The pupils investigate a concept, a name, or a compound word by identifying synonyms for the individual words and combining these into new words.
This method helps pupils understand the deeper meaning and nuances of the word by deconstructing and modelling it.
Select, or have the pupils choose, a compound word, name, or concept to model. This could, for example, be a new subject-specific term or a compound word that the pupils already know and use.
The pupils break down the chosen word into all the words it is made up of.
The pupils find as many synonyms as possible for each of these words. They suggest their own synonyms and/or use a thesaurus. Each synonym is written on a post-it note. They can optionally use different coloured post-its to clearly show which synonyms relate to which parts of the original word.
The pupils create new words by combining the synonyms written on the post-it notes.
The pupils discuss how the new word combinations either strengthen, change, or add new dimensions to their understanding and the meaning of the original word.
You can use the Silent Brainstorming method to have pupils individually and silently clear their minds of all the synonyms they can think of.
Pupils can use a physical thesaurus, the internet, or a word processing program with an integrated thesaurus.
If suitable synonyms cannot be found for a word, pupils can explore its meaning using a dictionary or the internet.
They can then use the new variants as inspiration to draw a model or create one in 3D using the Model Drawing method.
This method is used in activity XXX
| Engage | Investigate | Create |