Words Are Drab…Engage Your Students With Vocab!

1. Words Are Drab…Engage Your Students With Vocab! CAST 2011 Aimee Ayers and Jena Walters

2. 6th Grade Science TEK…do you see a problem?? • (7)  Matter and energy. The student knows that some of Earth's energy resources are available on a nearly perpetual basis, while others can be renewed over a relatively short period of time. Some energy resources, once depleted, are essentially nonrenewable. The student is expected to: • (A)  research and debate the advantages and disadvantages of using coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and solar resources; and

3. List of Words Commonly Found on Science Assessments • Apparatus • Classify • Common • Composed • Confirm • Diagram • Evidence • Exposed • Formation • Indicates • Ordinary • Percentage • Diagram

4. Screen shot courtesy of Delta Education Foss Web http://www.fossweb.com/NYC/modules6-8/DSM_LTE/DSM_LTE_Build.pdf

5. What To Do???

6. What the Research Says… • Students need to be involved in constructing meaning • The vocabulary needs to be tied into the content, not recited • Listen, Speak, Read, Write!! ELPS • Re-teach, review, and reuse vocabulary in an engaging way CONSTANTLY!

7. A robust approach to vocabulary involves directly explaining the meanings of words along with thought provoking, playful, and interactive follow up. Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002

8. Word Wall • Content Word Wall • Colorful • Catchy Title • Words and Pictures • Test Vocabulary Word Wall • Color-coded • Sentence Strips Vocabulary Card courtesy of Melissa Duncan

9. Games • Excellent strategy for reviewing vocabulary • Keeps students engaged • Hands on approach that allows students to create their own meaning

10. Fly Swatter Vocabulary • Fly Swatter Vocabulary (use your word wall)\ • Divide students into 2-3 lines. • The first student in each line receives a fly swatter or pointer • Call out a definition or example of a vocabulary word on the word wall • The first student to swat the correct word receives a point for their team

11. Magic Squares • Vocabulary Words are each given a letter. • Students match the numbers with the terms and record the number in the matching number box. • After they have matched all numbers, they can add up the rows and columns to make sure they got the ‘magic number’ • If they did not, they messed up somewhere!

12. Sticky Note Secrets or Human Hot Seat • Sticky Note Secret • In small groups or pairs, one student will put a sticky note on their forehead or a vocabulary card above their head, without looking. • The other students(s) will describe the vocabulary word and the guessing student will guess the word on their head • Human Hot Seat • The game is the same, but one student sits in a chair facing the class • On the board behind the student, write a vocabulary word for the class to describe

13. Total Physical Response • ELPS Strategy • Students use their whole body to demonstrate a vocabulary word • Example: Potential and Kinetic

14. Back Words • Each student puts a vocabulary word on his/her back. • Students walk around room asking only YES or NO questions about his/her word. • The game is finished when everyone has solved their word! • Example from the beginning of the year: “Am I an animal?” • Example from this week: “Am I living?,” “Is my word a process?”

15. Concept Attainment • Provide “yes” and “no” examples. • Students derive definition/concept by picking out common attributes from the “yes” category. • Throw in a “twist.” • Discuss

16. Conga Line • Split class in half and create two lines of students facing each other. • Teacher gives students a vocabulary word. • Students start by telling the person across from them the definition. • Students then rotate one person down the line and give them an example of the word. • Students move again and use the word in a sentence. • This can go on until you feel students have an understanding of the word!

17. Draw-a-word • Give students construction paper or create a new page in journal. • The top half of the page the students will illustrate a vocabulary word/concept. • Teacher will start the music and students move around the room. When the music stops students sit where they are. • Students will write the word for the picture, use it in a sentence, and write the definition on another students drawing.

19. On the Move • Teacher gives each student a sentence strip with a vocabulary word. • Students walk around the room as “word detectives” asking questions about their word. • Students can come up with their own questions or the teacher can provide something for students to gather and record information on.

21. Concept Development • Provide pictures or words for students to sort into categories. • Students objective is to decide the title of the lesson and place all pictures or words into categories with common characteristics. • There must be at least TWO per category. • Students are deriving the concept.

22. Think-Pair-Share • Pick a strategy to take back and use in your classroom. • Discuss with a partner how you will use this strategy.

23. Story Telling • Make it interactive • Thumbs up • Card sort • Secret Message Decoder

24. The Story of Family Element • Metal • Non-metal • Metalloid • Periodic Table of Elements • Magnetic • Shiny/Lustrous • Solid • Conductivity • Dull

25. Periodic Table of Elements

26. Thank you for joining us! • Aimee Ayers – aayers@lubbockisd.org • Jena Walters – jwalters@mesquiteisd.org • www.ciser.ttu.edu/outreach