SYNONYM CARD GAME FOR REVIEW AND REINFORCEMENT TN Language Arts Checks for Understanding 0601.1.13 0601.1.14 0701.1.13 0701.1.14 0801.1.10 0801.1.11 Find a list of synonyms for your students. (This can also be used with antonyms, analogies, definitions, or foreign words and phrases.) Use a blue marker to write on blank index cards or 3- x 5 paper the first word in one of the synonym pairs. (For example, write abandon on the first card, adversity on the second card, aggravate on the third card) Keep the cards in order. Use a red marker to write on the back of the cards the second word in the synonym pair (discard, difficulty, annoy). Continue by writing the second words in each synonym pair. Be sure that the synonym for a word is NOT on the back of the first word in the synonym pair. (In other words, be sure that abandon and discard are not on the same card.) The Lesson Mix up the cards and distribute them to students, one card per student -- don't forget one for yourself. Have students look at the blue word on the card they hold. Start the game by showing and calling out the red word on your card. The students must look at their cards to see who has the blue word that is a synonym for the word you call out. That student should call out the synonym. For example, if you show and call out the word abandon, the student who is holding the blue word that is a synonym for abandon -- in this example, discard -- must call out that word. Then, the student holding the card on which was written the synonym for your card(discard) flips over his or her card and reads the red word on the back. Students look at their cards to see if they hold the blue word that is a synonym for this word. The game continues until you have gone all the way through the deck of cards. Word Synonyms abandon adversity aggravate amenable anguish berate Discard, vacate Difficulty, misfortune Annoy, infuriate Agreeable, favorable Distress, sorrow Criticize, disapprove betray bonus brief cease chaotic contradict dare decay hasty haughty illustrious immense impatient justification keen label labor pain passive rank reliable shrewd slight spontaneous Deceive, fool Award, gift Concise, short Desist, stop Disordered, messy Deny, oppose Challenge, defy Decline, rot Abrupt, hurried Arrogant, pretentious Eminent, famous Huge, mammoth Anxious, eager Excuse, reason Clever, observant Brand, classify Toil, work Ache, discomfort Inactive, lethargic Arrange, classify Dependable, trustworthy Careful, calculating Delicate, slender Impromptu, unplanned