Lesson Plan
Visualize the Action Verbs
We teach our writers to “show, not tell.” Action verbs are a key component in that process! Use this lesson to teach your students to identify and use action verbs in sentences in order to strengthen their writing with clear description.
Grade:
View aligned standards
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify and use action verbs in sentences.
Introduction
(3 minutes)- Display the following sentence on the board: "We are in the classroom."
- Ask students to brainstorm what that sentence means and how they could visualize it. Ask, “If you could draw a picture, what would it look like?” Point out that the sentence is not clear enough for all of us to agree about what the visual would look like.
- Act out different scenarios for what the verb are could mean. For example, act out running, walking, sitting, playing, shouting, and talking. With each example, read the new sentence with the action verb that replaces are. For example, "We run in the classroom. We walk in the classroom."
- Explain to students that good, descriptive sentences use action verbs to give the reader a visual of what is going on. Share that are is a linking verb, and while it is an important verb in our language, it does not provide readers with clear visualizations.