida.“Necesito ayuda! Soy lenta y tengo un libro para senor Fernandez. Sr. F necesita el libro en 2 segundos!“No problema.” 3 ayudaa 4. 3 le trae el libro a senor Fernandez.Sr. F tiene el libro. Sr. F está feliz. 3 está feliz. 4 está feliz.

4 is slow. 4 needs to bring a book to Mr. Fernandez, but 4 doesn’t have time. He asks 3 for help. 3 is fast.

“I need help! I am slow and I have a book for Señor Fernandez. Sr. F. needs the book in 2 seconds!

“No problem.” 3 helps 4. 3 brings the book to Sr. F.

Sr. F. has the book. Sr. F is happy. 3 is happy. 4 is happy

Part 4

Target Structures: (All previous structures), Va a, Le dice, eres

Darth Vader es antipático. DV necesita un amigo. DV no tiene un amigo. DV va a el chico bajo. DV le dice, “Necesito un amigo.” Chico bajo le dice “No. Eres antipático.”
DV va a el Chico alto. DV le dice “(same statement)” el Chico bajo le dice, “(same answer).”
DV va a la chica rápida. DV le dice, “(same question)” La chica rápido le dice, “(same answer)”
DV va a la chica lenta. DV le dice, “(same question)” La chica lenta le dice, “(same answer)”
DV va a la chica simpática (student number six from the first day). DV le dice “Necesito una Amiga.” La chica simpática le dice “sí sí ven aquí!” (chica simpática and DV give each other a high five)

Darth Vader is mean. DV needs a friend. DV doesn’t have a friend. DV goes to the short boy. DV says, “I need a friend.” The short boy says, “no. You’re mean.”
DV goes to the tall boy (same statement and same answer)
DV goes to the fast girl (same statement and same answer)
DV goes to the slow girl (same statement and same answer
DV goes to the nice girl. (Same statement). The nice girl says, “yes yes! Come over here!”
They give each other a high five.