Ser+Vs+Estar


 * Introducing Ser vs. Estar**: The students do the differentiating. You just guide them in the activity. Make sentences up for each of the different ways to use Ser and Estar. For example, Time: Es la 1:00pm. or Location: La escuela está en la avendia C. You can make up multiple sentences for each use of Ser and Estar using the mnemonic DOCTOR CLIF (see below) as a guide so you make sure to get the general uses. Then cut up the sentences and place them all over the room. In pairs have them go around the room and pick at least two sentences to categorize.l Have the students tape the sentences under the correct category. So, you would write "Location" "Time" "Origin", etc.on the board. Afterward, you can have them come up with their own sentences and share them with a partner for each use of SER and ESTAR. user:americana

To accompany the worksheet provide another hand-out with at least five sentences for students to translate the first five tell them to use "ser" the second five "estar". The next step is to mix the sentences up randomly, and finally have them write a few on their own. The next day use the following activity.**user:batorbro** I made a set of class flashcards (32 **bright green** cards reading "ser" and 32 **bright pink** cards reading"estar.") Each student gets 2 cards, one green and one pink - They should hold the green card with their left hand and the pink card with their right. Students put their heads down on the desk - I read a sentence in English and they hold up which verb would be used if the sentence were translated to Spanish. For example: "He is bored" - students should hold up the pink card in their right hand. "He is boring" - students should hold up the green card in their left hand. (Sentence examples from http://www.studyspanish.com/practice/serest1.htm) By putting their heads on the desk - I can see which students really do understand - this way they won't change their cards when they see what everyone else has up. With their cards still in the air, have them lift their heads to see what the answer is. user:SarahPcat
 * Introduction of Ser vs. Estar:** Here is a worksheet I created to help students to distingush between the two verbs. The line next to each category (i.e. Nationality) is there so students can write an example down to demonstrate the use of "ser" or "estar". We came up with these examples as a class.
 * **Ser vs. Estar flashcards**

DOCTOR CLIF- I used this mnemonic to teach the differences. It gives a good basis, and of course you can add/change things around. I used this along with Sarah's idea above. I got the menmonic from a colleague, and here is a [|great spanish mnemonics] of MANY others:
 * Have the students write fold a sheet of paper hot dog style, and put SER on one column and ESTAR on the other.
 * Then write DOCTOR down the side for SER
 * D**escriptions
 * O**ccupation
 * C**harecteristics
 * T**ime
 * O**rigen
 * R**elationship,
 * and give LOTS of examples of each.
 * Then on the other comlum, have the students write **CLIF**
 * C**ondition
 * L**ocation
 * I**NG
 * F**eeling
 * Then have student fold the paper, so there is SER on one side and ESTAR on the other.
 * You read out sentences in ENGLISH, and the kids show you if it should be SER or ESTAR, Then move to Spanish, omitting the verb of course
 * Then have STUDENTS write sentences in SPANISH, omitting the verb and have them read it outloud. user:cartierm


 * Ser vs. Estar Lesson Plan - about 60 min.** This expands on the idea above. Includes activities and worksheets. user:SarahPcat[[file:spn II - U1D5 - ser vs estar.doc]]


 * Ser vs. Estar Flashcards with Song Lyrics:** Using Sarah's idea above, I created blue and pink flashcards. Students held up the cards based on sentences I read. Then, for the next couple days I would show a slide with lyrics from a popular (or in some cases "uncool") song. I bolded/underlined a certain sentence that used a form of "to be," and students had to hold up their flashcards accordingly. It's basically the same idea, but the students got into it and were excited to see which songs I picked each day. It is a quick activity and nice because it's daily review even if you just do 4 or 5 each class period. Here are a few exmples: **[[file:Song lyrics for ser and estar.ppt]] user:decortem**

I used this activity recently with my Spanish III classes to practice ser/estar and location words (to the left, right, next to, in front of, etc.). Each student brought in a picture from home of their family, friends, or whoever. The only requirement was that it had to have at least five people in it, and that they were preferably facing the camera. I had magazines available on the day of the project for students that forgot to bring pictures. Then for each person in the picture, they had to describe where they were in the picture in relation to the other people (estar, location), then describe them physically using at least 3 phrases/adjectives (ser), and then finally write a sentence about how they were feeling (estar). After they had written their descriptions, they had to leave the written portion at their table and take their picture and describe to someone else who is in their picture, where they are, how they are, etc. This activity could certainly work well with lower levels, I used it just as a practice activity with my Spanish III classes. user:AmyBas
 * Ser/Estar practice -- Describing people in a picture**

Here is a PPT with vocabulary for characteristics and emotions. The first part of the PPT introduces the vocab and the second part has the students choose which vocab word is used with ser and which is used with estar. I had the students hold up pieces of paper with either ser or estar written on them as we went through the PPT. All pictures are taken from Microsoft PPT and are copyright safe. user:skyesmith
 * SER VS ESTAR with characteristic and emotions vocabulary**