Working With Verbs

Valuable Verbs
Language Make placards with one action verb written on each. Attach them to a ruler. As students share stories about what they did the night before, what happened in the story they just read or what they are going to write about next, encourage them to raise the valuable verb that best describes the action explained.

Action ABC's: Learning Vocabulary With Verbs
This lesson is designed to help students better use their vocabulary by teaching (or reviewing) what verbs are and to then help them access verbs they already know and use them in sentences. Students work together to brainstorm and create lists of verbs for each of the letters of the alphabet. Then, choosing one verb for each letter, they create pages for an Action Alphabet book. Each page includes an illustration and a sentence using the verb in context. The project can be adapted according to age level and language ability. Students in kindergarten may work together on a class book, while older students may work in small groups or individually.

Vivid Verbs
This lesson will encourage students to use more vivid verbs, verbs that give a very clear picture of the action taken place, and discourage the usage of "is" and "was." They will be making a personal thesaurus to use in creative writing.

Action Words are Verbs
This activity challenges students to identify action words as verbs. The students will go on a verb scavenger hunt and play charades using action words.

Awesome action words
In this lesson, students will learn to replace boring, redundant, generic verbs with more precise "Awesome Action Words."