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Syntax and Sentence Structure
Who’s the Biggest, Fastest, and Strongest?

Summary

In this literacy centre, designed for grades 1 to 3, students will explore comparative and superlative adjectives by competing in a fictional “Adjective Olympics.” They will compare objects, people, and imaginary events in their classroom, deciding who or what is bigger, faster, stronger, or the most interesting. By writing comparative and superlative sentences, students will learn how to describe objects and actions in relation to others.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this centre, students will be able to:
  • Understand the difference between comparative adjectives (comparing two things) and superlative adjectives (comparing three or more things);
  • Write comparative and superlative sentences to describe and compare items and actions;
  • Use descriptive language to explain the differences between objects and events.

Material to Prepare

  • Appendix A: Classroom Comparison List
  • Appendix B: Comparative and Superlative Adjective Chart
  • Appendix C: How to Win the Adjective Olympics
  • Writing sheets
  • Pencils, erasers, and markers

Procedure

Step 1: Adjective Olympics Warm-Up
  • Step 1: Look Around the Classroom

    Start by looking around your classroom. What items do you see? What objects are bigger, easily movable, or heavier than others? Write down the names of a few items you see, like “the chair,” “the window,” or “the book.”

  • Step 2: Compare Two Items
    • Now, pick two objects and compare them. Use a comparative adjective to show how one object differs from the other.
    • Example: “The chair is bigger than the book.”
Step 2: The Olympic Challenge—Who’s the Best?
  • Step 1: Choose Three or More Items
    • Imagine that these objects are competing in an “Adjective Olympics.” Now, choose three or more objects and choose the largest, fastest, or heaviest. Use a superlative adjective to show which object wins the competition.
    • Example: “The window is the biggest item in the room.”
  • Step 2: Write Your Comparisons
    • Write a sentence comparing two items using a comparative adjective (e.g., bigger, smaller). Then, write a sentence using a superlative adjective to describe the “winner” of the competition (e.g., biggest, fastest).
    • Example Comparative Sentence: “The marker is longer than the pencil.”
    • Example Superlative Sentence: “The table is the heaviest object in the room.”
Step 3: Draw Your Adjective Champions

Draw Your “Adjective Champions”

  • After you’ve written your comparative and superlative sentences, draw a picture of the objects you compared. Label the items with their comparative or superlative adjectives.
  • Example: Draw the chair and the book and label the chair “bigger” and the book “smaller.” Draw the window and label it “biggest.”

Checklist for Independent Work:

  • Did you compare two objects using a comparative adjective?
  • Did you write a superlative sentence about the “winner” of the competition?
  • Did you illustrate your “Adjective Champions” with their adjectives?

DIFFERENTIATION: Observing and providing support during analysis.

Possible Observation Intervention Strategies
Students struggle to understand how to form comparative or superlative adjectives, especially with longer words or irregular forms. For example, they write sentences like “biggest than” instead of “bigger than” or “most heavy” instead of “heaviest.”
  • Remind students to use the Comparative and Superlative Adjective Chart (Appendix B) to check their forms.
  • Provide a mini-lesson on how some adjectives (e.g., good → better → best) don’t follow the usual rules. Offer examples and practice.
Students confuse comparative and superlative adjectives.
  • Explain that comparative adjectives are used when comparing two things, while superlative adjectives are used when comparing three or more things. Use simple visuals like two objects vs. a group of three objects to reinforce the concept.
  • Provide a sorting activity where students separate comparative and superlative sentences.
Students write very basic sentences (e.g., “The desk is bigger than the chair”) without adding more descriptive details.
  • Challenge students to add more detail. For example, ask, “Why is the desk bigger? Is it much bigger or just a little bigger?” Encourage sentences like “The desk is much bigger than the chair because it is wider and taller.”
  • Show pictures of objects and have students practise writing more descriptive comparisons.

Appendixes

Download the Appendixes document

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