Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, K-3

In the BrainPOP ELL movie, Run! Don’t Stop! (L1U1L5), Ben uses commands as he coaches the reluctant Moby for the Robot Olympics. In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades K-8, students form affirmative and negative commands, or imperatives, as well as practice making suggestions with the expression let’s + verb.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

  1. Form and act out affirmative and negative commands.

  2. Construct short sentences with the expression let's + verb to make suggestions.
  3. Write captions using commands for panels in a Comic Strip.

Vocabulary:

drink, eat, go, stop, jump, practice, run, walk, sit, stand, try, let’s

Preparation:

  • Print the Commands Comic Strip for each student.
  • Gather pictures for prompts to practice making suggestions with the expression let’s + verb.

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Follow Ben’s Commands. On a repeated viewing of Facts to Know in the movie Run! Don’t Stop! (L1U1L5), press pause after each section (affirmative commands, negative commands, and suggestions with let’s + verb), and have students act out Ben’s commands.  At the end of each section, ask students to give more examples.
  2. Write a Comic Strip. After viewing the Movie, Run! Don’t Stop! (L1U1L5), distribute the Commands Comic Strip. Students write captions with the appropriate command under each frame. Volunteers present their comic strips to the class, and read the captions out loud. To differentiate, some students will use the word bank, while others may write more detailed captions, with at least three of the six captions containing the imperative form of the verb.
  3. Simon Says. Play "Simon Says" to practice commands. Call out a command, for example, "Simon says, run!" The class must follow only the commands preceded by “Simon says...” Students who obey commands without “Simon says” are out.
  4. Total Physical Response. Do a Total Physical Response activity to teach and practice imperatives. Assign different scenarios to small groups, such as in class, at home, on the playground, in the library, etc. Then have each group collaborate and think of different commands they might hear or say in that space. For example, in class, they might hear or say: Stand up. Sit down. Open the book. Close the book. Read. Don’t read. Have each group give their commands to a different group.
  5. Let’s Play. Use different pictures as prompts to practice the expression let’s + verb. For example, with a picture of food, a student might say, “Let’s eat.” Students can elaborate as much as they like. For example, with a picture of someone running, a student might say, “Let’s stop. I’m tired.” If pictures are not available, ask the students to pantomime actions.

Related Movies
BrainPOP Movies:
Types of Sentences
BrainPOP JR Movies:
Types of Sentences