Synonyms and Antonyms
Teacher: Lauren Murphy
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Course Unit: Analogies with Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homophones
Lesson Title: Synonyms and Antonyms
Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Focus Question/Big Idea/Learning Goals: What do you
Learning Objectives: What do you want students to be able
want students to be able to know as a result of this lesson?
What questions or big ideas drive the instruction?
to do as a result of this lesson? Include academic language and
vocabulary objectives too. Objectives must be measureable.
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What are synonyms?
How can synonyms be used to enhance
writing?
What is a resource I can use to find synonyms
of a word?
What are antonyms?

The learner will use synonyms and antonyms
correctly within his or her own writing.
The learner will be able to write his or her own
definition of synonyms and antonyms.
The learner will be able to locate synonyms
using a thesaurus.
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STANDARDS: Reference State (Social Studies and Science) Common Core (Math and ELA only)
SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with
diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
L.5.4c Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
L.5.5c Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better
understand each of the words.
Academic Language (discipline specific) – list terms
Academic Vocabulary (lesson specific)
 Synonym- A word or phrase that means exactly
 Opposite- A person or thing that is totally
or nearly the same as another word or phrase.
different from or the reverse of someone or
something else.
 Antonym- A word having a meaning opposite to
that of another word.
 Synonymous- the same
 Adjective- An adjective is the part of speech that
 Antonymous- different, opposite
modifies a noun or a pronoun.
 Gargantuan-huge
 Noun- The part of speech that is used to name a
 Miniscule- small
person, place, or thing.
 Famished- hungry
 Pronoun- A word that takes the place of a noun,
 Daring- brave
noun phrase, or noun clause.
Pre-Assessment: How
Hook: How will you catch the
Real World Connection:
Student Reflection:
will you determine prior
knowledge?
attention of your students and
focus their minds on today’s
learning goals?
How are learning goals relevant to
students’ lives?
How will you provide for
student reflection?

Quiz

Brain Pop Video:
Synonyms,
Antonyms,
Homophones

Students will learn
the importance of
synonyms to the
authors of the books
they are reading.
They will be able to
see how using
synonyms makes a
work more
interesting.

Students will
be asked to
write down
why
synonyms
and
antonyms are
important in
their lives.
ASSESSMENT What evidence will you collect that students have mastered the learning objectives?
Formative Assessment of Lesson Objectives: How will
you monitor and give feedback during the lesson? Be
specific.
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Pre-Assessment Quiz (used to gauge
initial level of understanding of the
topics)
Answers during the Smart Board
lesson (matching correct items on the
board, using thumbs up/down)
Using popsicle sticks with students’
names on them to randomly call on
students throughout the lesson in order
to get a generalized understanding of
what the students in the class know.
Summative: How will performance be measured?
What evidence will you
collect?
Check all that apply
How will you define mastery?
Attach relevant rubrics and grading criteria as
needed.
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75% or better defines mastery.

Project
Essay
Experiment
Short Answer
Presentation
Multiple Choice
Other
Assessment requires students to: Check all that apply




Organize
 Writing:  Draw Conclusions
Connection to:  prior learning
Interpret
Make Generalizations
life experiences
Analyze
Produce arguments
Synthesize
 Evaluate information
Academic Feedback: How will you provide feedback to students based upon the data you collected in assessments?
Students will be given individual written feedback on each “Opposite Day” assignment. The entire class will be
given overall feedback after returning the data that is collected in order to review any common
misunderstandings that the class may be having.
How do learning segments align with
objectives and allow for higher order
thinking? What questions do you ask
that promote higher order thinking?
Learning Segments and Pacing: What strategies,
procedures, and transitions, will you use? What essential
questions will you address in each segment?
How will you begin?
Students will begin by taking a preassessment quiz in order to evaluate the level
of prior understanding that they have about
the topic.
synonyms and
antonyms are?
5
min.
Beginning
Essential Questions:
 What are synonyms?
 What are antonyms?
 What are homophones?
 Can you explain what
Time
Materials
Pre-assessment
quiz
Middle
th
e
d
o
c
Transition? Synonyms and Antonyms Brain Pop Video
(Hook) (5 min.)
u
m
e
nt
What will you do during the lesson
Time
1. Students will actively participate in a
25or
Smart Board lesson that teaches the
th
min.
concepts of synonyms and antonyms.
e
The students will also be introduced to
su
how to use a thesaurus in the Smart
m
Board lesson. While being introduced
to the thesaurus and how it is similar
m
and different to a dictionary, the
ar
students will be given the “Using a
y
Thesaurus” activity sheets. Each
of
group of students will be asked to find
a
several synonyms listed on their
sheets. This will serve as a brief
n
introduction, using collaborative
in
groups, on how to use a thesaurus.
te
During the Smart Board lesson, the
re
students will also be presented with a
graphic organizer on the screen that
st
the teacher will fill in about the
in
students’ knowledge of synonyms and
g
antonyms.
p
oi
Essential Questions:
 What are synonyms?
nt
 How can synonyms be used to
.
enhance writing?
Y
 What is a resource I can use to find
o
synonyms of a word?
u
 What are antonyms?
ca
n
2. The teacher will already have words
written on the whiteboard. The
p
teacher will draw popsicle sticks with
os
the students names on them. Two
iti
students will come up to the board at
o
a time and the teacher will call out a
word that the students either have to
n
find the correct synonym or antonym
th
of. The student will look on the
e
whiteboard and try to swat the correct
te
answer before his or her peer is does.
xt
3. Students will be paired up with a
b
classmate and asked to interview their
o
partners about 6 adjectives that
x
describe themselves. The partner will
a
write down the adjectives, come up
with antonyms of the adjectives that
n
y
w
Brain Pop video
http://www.brain
pop.com/english/
grammar/antony
mssynonymsand
homonyms/
 Can you provide a
definition for synonyms
and antonyms?
 Evaluate the importance
of using a thesaurus for
your own writing.
Smart Board
Lesson
http://exchange.s
marttech.com/se
arch?q=jodie+pri
ce&subject=All+s
ubjects&grade=A
ll+grades&region
=en_US&
Smart Board
Projector
Thesauruses
“Using a
Thesaurus”
Activity Sheets
Fly Swatters
Dry Erase
Markers
Whiteboard
Popsicle Sticks
with Names
“Opposite Day”
sheets
his or her partner said, and then
create a story using the antonyms
about that person and also a synonym
for a special word that will be listed on
the student’s writing sheet. Before
starting, the students will be asked to
create and write a definition for
synonyms and antonyms at the top of
the “Opposite Day” writing sheet.
Words for Chant
jcschools.net/dyna
mic/la/activities/A
ntonymRap0101.1
.2.doc
Transition? Chant about Synonyms and Antonyms (5 min.)

Time
5
min.
End
How will you close the lesson?
Students will be asked to reflect by writing on a
piece of paper why and how using synonyms is so
important to their writing. The student will then
crumble up his or her own piece of paper, toss
the paper in a game of snowball, and several
students will be asked to read the paper that they
received from a peer.
What are some problems
with an author not
knowing many synonyms?
Paper
Pencils
Essential Question:

How can synonyms be used to
enhance writing?
Technology Integration
Teacher Strategies – Best Practices
Highlight desired bullets; check all that apply
 Word Processing
 Power Point
 Internet Resources
 Graphics/Charts
 Internet Research
 Web 2.0 Tool(s)
 Interactive whiteboard
Other:
Highlight desired bullets; check all that apply
 Student choice
 Modeling
 Cooperative learning
 Independent learning
 Implementing pre, post, and during lesson activities
 Teaching metacognitive strategies
 Hands-on learning/manipulatives utilized
 Higher-ordering thinking skills
 Real-world connections
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Grouping Options: How will your groups be organized?
What roles will students fulfill? Check all that apply.
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Individual
Pairs
Cooperative
Whole Group
Criteria charts created (student-driven; supports learning
by defining and clarifying a task )
 Rubrics created (student-centered)
 Mentor texts
 Anchor charts (a reference tool that “anchors” new and
ongoing learning to key concepts previously introduced)
 Research/research materials
 Evidence of assessment for learning (teacher modifies
instruction based on students’ understanding)
 Academic language used in context
 Conferencing
 Other (please explain)
Differentiation: How will you differentiate instruction to
accommodate individual students’ anticipated learning difficulties,
interests, and/or cultural heritage?
Students’ individual learning needs will be accommodated by
giving lower level vocabulary terms to students during the
Smart Board lesson and the fly swat activity. Furthermore,
cooperative groups will be used in the thesaurus activity so
that students who may be on a lower level are grouped with
higher level students in order to advance the lower level
students knowledge. The teacher will monitor students with
learning difficulties and provide scaffolding during the
various activities when needed. Gifted students in the
classroom will serve as leaders in their cooperatives groups.
The teacher will assign harder vocabulary terms to these
students.
Intervention: How will you use the results of the
Special Situations in the Classroom? Are there any
assessment(s) to inform future instruction?
management and/or safety issues that need to be considered?
The teacher will use the assessments to be able to
One student with ADHD should be monitored and redirected
understand whether synonyms and antonyms should be in order to ensure that the maximum amount of information
reviewed again. Furthermore, the concept of adjectives can be obtained during the lesson.
and using them in context will also be a critical area of
interest in the student’s writing assignment. The teacher
will be able to see from the class’ “Opposite Day” writing
samples whether or not the prior objective of adjectives
was mastered.
Rationale/Theoretical Reasoning: What sources support your pedagogy and methodology? Why have you chosen the
strategies you have elected to use?
Many different areas of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences are utilized throughout my lesson. Children will be
exposed to bodily-kinesthetic, musical, linguistic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills. By using several different types
of intelligences, I hope to enhance the learning of students who might not be able to learn as well through only a single
type of intelligence such as linguistic. I chose this strategy in order to promote the learning of all individuals in my
classroom, as well as bring a higher level of engagement through a wide variety of activities. Furthermore, I used
Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of higher order questions in order to elicit a more advanced level of understanding of why
synonyms are needed for writers. Finally, Jean Piaget’s theory that knowledge is best created by social and physical
interaction is used throughout the span of this lesson. I think that social and physical interactions allow students to
retain the information for a longer period of time.