Saber vs. Conocer is a small grammar point that comes up in lots of Spanish textbooks, just like ser vs. estar. The quick explanation:
- Saber = to know information
- Conocer =to meet or to know /be familiar with people and places
Here are three different activities to do with your Spanish students to help provide context so students can acquire this piece of language.
Saber vs. conocer memes
I love this activity because it allows students to read content created by real people! Students see examples and saber and conocer used in context and have to explain why that verb was selected.
This activity can be presented in a couple different ways. For starters, you can print the memes and place them around the room for a gallery walk.
Option two would be to share the slideshow with students and let them flip through the images at their own pace.
Yet another option would be to show the images to the whole class and have students write on their own or discuss with a partner.
Tic-tac-toe
This is a game I use a lot. It’s essentially a worksheet, but way more fun because it’s presented as a competitive game. Instead of filling in the blanks on a traditional worksheet, students select the verb saber or conocer on a tic-tac-toe board and compete against their partner to earn three-in-a-row first.
Answers are included on the back side so students can check their work.
Amnesia by Sr. Wooly
Ok, I can’t claim this one as my own, but the song Amnesia on www.senorwooly.com is by far the most interesting way to teach this concept. A warning to subscribers however, you should probably show your class “En una Ganga” first so that the ending of Amnesia makes sense to them. But if you want a ton of repetitions of sé and conozco in context, it’s a total gem!
