Lesson Plan: Informal Commands in Spanish
Class Profile
- Language: Spanish
- Level: Intermediate
- Learner Profile: Student in teacher-led class
- Focus/Task: Give your friend tips for going on vacation using affirmative and negative informal (tú) commands
- Total Class Time: 1 hour
Resources/Links:
1. Grammar articles:
2. Video lessons:
- 7 video lessons, with special focus on lessons 1, 2, 6, and 7
3. Vocabulary lists:
4. Conjugation drills on informal commands
5. Homework with the Conjugation tool
Homework (1-2 hours)
To be completed before class.
1. Study these articles:
2. Take these video lessons:
- 7 video lessons, with special focus on lessons 1, 2, 6, and 7
3. Review this vocabulary list:
4. Look up the conjugation tables for the verbs tomar, perder, reservar, and empacar, and write 4 tips for going on vacation using affirmative or negative informal tú commands.
Pre-Task/Warm-Up (20-25 minutes)
- Turn in the Conjugation tool homework.
- Ask questions about what you studied at home - see the "Homework" section below (10-15 minutes/whole class with teacher).
- In pairs, use informal tú commands to share tips that you would have liked to receive for a vacation you took in the past (just speak with your classmate; do not write) (5 minutes/in pairs).
- With a different classmate, give travel advice using one affirmative tú command and one negative tú command (5 minutes/in pairs).
Task/Main Activity (15-20 minutes)
- Instructions for students: Your best friend is going on a trip and is asking you for advice on what to do and what not to do. In groups of four, fill in the following template. When time is up, your teacher will choose a group at random to share its tips with the whole class: (15-20 minutes/in groups of 4).
Template
Consejos para unas vacaciones/un viaje en _____ (la playa/la montaña/X ciudad/X pueblo/X país).
| Actividad/Contexto | 2 mandatos afirmativos | 2 mandatos negativos |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Preparar tus vacaciones | Ejemplo: Prepara las maletas. | Ejemplo: No olvides tu pasaporte. |
| 2. Llegar a tu destino | Ejemplo: Pasa por aduana. | Ejemplo: No te descuides. |
| 3. Explorar tu destino | Ejemplo: Camina por la cuidad. | Ejemplo: No te pierdas. |
| 4. Volver a casa | Ejemplo: Lava la ropa. | Ejemplo: No te deprimas. |
Post-Task (15-20 minutes)
- A group selected by the teacher shares its tips with the class. The remaining groups write down one question for the group that's presenting and ask their questions after the selected group finishes sharing its tips (10 minutes/a group of 4 shares with the whole classroom).
- The teacher gives feedback on the groups' tips and answers any questions that came up when the students were working on the task (10 minutes/teacher with the whole class).
Extra Practice
Grammar articles:
Vocabulary lists:
Conjugation drills:
- For more conjugation practice, go to our Conjugation Drill page and select the tenses "Affirmative Imperative" and "Negative Imperative." To practice just the tú commands, select the pronoun tú. If you want to practice commands with other pronouns, select said pronouns!
Would you like to see this lesson plan in Spanish? Click here!
