25 ANIMAL-SPECIFIC ADJECTIVES LEARNING OBJECTIVES, SEASONALITY, & AGE RANGE FAQs

WHAT ARE THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES OF THIS RESOURCE?

This resource deliberately places words that students are familiar with (e.g. feline, canine, and asinine) in the same context as words that students will use far less frequently, if at all (e.g. pavonine, hircine, and murine).

By doing so, this list helps to remind students that English contains a significant number of Latin-derived words and that such words regularly feature in formal, descriptive language.

Simultaneously, this list helps to introduce students to a group of unfamiliar words (along with their meanings) that students may well meet as they encounter more and more advanced literary texts.

Increased familiarity with these words will, therefore, help to boost both students’ comprehension skills and their textual analysis abilities.

IS THIS AN EVERGREEN OR SEASONAL RESOURCE?

This is an evergreen resource which is suitable for use at any point in the school year.

CAN YOU PROVIDE FURTHER GUIDANCE REGARDING AGE RANGE & SUITABILITY?

The years and ages listed above are intended as recommendations only; please feel free to use this resource in any educational context that suits your needs.

25 ANIMAL-SPECIFIC ADJECTIVES USING THIS RESOURCE FAQs

BEYOND THE OBJECTIVES LISTED ABOVE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER USES FOR THIS RESOURCE?

Students who are working on descriptive and/or narrative writing projects may find this list of defined adjectives helpful as it encourages them to move beyond basic adjectives and employ more sophisticated language.

This resource also pairs naturally with work on word origins, etymology, or Latin and Greek roots.

DOESN’T THE WORD ASININE MEAN ‘FOOLISH’?

Yes, it does. But it also means ‘resembling or relating to an ass’.

The reason for this is that the adjective asinine derives from the Latin asinus, meaning ass (donkey). Consequently, the adjective’s insulting sense grew directly from that root.

HOW DO I USE THIS RESOURCE AS A PRINTED RESOURCE?

Print the list and keep it on the desk during writing sessions as a quick reference tool so that your student can pick a precise animal-like adjective for their description.

The list works equally well as a wall display in a classroom or home study space.

In addition, you may find it helpful to keep a copy of this list in a vocabulary folder (if you have one).

HOW DO I USE THIS RESOURCE AS A DIGITAL LEARNING AID?

There are several ways to use this PDF on a screen.

If your student types their stories on a computer, laptop, or tablet, they can keep the PDF open on one half of the screen as a permanent, digital word bank they can glance at when they need inspiration.

Save the PDF to a tablet or an iPad. Using any basic PDF reader, your student can highlight words they want to include in their work or cross off words as they use them.

If you are a teacher and want to use this resource in your classroom, consider projecting this PDF onto an interactive whiteboard during a creative writing lesson to use for whole-class brainstorming or group work.

Note: Given the vibrant nature of the full-colour version of this resource, it works particularly well in its digital format.