While learning to use Spanish adjectives in the superlative, students will need to practice the formula as well as practice paying attention to adjective agreement. In this activity, students will create a persona and practice using the superlative structure. Have students select the spider map storyboard template and place their chosen persona in the middle.
The example storyboard uses “the most egotistical man in the world” as its central character. From there, each connected cell illustrates a facet of the chosen persona using superlative statements. Students should have fun with their choices! The examples used in the model storyboard are:
Students should complete at least four cells, but you may want them to have more. You may also want to consider whether or not students are using the four exceptions of mejor, peor, mayor, and menor, examples of más and menos, or if their cell examples will be limited to basic adjectives and only the use of más. To reinforce the superlative structure, have students change the color or capitalize the words involved in expressing the superlative. Further challenges can be introduced by asking students to vary their sentence structure and verb use.
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Student Instructions
Create a spider chart using superlative adjectives based on a persona of your creation using at least four cells.
Set up a fun scavenger hunt around your classroom or school where students search for items or people that fit Spanish superlative adjectives (like el más alto or la más interesante). This interactive activity gets everyone moving, encourages real-world language use, and helps reinforce adjective agreement in a memorable way.
Write a list of superlative adjectives you want students to practice. Prepare cards, sticky notes, or images labeled with these adjectives and hide them in different locations around your room or designated area. Make sure each adjective is clearly visible and matched to something students can find.
Gather your students and explain that their goal is to find the items or people that best fit each superlative adjective. Model a sample search using one of the adjectives so students know exactly what to do and how to form their answer in Spanish.
Let students work solo, in pairs, or small groups. As they find each adjective card, they must write a full Spanish sentence using the superlative form, describing what or who matches (e.g., Esta es la ventana más grande). Encourage creativity and clarity!
Bring everyone back together and have students share their favorite sentences aloud. Correct any agreement errors and highlight especially clever or accurate use of superlatives. End with a quick reflection on how the activity helped them remember the grammar rules.
Spanish superlative adjectives express the highest or lowest degree of a quality, like "the most interesting" or "the least generous." In class, students can use a formula: el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective + de to create these sentences and practice with engaging activities like persona spider charts.
Start by explaining the basic superlative formula: use definite article + más/menos + adjective. Model with examples, then have students invent a fun persona and make a spider map with four cells, each showing a different superlative sentence about their character.
A spider map storyboard is a graphic organizer with a central idea (like a persona) in the middle and connected cells showing related facts. For Spanish superlatives, each cell contains a superlative sentence, making grammar practice visual and creative for students.
Some adjectives use irregular superlatives instead of más/menos: mejor (better/best), peor (worse/worst), mayor (older/largest), and menor (younger/smallest). Encourage students to use these exceptions in their practice for variety.
Remind students that adjective agreement is important: adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they describe. Have them check each sentence in their spider map for correct endings and make corrections as needed.