Past Portal Slides Language Arts Quest
Past Portal
Mastering Irregular Past Tense Verbs
What is the Past Tense?
Verbs in the past tense tell us about things that already happened.
1
It happened a minute ago.
2
It happened yesterday.
3
It happened last year!
"I walk..."
"I walked!"
Most verbs just add -ed!
The Rule Breakers!
Some verbs are Irregular. They don't follow the "-ed" rule!
Rule Follower
Jump → Jumped
Rule Breaker
Go → Went
Rule Breaker
Eat → Ate
The Helping Three
To Be
am / is → was
are → were
To Have
has / have →
had
To Do
do / does →
did
Action in the Past!
Run
RAN
Swim
SWAM
Sit
SAT
"I ran to the pool, then I swam, and finally I sat on a towel."
Everyday Rule Breakers
SEE
was...
SAW
EAT
was...
ATE
GO
Becomes →
WENT
Portal Practice
Can you figure out the past tense for these sentences?
1. Yesterday, I ________ (go) to the park.
2. We ________ (see) a giant bird!
3. I ________ (have) a blue cupcake.
4. They ________ (be) so happy.
Portal Answers
1. I WENT to the park.
2. We SAW a giant bird!
3. I HAD a blue cupcake.
4. They WERE so happy.
Yesterday Adventure Passage Discovery Log #042
The Time Traveler's Discovery
Find the clues from yesterday's adventure!
Yesterday was a day of great discovery. I woke up at dawn and did something brave. I decided to explore the hidden valley. I went through the thick forest until I reached a secret lake.
First, I ran across the golden grass. I saw a family of deer drinking by the shore. They looked at me, then I swam in the cool, clear water. It was refreshing, and I had a wonderful time.
Afterward, I sat on a warm rock and ate an apple from my bag. The birds were singing in the trees. It was the most exciting mission I ever finished.
Verb Detective
1. Find three action words (verbs) that show what the author did in the past:
2. Draw a line to match the Present Tense to the Past Tense:
See
Swim
Eat
Go
Ate
Went
Saw
Swam
Time Log Worksheet Time Log Worksheet
Explorer Name:
Mission Date:
Verb Archive
A
Past Tense Portals
Use the correct past tense form for each verb in the brackets.
1. I
(go) to the library to find a map.
2. My dog
(have) a big bone for lunch.
3. We
(see) a shooting star last night.
4. She
(swim) across the whole pond.
5. They
(be) very excited about the trip.
6. He
(sit) on the old bench to rest.
7. What
(do) you find in the woods?
B
Travel Logs
Write a sentence for each past tense verb below.
Verb: RAN
Verb: ATE
Verb: WAS
Mission Challenge
Rewrite this present tense sentence into the past tense:
"I see a bird and I go to the tree."
Verb Time Map Anchor Chart Past Portals
The Irregular Verb Map
Helping
am / is → WAS
are → WERE
have / has → HAD
do / does → DID
Action
run → RAN
swim → SWAM
sit → SAT
Common
go → WENT
eat → ATE
see → SAW
"These special verbs don't end in -ed. They follow their own rules!"
Time Log Answer Key Teacher Answer Key
Time Log Worksheet & Reading Passage
A Past Tense Portals (Worksheet)
1. I went to the library to find a map.
2. My dog had a big bone for lunch.
3. We saw a shooting star last night.
4. She swam across the whole pond.
5. They were very excited about the trip.
6. He sat on the old bench to rest.
7. What did you find in the woods?
B Travel Logs (Worksheet)
Sample responses:
RAN: We ran all the way home from school.
ATE: I ate a giant slice of watermelon yesterday.
WAS: The science experiment was very cool.
Mission Challenge (Worksheet)
Answer: I saw a bird and I went to the tree.
Verb Detective (Reading Passage)
Q1 Actions (Any 3):
Woke up
Did
Explored
Went
Ran
Saw
Swam
Sat
Ate
Q2 Matching:
See → Saw
Swim → Swam
Eat → Ate
Go → Went
Time Travel Verbs Lesson Plan Time Travel Verbs
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Grade 2-3
Learning Objectives
Students will define "past tense" as actions that already happened.
Students will identify irregular past tense verbs that do not follow the "-ed" rule.
Students will correctly use 9 priority irregular verbs (be, have, do, run, swim, sit, go, eat, see) in writing.
Materials Needed
• Past Portal Slides
• Verb Time Map Anchor Chart
• Yesterday Adventure Passage
• Time Log Worksheet
• Pencils & Highlighters
1
The Hook: Entering the Portal (5 min)
Tell students: "Today, we are becoming Language Time Travelers!" Ask them what they did yesterday. As they respond (e.g., "I played," "I walked"), write the -ed endings on the board. Then ask, "What if I said 'I goed to the park'?" Wait for them to correct you. Explain that some verbs are "Rule Breakers" and we're going on a mission to find them.
2
Direct Instruction: Past Portal Slides (15 min)
Instructional Tip: Use choral response for the verb transitions.
• Use the Past Portal Slides to introduce the three groups: Helping, Action, and Common verbs.
• Display the Verb Time Map Anchor Chart prominently after the slides for permanent reference.
• Model the difference between regular (-ed) and irregular (vowel changes or total word changes).
3
Guided Practice: Verb Detectives (15 min)
Hand out the Yesterday Adventure Passage . Have students read the story independently or as a group. Ask them to circle every verb that looks like a "rule breaker." Complete the "Verb Detective" questions together to ensure they can map present tense back to the irregular past tense.
4
Independent Practice: Time Log (15 min)
Students complete the Time Log Worksheet . Circulate and check for "Mission Challenge" completion. Students who finish early can write a short "Time Traveler Diary" entry using at least 5 irregular verbs from the anchor chart.
Differentiation Strategies
Support (Grade 2/ELL)
Provide a smaller desk-copy of the Anchor Chart. Highlight the verbs in the reading passage before giving it to the student to focus on recognition rather than searching.
Extension (Grade 3)
Challenge students to identify "negative" past tense using "did not" (e.g., "I did not run"). Ask them to find irregular verbs in their own independent reading books.
