Wise Words: Learning About Proverbs and Adages!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 9:00 Video
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Lesson Description

Let's learn about short, wise sayings called proverbs and adages! We'll discover what they mean and how they help us.

Video Resource

Proverbs and Adages | Learn all about Proverbs and Adages for Kids

Learn Bright

Duration: 9:00
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Proverbs are short, wise sayings.
  • Adages are like proverbs, giving advice.
  • Proverbs and adages are not meant to be taken literally; they have deeper meanings.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify what a proverb and adage are.
  • Students will be able to understand the meaning of simple proverbs and adages.
  • Students will be able to give an example of a proverb or adage.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Greet students and introduce the topic: wise sayings. Ask if they've ever heard a grown-up say something that didn't quite make sense literally but had a good meaning behind it.
  • Video Time! (7 mins)
    Play the "Proverbs and Adages | Learn all about Proverbs and Adages for Kids" video from Learn Bright.
  • What Did We Learn? (8 mins)
    After the video, ask students what they learned about proverbs and adages. Reinforce that they are short, wise sayings that give advice. Review the examples from the video: "A watched pot never boils," "Actions speak louder than words," and "The early bird catches the worm."
  • Act It Out! (10 mins)
    Choose a few simple proverbs/adages and have the students act them out. For example, for "Actions speak louder than words," one student can pretend to say they will clean up, while another student demonstrates cleaning up. For "The early bird catches the worm," one student can pretend to wake up early and 'catch' a toy worm before another student wakes up later. For "Don't judge a book by its cover" have a student describe another student kindly to showcase you cannot judge them by looks.
  • Wrap Up (5 mins)
    Review what was learned. Tell students they should keep their ears open and they may hear a proverb or adage!

Interactive Exercises

  • Proverb Picture Match
    Draw simple pictures representing different proverbs or adages (e.g., a picture of someone waiting by a pot for 'A watched pot never boils', picture of worm getting caught by bird, picture of book cover and another picture of the story in the book. Have the students match the picture to the correct saying, which you will say aloud or write in simple form.

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever heard someone say something that didn't make sense but was wise?
  • Can you think of a time when your actions showed something more than your words?
  • Why is it important to not judge a book by its cover?

Skills Developed

  • Listening Comprehension
  • Vocabulary Building
  • Critical Thinking

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

A proverb is a short, wise ___________.

Correct Answer: Saying

Question 2:

What is something an adage can give you?

Correct Answer: Advice

Question 3:

If something seems too good to be true, it probably ___________.

Correct Answer: Is

Question 4:

Actions speak louder than ___________.

Correct Answer: Words

Question 5:

The early bird catches the ___________.

Correct Answer: Worm

Question 6:

Are proverbs and adages taken seriously?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 7:

What does 'Don't judge a book by its cover' mean?

Correct Answer: Don't judge by looks

Question 8:

Does 'A watched pot never boils' mean the pot won't ever boil?

Correct Answer: No

Question 9:

An adage is like a ___________.

Correct Answer: Proverb

Question 10:

What should you do when waiting for something?

Correct Answer: Distract yourself

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A _______ is a short, wise saying.

Correct Answer: proverb

Question 2:

An adage gives you _________.

Correct Answer: advice

Question 3:

Actions speak louder than _________.

Correct Answer: words

Question 4:

The early bird catches the _________.

Correct Answer: worm

Question 5:

If something seems too good to be true, it probably _______.

Correct Answer: is

Question 6:

A ________ is similar to an adage

Correct Answer: proverb

Question 7:

Don't judge a ________ by its cover

Correct Answer: book

Question 8:

When waiting for something you should _________ yourself

Correct Answer: distract

Question 9:

The video we watched was from _________ Bright

Correct Answer: Learn

Question 10:

The early bird gets the _________ pick of the worms

Correct Answer: first

Educational Standards

PK.1.L.1:Students will actively listen using agreed-upon rules with prompting. PK.3.R.2:Students will answer basic questions (e.g., who, what, where, and when) about texts, photographs, or illustrations during shared reading or other text experiences with prompting. PK.4.R.3:Students will begin to acquire new vocabulary and relate new words to prior knowledge. PK.8.R:Students will listen and respond to read-alouds, participate in shared reading, and interact independently with texts.

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