Synonym Fries!
Student Teacher: Christina Sollazzo
Cooperating Teacher: Anna Forte
Subject: Language Arts
Level: Cycle 2,
Grade 3
Date: Feb 23, 2015
ELA COMPETENCIES
Competency 1: To read and listen to literary,
popular, and information-based texts. Students
will listen to a simple version of the “Little Red
Riding” story and a more complete version
after they have added synonyms to the story.
Competency 4: To use language to communicate and learn. Students will read the word
they get assigned together, and search for synonyms for that word. They will discuss
and decide on (with a partner) different synonyms for a particular word.
CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES
Communicates effectively
PROFESSIONAL COMPTENCY
To plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way as to promote students’ learning
and social development
Teaching Sequence
PLANNING OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of this lesson is for students to learn about synonyms and how
important it is to use them when writing. For example, students will realize that a story
that uses plain and everyday words will not be as fun to read as opposed to a story that
uses more fun and descriptive words.
Materials:
-
Little Red Riding Hood story
Smart-Board and a laptop
McDonald's fries boxes
Yellow construction paper cut out into strips (fries)
Black markers
Pencils
Index cards
- Thesauruses
DEVELOPMENT
- Sit altogether in the reading corner with all ten students and read the Little Red
Riding Hood story to them.
- Engage students in a discussion afterwards about what they thought about the story.
For example, did they think the story was interesting or boring?
- Guide students to the conclusion that the story could have used better synonyms for
certain words in the story to make it more fun to read.
- Instruct students that they will be doing an activity today that will require them to use
the dictionary or word bank to look for synonyms for some of the words in the story.
- The teacher will pair up the students and give each pair a word from the story that
they will need to find 3 synonyms for.
- Students will look up synonyms in the dictionaries or word bank and write down their
3 words on an index card that the teacher will give each pair.
- Students will check their words with the teachers after writing them down.
- Teachers will then give each pair of students a McDonald's fries box labelled with
their words on it, and fries to write their synonyms on in black marker.
- If some students finish earlier, give them a new word and have them use an online
dictionary for more synonyms or have them choose a word that they know has
multiple synonyms.
Extra words: Mad, sad, excited, amusing, expensive, tall, short, see, quiet, smart, nice
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
- Wait until all students are ready, and quiet before beginning lesson
- Set class expectations (raise your hand if you want to speak)
- Be clear and concise and follow through expectations (I will stop the lesson and wait
if anyone interrupts and calls out)
- Repeat instructions several times
- Positive reinforcement (I like the way ….. is quiet and listening)
- Assign students together (Christina, Mary-ann) (Bea, Helen) (Erika, Stanley)
(Eishaan, Destiny) (Nate, Jerimiah)
EVALUATION
Teacher observation: Students will be assessed on their behaviour and participation
during the read-aloud portion of the lesson, as well as the post-discussion. They will
then be assessed on how effective they worked in their pairs.
EXTENSIONS/CONCLUSION
Note: because of time constraints this lesson can be divided into three classes.
The conclusion to the lesson will be done during a 30-minute period. I will go over the
story with the students and have them fill in the blanks with the new synonyms they
found. We will read the story all together as a class. I also included animations in the
final story for students to follow along. An extension is for students to write a creative
story or paragraph using synonyms.
Synonym word bank
small
immense
petite
terrible
freely
appalling
gigantic
scoff
mean
gladly
awful
cute
evil
devour
horrific
dreadful
converse
(Make a
conversation)
attractive
chat
sweet
big
young
chit chat
replied
beautiful
blissfully
enormous
shocked
believed
blissfully
frightened
great
exclaimed wonderfully
horrible
merrily
petrified
joyfully
terrified
large
cheerfully
munch
speak
nibble
discuss
responded
chomp
huge
Extension activities
If I had a million dollars, I
would…….
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The best thing about a pet is….
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The worst thing about a pet
is__________________________________
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