Download Magnetic Story - Cincinnati Zoo

Magnetic Story
Facilitated
Students will express themselves by creating their own Mad Libstyle story with select magnetic words.
Description: Students practice parts of speech with this magnetic poetry/Mad Lib-style activity.
Location at the Zoo: Jungle Trails Asia
Materials: Magnetic whiteboard, magnetic word pieces, dry erase markers, dry eraser
Background:
Sentences can be broken down into several definable parts of speech. Students begin learning these structures very
early in their formal education.
Definitions of parts of speech:
Noun – person, place or thing. A noun answers a who, or what question. Example: She saw a cheetah chase after an
antelope this summer.
Verb – action or state of being. Example: She saw a cheetah chasing an antelope.
Adjective – modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. Example: She saw a young cheetah chase after an injured
antelope.
Pronoun – word that takes the place of a noun. Example: She saw a cheetah chase after an antelope. It all
happened so fast. Other pronouns: I, we, you, she, he, it, they, me, us, her, him, them.
Adverb – modifies or describes a verb or adjective. Example: She focused intently on a cheetah chasing a mildly
injured antelope.
Article – precede a noun or noun phrase, such as a, an, the. Example: She saw a cheetah chase after an antelope.
Conjunction – joins parts together. Example: She saw a cheetah chasing an antelope, and quickly snapped a photo.
Other conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, and, yet.
Preposition – work with nouns or pronouns to create phases that modify verbs, nouns, pronouns, or adjectives.
Example: She saw a cheetah chase an injured antelope through the tall grasses of the savannah. Prepositions:
Aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid, among, around, at, before, behind, below,
beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, near, of, off, on,
onto, out, over, past, since, through, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon,
with, within, without.
Interjection – express emotion or surprise, usually stand alone and followed by exclamation marks.
Example: Wow! The cheetah caught the antelope!
Magnetic Story
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
School Days
Set Up: This activity can take place indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. If indoors, set up the
magnetic board just inside the exit of the Jungle Trails Asia building. If outdoors, find any suitable place
along the path near Jungle Trails Asia.
1. Write the following story in the center of the board:
“Stay alert,” says our guide Bert, as we (verb) through the (adjective) jungle. “(Interjection)! Over
on that (noun)! A wild (adjective) (noun)!!” says Bert. “And there! Behind the (noun)! It’s a
(adjective) (noun)!!” We (adverb) (verb) around the next turn, almost stumbling on a huge,
(verb)ing fern. The rainforest is a (adjective) resource, providing us with (adjective) fruits,
medicines, clean air and so much more. It’s like a (adjective) grocery store!
2. Cover the board with the felt, so that only the blanks are visible.
3. Place the magnetic words so that students can easily see what words are available to use.
Available words:
Nouns: monkey, ape, gibbon, tree, shrub, rock, hill, pond, waterfall, frog, fruit, flower, sandwich,
backpack, banana
Verbs: skip, roll, crawl, sneak, cartwheel, walk, break dance, sink, float, yell, sneeze, jump, hiccup
Adjectives: green, purple, orange, rainbow, spotted, glittery, slimy, furry, dark, tall, short, loud,
quiet, strange, amazing, smelly, hairy,
Adverb: quietly, loudly, quickly, slowly, wildly, dangerously
Interjections: Ack, wow, look, hey, yikes,
Activity:
As students approach, ask if they would like to create their own short adventure story. It’s like a Mad Lib,
if they’ve ever done those before. They help add the finishing touches and details to an existing story.
Have them choose from the magnetic words and place them into the story. Help them choose the
appropriate words to fit the empty spaces in the short story by supporting their proper use of the parts of
speech. As they go from one part of speech to the next briefly explain that part of speech. For example,
explain that nouns are people, places or things. Once all the blanks are covered, remove the felt and have
them (or you or a chaperone) read the story out-loud.
Conclusion
Does their story match their experience in Jungle Trails so far? How is it the same, how is it different?
Send them on their way looking for one of the silly (adjective) (nouns) they came up with in their story.
Magnetic Story
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
School Days