Students at Angela G. Leal Elementary attended a funeral recently. They buried words that will no longer be used in their writing assignments.
Fourth grade teachers – Lupita Ochoa, Candice Alviar, Rodolfo Puente, and Veronica Rodriguez – planned the creative lesson to encourage their students to broaden their vocabulary by retiring certain words from use.
Words such as make, sad, and big were among those that were laid to rest on school grounds.
Principal Manuel Cruz dug the grave for the words’ final resting place. “I eagerly volunteered to dig the grave to bury the words students ‘use to death,’” said Cruz.
“This activity helps them to eliminate simple words and inspires them to use more powerful synonyms to improve their writing,” Cruz explained.
The activity encourages students to become familiar with the use of a thesaurus, understand the concept of a synonym, and increase their vocabulary. The lesson also requires students to work cooperatively within groups and utilize a word bank/wall as a means to sharpening their writing skills.
Ultimately, though, students will remember the unique burial and be reminded to use a broader selection of words.
good… nice… run… rest in peace!
Angela G. Leal Elementary Principal Manuel Cruz, having just dug the burial spot, reads a eulogy along with a group of his students during their school’s burial of “dead” words. The ceremony encourages students to expand their knowledge of words through the use of a thesaurus.
An Angela G. Leal Elementary student prepares to bury a miniature casket containing simple words. During the school’s burial of “dead” words, students said farewell to words such as good, happy, and nice. The activity empowers fourth grade students to understand the concept of a synonym and improve their writing skills.
