Stations: Word Study


Synonym Sort
Skill Focus: Identifying Synonyms, Distinguishing Word Meanings

Objective:  Students will decipher and analyze meanings of words to determine which have the most similar meanings. This activity helps students distinguish connotations and make relationships among words. 

Procedure:  At this station there will be either scissors and glue or colored pencils. The teacher can make the directions to cut and paste the words beneath the appropriate word column, or color the synonyms the same color as the heading of each column. Students will match words with the same (or similar) meanings. 
You may want to give students access to a print or electronic thesaurus or dictionary for this sort.


*The "One of These Words is NOT Like the Other Words" presentation on a previous post may accompany this activity as an introduction to word relationships.


Click to download Synonym Sort.


Antonym Sort
Skill Focus: Identifying Antonyms, Distinguishing Word Meanings

Objective:  Students will decipher and analyze meanings of words to determine meanings, then determine which words have opposite meanings. This activity helps students distinguish connotations and make relationships among words. 

Procedure:  At this station there will be either scissors and glue or colored pencils. The teacher can make the directions to cut and paste the words beneath the appropriate word column, or color the antonyms the same color as the heading of each column. Students will match words with the opposite meanings. 
You may want to give students access to a print or electronic thesaurus or dictionary for this sort.


*The "One of These Words is NOT Like the Other Words" presentation on a previous post may accompany this activity as an introduction to word relationships.

Click to download Antonym Sort.

 

Word Origin Sort
Skill Focus: Identifying Word Roots and Origins, Distinguishing Word Meanings

Objective:  Students will decipher and analyze meanings of words to determine which words share common roots and origins. This activity helps students understand word relationships and derivations.

Procedure:  At this station there will be either scissors and glue or colored pencils. The teacher can make the directions to cut and paste the words beneath the appropriate word column, or color the words with the same root or origin the same color as the heading of each column. Students will first place the Greek or Latin root in the correct column, then find the words that share that root and sort them accordingly.
You may want to give students access to a print or electronic thesaurus or dictionary for this sort.


*The "One of These Words is NOT Like the Other Words" presentation on a previous post may accompany this activity as an introduction to word relationships.

Click to download Word Origin Sort.



Word Wizardry
Skill Focus:  Synonyms, Revision, Connotations

Objective:  Students work together to revise these boring sentences and apply vivid vocabulary. 

Procedure:  Students are given either the handout or sentence strips. They must cooperatively change any pronouns to specific nouns, incorporate words with specific connotations, and add adjectives and adverbs to make more complex, descriptive sentences. 



Click to download Word Wizardry handout.


Morpheme Match-Up
Skill Focus: Word Origins, Roots, and Affixes

Objective:  Use knowledge of word origins, roots and affixes to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words
Procedure: There will be 24 word parts written on index cards. There will be a sheet that accompanies the instructions that contains the meanings of each word part. As a group, students will make as many words as they can using their prior knowledge and the definitions of each morpheme. In the envelope will be a handout asking for words they made and the meaning of each word made.
Morpheme Match-Up Handout



Word Part Chain
Skill Focus: Identify Common Roots and Affixes

Objective:  Students will apply knowledge of word parts to link words based on meaning and relationship.

Procedure:  At this station we have 20 words written on index cards. There is also a handout that has the graphic organizer (printable below). The first word and last words are given on the handout. Students will write in each word (from the index card) in the order that they fit so that a prefix, root, or suffix is shared with each preceding and subsequent card, until they reach the last word. 
Students manipulate this station using index cards on a clothesline!


Word Chain Key
Word Chain Handout


Affix Bingo
Skill Focus: Determine Word Part Meanings


Objective: Students will practice identifying roots and affixes.
Procedure: This station requires small Bingo-style cards with roots and affixes. One student will be the “caller,” and each of the other students will have a card. The “caller” reads off meanings of roots and affixes from a printed stack of cards. Students will cover the correct root and affix with small squares of paper. Evidence for learning can be demonstrated in two ways: (1) Students call “Bingo” when they get five covered words in a row, and the “caller” checks their words against the card meanings. Winners are written down on an index card and turned into the bag/envelope. (2)At the “one minute countdown” the “caller” will read off answers and students playing check their answers. On an index card, the students will write down how many called word parts each student got correct.




Word Trees
Skill Focus: Roots and Affixes

Objective:  Students will apply knowledge of roots and affixes to expand vocabulary.

Procedure:  This station will require the attached handout and a dictionary or thesaurus. Students will be given a selection of root word parts, then use the reference books to find words with common roots. Each student will choose a different root word part. They will add prefixes and suffixes to "grow" their roots into other words. They must also write the meaning of each word.

Word Trees Handout


Connotation Sort
Skill Focus: Connotations and Denotations

Objective:  Students will determine feelings and connotations associated with words (out of context).
Procedure:  This station can include handouts on which students write or index cards that are manipulatives. Students will be given twenty sets of words containing three words each. They must sort the words into positive, negative, and denotation. You may want to keep a dictionary or two at this station so that students are able to look up unfamiliar words. 

Connotation Sort Handout



Making Meanings
Skill Focus: Context Clues

Make sure to have a dictionary or thesaurus available at the
"Context Clues" station.

Objective: Students use context clues to make up their own meanings of nonsense words.


Procedure:  At this station there will be stories with nonsense words, (such as Dr. Seuss stories). Selected words will be highlighted in the text. Students will work cooperatively and use context clues to determine what they believe the word most closely means. On a sheet printed with each word (in the style of a dictionary page), students will write the part of speech, an official definition, and their own sample sentence.



2 comments:

  1. The connotation sort links are the same document. Could this be corrected? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Where are the morpheme matchup cards, please?

    ReplyDelete

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