Colette Monod, Taylor Shuck, Katie Plucker

Professor Reilly
ELL
November 18, 2015
Subject Area: ELA- Vocabulary
Essential Questions:
What is a synonym?
What is an antonym?
How are they the same/different?
Where do we find synonyms/ antonyms?
Title of Lesson: Swimming with Synonyms and Antonyms
Grade Level: Fourth Grade
Estimated Time: 30 mins
Summary of the Lesson:
To start the lesson we will have the student categorize a variety of items into different containers
based on similar as well as different characteristics. This will allow the student to become
familiar with our topic of similar and different words, also known as synonyms and antonyms.
We will go through the entire PowerPoint on the SmartBoard, showing the student multiple
words and asking the student to determine if they are synonyms or antonyms. At the completion
of this lesson the student will have absolute comprehension of the definition of a synonym as
well as antonym. The student will have also mastered the definitions of five words along with
their synonyms and antonyms.
Materials Required:

Antonyms and Synonyms PowerPoint

Smartboard
Boxes of sorting items
Definition worksheet

Academic Standards:
CC.1.2.5.J: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general
academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast,
addition, and other logical relationships.
CC.1.5.5.G: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when
speaking, based on Grade 5 level and content.

Objectives:
Language:

Students will be able to recite the definiton of synonym, antonym, and other
vocabulary words.
Students will be able to identify various synonyms and antonyms of focus
vocabulary words.

Content:

Students will be able to construct their own definitions for five key vocabulary
words
Students will be able to compare various words and categorize them by synonym
or anytonym for each key vocabulary word.

Vocabulary:

Synonym
Antonym
Advantage
Crucial
Limited
Complex
Result

Learning Strategies:
-hands on activities (smartboard activity, sorting items to introduce lesson)
Motivation:
Students understand that things (animals, objects, etc.) can be categorized. To build on this, the
teacher will introduce that words can be categorized into synoynms and antonyms.
Students will be motivated through connetting their knowledge of categorization to sorting
vocabulary words by antonyms and synonyms using an interactive activity.
Procedure:
Before
To begin our lesson we will have the students sort items into different containers
based on similar and different characteristics. This will introduce the student to the basic concept
of things being similar as well as different. This will act as an anticipatory set for the topic of
synonyms and antonyms. We will explain to the student that just as items can be categorized as
similar and different, so too can words be categorized as similar and different. This is when we
will introduce the student to the terms synonym and antonym and go over there definitions.

During
We will go over the PowerPoint, which gives the definition of all of the vocabulary words
listed above. We will go into detail with each word so that the student is familiar with the
vocabulary so he can use this knowledge to apply to the rest of the PowerPoint where we will ask
the student to identify the synonyms and antonyms of each of the vocabulary words.
After
At the end of the PowerPoint there will be a questionnaire to assess students knowledge on the
subject matter of synonyms and antonyms. Students will be asked to construct their own
definition for each of the five key vocabulary words. If time permits and additional clarification
is necessary, we will have the student play a short matching game.
Assessment:
-Within the PowerPoint
-Students own construction of definitions
Adaptations:
The matching game