Synonyms Review and Guided Reading

April 29, 2015

CONCEPTS TO BE COVERED
1. A synonym is a word that means exactly or nearly the same as another
word
2. Good readers use a variety of strategies to monitor comprehension
throughout the reading process.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
UNDERSTAND
U1. Synonyms and
antonyms can be used
to understand the
meanings of unfamiliar
words.

KNOW
K1.
Synonyms: Words
with similar
meanings.

DO
D1. Discriminate
between synonyms and
antonyms.

U2. Good readers use a

variety of
comprehension
strategies to make
meaning from fictional
texts.

Antonyms: Words
with opposite
meanings.
K2. Comprehension
strategies:
Connections: Text-toSelf, Text-to-Text, and
Text-to-World
Questioning
Visualizing: Mental
pictures
Paraphrasing: The
main ideas and
specific facts of a
text
Predicting

D2. Identify synonyms

and antonyms.

D3. Apply a variety of

comprehension
strategies when reading
a given text.
STANDARDS OF LEARNING
English 3.4
The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
c) Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, and
antonyms.
English 3.5
comprehension of

The student will read and demonstrate

fictional text and poetry.

MATERIALS
Leveled texts (The Mysterious House Number Nine, Traffic in the Sky, So
You Want to Make a Video!)
Pencils
Dictionary Skills worksheet
Synonym cards
Reading Menus
Reading Journals (Students should bring journals with them to reading
group)
PROCEDURE
I. Introduction (Whole Class)
Briefly review synonyms and antonyms. Ask students to define
each term and provide examples.
Introduce synonym activity. Each student will receive a word card.
Students task will be to find the synonym of the word that appears
on their card. When students have found their synonym, they will
have a seat and discuss other possible synonyms for their words.
They may also think about an antonym of their word. Wait for all
students to find their synonym. Have students share their
synonyms.
Possible questions:
o What resource(s) can we use to find synonyms to use in
our writing?
o How do synonyms help us when reading or writing?
Ask students to return to their seats and get out their reading
menus. Review work time expectations. Students will work on their
reading menus, pausing when their guided reading group is called.
Reading Menu Format:
o Thesaurus Work: Students will look up common words in
the thesaurus and record synonyms for each word.
o Journal Writing: Students will write about what their life
would be like if they were a worm.
o Writing: Students will work on their biographies about a
world explorer.
o Poetry Packet: Students will read and write poems of their
own.
o Poetry Letter: Students will read a poem and write a letter
to a friend persuading them to read it.

II.

o Encyclopedia Work: Students will pick an animal to

research in an encyclopedia. The will answer a series of
guided questions.
Implementation
Group 1: Sharks (DRA 38/P - Fiction)
Before Reading
o Begin with the dictionary skills handout. Explain that
words can have more than one meaning. Ask students to
brainstorm a word that has more than one meaning
(Examples: Bowl, bark, fly, box, hard). Guide students in
completing handout.
o Transition to discussing guided reading text, The
Mysterious House Number Nine. Ask students to recall
what they have read thus far. Students may refer back to
their STPs in their reading journals. Review key vocabulary
(emergency, agreed, ambulance).
Guide students in predicting what will happen now
that Troy has found Mr. Shaw.
During Reading
o Begin reading. Students will take turns reading aloud
Pause on page 26 (wrinkled her nose) and page 27
(moaned Mr. Shaw and in a shaky voice). Ask
students, How do the authors words help the reader
understand how the characters are feeling?
After Reading
o Discuss how the story would be different if the story were
told from the point of view of Mr. Shaw.
o Provide each student with handout with the authors craft
handout. Discuss answers.
o Tell students that next time we will create our own news
story about the events in the book.
Group 2: Whales (DRA 38/P - Nonfiction)
Before Reading
o Begin with the dictionary skills handout. Explain that
words can have more than one meaning. Ask students to
brainstorm a word that has more than one meaning
(Examples: Bowl, bark, fly, box, hard). Guide students in
completing handout.
o Transition to discussing guided reading text: Traffic in the
Sky: The Story of Yossi Leshem. Ask students to recall what
they have read thus far. Remind students that when they
first began the book, we came up with a list of questions
that we thought might be answered. Ask students if any of

III.

their questions have been answered in the text. Review

key vocabulary and text features.
During Reading
o Students will read silently. Students will tap the table if
they have a question or problem. Provide support as
needed.
After Reading
o Tell students that next time we will take a look at the
problems Yossi encountered and how he solved them. If
time, begin brainstorming ideas.
Group 3: Dolphins (DRA 38/P Nonfiction)
Before Reading
o Begin with the dictionary skills handout. Explain that
words can have more than one meaning. Ask students to
brainstorm a word that has more than one meaning
(Examples: Bowl, bark, fly, box, hard). Guide students in
completing handout.
o Transition to guided reading text: So You Want to Make a
Video!
Ask students to share an experience with video or
video cameras. (Have you been in a video? Have
you made a video? What was it about?)
Explain that the book is a procedural text. It explains
how to do something. Guide students in making
predictions about the text by looking at the cover
and table of contents. Review key vocabulary terms.
Ask students what they notice about the structure of
the book. Explain that in a procedural text, the
author organizes the information into steps and talks
about the steps in the order in which you need to do
them.
During Reading
o Direct students to begin reading the book. Students will
read silently. As students read, they will stop, think, and
paraphrase each step of making a video. Provide
assistance as needed.
After Reading
o Check for understanding. Ask students to share what they
have learned with a partner.
o Reread page 5. Ask students to imagine they are making a
video. Have them brainstorm a topic for their video.
Closure:
Ask students to cleanup and return to their seats. Refer back to the
beginning of the lesson. Ask students to share two synonyms with a

shoulder partner. Select students to share responses with the class.

Tell students that tomorrow we will do an antonym activity similar to
the synonym activity performed today.
MODIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Student will read aloud from the text
Books have been selected based on students reading level. Support will
be provided as needed.
Monitoring of students progress using the math menu and assistance in
selecting activities