LESSON PLANSPUT THE VT TO WORK IN YOUR CLASSROOM

It's Opposite Day

January 21, 2008
Lesson Question:
How can the Visual Thesaurus help students improve their vocabularies by
matching words to their antonym counterparts?
Applicable Grades:
3-8
(Note: this lesson could also work well with ESL students of any grade level.)
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, your classroom will celebrate "opposite day" by using the VT to
match a list of vocabulary words to their antonym counterparts. Then, students
can use their knowledge of these antonym pairs in a game of "antonyms bingo."
Length of Lesson:
One hour
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
learn the definition of "antonym" and how the VT identifies antonym pairs
match familiar and unfamiliar words with their antonyms
synthesize their knowledge of antonyms by playing "antonyms bingo"
Materials:
index cards or sheets of blank paper
student notebooks
white board
computers with Internet access
"Antonym Pairs" [click here to download]
"Bingo Chart" [click here to download]
Warm Up:
Preparing Vocabulary Cards:

Before class, divide the number of students in your class by two to figure out
how many pairs of vocabulary cards you will need to create for the following
matching activity. Then, choose that number of antonym pairs from the
"Antonym Pairs" page [click here to download] and write each of the chosen
vocabulary words from the pairs on a separate sheet of paper or index card. For
example, if you have 32 students, choose 16 out of the 17 antonym pairs listed
on the sheet and create 32 vocabulary cards.
Introducing antonyms and opposite day:
Inform students that today is "opposite day" and they will therefore be learning
some new vocabulary words and their "antonyms," or words that express the
opposite meaning as the original words. For example, the opposite of "antonym"
is "synonym" -- or a word that is similar to another word. (Check out the lesson
plan Introducing Synonyms to Early Writers to introduce students to synonyms if
they have not yet explored that concept.)
Instruction:
Using the VT to transform compliments with antonyms:
As an opening "opposite day" exercise, ask students to write down in their
notebooks a sentence that says something nice about someone in the classroom.
For example: "Mike is good at dodge ball." "Anne is nice." Or, "Sam is a fast
runner." Then, have students deliver their compliments in "opposite day" style to
their peers by using antonyms to communicate the opposite of their original
thoughts (i.e., Mike, you are bad at dodge ball." "Anne, you are mean." "Sam,
you are a slow runner.").
Give students a chance to deliver their opposite day-style compliments and then
choose one antonym pair to display on the white board by using the Visual
Thesaurus. For example, if the antonym pair is "fast" and "slow," display the
word web for "fast" on the white board and explain to students that the dashed
red line connecting "fast" and "slow" means that these two words are antonyms.
Matching vocabulary words to their antonyms:
Pass out a vocabulary card to each student in the room by placing the card face
down in front of the student. Inform students that they can peek at their words
but they should not share their words with other students until the matching
game begins.
Explain to students that it is ok if they do not already know their assigned words.
Give students the opportunity to learn their words by using the Visual Thesaurus.
In addition to learning their assigned word's definition, they should also learn its
pronunciation (by clicking on the speaker icon to the right of the word) and the
word's antonym(s) (connected to the word by the dashed red line).
Once the class has mastered its new vocabulary words, direct students to leave
their desks and find "their opposites." In other words, each student needs to

locate the student in the room who has a vocabulary card with an antonym for
his or her assigned vocabulary word.
After students have located their antonym partners, they should teach each
other the definitions and pronunciations of their words.
Have each partnership in turn "teach" their antonym pair to the class by reading
their vocabulary words aloud and by explaining how the two words have opposite
meanings.
Wrap-up:
Playing Antonyms Bingo:
Hand each student a blank "Bingo Chart" [click here to download] and explain to
students they will be reviewing the antonym pairs learned in class by playing a
round or two of antonyms bingo.
Write all the vocabulary words used in the antonym matching exercise on the
board in a random order and direct students to choose twenty-five of the words
to fill in the blank boxes of their bingo charts (one word per box).
Warn students that since it is "opposite day" that instead of crossing out the
word that is called out, they need to cross out its antonym (of course, through
the course of the game, both words in each antonym pair may eventually be
crossed out).
Call out vocabulary words one at a time, pausing between words to give students
time to try to locate and cross out each word's antonym on their charts.
Award the first student to cross out five antonyms in a row (horizontally,
vertically, or diagonally) as "THE LOSER" (remember: it's opposite day!).
Extending the Lesson:
A fun way you could reinforce this vocabulary lesson would be to have students
use the antonym pairs in a creative writing assignment. For example, pass out
the "Antonym Pairs" page [click here to download] and challenge students to use
eight of the words in the left column of the chart in a short story. Then, have
them trade stories with another classmate to transform the story by replacing
those eight words with their antonyms (in the right column of the chart). How did
the story's meaning change due to the antonym swaps?
Assessment:
By the end of the antonym matching exercise, each student should be paired
with the student who is holding his or her word's antonym.
Students' mastery of the vocabulary words and antonym pairs in this lesson
could be easily assessed by giving the class a subsequent quiz where you call
out vocabulary words from the "Antonym Pairs" list, and students must write
down their antonyms.

Educational Standards:
Language Arts
Standard 5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

Level II (Grades 3-5)

6. Uses word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to
determine the meaning, pronunciation, and derivations of unknown words
7. Understands level-appropriate reading vocabulary (e.g., synonyms, antonyms,
homophones, multi-meaning words)

Standard 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Level II (Grades 3-5)

1. Contributes to group discussions
2. Asks questions in class (e.g., when he or she is confused, to seek others'
opinions and comments)

3. Responds to questions and comments (e.g., gives reasons in support of

opinions, responds to others' ideas)

4. Listens to classmates and adults (e.g., does not interrupt, faces the speaker,
asks questions, summarizes or paraphrases to confirm understanding, gives
feedback, eliminates barriers to effective listening)

5. Uses strategies to convey a clear main point when speaking (e.g., expresses
ideas in a logical manner, uses specific vocabulary to establish tone and present
information)

6. Uses level-appropriate vocabulary in speech (e.g., familiar idioms, similes,

word play)

7. Makes basic oral presentations to class (e.g., uses subject-related information

and vocabulary; includes content appropriate to the audience; relates ideas and
observations; incorporates visual aids or props; incorporates several sources of
information

Topic:
Writing Opposites
Content:
Teach: Opposites Adjectives
Goals:
Students discuss meaning of words and develop vocabulary. TEKS K.15B
Students write labels, notes, and captions/charts. TEKS K.16B Students record or
dictate his/her own knowledge of a topic in various ways/drawing pictures.
Objectives:
Identify words that are opposites (adjectives) Use a list Write using pictures
Materials:
Chart Paper, Markers, Pre-Made Pictures to represent words.
Introduction:
Activate Prior Knowledge Remind children that they learned that describing
words tell about people, places, or things. Ask: Can you think of words that could
describe a duck? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
Development:
Opposites List Tell the children that today they are going to learn more about
describing words, but they will be word pairs that are opposites. Explain that
opposite words are words that are completely different such as little and big or
hot and cold. Ask: Are the words little and small opposites? Why or why not? (No,
because the words have almost the same meaning.)
Practice:
Write big and hot in a column on chart paper or use Graphic Organizer (T-Chart).
Write the opposite for each word in the other column. Then tell children that you
will say a word and they will say the opposite of the word. Write and say these
words: little, happy, long, and fast. Record childrens opposites. Ask children to
dramatize each pair of opposites.
Accommodations:

If children are having difficulty identifying the opposite for each word you say,
then act out each word pair with a partner.
Checking For Understanding:
Group students with a partner have each pair draw two pictures (they must be
opposites.)
Closure:
Use picture cards to quickly find opposites and go over terms and examples.