SAUSD Onomatopoeia

Target Lesson #3D.1 Directions

Objective: Using onomatopoeia to add interest and

variety to writing.

Materials Needed: Guided Practice sheet (for display – not copied)

Hook (text): Excerpt from Puddles by Jonathan

London

Model: Say: Today we will discuss how to use

onomatopoeia in your writing. Onomatopoeia is a

figure of speech. It is using words that sound like what they mean.

Some examples would be animal sounds like moo, meow or squeak.

Can anyone think of some other animal sounds? Give the children

time and write down their suggestions.

Another example would be words for noises like creak, clank or

clang. What are some noises you can think of? Again, write down

their suggestions.

Listen for examples from this story. Display the excerpt and

underline the examples the children point out.

Guided Practice: Display the Guided Practice page. Choral read

the first sentence and the examples. On a separate sheet of paper,

have the students rewrite the sentence using one of the examples.

Continue with the remaining sentences. Ask the students how

adding the onomatopoeias made the sentences more vivid. Then

show them the list of categories, and together come up with a sound

or sounds for each.

On their own: Have the students write three more sentences on their own

using the categories and sounds from the list you created together.

Seal it: Students should use onomatopoeia in their own writing.

SAUSD Onomatopoeia

Guided Practice

Read each sentence and the onomatopoeia choices. Rewrite each

sentence.

1. The wind blew.

Examples: whooshed, screeched, wailed

New sentence:_____________________________________.

2. The waves came ashore.

Examples: crashed, smashed, roared

New sentence: ____________________________________.

3. He heard the bell.

Examples: clank, clang, tinkle

New sentence:_____________________________________.

SAUSD Onomatopoeia

Categories

bacon cooking:

a motorcycle:

a friendly dog:

a happy cat:

a doorbell:

thunder:

a rattlesnake:

a baby bird:

eating ice:

popcorn popping:

Now write three sentences on your own.

1. ____________________________________________

___________________________________________.

2. ____________________________________________

___________________________________________.

3. ____________________________________________

___________________________________________.

SAUSD Similes

Target Lesson #3D.2 Directions

Objective: Using similes to add interest and variety to writing.

Materials: copy of “Simile City”, a three minute play by Melissa

Forney, Guided Practice page (for display – not copied), OCR

Reteach pg. 173 (optional)

Hook: Have two students perform the play, “Simile

City”.

Model: Say: Today we will discuss how to use similes in your

writing. As you heard in the play, a simile is a comparison between

two things using the words like or as. What were some of the

similes you remember from the play? Post a copy of the play for

everyone to see. As students name the similes, underline them.

Guided Practice: Display the practice page. You do not need to

copy this. Choral read the before examples and the possible simile

choices. On a separate piece of paper have the students recopy the

sentence with one of the simile choices, or they can make up their

own. Share out and continue with the other two sentences. Ask the

students how the similes made the images more vivid. Ask them

what the two things being compared have in common, and how they

think this will help with their own writing.

On their own: Using the three sentences at the bottom of the

practice page, have students create their own similes and share out.

Seal it! At another time – later in the day or the next day – read a

book containing similes and have the children respond in some way

as they hear the similes. Optional texts: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen,

Diary of a Worm or Diary of a Spider both by Doreen Cronin.

SAUSD Similes

Guided Practice

Rewrite the sentences with one of the simile choices to create

a new sentence.

1. The moon was round.

Choices: like a pancake, (as round) as a ball, like a flying

saucer

New sentence:___________________________________

_______________________________________________

2. The sun was yellow.

Choices: like a lemon, like gold, (as yellow) as butter

New sentence: ___________________________________

_______________________________________________

3. He jumped.

Choices: like a frog, like a kangaroo, like a flea

New sentence:___________________________________

_______________________________________________

On Your Own

1. She screamed.

2. He ran fast.

3. She swam.

Giv

e O

ne, G

et

One

! (O

nom

atopoei

a)

Fin

d s

omeo

ne w

ho

can…

…!

_

__

__

__

__

are

you

able

to

__

__

__

__

__

_?

Yes

, I

am

able

to

__

__

_. O

r

No,

I’m

not

able

to

__

__

_, but

I c

an _

__

__

__

__

__

__

_.

Wri

te a

n exam

ple o

f

onom

atop

oeia

fro

m t

his

nou

n.

_

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

_

Wri

te a

n exam

ple o

f

onom

atop

oeia

fro

m t

his

nou

n

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

Wri

te a

n exam

ple o

f

onom

atop

oeia

fro

m t

his

nou

n

_

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

_

Wri

te a

n exam

ple o

f

onom

atop

oeia

fro

m t

his

nou

n

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

Wri

te a

n exam

ple o

f

onom

atop

oeia

fro

m t

his

nou

n

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

Wri

te a

n exam

ple o

f

onom

atop

oeia

fro

m t

his

nou

n

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

What

’s a

syn

onym

for

__

__

__

__

__

_?

_

__

__

__

__

__

_ is

a sy

nony

m f

or _

__

__

__

_.

__

__

__

__

_

delici

ous

__

__

__

__

tire

d

__

__

__

__

_

smar

t

__

__

__

__

angr

y

__

__

__

__

_

hug

e

__

__

__

__

_

litt

le

__

__

__

__

_

beau

tifu

l

__

__

__

__

glad

Syn

onym

s an

d B

ett

er

Wor

ds

Giv

e O

ne, G

et

One

!

W

hat

’s a

sim

ile f

or _

__

__

__

__

__

?

__

__

__

__

__

__

is

the

sim

ile

for

__

__

__

__

.

__

__

__

__

_

__

__

__

__

_

f

ast

Cle

ver

as _

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

_

__

__

__

__

_

cute

Slo

w a

s _

__

__

_

__

__

__

__

__

__

Cle

an a

s _

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

_

bou

ncy

Shin

y like

a _

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

__

dan

ces

Siz

zlin

g S

imiles

Giv

e O

ne, G

et

One

!

SAUSD, 2013 Adapted from Craft Lessons by Ralph Fletcher

Target Lesson 3D.6 Directions Objective: Using strong verbs to add interest

and clarity to writing.

Materials Needed: Guided Practice sheet (for

display – not copied)

Hook (text): Excerpt from Shrek! by William Steig, excerpt

from John Henry by Julius Lester

Model: Say: You have all learned about the parts of speech:

nouns, verbs, and adjectives. For a writer, this is much more

than grammar – these are the bolts and nails you use to build a

strong piece of writing.

Here’s a simple way to think about nouns and verbs: “The

nouns make the pictures, and the verbs make those pictures

move.” Let’s read together an excerpt from the book Shrek! by

William Steig. Display the excerpt and choral read.

Notice the verbs? There are no passive verbs like is or was in

any of these sentences. These verbs are strong, striking: fired,

gobbled, belched. (Underline each as you say them.)

Now let’s read an excerpt from John Henry by Julius Lester.

Display the excerpt and choral read. These verbs crackle with

energy, and they really get the nouns moving: the air danced,

the rainbow shimmered, the earth shook and rolled. (Underline

each as you say them.)

SAUSD, 2013 Adapted from Craft Lessons by Ralph Fletcher

Guided Practice: Display the Guided Practice page. Have the

students choral read the first sentence and identify the verb.

Encourage the students to visualize what is happening in the

sentence and to suggest verbs that would really make the noun

move. Ask: What kind of rain is it? Is it a fierce storm or a

light sprinkle? How can we change the verb to clarify what is

happening? If there are several good suggestions, write them

down and let the students choose the one they like best. Have

them recopy the sentence on a separate sheet of paper with the

verb they have chosen. Do the same for the remaining two

sentences. As they finish each sentence, have the students close

their eyes and to visualize the picture they have created with

their words.

On their own: Have students work alone or with a partner to

go back through their own writing to find verbs that they can

make stronger.

Writing Handbook Resource: Students may want to use the

Stronger Verb lists in their Writing handbook.

SAUSD, 2013 Adapted from Craft Lessons by Ralph Fletcher

Excerpt from Shrek! by William Steig

Lightning fired his fiercest bolt straight at

Shrek’s head. Shrek just gobbled it,

belched some smoke, and grinned.

Excerpt from John Henry by Julius Lester

John Henry sang and he hammered and the

air danced and the rainbows shimmered and

the earth shook and rolled from the blows of

the hammer.

Guided Practice

1. The rain fell against the window.

New sentence:

2. The puppy ran after the ball.

New sentence:

3. The children went to the playground.

New sentence:

“Intens

e”

Verb

Ten

ses!

Giv

e O

ne, G

et

One

!

What

’s t

he

corr

ect

ver

b t

ens

e fo

r _

__

__

__

__

__

?

_

__

__

__

__

__

_ is

the

corr

ect

verb

ten

se f

or _

__

__

__

_ ?

(eat

)

Yes

terd

ay I

__

__

din

ner

at m

y

frie

nd’s

hou

se.

(rid

e)

Tom

orro

w I

’m

__

__

__

__

_ m

y

bik

e t

o sc

hoo

l

(cal

l)

Tod

ay t

he

teac

her

__

__

__

_

on m

e t

o an

swer

the q

uest

ion.

(go)

This

sum

mer

I

__

__

__

_ t

o th

e

mov

ies

thre

e

tim

es.

(go)

I w

ould

hav

e

__

__

__

__

to

the

conc

ert

.

(sw

im)

On

Fri

day

, I

__

__

__

in

the

pool

all d

ay.

(w

ork)

I w

as _

__

__

__

_

har

d a

ll s

umm

er

on w

ork.

(sl

ide)

Dur

ing

rece

ss I

__

__

__

__

dow

n

the s

lide.