Shades of Meaning Discussion Cards

Use these shades of meaning cards to prompt discussion among students about the nuances of words. Once your students understand the concept of shades of meaning, they are ready to practice with synonyms. These cards can be used in partners, small group or whole group.

How it Works
Given a card with three synonyms that vary in shades of meaning, students ask their partner or group questions using one of the target words. The questions are printed on the cards in order of intensity of meaning of the synonyms. The questions are mostly open ended and are designed to elicit expanded responses. Each student(s) listens and responds to the questions. This gives students the opportunity to practice using synonyms and their shades of meaning in real discussions with their peers. Discussions should probably be modeled first by the teacher so that discussion expectations are clear.

What's Included
Twelve cards are included with a blank master to add your own words and questions. Print out the form or NOW USE Adobe Acrobat READER to FILL IN THE FORM on your computer and then PRINT. Since the discussion are intended to be open-ended, no answer key is needed. The cards can be rotated among partner groups or small groups so that opportunities for practice are available for all the words. The words selected are aligned to common core suggestions of states of mind, verbs and adjectives.

Tips for use:
♦ Use whole class initially until students are comfortable with the format.
♦ Students can create their own discussion cards using the blank sheets. This is an opportunity for older students to complete a mini-project by making a set of discussion cards.
♦ Laminate the cards for future use.
♦ ******UPDATED with new fonts, colors and clip art. A blank template is a fillable form that can be filled in with any PDF reader. I recommend Adobe Acrobat Reader.

A sample page of Shades of Meaning Discussion Cards Version 2.0 is included!

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Related Products
⭐ Shades of Meaning Adjectives Center
⭐ Shades of Meaning Concept Building Vocabulary Activities
⭐ Shades of Meaning Discussion Cards 2.0
⭐ Shades of Meaning Little Red's Bad Day Vocabulary Activity
⭐ Shades of Meaning States of Mind Center
⭐ Shades of Meaning Verbs Center
⭐ Shades of Meaning Vocabulary Practice With the Temperature of Words
⭐ Shades of Meaning with Christmas Words Craftivity
⭐ Shades of Meaning with Thanksgiving Words Craftvity
⭐ Synonyms and Shades of Meaning PowerPoint Lessons and Printables

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Interested in more resources for English Language Arts for:

★ character analysis
★ central message
★ character point of view and perspectives
★ literature companion packs
★ literary centers
★ shades of meaning
★ commas and addresses
★ vocabulary assessments
★ narrative writing
★ ELA games

CLICK HERE FOR ELA RESOURCES
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