The Writing Environment is Positive, Invites Creativity and Time is Allocated to Experiment and Play with Language

Strengthening Verbs While Having Fun 

This can be adapted for grades 6-8 by encouraging the use of more sophisticated vocabulary and phrasing.

Task:

• Fold a sheet of paper in half
• Label one column NOUNS
• Label the other column VERBS
• Individually students generate a list of common nouns
• Teacher shares results with whole class on chart paper or ELMO
• Students select an occupation such as “chef” or “athlete”
• In the second column, students generate a list of verbs that describe the actions by people in that occupation. For example, saute´, marinate, chop, whip, mince, etc.
• Invite students to play with the combinations, beginning as phrases then expanding into a sentence. For example, Dinosaurs marinated the earth; The  fiddles whipped into action as the conductor raised her baton; The muscles fried their power at the end of the marathon
• Encourage students to place the verb right after the noun to avoid the neutered verbs