Title: Adding to Your Writing with Specific Nouns and Verbs
Overview:
Students will work on the IAWB to review nouns and verbs. They will listen to a reading of
Mark Twain’s with his wonderful nouns and verbs and then the same passage with the verbs
replaced with ordinary verbs. The students will discuss the difference in the passage. They will
make a list of nouns and verbs from a chosen profession and match them up to make
interesting verb images. They will then use these images in a sentence and match it with a
picture or clip art to be added to a group PhotoStory.
Content Standard(s):
7th Grade Mathematics:
11.) Apply grammar conventions in writing to pronoun-antecedent agreement and to subjectverb agreement with inverted word order and with indefinite pronouns as subjects.
-Understand, identify, and use the parts of speech to create stronger writing.
Technology Education (6-8):
5.) Use basic features of word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation
software.
6.) Select specific digital tools for completing curriculum-related tasks.
10.) Design original works using digital tools.
11.) Use digital tools and strategies to . . . organize . . . and synthesize information.
Shelby County Technology Skills:
Create and edit a simple or enhanced podcast using PhotoStory, Audacity, MovieMaker,
Podium, or Garageband
Insert and format Clip Art and wrap around clip art
Total Duration:
1 class period
Materials and Equipment:
IAWB
Computer
Procedures/Activities:
Opening Activity/Introduction: Make a mixed list of nouns and verbs with a blank Venn
diagram above them on the IAWB. Have a student come forward and drag a word into one of
the circles. Depending on whether it was a noun or a verb, you drag an opposite word to the
other circle. For example, the student drags lilac to one circle it is a noun, so you drag one of
the verbs to the other circle. Let another student come up and drag a word to either circle. If it
matches you say that fits the rule and let it stay or that doesn’t fit the rule. It belongs in the
other circle. Ask if anyone knows the rule yet. Continue on until they guess the two categories
are nouns and verbs.
Teaching the New Objective: Tell students that nouns provide the still images in our writing
and verbs provide the motion pictures. To illustrate the contribution verbs make read this
passage from Mark Twain.
“They presently emerged into the clump of sumac bushes, looked warily out, found the coast
clear, and were soon lunching and smoking in the skiff. As the sun dipped toward the horizon,
they pushed out and got underway. Tom skimmed up the shore through the long twilight,
chatting cheerily with Huck, and landed shortly after dark.
Change the verbs to less interesting and descriptive ones and it reads like this.
“They presently came out of the bushes. The coast was clear, so they got in the skiff. They had
lunch and smoked. As the sun went down, they went out on the water. Tom moved along the
shore. He talked and then came back to shore shortly after dark.
Discuss the difference.
Have students make a two column table on a document in Word. In the first column list
various nouns. In the second column list verbs that go with a certain profession. Either give the
students a profession or let them choose. For example, verbs that go with cooking, boil, fry,
chop, heat, marinate, whip, sauté. Match the verbs with the nouns in column one to create
new interesting verb images. Try to add some of these to your writing.
Closing Activity: Students choose a new combination of noun and verb and make a
PowerPoint slide using the new combination in a sentence and illustrating it with a picture.
Each slide will be saved as a jpeg and put into a group Photo Story to be posted to the
teacher’s blog.