1. By Dorothy
http://doctoradorothy.blogspot.com/
Lesson Plan - Reflexive Verbs
Level: Beginning Spanish I
Subject(s): Foreign Language/Spanish
Duration: 55 minutes
Description: This lesson introduces reflexive verbs by reading, writing, and talking about
daily routines.
Methodology: This lesson’s approach uses the cognitive-code method where the students
move from the “known” to the “unknown”. In the introductory reading students will be
presented with illustration of activities that are familiar to them such as to wake up, to get
dressed, and to take a shower (the “known”) and then they will learn how to accurately
describe those activities in Spanish (the “unknown”).
Standards for Foreign Language Learning addressed:
1. Communication: Students will provide and obtain information regarding daily routines.
2. Cultures: Students will learn about differences and similarities between weekend
routines of young people from Hispanic and American cultures.
3. Communities: Through the supplementary video activity students will be using the
language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Goals:
Teach students how to effectively describe their routines and ask someone about his/her
daily activities.
Objectives:
1. Communicative objectives: Students will describe their own and other people’s daily
routines by using reflexive verbs in the appropriate context.

2. By Dorothy
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2. Grammar objectives: Students will learn and practice reflexive verbs vocabulary and
structures.
3. Cultural objectives: Compare and contrast the daily routines of Hispanic young people,
specifically those of the weekend, with daily routines of young people in the United States.
Materials needed:
 Copies of reading with illustrations
 Power point presentation or large flashcards
 Copies of written activities
 Pieces of paper with reflexive verbs for game of charades
Procedure:
1. Introduction (8 minutes)
The instructor will give a copy of the illustrated reading to each student. The instructor will
go through the reading using a lively tone of voice and mimicking each one of the
character’s reflexive actions. After that it will be the students’ turn to read for the class
(one student per sentence to give the chance to as many as possible). The instructor will
correct pronunciation if necessary. Students get from the illustrations and the teacher
gestures the meaning of the verbs and by reading the sentences they begin to see how they
are structured with those particular verbs.
2. Cultural awareness activity (5 minutes)
Based on the reading, instructor will ask students to compare their weekends to that of the
character in the reading. The instructor will tell them about other activities of young
people in the Hispanic world during the weekends. The instructor and students will
compare and contrast the activities of both cultures.

3. By Dorothy
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3. Information (15 minutes)
a. Using the power point presentation or writing on the board, show students a list of the
verbs that have a reflexive nature. Through mimicking or illustrations (power point
presentation or large flash cards), achieve students’ understanding of the meaning.
b. To verify understanding, ask students to translate to English each one of the verbs
introduced.
C. Proceed to the grammar explanation:
 Reflexive pronouns
 Verb conjugation
 Placement of pronouns
 Difference in meaning between reflexive and non reflexive verbs
4. Oral activity (15 minutes)
Students will work in pairs and will have to ask each other about their daily routines using
five verbs of the previously introduced list. The instructor will provide students with some
examples of questions so that they can serve as a guide. The instructor will walk around
the class to assist students if needed. Afterwards, the instructor will ask each student to
talk to the class about one of the daily routines of their group partner.
5. Assessment (12 minutes)
The students’ understanding of the vocabulary and grammar structure will be informally
assessed though a game of charades. The instructor will divide the class in two teams.
Different students from each group will come to the front of the class and the instructor
will give him/her a piece of paper with a reflexive verb on it. The student will have to act
out through mimics and gestures the action provided on the paper. Someone from his/her
team must say a complete sentence that describes what the student is doing. If the

4. By Dorothy
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students on that team don’t get the sentence or verb right, someone from the other team
will have the chance to answer. A score is kept and the winning team will get a prize.
Homework:
Students will have to write a short composition about the routine activities of the members
of their family or their roommates. The students will have to use at least eight reflexive
verbs and three conjugation forms.
Useful internet resources for supplementary activities:
Lingus TV - “Mi Rutina” Video
This site has videos about a group of friends in Spain. In this particular video, Paco is
worried because he always arrives late to work. His friend Eva asks about his morning
routine. This audiovisual activity will help students to reinforce the concepts studied in
class and to develop listening skills. The students can look at a script of the video both in
Spanish and English, and they can also get grammar notes that explain the authentic
expressions used in the video. A big plus is that the video is really funny.
http://www.lingus.tv/video/mi_rutina
Cajón de Sastre – Exercises
This site has hundreds of exercises. In the first part of the reflexive verbs activities, the
students will have to complete the sentences with the correct pronoun. In the second part,
they will have to choose between a reflexive and a non reflexive verb based on the context
of the sentence. The exercises on this site are helpful not only to practice the grammar but
also to learn authentic expressions. Something very important is that it enables students to
verify their answers.
http://cajondesastre.juegos.free.fr/Ejercicios/gramatica/Presentedeindicativo_verbos_refl
exivos_1.htm
http://cajondesastre.juegos.free.fr/Ejercicios/gramatica/Presentedeindicativo_verbos_refl
exivos_2a.htm