In The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt, the Prime Minister is writing a new dictionary in which words are defined by the best example that illustrates their meaning:
"Annoying is a loose boot in a muddy place."
"Bulky is a big bag of boxes."
"Calamitous is saying no to the king."
Which do you think is better: to say something is stinky, or to say that it stinks like a rotten egg in a barrel of fish? Which one gives us a concrete picture in our minds (and a real smell in our nostrils?)
Using the Prime Minister's method of defining words by the best example, come up with a definition for these three words: GOOD, TRUE, and BEAUTIFUL. Then ask everyone else in your family for their definitions. Can you all come to an agreement?
This activity is adapted from my class "Playing with Words." Register here.