Adjectives
Lesson plans, activities

Adjective and Adverb Taboo
A great way for the class to recognize the role of adverbs and adjectives in sentence construction.

Adjective and Adverbial Phrases
Interactive practice identifying prepositional phrases that function as adjectives or adverbs, appropriate for elementary students and older. Follow links on the left to 2 additional exercises.

Adjectives Around Us
Elementary students describe photographs using adjectives and create a photo story book to display their work.

Adjectives in a Bag
During this hands-on lesson, students learn to describe unknown objects by using adjectives. Students have the opportunity to practice using adjectives by exploring an Internet site.

Adjective Identification
Interactive practice identifying adjectives, appropriate for elementary students and older. Follow links on the left to 3 more exercises.

Adjective Monster
This lesson explores the connections between visual art and language arts, and how both are used to creatively tell stories and express emotions. Students will read the book Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. They will be introduced to adjectives as descriptive words, and then create their own monsters using paper sculpture techniques.

Animal Adjectives
Students will describe animals as they review nouns and verbs associated with these animals. They will learn to use adjectives as they describe the animals. They will use this knowledge to write their stories about animals. This lesson uses Jan Brett's book The Mitten and is designed for first grade.

Comparing with Adjectives
Interactive practice using positive, comparative, and superlative forms of adjectives correctly. Appropriate for elementary students and older. Follow links on the left to more practice.

Delicious, Tasty, Yummy: Enriching Writing with Adjectives and Synonyms
Students' vocabulary is expanded and their writing is enriched when they are encouraged to use a variety of adjectives to help readers "see, taste, and feel" what they've written. In this lesson for grades 3 and 4, picture books are used as a springboard for helping students define, identify, and practice using adjectives and synonyms. They develop webbed lists and then put their new vocabulary skills to use by writing form poems. This lesson is designed for grades 3-5.

Describing words: Go Away, Big Green Monster
The students will use describing words in their writing based on the book Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. They also integrate math concepts about shapes. Designed for grades K-1.

Discovering Adjectives
A teaching strategy that mixes competition, learning, and food.

Fantastic Pictures!
Students create pictures using an adjective-noun combination. Designed for elementary students.

Filling in the Blanks: Using Modifiers to Provide Detail
Students develop voice and style by adding details to their writing.

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective?
Pre-reading, read-aloud, and follow-up activities to accompany the book.

"I Spy:" Using Adjectives and Descriptive Phrases
Students will review definitions for adjectives, learn and practice sensory adjectives and imagery, and use adjectives and descriptive phrases in writing a paragraph and/or story. This lesson is designed for grades 3 and 4.

Many Luscious Lollipops
Kindergarten and first grade students will become familiar with adjectives by reading Ruth Heller's book Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives. They will also be able to use adjectives to describe an object in their own writing.

Noun, Pronoun, and Adjective Practice and Key
Students identify nouns, types of pronouns, and adjectives. Designed for high school, 2 pages. Adobe Reader required.

School House Rock: "Unpack Your Adjectives"
This video from Grammar Rock is a good introduction to adjectives, although a bit dated. It runs 3:00.

Yummy Adjectives
Students work in pairs to take a taste and touch test. They brainstorm and record their descriptive adjectives used to describe the food and knick-knacks on handout. Scroll to the bottom for handouts, including a rubric.