Palindromes
Palindromes are, of course, words, verses or sentences that read backward or forward.
Terminology
Idioms
Idioms are phrases with non-literal meanings. Compile a list of idioms, and have students choose five or more. They can draw pictures to represent the idiom.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Students will learn to identify synonyms and antonyms by rewriting headlines from the Sports section of the newspaper.
Adjectives, Adverbs and Advertising
The student will identify adjectives and adverbs and be able to use them correctly in a Christmas-related creative writing project.
Anagrams: Beyond Computer Solutions
Anagram solving in the classroom (along with the use of other puzzles such as acrostics, crosswords, word-searches, etc.) brings pattern recognition to the problem-solving process. In fact, algorithms have been written to port the process rather successfully over to the computer, to the point that numerous anagram generators can be found on the web. Just type in a word or phrase, hit the button, and all the work is done for you. However, solving problems without electronic intervention can have real-world value not readily apparent to your students.
Acrostics M.O.T.I.V.A.T.E. Your Students
Have your students come up with acrostics for your school mascot, school name, teacher’s name, or even individual students’ names. These are great for bulletin boards and school displays, and are equally fun (and challenging) on notebook paper.