Ask the children where they would look to find lists of words which mean the same thing.
Introduce the thesaurus as a good place to find alternative words.
Main activity
Children think of as many synonyms as they can for:
- powerful
- sharp
- creature
- mad
- giant
- dangerous
- little
- hungry
Support the less able by providing them with access to a simple thesaurus.
Extension activity
Children can place the groups of synonyms the class have generated in order, from the most extreme description to the mildest.
Plenary
Check the class' understanding of the meaning of synonyms.
Children share their groups of synonyms with the rest of the class.
Does the whole class agree on the order that each group has chosen?
