The Write Place
Literacy Education Online: How to Use a Thesaurus
A good overview of what a thesaurus is and how best to use one. Also includes the difference between the two forms of thesauri and explains how to choose the correct synonym to use. L.9-10.4c References
Other
Teaching Ideas: Using a Thesaurus
Use this worksheet activity to develop your thesaurus research skills.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: How to Use a Thesaurus
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart will review how to use a thesaurus. Uses links to an online web thesaurus to look up various words. Great starting point.
Other
Visuwords: Visuwords Online Graphical Dictionary and Thesaurus
Visuwords is an online graphical dictionary which you must see to believe! It is highly interactive and allows you to create diagrams, to drag and drop, pass over words to see their meanings, and much much more. It can be as easy or as...
Other
Thesaurus.com: Homepage
To use the thesaurus at Thesaurus.com, simply type a word in the gold search box at the top of the page and click the 'Search' button. A list of synonyms and antonyms will be returned.
SMART Technologies
Smart: Synonyms and Antonyms
In this whiteboard activity by SMART, students will define synonyms and antonyms, use a thesaurus to create lists of synonyms and antonyms for a variety of words, and create synonym poems to reinforce learning.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Learning to Recognize and Use Strong Verbs
For this lesson, students will listen to stories and determine the meaning of the word by using sentence-level context clues. They will think about the verbs that are used and think about how that verb appeals to their senses, giving...
The Write Place
Literacy Education Online
Literacy Education Online (or LEO) is a great place to start if you need help with your writing. The homepage is organized around kinds of problems or questions you might have concerning your writing. Find your problem, click on the...
Other
Visual Thesaurus: Shades of Meaning
In this lesson, small groups of students will compete in a "shades of meaning" contest to see which group can use the Visual Thesaurus to help them match words with similar definitions but different connotations in the shortest amount of...
Learning Farm
Learning Farm: Common Core Standards: Dictionaries, Glossaries, Thesaurus
Learn about different reference materials such as dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauri to help you learn meanings of words, pronunciation, or parts of speech. View a short lesson then practice using Game Mode or Test Mode.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Using Vivid Adjectives
This upper elementary lesson focuses on the use of vivid adjectives to enhance student writing. Students will explore vivid adjectives in a variety of activities including thesaurus use and story development software.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Rhetorical Reading: Read Strategically: Retain New Words
This lesson focuses on strategies to retain new words such as reading voraciously, use a good dictionary and thesaurus, use new words, and learn a new word every day. It also provides an annotated biography of resource material.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Building Word Castles
In this instructional activity, students will explore unfamiliar words found in various picture books by Patricia Polacco. Students will discover the meanings of unfamiliar words by using a dictionary and find synonyms and antonyms with...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Left Brained Writing Prompt: Rather Unlikely Dictionary Entries
After studying dictionary entries including structure and writing style, create unlikely dictionary entries for things in your life. If you really can't think of any, press the button on the generator to get a few ideas. Do your best to...
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning: Little Explorers Picture Dictionary
Delve into this wonderfully illustrated and comprehensive picture dictionary. Research up to 1,905 illustrated entries. Each word is used in a meaningful sentence.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Dictionary
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students will recognize the functions of dictionaries and the types of information available in dictionaries used in schools. They will learn the differences between dictionaries and thesauruses....
Other
The Phrase Finder: Home Page
"A professional writers' resource from The Phrase Finder for generating ideas for headlines, advertising copy, song lyrics, etc." Just type your word and the phrase finder will find a phrase to match it. L.9-10.4c References, L.9-10.4d...
BBC
Bbc: Skillswise: English: Reading: Dictionaries and Indexes Quiz: Level One [Pdf]
Quiz testing basic alphabetization and dictionary skills required for real-world application. Three levels of difficulty with answers provided.
Other
Alpha Dictionary: Most Often Misspelled Words in English
Listed alphabetically, these commonly misspelled words often find their way into our writing! Here are the correct spellings, with brief tips for remembering how to write these words correctly. In addition, use the links of the left to...