📖

Past Progressive Memories

Verb Tense Adventures

Day 18of 180
Week 4of 36
30Minutes
← Day 17Day 18 of 180Day 19 →
🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand and form past progressive tense

2

Write descriptive sentences using past progressive verbs

3

Connect verb usage to biblical storytelling

📖 Scripture Connection

Exodus 14:15-16

“Yahweh said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it. The children of Israel shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.'”

— Exodus 14:15-16 (WEB)

Demonstrates an action in progress during a significant moment

📦 Materials Needed

  • Verb tense chart
  • Colored pencils
  • Storytelling worksheet
  • Bible
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students and review previous day's lesson on present progressive tense. Explain that today we'll explore how past progressive tense helps us tell stories more vividly.

💭 Review Question: What does 'progressive' mean in verb tenses?
2Teaching (10 min)

Introduce past progressive tense as 'was/were + verb-ing', showing ongoing action in the past. Use biblical examples to illustrate.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Past progressive shows an action happening at a specific time in the past
  • Uses 'was' for singular subjects and 'were' for plural subjects
  • Always includes a helping verb and the '-ing' form of the main verb
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • How can verb tenses help us tell stories more interestingly?
  • Can you think of a Bible story where something was happening during an important moment?
3Activity: Biblical Action Storytelling (10 min)
hands-on

Students will choose a Bible story and write three sentences using past progressive tense to describe what was happening during a key moment.

📝 Instructions:
  1. Select a Bible story (Moses parting the Red Sea, David fighting Goliath, etc.)
  2. Write three sentences using past progressive tense
  3. Illustrate your sentences to show the action
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Provide a pre-selected story with sentence starters

Challenge: Include dialogue using past progressive tense

4Closing (5 min)

Students share their stories and discuss how verb tenses help bring stories to life.

📝 Review Questions:
  • What is the formula for past progressive tense?
  • How does past progressive help us understand what was happening?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for giving us language to tell stories and share your wonderful works.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll explore future progressive tense and how we can imagine serving God

💎 Memory Verse

Psalm 143:8

“Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you.”

— Psalm 143:8 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Act out the verbs using past progressive tense

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Past progressive tense helps children understand how to describe ongoing actions in the past

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Encourage storytelling and imagination
  • Help children identify the was/were and -ing components
  • Make connections to biblical narratives
🤔 Common Struggles:

Differentiating between simple past and past progressive tenses

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Correct use of was/were and appropriate -ing verb forms

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Create a comic strip using past progressive tense
  • Write a diary entry from a Bible character's perspective
  • Act out Bible stories using past progressive verb descriptions

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 19 →Back to Language Arts