Category Archives: Writing

I am always looking for new ways to use the plastic magnetic letters that I have. This activity is called “fishing for letters”.  Students use a string with a paper clip or other small metal object and a bowl of plastic magnetic letters.  They fish out 3-4 letters in small groups and write words in the target language beginning with those letters. The first group to write a word for each letter wins the round. It is also helpful to give categories if you want students to review a particular vocabulary theme. You can also have them try to build the longest word that they can using in the letters that they fished out and adding in any additional letters that they need to spell out the word.  A second round can involve groups writing sentences with their words.  This idea could work well with Scrabble tiles as well.  I usually take out the letters that less commonly appear at the beginning of a word.

This is a great activity to get students writing sentences with correct verb forms that move them towards more complex sentences.  In addition, students need to demonstrate that they know what the verbs mean as well as the correct form of the verb in order to complete each activity.

Begin each activity with click e that will reveal the verbs (infinitives) and one or two question words.  At this point students see six subjects and six infinitives, each numbered 1 through 6. A second click reveals three number combinations. The first number is the subject and the second number is the verb.

Students then have one minute (the triangle disappears to show time passing) to write three sentences that include the subject, the correct form of the verb and the additional information based on the question word(s).  When one minute has passed the verbs are covered.

The next screen shows the three sentences that students should have written so that they can check their work.  The second half of the sentence is an example as students will have different endings.

This activity can be created for any language in Powerpoint format by using the animation tools.  Download a template HERE.

You can also download full activities here:

• Spanish Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
• Spanish Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
• Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs in the Present Tense
• Spanish Regular Preterit
• Spanish Imperfect
• French Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
• French Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
• French Spelling and Accent-Changing Verbs in the Present Tense
• French Passe Compose with Avoir
• French Imperfect
• Additional French and Spanish Activities