Lesson Title:

Exploring Synonyms with Super Word Toss!

Game incorporated from: ABCya.com

http://www.abcya.com/synonyms_antonyms.htm
By: Sara Cummings
Special Thanks To: Sunny Days in Second Grade Blog
Melisa (Synonym Song)

Instructional Goal
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/te
sting/sol/standards_docs/englis
h/index.shtml

Objective

Rationale
(real world
application?)
Content

Learning Activities
What will they
know?
What will they
understand?

SOL 2.7.C The student will expand vocabulary when

reading.
C) Use knowledge of synonyms.

Students will:
*Review Synonyms previously discussed in class.
*Be able to identify synonyms when reading.
*Be able to incorporate synonyms in their writing.
*Review knowledge of basic navigational features
of a website.
Students will need to be able to identify several words with
the same meaning in order to better understand an author
when reading as well as able to communicate more
efficiently in their speech and writing. Students will also be
expanding their vocabulary and learning new words.
Language ArtsExpanding Vocabulary
Technology
Students will be able to identify synonyms as different
words with the same meaning.

Students will understand that synonyms can be used in

reading, writing, and speaking to help communicate more
effectively with their audience.
What will they Students will be able to incorporate synonyms into their
reading, speech, and writing by
be able to do?
*expanding vocabulary
*recognizing several words with similar meanings
1.
In
case computers are on the fritz (or for additional
Teacher Preparation
teaching/extension) teacher will need:
http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/syn
onym-shaker-freebie.html
*5 juice cartons
*Colored rice (enough to fill 5 cartons)
*Copies of printable words (found on the site)
*Worksheet to write synonyms

Procedures/
Activities

2. Sign up for around a 45-minute laptop session. Make

sure computers have Adobe Flash Player 12.0 to play the
game and the appropriate Flash Plugin to view the
YouTube video. Make sure the teachers personal
computer will be able to accommodate the website for the
game and the video in order to display it in the front of the
room. Bookmark the website for each laptop that the
students will use to play the game.
1. Model:
Read aloud Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,
Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. While reading stop on all of
the synonyms found in the book (the title is a great start)
and think aloud about another word that might be a
synonym to Terrible. Have students come up with other
words. Stop and point out other word in the book and
repeat with the same procedure.
2. Review:
Have a piece of chart paper ready on the board with words
already thought up on one side. One the other side, have
the students raise their hands and come up one by one
and write words they believe are synonyms to the word on
the opposite side of the chart.
*Example: Side 1: Dance
Side 2: Jig, Jive, Wiggle, Boogie, etc.
3. Have students come to the front and pick up a laptop
and take it back to their desks. Assist them with any
startup problems that might arise. During this time, turn on
the projector and make sure the Synonym video is ready
to play in the front of the classroom.
4. Once students have the laptops on and ready to go on
their desks, ask them to come back to the front of the
classroom to watch a video. The video will play the
Synonym Symphony Song by Melissa. Encourage
students to pay attention the first time. If they do, the
second time they can get up to dance and sing along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cCqu5hArDQ
5. After watching the video twice, ask the students to name
what synonyms they heard in the video (will also
determine who was really paying attention).
6. After students name synonyms they heard in the video,
have them go back to their seats as the teacher
demonstrates how to get to the game they will be playing.
Show where to click on the bookmark for the website that
will automatically take students to the Super Word Toss
Game. Once there, tell students to click on synonyms,
then click go, then click basic, then click go again. After

reading the directions, they can click go to begin the

game.
7. To play the Super Word Toss game, students have to
look at the bottom of the screen to locate the key word as
well as the type of ball they are throwing. The goal of the
game is to correctly point the mouse over the moving
target that is the synonym for the keyword. Students move
the mouse over the keyword, aim, click, and toss the ball
on the word. For each correct match, the student gains
points. After 10 correct matches, the student will be able to
choose a new ball! Unfortunately, if the student gets 3
incorrect matches in a row, the game is over. If students
feel they understand the basic round, they can move on to
the advance round and test their knowledge there.
http://www.abcya.com/synonyms_antonyms.htm

Assessment

8. When time is up students close their laptops and

teacher distributes paper (different colors), crayons,
markers, etc. to begin making a Synonym Snuggler!
Students can choose a word (as long as another student
has not already chosen their word) and draws a picture of
it in the middle. That student then will come up with 4 other
synonyms that can go with that word and write those
words around their picture. Once done, teacher will collect,
put together as a quilt (after the school day), and will hang
it up in the classroom for students to refer back to if and
when needed.
1. The Synonym Snuggler will demonstrate how students
are able to think of different words that match with one
basic word. Teacher can review the next day and students
can orally explain what the word they chose and synonyms
for that word.
2. For additional review and assessment (if time), Students
can play the Synonym Shaker. Students are divided into 5
groups and are handed cartons filled with rice that they
have to shake to find the word cards in them. Teacher
hands each student a piece of paper. One member in the
group shakes the carton and finds a word, announces that
word to the group and the members individually write the
word that was found and synonyms for that word. Discuss
amongst themselves and repeat the process for 10
minutes and then give the cartons to the other groups
(clockwise).
http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/syn
onym-shaker-freebie.html

Resources/Materials

-1 copy of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,

Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.
-Chart paper

Extension

-Markers/Crayons/Colored Pencils/etc.
-Construction Paper
-Laptops
-5 juice cartons
-Colored rice (enough to fill 5 cartons)
-Copies of printable words (found on the site)
-Worksheet to write synonyms
1. Have students refer back to the Synonym Snuggler
from time to time to review
2. For the Classroom:
For additional review and assessment, students are
divided into 5 groups and are handed cartons filled with
rice that they have to shake to fin One member in the
group shakes the carton and finds a word, announces that
word to the group and the members individually write the
word that was found and synonyms for that word. Discuss
amongst themselves and repeat the process for 10
minutes and then give the cartons to the other groups
(clockwise).
http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/syn
onym-shaker-freebie.html
3. For Home:
Students can play Synonym Sams Lab on the Between
the Lions website. To play, Sam gives the player a word
which that player will need to shuffle through the choices
to find the synonyms for the word given.
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/synsam.html
Teacher will also give the link to the Super Word Toss
game played in class if students want to keep practicing.
http://www.abcya.com/synonyms_antonyms.htmd the word
cards in them. Teacher hands each student a piece of
paper.

Things to Remember! -Lesson can continue without the laptops if they do not
seem to be working. Use the Synonym Shaker game
instead of the Super Word Toss game
-Project how to get to the Super Word Toss game
bookmark on the front board to show students what to do.
If additional help is needed, students can help each other
or ask the teacher.
-If students are having trouble coming up with words for
their Synonym Snuggler piece, direct them to their
classmates. If still stuck, teacher can do a 5 minute
minilesson on what a Thesaurus is and how it can be used
when finding synonyms.