Grade 3 ESL Lesson Plan: Present Continuous — What Are They Doing?

Learning Objectives

• Name 16 everyday action verbs (e.g. run, swim, read, dance).
• Make the present continuous with am, is or are + verb-ing.
• Spell -ing forms correctly using three simple rules.
• Make negative sentences with am not, isn't and aren't.
• Ask and answer "What are you/they doing?" and yes/no questions such as "Is she swimming? Yes, she is."

Lesson Procedure

• Read the overview and success criteria before teaching.
• Lesson 1 — Action verbs and -ing (45 min): follow the stage table (warm-up, teach, practice, exit ticket).
• Lesson 2 — am / is / are and spelling (45 min): follow the stage table (warm-up, teach, practice, exit ticket).
• Lesson 3 — Questions and describing a picture (45 min): follow the stage table (warm-up, teach, practice, exit ticket).
• Use the matching PowerPoint, worksheet and assessment from this pack — the plan refers to their slide and part numbers.

Differentiation

Support: Give a sentence strip: [Name] + [is] + [verb-ing]. Challenge: Write 5 sentences about what family members are doing right now at home. English language learners: Mime every new verb. Students learn faster with movement

Teacher Tips

Keep it physical: every lesson should have miming. The present continuous is for NOW. Use time words like "now" and "at the moment".

What's Included

• 4-page lesson plan (PDF + editable DOCX)
• Lesson 1 — Action verbs and -ing (45 min)
• Lesson 2 — am / is / are and spelling (45 min)
• Lesson 3 — Questions and describing a picture (45 min)
• Key vocabulary table, materials list and success criteria
• Differentiation (support, challenge, English language learners)
• Common misconceptions with fixes, and teacher tips

Additional Files

• Grade 3 ESL Lesson Plan: Present Continuous — What Are They Doing? (DOCX)

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