Work Those Verbs!

(Word Choice)

Kate Pascoe

 

Purpose

�The goal of the minilesson, Word Choice, is to motivate students to use stronger, more effective verbs in their writing.� Rather than relying on adverbs to help the readers see the action, good writers should pick verbs that can stand alone.� Students will become more proficient with their language and their writing will become enhanced after this lesson.�

 

When? / Impact for Young Adolescents

This lesson would be a wonderful one to do at the beginning of the year.� It is a skill they should learn very early on to become better at as the year progresses.� Each writing assignment should reflect this lesson.� Students will best appreciate this lesson if taught at the very beginning of their writing journey.�

Young adolescents are such impressionable people and constantly want to become better at everything they do.� Knowing they can become better at a skill for writing will easily gain their attention.� The teacher must inspire their students to work toward improved word (verb) choice and render it something very important for good writing.� Encouraging them to listen to peers, parents, media and other communicative sources that use strong verbs when speaking will allow them to hear the difference in �effective� word choice and �weak� word choice.

 

Objectives

NCSCS: 6th grade, 7th grade and 8th grade

Competency Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.

�6.01 Demonstrate an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by:

�        extending vocabulary knowledge by learning and using new words.

�        choosing language that is precise, engaging, and well suited to the topic and audience

 

Materials

Overhead projector or chalkboard

Newspaper

Highlighter

Colored pencils

Paper

 

Time to Complete

Beginning lecture: 5 minutes

Activity: 20 minutes

Follow-up Discussion: 5 minutes

 

Script

Hello wonderful students!� Today, we are going to learn about the importance of good, strong, powerful verbs in our writing.� Does anyone know why we should spice up our verb choices? (Allow students some time to respond with their own ideas.) Can anyone think of a verb that really catches your attention or paints a descriptive picture of an action?� (If students have trouble, give them the example of �construct� rather than �made.�� Discuss with them how made is unexciting, but how you can envision someone constructing something.� This example should help to get them started.)� Now I am going to write some verbs on the board with a helping adverb, and I want you to tell me a better, stronger verb to use in its place.� (The verbs beside those on the left are some examples if they get stumped, and also to include if they do not mention.)

�����������

Walked unsteadily ------- staggered

����������� Walked softly--------------tiptoed

����������� Yelled loudly---------------shouted

����������� Punched furiously----------pummeled

����������� Held tightly-----------------clutched

����������� Said softly-------------------whispered

����������� Beat wildly------------------pounded

 

Now class, can you see why the verbs on the right are much better to use than the verbs, combined with adverbs, on the left?� Can you see the words on the right more clearly?� Can you picture what is going on more vividly?� The verbs on the right are more precise and forceful.� Using this kind of language will make your writing much more effective.� It will draw a clear image in the reader�s mind and help make your writing more concise.

Last, I want everyone to get out the newspaper you were given at the beginning of class.� With a partner, look through the newspaper articles and advertisements and highlight or the strong verbs you see.� Then, I want you to go back and circle with the colored pencil all the weak verbs you see.� On a separate sheet of paper, write a better verb for the one you circled.� Write one we can visualize! (Allow students about 10 minutes to do this.� They will enjoy working with a partner and scanning the newspaper for any weak verbs they can change.� Adolescents love to show off when they�re right!� After about 10 minutes, have students share what they have found � strong and weak verbs.)

Alright class, what have we learned today about word choice when using verbs?� From now on, in your writing, be sure to use this skill.� I want to see good, strong verbs CONSUMING your papers!

 

Additional Resources/Follow-up

 

Muschla, Gary R. Writing Workshop Survival Kit.� The Center for Applied Research in Education.� New York, 1993. p. 149.

 

A great follow-up for this would be to have students select a piece of writing they have recently written and pull out verbs they could make better or circle verbs they think are strong.