Synonym & Antonym Showdown!

Objective: To correctly identify synonyms and antonyms of given words.

Materials:

• Word cards (one word per card) - Teacher Prep: Create a set of word cards with vocabulary words relevant to 7th grade, and separate cards for their synonyms and antonyms.
• Timer (optional)
• Whiteboard or paper for scorekeeping

Instructions:

1. Divide into Teams: Divide the class into two or more small groups (e.g., "Synonym Squad" and "Antonym Avengers").
2. The Challenger: One student from the first team comes to the front.
3. Draw a Word: The teacher shows a word card to the challenger (without showing it to their team).
   
   
   
4. The Challenge: The teacher says either "Give me a synonym!" or "Give me an antonym!" (depending on the round or pre-determined rule).
   
   
   
5. Guessing Time: The challenger has 10-15 seconds to describe a synonym or antonym of the word to their team WITHOUT saying the word on the card or any form of it. For example, if the word is "ancient" and the challenge is "synonym," the student might say, "It means very, very old. Like something from a long, long time ago."
6. Team Guess: The team tries to guess the correct synonym or antonym.
   • If they guess correctly, they earn a point.
   • If they don't guess in time, the other team gets one chance to steal the point by guessing correctly.
     
     
     
7. New Challenger: A student from the next team takes their turn.
8. Winning: The team with the most points at the end of the allotted time (e.g., 10-15 minutes) wins the "Showdown"!

Discussion Prompts (after the game):

• Which words were the most challenging to describe or guess?
• What strategies did you use to help your team understand the word?
• How does knowing synonyms and antonyms help you understand new words you read?
  
  
  

Etymology Expedition: Digging for Word Roots!

Name: _________________________ Date: _____________

Objective: To explore the origins and historical meanings of words to better understand their current usage.

Part 1: Word Roots & Meanings

For each word below, research its origin (etymology). What language did it come from? What was its original meaning? How has that meaning evolved?

1. Audience

   • Origin (Language/Root):
     
     
     
   • Original Meaning:
     
     
     
   • How it Evolved:
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. Manufacture

   • Origin (Language/Root):
     
     
     
   • Original Meaning:
     
     
     
   • How it Evolved:
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. Photograph

   • Origin (Language/Root):
     
     
     
   • Original Meaning:
     
     
     
   • How it Evolved:
     
     
     
     
     
     

4. Benevolent

   • Origin (Language/Root):
     
     
     
   • Original Meaning:
     
     
     
   • How it Evolved:
     
     
     
     
     
     

Part 2: Connect the Past to the Present

Choose one of the words from Part 1. Explain how knowing its etymology helps you understand its current meaning better. Why is this important for vocabulary building?

Part 3: Your Own Expedition!

Think of a word you recently learned or a word whose meaning you find interesting. Research its etymology and share what you discover.

My Word: _________________________

• Origin (Language/Root):
  
  
  
• Original Meaning:
  
  
  
• How it Evolved:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Why I find it interesting:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Etymology Expedition: Answer Key

Part 1: Word Roots & Meanings

(Note: Origins and specific evolution might have slight variations depending on the dictionary or etymological source used. Encourage students to explore!)

1. Audience

   • Origin (Language/Root): Latin, from audire meaning "to hear"
   • Original Meaning: A hearing, or those who hear.
   • How it Evolved: The meaning has stayed quite consistent, referring to a group of listeners or spectators. It can also refer to people who read or view content.

2. Manufacture

   • Origin (Language/Root): Latin, from manus meaning "hand" and factura meaning "a making" (from facere meaning "to make").
   • Original Meaning: To make by hand.
   • How it Evolved: While originally involving manual labor, its meaning expanded with the Industrial Revolution to include making goods by machinery, especially on a large scale.

3. Photograph

   • Origin (Language/Root): Greek, from phos (genitive photos) meaning "light" and graphein meaning "to write, to draw."
   • Original Meaning: To draw or write with light.
   • How it Evolved: This meaning directly relates to the process of capturing images using light. The term itself was coined in the 19th century as the technology developed.

4. Benevolent

   • Origin (Language/Root): Latin, from bene meaning "well" and velle meaning "to wish."
   • Original Meaning: Well-wishing, good-willed.
   • How it Evolved: The meaning remains very close to its origin, describing someone who is kind, charitable, and wishes well for others.

Part 2: Connect the Past to the Present

• Example Answer for "Audience": Knowing that "audience" comes from the Latin word for "to hear" helps me understand why an audience is primarily a group of listeners. Even for a film or a book, the idea of