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Grade 3

CCSS ELA Standard: 3.L.5

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Rebus Puzzles Gr 1-8
Antagonyms: Dust, Clip, and Left
Antagonyms: Dust, Clip, and Left
Dust can mean “remove dust” but also “add more dust!”
Gr 1-8
Hydromagnaphone (Greek and Latin)
Hydromagnaphone (Greek and Latin)
What on earth is a Hydromagnaphone? Break apart the Greek and Latin roots, figure out what it should mean, then invent what it describes.
Gr 1-8
Geosynth (Greek and Latin)
Geosynth (Greek and Latin)
What on earth is a Geosynth? Break apart the Greek and Latin roots, figure out what it should mean, then invent what it describes.
Gr 1-8
Aquamorphotron (Greek and Latin)
Aquamorphotron (Greek and Latin)
What on earth is a Aquamorphotron? Break apart the Greek and Latin roots, figure out what it should mean, then invent what it describes.
Gr 1-8
Pyrostasis (Greek and Latin)
Pyrostasis (Greek and Latin)
What on earth is a Pyrostasis? Break apart the Greek and Latin roots, figure out what it should mean, then invent what it describes.
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Theta
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Theta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Eta
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Eta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Zeta
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Zeta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Epsilon
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Epsilon
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Delta
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Delta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Gamma
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Gamma
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Beta
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Beta
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Alpha
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Alpha
Can your students match multiple meanings of the same five words?
Gr 1-8
Parts of Speech Party – Gift
Parts of Speech Party – Gift
How many different ways can we use the word “gift” in a single paragraph? Let’s find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Gr 1-8
Parts of Speech Party – Care
Parts of Speech Party – Care
How many different ways can we use the word “care”? Let’s find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Gr 1-8
Parts of Speech Party – Fruit
Parts of Speech Party – Fruit
How many different ways can we use the word “fruit”? Let’s find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Gr 1-8
Super Specific Similes – Strong Uncle
Super Specific Similes – Strong Uncle
Let’s make this simile about a strong uncle even more specific.
Gr 2-8
Super Specific Similes – Slimy Broccoli
Super Specific Similes – Slimy Broccoli
Start with a basic simile. Now make it more specific. Now even more. Watch how much better writing gets with each round.
Gr 1-8
Path Cipher (Codes Part 4)
Path Cipher (Codes Part 4)
Now let’s try the Path Cipher – a cipher that mixes things up even more than Zig Zag did.
Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8
Analyze Suffixes: -ly, -less, and -ful
Analyze Suffixes: -ly, -less, and -ful
What exactly does adding -less do to a word?
Gr 1-8
Sets of Idioms Related to Numbers
Sets of Idioms Related to Numbers
Two sets of idioms related to numbers.
Gr 1-8
Five Sets of Bird and Bug Idioms
Five Sets of Bird and Bug Idioms
Five sets of idioms related to birds (and bugs).
Gr 2-8
Sets of Idioms Related to Body Parts
Sets of Idioms Related to Body Parts
Five sets of five idioms, all related to body parts!
Gr 1-8
Sets of Idioms Related to Food
Sets of Idioms Related to Food
Five sets of five idioms, all related to food.
Gr 1-8
Antonym Paths
Antonym Paths
Does the antonym of an antonym bring us back to the same meaning?
Gr 1-8
Fancier Figurative Language: Use the Opposite
Fancier Figurative Language: Use the Opposite
Let’s start with “As cold as fire.”
Gr 1-8
Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile
Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile
What if we started a sentence with the simile?
Gr 3-8
Word Ladder: East to West (4 Steps)
Word Ladder: East to West (4 Steps)
COLD to COOL. BAND to SING. Change one letter at a time — can you find the path?
Gr 1-8
Word Ladder: Fire to Warm (4 Steps)
Word Ladder: Fire to Warm (4 Steps)
COLD to COOL. BAND to SING. Change one letter at a time — can you find the path?
Gr 1-8
Word Ladders Introduction
Word Ladders Introduction
You won’t believe how this spelling and vocabulary puzzle will get kids’ brains sweating over the smallest of words.
Gr 1-8
Ambiguous Sentences
Ambiguous Sentences
Rather than just demand that students “write clearly,” we’ll explore the hazards of poorly written sentences… and maybe create one of our own!
Gr 1-8
Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition
Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition
Is your students’ use of repetition limited to, “The girl was very, very, very fast.”? Let’s borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!
Gr 2-8
Advanced Alliteration and Consonance
Advanced Alliteration and Consonance
When students learn about alliteration, it’s hard to steer them away from goofy tongue-twisters. Certainly, there must be more powerful and practical ways of using alliteration. In this lesson, I draw on delicious examples from Shakespeare to show how a very advanced writer used alliteration. Then, I break those ideas down so students can try them out.
Gr 2-8
What’s In My Brain: Cute Baby vs Fast Cheetah
What’s In My Brain: Cute Baby vs Fast Cheetah
Can students spot similes vs metaphors?
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Sets of Idioms
Sets of Idioms
Why do we say ‘break a leg’? Five themed sets of idioms your students will actually remember.
Gr 1-8
Synonym Graphs
Synonym Graphs
So, which is happiest: happy, joyful, or ecstatic? Which is most temporary?
Gr 1-8
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Introduction
Multiple Meaning Matcher – Introduction
Your students will try to match up definitions that belong to the same homophone in this brain-boggling vocab puzzle.
Gr 1-8
Content Imperatives: Paradox
Content Imperatives: Paradox
How can one idea pull in opposite directions, being both true and false or right and wrong at the same time? It’s time to explore Paradoxes!
Gr 1-8
Fancier Figurative Language: Start with a Cliche
Fancier Figurative Language: Start with a Cliche
We’ll start with the cliché “as cold as ice” and go somewhere much more interesting.
Gr 1-8