More vivid word choices: Said is dead

The students will expand their vocabulary and learn synonyms for overused words. By using the story Chicken Little by Stephen Kellogg, students will see how an acclaimed author uses many different words for "said."

A lesson plan for grades 2–4 English Language Arts

By Linda Justice

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Related topics

• Learn more about Chicken Little, language arts, literature, read-alouds, stories, and word choice.

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Learning outcomes

• Students should be able to use more expressive verbs when writing original narratives.
• Students will be able to infer meaning by using the context of the story.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 hours

Materials/resources

• writing journals or notebooks
• pencils
• chalkboard
• Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg
• chalk
• construction paper in shape of tombstone
• markers

Pre-activities

Previously, students have been introduced to narrative writing and have written at least one original narrative. In addition, two mini-skill lessons have been taught on dialogue and quotation marks.

Activities

1. Students will listen to the story Chicken Little and review the main parts of a narrative.
2. Teacher will discuss synonyms and how they make a story more interesting.
3. Students will listen to Chicken Little a second time and raise their hands each time they hear a synonym for “said.”
4. Teacher will list on the board the 18 synonyms for “said” used in the story. Words students should find are: announced, chuckled, shrieked, asked, cried, observed, demanded, squawked, wailed, whispered, murmured, chorused, added, declared, sneered, snapped, insisted, and screamed.
5. Students will list in their writing notebooks alternate words for “said” to refer to when they are writing narratives.
6. To reinforce the new vocabulary, students will dramatize conversations to show understanding of the synonyms for “said.” For example, one student will portray the fox and read, “‘That little featherhead will make a tasty chicken salad sandwich,’ he chuckled.” (Student laughs as he reads the sentence.) Dramatize as many words as time allows.

Assessment

• Students will create original dialogue between characters from Chicken Little. They will use at least 8 of the verbs for “said” we discussed in the lesson.
• Students must use the words correctly and effectively in their stories.
• In future narratives, students will continue to refer to their notebooks for synonyms for “said” and use them effectively in their imaginative and personal narratives.

Supplemental information

Comments

• Teacher can post the word “said” on a tombstone and below it write all the words students could use in place of it.
• Chicken Little is also an excellent source for helping students increase overall vocabulary and infer meaning from context.
• This book could also be used when teaching students how to write effective endings to imaginary narratives.