The Action Heroes

of Every Sentence
Its a bird! Its a plane! ItsSuper Verb! Never
fear because this heroic collection of ideas and
reproducibles is sure to make writers understanding
and proper use of verbs soar!
with ideas by Julia Alarie, Williston, VT

More Powerful Than a Locomotive

Show writers the power of identifying strong verbs with this simple activity.
Have each student review a piece of writing and identify common verbs. Compile
students findings into a class list. Then give each student a 4" x 6" rectangle of red
construction paper and assign her a verb from the list. Instruct the student to write
her word in the center of the rectangle and use a thesaurus to find six synonyms
that are more powerful (or that more vividly describe action) than her assigned
verb. Have her write the
synonyms around the
labeled rectangle. Then,
after students rectangles have been displayed
to form a train as shown,
invite youngsters to use
the display for suggestions as they revisit their
writing to improve original
choices. All aboard!
watch verb
Choosing exact verbs

All Aboard the Verbs Express!

walk

make

move

throw

said

give

tell

eat

help

Superverbs to the Rescue!

Turn a lesson on action verbs into an exciting superhero mission!
In advance, bring a stuffed animal from home. Introduce the
animal to your students, telling its name, what it eats, where it
likes to sleep, its favorite snacks, etc. Display it as a class pet in a
designated area of the room. Before the next school day, hide the
pet and then create a short ransom note such as the one shown,
using words and letters cut from magazines and newspapers. Share
the note with students and tell them they must work to rescue
their pet by completing the described activity. After the proposed
time limit, have students share their stories and identify one anothers action verbs. Finally, secretly return the ransomed pet to its
class home, posting students stories nearby. If desired, follow up
with a verb-filled thank-you note. Identifying and using verbs

Help! I hav e been

kid nap ped ! To win my
release, yo u mu st writ e
a sto ry abo ut me tha t
includes ten strong action
ver bs. You have onl y 20
minutes.
Plea se hur ry!
Sig ned ,
Mr. Fuz zy

51

Now and Then

Heres a lesson on past, present, and future verb
tenses that will have students rewriting a little history!
After choosing a short passage from your social studies
text that describes an exciting historical event, ask a
student volunteer to read it aloud. Point out how the verbs
used indicate that the event took place in the past. Next, divide
the class into pairs. Instruct each
twosome to write a news report
describing the historical event. Ask half
ree
of the pairs to write their reports as
Hello, viewers. Soon th
if the event were breaking news (presships will be arriving at
East
ently occurring) and the other half to
Boston Harbor carrying
d
write as if it were an imminent future
Indian Tea. A large crow
ey
Th
event. Encourage students to use as
er.
has planned to gath
many verbs as possible. While voluna
will refuse to let the te
teers share their reports, have students
come ashore!
identify present tense and future tense
verbs. Understanding verb tense

Search and Sort

Send students on a search-and-sort mission for irregular verbs with this smallgroup idea. Explain to students that an irregular verb (such as write) does not end
in -ed when stating a past action or when using a helping verb (such as wrote and
have written). Divide students into groups of three. Have each group use the materials
and steps shown to create a briefcase that is packed with irregular verbs. Then reward
the group that finds and correctly sorts the most verbs with a desired treat fit for a
superhero! Irregular verbs
Materials for each group: 12" x 18" sheet of brown
construction paper, brown construction paper scraps,
scissors, glue, black marker, magazines or newspapers

Mission:
Search for
Irregular Verbs
Presen
t
Tense
f ight
lead

Past
Tense
caught
fell
ran

52

When
U
a Help sing
ing
Verb

had fl
own
have d
one
has s
poken

Steps:
1. Fold the construction paper in half.
2. Trim the folded paper to make a briefcase shape.
3. Cut a handle from the brown paper scraps and glue
it to the top of the briefcase.
4. Label the outside of the briefcase as shown.
5. Open the suitcase and make a three-column chart.
Label each section of the chart as shown.
6. Search a magazine or newspaper for irregular verbs.
7. Glue each verb under the appropriate heading.

Alphabet Agreement
Spark some zany writing fun with a lesson on subject-verb agreement.
Label each of 26 sheets of white 9" x 12" drawing paper with a different
letter of the alphabet. Give one of the labeled sheets to each student.
After brainstorming subjects and verbs that begin with his designated
letter (using a dictionary as needed), the student creates two sentences
using the words from his listone with a singular subject and verb, and
one with a plural subject and verb. The student records the sentences on
his paper, underlines the
verbs, and adds an accompanying picture for each
one. Publish students pages
as an alphabet book. Share
the book with students,
insect
ginative ible ice
having them agree or disAn ima
d
e
r
c
an in
invents
agree with the usage of
c re a m .
s
a
the verb in each sentence.
n
a
tual igu ls
a
Intellec
u
id
iv
Recognizing subject-verb
t ind
instruc
n.
a
agreement
li
a
It
in

Helping Hands

I cou
l
w i t h d h a ve b o
my a
llowa ught a to
n c e.
y
Ic
oul
dh
a ve
wa
lke
dt
Iw
os
a
ha s
cho
ve s o
ol.
ea hu
te ng
n a ry
ho I co
rs ul
e! d

to
ne
go ay.
ve rd
ha tu
ld Sa
ou ie
I c mov
a

on my
gotten an A .
I could have
er
rd
studied ha
test if I had

Students lend each other a helping hand with a lesson on helping verbs! Post a chart
listing helping verbs as shown. Remind students that a main verb can have one to three
helping verbs, which state action or show time. Point out examples of two-word and threeword helping-verb combinations, such as should have and could have been. Next,
assign each student a helping verb or helping verb combination
and give her a colorful sheet of construction paper. Have the
student lay an outstretched hand on the paper and then trace
and cut it out. She then writes her helping verb(s) in the
center of her cutout. On the thumb she writes an
example sentence that includes the verb(s), and
then she enlists the help of four classmates who
each write a sentence on the remaining fingers.
After sharing sentences, post the hands on a
display entitled Verbs That Lend a Helping
Hand. Recognizing and using helping verbs

could have
Rebecca

Helping Verbs
am
does should
are
had was
be
has were
being have will
been is
would
can
may
could might
did
must
do
shall

53

Name

Verbs, synonyms

Super Synonyms
Nothing makes a sentence super like a strong verb!
Read each verb on the clouds below.
Write a matching synonym from the word bank.
Use a dictionary or thesaurus for help.

2. jump
1. yell

____________

3. see

____________

____________

Word
Bank
4. better

5. run

____________

6. write
____________

8. think
____________

10. laugh
____________

____________

spring
depart
upgrade
behold
master
imagine
shove
dash
howl
giggle
inscribe
state
produce
attempt

7. try
____________

9. make
____________

11. leave
____________

13. learn

12. push
____________

14. tell

____________

The Mailbox BOOKBAG TEC49016 Dec./Jan. 20045 Key p. 63

54

Note to the teacher: Students may need access to dictionaries and thesauruses to complete this activity.

____________

Name

Verb tenses (past, present, future)

Heroic Headlines
Read each headline below.
Underline the verb(s).
Decide whether the verb is past, present, or future tense.
Color the newspaper according to the key.

1.

2. Young Girl Volunteers at Local

Animal Shelter

Firefighter Finds Kitten in

Ten-Foot Tree

3. Dogs Growl Identifies Bank

Robbers

4. Two-Year-Old Saved by Teen

5. Kids Will Raise Money for

Neighborhood Playground

6. Boy Scout Walks Elderly Woman

Across Street

8. School Children Will Plant

Trees in Park

7. Waitress Recovered Mans

Lost Wallet

9. Librarian Donated Books to

Orphanage

Key
past = blue
present = purple
future = red

10. Police Round Up Stolen Bikes

11. Homemaker Helped

Family During Hurricane

12. Church Will Begin City Cleanup

13. Local Businesses Fight

Toxic Waste

14. Runners Will Race to Find

a Cure

The Mailbox BOOKBAG TEC49016 Dec./Jan. 20045 Key p. 63

Note to the teacher: Students will need crayons or colored pencils to complete this activity.

55

Answer Keys
December/January 20045
Page 14
Skeleton parts are as follows:
1. bats wing
2. frogs leg and foot
3. giraffes neck and
head

4. snakes body
5. fishs tail
6. cats back, legs,
and tail

Page 15
1. He compared the pieces to lizard bones.
2. He had a dinner party in a life-size dinosaur mold.
3. Many people saw for the first time what dinosaurs
looked like.
4. He made small models, illustrated posters, and gave
lectures.
5. He moved to New York.
6. There may still be pieces of his models in Central
Park.
Bonus Box: Answers will vary.
Page 29
Wording may vary.
A Dream World
Main idea: Dreams can be helpful.
Details:
1. Dreams can inspire people.
2. A dream can help someone solve a problem.
Literary Dreams
Main idea: Dreams have inspired authors.
Details:
1. Samuel Coleridge dreamed a poem about Kubla
Kahn.
2. Mary Shelley had a nightmare and wrote the story
about Dr. Frankenstein.
Inventive Dreams
Main idea: Dreams have helped scientists and inventors.
Details:
1. Louis Agassizs dream helped him draw a fossil.
2. Elias Howes dream helped him invent an eyed
needle for his sewing machine.
Page 38
7. uncommonly
1. prescription
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
8.
requirement
2. doctoring
2, 3
1, 3
9.
operate
3. assisted
3
1, 3
10.
examination
4. diagnosis
2, 3
1, 2, 3
11.
appointment
5. diagnostic
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
12.
injection
6. healthfulness
1, 2, 3
1, 3
Bonus Box: Answers may vary.

Page 42
1. 1801
2. Meriwether Lewis
3. Pacific
4. William Clark
5. army
6. Seaman
7. Camp Dubois (near St. Louis, Missouri)
8. Missouri
9. Toussaint Charbonneau
10. Sacagawea
11. two
12. journals
Page 48
1. T
2. T
3. F
4. F
5. T
6. T
COLUMBUS

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

T
F
T
T
F
T

Page 54
1. howl
2. spring
3. behold
4. upgrade
5. dash
6. inscribe
7. attempt

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

imagine
produce
giggle
depart
shove
master
state

Page 55
1. finds, purple
2. volunteers, purple
3. identifies, purple
4. saved, blue
5. will raise, red
6. walks, purple
7. recovered, blue

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

will plant, red

donated, blue
round up, purple
helped, blue
will begin, red
fight, purple
will race, red

Page 59
1. yellow, A
2. green, B
3. red, D
4. blue, E
5. orange, C
63