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Subject  Writing 
Topic: Synonyms
Grade Level: 5th
Student Lesson name and URL: Synonym Trees 

Fifth Grade
Reading: Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Vocabulary and Concept Development

(1) Synonym Trees explains the important features of a synonym and gives examples od frequently used synonyms.  As the basis for understanding this concept, students know:

a) Synonyms are two words that have the same meaning but are spelled differently.
b) Words have many synonyms. 
c) Some synonyms are more closley related to one word over another word.
d) Synonyms can be used to create more descriptive writing. 

The students will gain a deeper understanding of what synonyms are while increasing their thesaurus skills. 
 
 
 

Introductory Activity

Engage the students in the game called, "Synonym Hunt": 

1. Write a word on one flashcard and its synonym on another flashcard. 
2. Write as many flashcards as needed so each student will have one. 
3. Pass out the cards randomly to the students. 
4. Students are to hunt for the synonym that matches their cards. 
5. Pairs of students stand next to each other once they have synonyms that match. 
6.  Each pair shares their matched synonyms. 

Any synonyms will work for this activity.  Below are some examples: 

                            happy---------content
                            hate-----------dislike
                            peaceful-----calm 
 
 

Enabling Activity(ies)

Engage students in a thesaurus activity. 

1.  Choose one of the synonyms used and remind students what its synonym was in the previous activity. 
2.  Ask a couple volunteers to give a few more examples for the whole class to hear. 
3.  Pass out thesaurus' and discuss with the students that they are like dictionaries but they are used to find synonyms for words. 
4.  Have the students look up the word being discussed. 
5.  Ask the students what other sysnonyms did they find that we don't already know about. 
6.  Have the students in groups choose one of their flashcard words and to make a list of all possible sysnonyms using a thesaurus and most importantly their brains. 
7.  Ask groups to share what they found, any difficulties they had, and interesting infromation they found. 
 
 
 

Culminating Activity

Engage the students in creating individual synonym trees.

1.  Pass out tree and leave templates, constrction paper, scissors, glue and black markers to the students. 
2.  Have each student choose a synonym that they have not used yet. 
3.  Each student should make a brainstorm list of all possible synonyms for that word on a piece of scratch paper. 
4.  When their list is done they should come and check it with the teacher.  The teacher should look for errors, including spelling ones. 
5.  Once their list has been checked the students need to trace and cut out their tree and eight leaves on green and brown construction paper. 
6.  Students need to write their main word on the tree trunk and their eight favorite synonyms on the leaves in black marker.
7.  Students then need to glue the leaves onto their tree so that all written information can be seen. 
8.  Put trees somewhere safe to dry. 
9.  Once dry put up on a bulletin board. 
 

Assessment

Link to Test
 
 
 
 

Results
After implementing your lesson (sometime between January & March), insert a chart of your pre-test, post-test, and culminating assessment data.
 
 

Introductory Activity

Synonym List

Enabling Activity

Thesaurus
 

Culminating Activity

Tree Sketch

Leaf Sketch
 

Valley Oaks Elementary 
21 C Street
Galt, Ca 95623
Heidi Klein 
hklein@galt.k12.ca.us
Last Revised: 08/11/2000