This summer, I read (most of) Bringing Words to Life. Now I've been putting a lot more thought into vocabulary. Especially Tier 2 words. We all work on synonyms, right? Ever notice that some synonyms are just a little more "bleh" and others are a little more extreme? Take mad for example...You might think that someone who is furious or enraged is more mad than someone who is annoyed or bothered, right?
Here's an activity to work on those "degrees" of words...Vocabulary Barometers! (or Synonym Barometers, if you prefer).
On each page, there's a barometer. Put your target synonym in the middle and challenge students to come up with words that are "more" or "less" that word! I've filled in a few words for you to start...
Here's a sample of the sheet filled in:
There is a blank page as well so you can choose your own target words.
I'll be honest here. This idea isn't 100% my own. Our new superintendent suggested a similar activity during our professional development day. I created these worksheets based on her suggestion of "degrees" of synonyms. This free download is available on my Facebook page. You must like the page to download. Once you do, click on the "Free Downloads" tab!
Enjoy!
