Engaging Present Simple Lesson Plan: The Secret Agent Mission

Download a free, creative ESL lesson plan for teaching the present simple tense. In this 'Secret Agent Mission,' students practice grammar by creating a 'Top Secret' profile of a friend, describing their habits and daily routines. Ideal for A2-B1 learners, this plan covers positive and negative forms, questions with 'do' and 'does,' and adverbs of frequency. Includes fun activities, guided practice, and differentiation tips to make learning grammar engaging and effective.

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Lesson Plan: Secret Agent Mission - Profiling with the Present Simple

Materials Needed:

  • Notebook or several sheets of paper
  • Pens, pencils, and colored markers
  • A "Top Secret" manila folder (optional, for fun)
  • Timer or stopwatch
  • Pre-made "Secret Agent File" template (optional, see appendix) or blank paper
  • A list of common verbs and adverbs of frequency (optional, for support)

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this 60-minute lesson, the student will be able to:

  • Correctly form positive and negative sentences in the present simple tense (with a focus on the third-person 's').
  • Accurately form questions using "do" and "does" to ask about routines and habits.
  • Apply the present simple tense creatively to describe a friend's personality, habits, and daily routines.
  • Use adverbs of frequency (e.g., always, sometimes, never) in sentences.

2. Alignment and Standards

  • Curriculum Focus: English Grammar and Creative Writing.
  • Grammar Standard (CEFR A2/B1): The student can understand and use sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g., personal information, daily routines). The student can describe in simple terms aspects of their background and immediate environment.

3. Lesson Activities (Step-by-Step)

Part 1: The Briefing - Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Goal: To activate prior knowledge and introduce the mission theme.

  1. The Mission Begins: Tell the student, "Welcome, Agent. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to become an expert profiler. To do this, you must master the art of describing people's habits and routines. We call this skill 'The Present Simple'."
  2. Activity - "Fact or Fiction?":
    • You (the teacher) make three statements about one of the student's friends using the present simple. Two statements are true, and one is false. For example: "Okay, Agent, let's talk about your friend, Sarah. 1. She plays video games after school. 2. She hates pepperoni pizza. 3. She has two cats."
    • The student must guess which statement is the lie and correct it using a negative sentence. For example: "Number 2 is the lie! Sarah doesn't hate pepperoni pizza, she loves it!"
    • This quickly reviews positive and negative forms in a fun, personalized context.

Part 2: Agent Training - Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Goal: To review and practice the structure of the present simple, including positive, negative, and question forms.

  1. The Profiler's Tools: On a whiteboard or in the notebook, quickly create three columns: Positive (+), Negative (-), and Question (?).
  2. Model Sentence Building:
    • (+): "He plays football." Explain the third-person 's'. Mention verbs that end in -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o get 'es' (e.g., he watches, she goes) and verbs ending in consonant + 'y' get 'ies' (e.g., she studies).
    • (-): "He doesn't play football." Emphasize that "doesn't" is used for he/she/it and the main verb returns to its base form (no 's').
    • (?): "Does he play football?" Highlight that the question starts with "Does" and the verb again returns to its base form.
  3. Quick-Fire Drills: Give the student a subject and a verb (e.g., "Maria / read") and ask them to create a positive, negative, and question sentence. Do this with 3-4 different examples to build confidence.

Part 3: The Main Mission - Creative Application (25 minutes)

Goal: To apply the grammar in a creative, meaningful, and hands-on project.

  1. Assign the Target: Instruct the student to choose one of their friends as the "target" for their secret agent profile.
  2. Create the "Secret Agent File":
    • Give the student the "Top Secret" folder and paper (or the pre-made template).
    • The file must contain specific sections about their friend, all written in the present simple. The student must write at least two sentences for each section.
    • File Sections:
      • Basic Intel: Name, Where he/she lives.
      • Daily Routine: What time does he/she wake up? What does he/she eat for breakfast? He/she always walks to the bus stop.
      • Likes/Hobbies: He/she loves drawing. She plays the piano.
      • Dislikes: She doesn't like spiders. He never eats broccoli.
      • Special Skills: He/she speaks a little Spanish. She tells great jokes.
    • Encourage the use of colored markers and even a drawing of the "target."
  3. Teacher Role: Circulate and act as "Mission Control," offering support, checking sentences for accuracy, and asking clarifying questions ("What does he do after school? Does she like movies?").

Part 4: Mission Debrief - Closure and Assessment (10 minutes)

Goal: To share the creative work and assess the learning objectives.

  1. Present the Profile: The student presents their "Secret Agent File" to you, reading their descriptions aloud. This serves as a formative assessment of both their writing and pronunciation.
  2. Formative Assessment: As they present, listen for correct use of the third-person 's', "do/does," and "don't/doesn't." Provide positive and constructive feedback on the spot.
  3. "Guess the Agent" Game: To wrap up, you (the teacher) can start describing another of their friends using present simple sentences. "This person doesn't live near us. He plays a lot of soccer... Who is it?"
  4. Summative Assessment: The completed "Secret Agent File" is the main artifact for assessment. Evaluate it based on:
    • Accuracy: Correct use of present simple grammar (5 points).
    • Content: Included all required sections with sufficient detail (3 points).
    • Creativity: Effort and creativity shown in the presentation (2 points).

4. Differentiation and Inclusivity

  • For Extra Support: Provide a pre-made template with sentence starters (e.g., "He likes _______.", "She doesn't _______."). Also, provide a word bank of common verbs (play, eat, watch, read, go) and adverbs of frequency (always, usually, sometimes, never).
  • For an Extra Challenge: Ask the student to include more complex sentences using conjunctions like 'but' and 'and' (e.g., "He likes video games, but he doesn't play them on school nights."). They could also create a profile for a more complex fictional character from a book they are reading, requiring them to infer habits and routines.
  • Inclusivity: The focus on the student's own friends makes the content personally relevant and respectful. The creative format allows for self-expression beyond just grammatical correctness.