Materials:

 

·        red ball and orange ball

·        paper symbols for verb and adverb

·        paper for labeling

·        red and orange markers

 

Emphasis:

 

1.      To teach Dr. Montessori’s rationale behind having the orange ball represent the adverb.

 

2.      To give the child a strong multi-sensory experience to create the relationship between adverbs and verbs.

 

3.      To discover the purpose of and utilize adverbs in speech and writing.

 

4.      To manipulate verbs and adverbs to ensure logical agreement.

 

Warm-up:

 

1.      Gather a small group of children at the table.

 

2.      Give each child a written command and ask them to perform it.

 

3.      Place all of the command labels in a column and ask the children what all of these words represent.

 

Resurface:

 

            Draw from the students’ prior knowledge the definition of a verb.

 

Application:

 

1.      Write out the commands “hop,” “hop slowly,” and “hop quickly” on slips of paper utilizing the appropriate colors of ink.

 

2.      Secretly slide a command to each child, then ask them to perform their tasks individually.

 

3.      Ask the other children what the performer is doing.  Then ask if there was a difference in each performance.  (You may have to have a child repeat his action and exaggerate the adverb.)

 

4.      Repeat the process with the verb “hum.”

 

5.      Ask the children how they knew to do their action in a different way from their classmates.

 

6.      Explain that the word written in orange is an adverb.  Adverbs tell us more about the verb.  Adverb comes from the Latin word “adverbium” which means “close to the verb.”  The prefix “ad” also means “add” so the adverb adds meaning to the verb.

 

7.      Present the orange ball beside the red ball.

 

8.      The adverb is not as strong as the verb.  It needs the verb in order to be understood.  It is the same shape as the verb and a similar color because it is a member of the verb’s family.

 

9.      Roll the adverb around the verb and tell the children that the adverb is always close to the verb.

 

10.  Show the connection between the three dimensional symbol for the adverb and the two dimensional symbol.

 

Closure:

 

            “What do adverbs do?”  (They add meaning to the verb.)

 

Follow-up:

 

            Use the function drawers to provide practice for the children.

                                   

Extension:

 

1.      Begin studying prefixes

 

2.      Have the children search for and record adverbs and their verbs used in the books they are reading.

 

3.      Discuss how the adverbs created a stronger picture in their minds.