Anchor Standard #8 ASL Tense
Benchmark #3 Applied Tense Study in ASL

OBJECTIVE Generate an inventory of lexical markers for time in ASL (e.g., TODAY, YESTERDAY, NEXT-WEEK, TOMORROW, 2 DAYS-AGO, NEXT YEAR, etc.) and classify them into three main tense categories: occurring RIGHT NOW, BEFORE NOW, and AFTER NOW.



Lesson Materials:

• LCD projector
• Tense Category Poster/Headings
• Computer/Phone/tablet for recording student answers


Lesson Procedure:

Before the lesson, display the tense Category Poster, or Tense Category Headings on the board and review what each category indicates about when the predicate is occurring (see below for examples of posters or headings).

Addressing one category at a time (i.e., occurring RIGHT NOW, BEFORE NOW, and AFTER NOW) ask students to generate a list of Tense Markers in ASL. You can conduct this activity by dividing the class into teams, doing it as a whole group activity, or by having individuals work on this tasks independently.

However you chose to complete this task, require at least 10-15 examples of BEFORE NOW and AFTER NOW tense markers. Students should realize that NOW is the only tense marker we will use for occurring RIGHT NOW.

When you are done, generate a video resource that neatly organizes the answers students have provided for review and later application. These examples can be used as options and ideas for future activities.