Language Arts, Reading, Vocabulary

Grade 1- 3

Objective

Students will brainstorm frog related words, identify synonyms and practice using synonyms in sentences.

Directions

Pre-Internet Activity:
Have the students brainstorm everything they know about frogs. Record their responses in a pond drawn on chart paper. Review the list at the end of the brainstorming session. If the class thinks the statement is true, they jump like a frog once. If they disagree with the statement or think it is false, they make a croaking sound. Explain that they will have a chance to learn more about frogs on the Internet as well as practice identifying synonyms.

Teaching the Lesson:
Play this synonym review game. Using the list of synonyms below (or any others you have), call out a pair of words. Since the words are synonyms, the students hop like frogs to someone else's seat. Be sure to include some word pairs that are not synonyms. When non-synonym pairs of words are called, the students simply "gribbet" like a frog and wait for a synonym pair to be called so they may hop along to the next desk. Go online to learn more about frogs at one of the suggested Web sites listed below. A cute idea is to use a fly swatter since frogs are known to like flies. To do this, hand a fly swatter to one student as his/her clue to come to the computer and explore the Web sites. After connecting to a few links, he/she hands the swatter to another student who may do the same, and so on. Distribute a copy of page 40 to each student to complete independently. You might have the students work on this while some are at the computers. You can label the frog and lily pad patterns (in the PDF file) with the synonym pairs for students to practice during center time.

Extended Activity:
Post the list of synonyms for the students to see. Working with partners, have them devise a short script about frogs, using one of the synonym pairs. First, they should consider the characters of their skits. They can pretend to be frogs, two friends talking about frogs, scientists studying frogs, high school students dissecting frogs, etc. Then they should consider their settings: the pond, aquarium, lab, school, etc. Finally, they write their two-synonym skits keeping their characters and settings in mind. After the partners perform for the class, the class members should identify who they were, where the skit took place, and the two synonyms they included.

List of sample synonyms:
ill and sick
fast and quick
exit and leave
easy and simple
hard and difficult
funny and amusing
harm and damage
close and shut
buy and purchase
walk and step
hop and jump
big and large
fat and chubby
sly and clever
old and aged
search and seek
smell and odor
stare and gaze
happy and glad
smart and wise

Resources

• chart paper
• fly swatter (optional)
• one copy of the activity sheet
• several copies of the frog and lily pad patterns