Classroom Activities: Synonyms and Antonyms
These classroom activities are designed to complement the Synonyms and Antonyms topic on BrainPOP Jr.
Mother, May I?
Gather your students for a twist on a classic game. Act as the “mother” and turn your back to the students. Students can inch forward when your back is turned. Then call out a word and turn around. Have each student think of a synonym for the word. If they are unable to think of a word, then they must go back to the starting line. Write down the synonyms on the board and discuss words that are unfamiliar to some students. Continue several times and invite other students to act as the “mother.”
Rewriting History
Have students pick a paragraph from a history or social studies book and rewrite the sentences using synonyms. Encourage students to use a thesaurus or brainstorm words to replace words in the sentences. How did using synonyms improve the paragraph? Did synonyms make the writing clearer? Why or why not? Students can repeat the activity using antonyms instead of synonyms. Invite volunteers to share their paragraphs with the class.
Opposites Attract
If possible, gather bar magnets and write synonyms on opposite poles and antonyms on like poles. Invite students to identify the synonyms by finding the words that attract each other. Then have students see how the antonyms repel each other on the magnets. Have students label their own sets of bar magnets with antonyms and synonyms and trade their sets with a partner or with another group. Walk around the room and help students who need help identifying the like and opposite poles on the magnets.