If you’re really struggling to get kids interested in the power of words, try an activity where you assign each student a word and ask them to create the tattoo image for someone who wanted this word as part of a tattoo. 

Ask them to brainstorm a backstory for why that word was so important to the person, and then come up with an image that connects the word, its meaning, and the backstory. Not easy! But perhaps outside-the-box enough to capture some interest. Then let everyone present back their tattoo designs.