To Be Verb Charades

Learning grammar rules like the forms of the verb "to be" can seem boring to students. But teaching them in creative, hands-on ways can help engage students and make the lessons stick. Here are some ideas for making forms of "to be" fun and memorable.

Turn It Into a Game

Games add excitement and healthy competition to any lesson. For "to be" verbs, try:

• To Be Bingo - Make bingo cards with different forms of "to be" (am, are, is, was, were). Call out sentences that use the verbs in different ways. First student to get Bingo wins!

• To Be Four Corners - Label each corner of the room with a form of "to be." Read sentences aloud and have students go to the corner with the right verb.

• To Be Verb Challenge - Split into teams. Give each team a list of sentences missing the "to be" verb. See which team can fill in the right verbs the fastest.

Get Hands-On

Kinesthetic activities get students up and moving, bringing the grammar to life. Try:

• To Be Stations - Set up stations for each "to be" verb. Students travel around and do an activity at each station, like dancing at the "are" station.

• To Be Performances - Students act out skits using specific forms of "to be," like two friends meeting and saying "Hello! How are you?"

• To Be Manipulatives - Have small objects like blocks that students can move around to form sentences using "to be" verbs.

Incorporate Technology

Digital tools engage 21st century learners. Some ideas:

• Make an interactive To Be Verbs Padlet for students to post example sentences.

• Create a To Be Verbs Kahoot quiz to review the forms.

• Use Edpuzzle to make a video explaining "to be" verbs with built-in questions.

Make It Musical

Music, rhythm and rhyme boost retention. Try:

• To Be Verbs Song - Teach or create a catchy song that uses the different verb forms.

• To Be Raps - Have students write raps, rhyming poems or chants using "to be" verbs.

Getting creative with games, activities, technology and music can liven up grammar lessons on forms of "to be." Students will have fun practicing while absorbing the vocabulary and concepts naturally. Teachers can find and adapt engaging "to be" verb content quickly on the AI-powered lesson planning platform To-Teach (https://to-teach.ai). With To-Teach, creating lessons that resonate with students is easy!