Run, Jump, Swim! Action Verbs

About This Resource

A complete Grade 1 ESL lesson pack on action verbs: learning 12 everyday action words with pictures, miming and guessing actions, finding the action word in a sentence, using I can... and He/She can..., matching animals to what they can do, and drawing and writing about actions. Includes slides, a timed lesson plan, picture flashcards, a six-activity worksheet, quiz, homework, rubric and answer key.

Overview

Students learn 12 everyday action verbs (doing words) with pictures and gestures, find the action word in simple sentences, say and write what they can do with I can..., and match animals to their actions.

Resource Details

Subject: ESL
Topic: Action Verbs
Category: Grammar
File Type: PDF
File Size: 421 KB
Published: 04 Nov 2026
Downloads: 0

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Grade 1 (ages 6–7), beginner ESL 45 minutes Vocabulary grammar listening speaking reading short sentences writing

Learning Objectives

Name and act out 12 common action verbs.
Find the action word (verb) in a simple sentence.
Say and write sentences about actions with I can... and He/She can...

How to Use This Resource

Start with Simon Says using the actions on slide 1, then teach the 12 action words with the flashcards.
Show the doing-word idea on slides 3 and 4 and do worksheet activities 1 and 2 together.
Students finish activities 3 to 6. Use the quiz to check and send the homework home. Answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Activity Ideas

Simon Says: "Simon says jump! Simon says swim!" Students act only when they hear Simon says.
Charades: a student acts out a flashcard and the class guesses with a full sentence: "You are swimming!" or "Swim!"
Action circle: students sit in a circle; each says "I can ___" and does the action, and the next student copies it before adding a new one.

Differentiation

Support: use the picture flashcards for every activity and accept one-word answers at first. Challenge: ask students to write two sentences with can and can't (I can swim. I can't fly.) and add a describing word (I can run fast).

Assessment

Worksheet activities 1 to 5 and the quiz check action words and simple sentences (answer key included). Activity 6 and the rubric check speaking and writing with I can...

Teacher Tips

Always pair each word with the same movement: young learners remember verbs best when they say the word and do the action together. Keep the flashcards on the board during the worksheet so students can check spellings.

What's Included

10-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (12 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (6 activities)
Quiz / assessment (3 parts)
Homework practice page
Printable flashcards: 12 A5 picture cards (separate PDF)
Assessment rubric (4 levels)
Lesson slides (editable PowerPoint)
Editable Word version of all student pages
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

Lesson Slides (PPTX)
Editable Student Pages and Lesson Plan (DOCX)
A5 Flashcards (PDF)
Answer Key (PDF)

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