Vocabulary Lesson Assignment

Overview

Research shows the importance of vocabulary in relation to comprehension.  Students need to have multiple exposures to words in a variety of experiences.  In order to really master a new word, students need to be able to accurately use the word and not just state its meaning.  Students should interact with new words through hands-on experiences and read-alouds and not just rewrite definitions from a dictionary.      

Instructions

You will create four PowerPoint presentations that will each represent different ways for students to learn vocabulary.  Use a self-selected book on at least a second-grade level and choose 5-9 Tier II words from your book to use for this assignment.  Make sure you watch the Watch: Providing a Good Vocabulary Lesson item in the Learn section of Module 2: Week 2. The four PowerPoint presentations you are creating are for the following four strategies: Word and Picture, Describe a Time, Example/Not Example, and Idea Completions.  All four presentations will use the same 5-9 selected vocabulary words.

• Word and Picture
  • Introduction slide should be first and contain the title of your book as well as the author(s).
  • One slide will only have the vocabulary word and the next slide will have a related picture illustrating the vocabulary word.  Do not combine the vocabulary word with the picture or add any additional information such as a definition.  That will take away from the learning experience.
• Describe a Time
  • Each slide should begin with “Describe a time when…” and include a synonym (e.g., Describe a time when you have seen a car accident, or wreckage).
• Example/Not Example
  • State the vocabulary word at the top of the slide and include four sentences or phrases underneath but do NOT use the vocabulary word within them.
  • Make sure you alternate how many times you are including sentences/phrases that are examples and the ones that are not examples of the vocabulary word.
• Idea Completions
  • Start a sentence for the student to complete or ask a question about the vocabulary word.  Each sentence should be a question or end with “because…” (e.g., The boy described the car accident as wreckage because…).

You are strongly encouraged to review the four PowerPoint samples provided with this assignment.