This lesson is designed to help students comprehend and use vocabulary words to understand their context in a unit. Before starting a new unit, students should obtain a list of vocabulary words and be able to demonstrate their understanding of each meaning. These vocabulary strategies enable the student to read more fluently, understand the author's word choice, and gain deeper insight into the meaning of a text.
Check out these visual vocabulary activities from our guides on The Great Gatsby, Freak the Mighty, and Spanish Family Tree Vocabulary.
In any classroom, teaching vocabulary is a key component for expanding student knowledge. A perfect way for students to practice their vocabulary skills is to create storyboards that incorporate use of words in a real life context. When students define, then use a word, they master the application of it and retain it in their vocabulary.
Teacher Note: Students retain the most information when they go through the stages of acquisition. It is not until they can apply their knowledge that they show mastery. Therefore, it is important to get students using words in context.
The lesson time may vary depending on the number of words per unit. Research suggests that in the long run, teachers can have a greater impact on vocabulary by giving students repeated exposures to 5-10 useful new words every week, rather than by drilling them on 20 or more words at a time (most of which will be forgotten within a couple of months).
Although this lesson can be used for multiple grade levels, below are examples of the Common Core Standards for Grades 9-10. Please see the Common Core Standards for correct grade-appropriate strands.
Students will learn new vocabulary words, use them correctly in a sentence, and understand their meaning in the text.
Prior to this lesson, students should be able to locate definitions using a dictionary or a computer.
Most students struggle with using words in a sentence because they lack the ability to disseminate the part of speech for a word, or because a word has multiple definitions. Make sure that you go over the anticipated meaning of the word before students use these vocabulary words in sentences.
Give students a list of words that they will encounter during their reading. The teacher can choose if this list should contain the definitions or if the students should be using a dictionary (physical or electronic) to find their meanings. Once students have completed this, they should routinely use these words to gain mastery. Before reading, ask students to create storyboards that use the word in a sentence correctly. It is helpful if you ask them to include the part of speech for each word.
During reading you can have students track words, finding the page number, line, and quote where each word is used. They can then use these items to create a storyboard showing the actual expression of the word from the novel.
When planning a vocabulary activity, consider desired performance objects and necessary modifications for both student ability and subject.
In other subject areas that require students to learn subject-specific vocabulary, students can create storyboards that define a process or visually depict a time period, event, or theory!
Even more exciting is the ability for students to practice foreign language words in context. As students acquire new words, phrases, and expressions, they can make storyboards that practice their new language.
The purpose of the vocabulary lesson plan is to help students comprehend and use vocabulary words in the context of a unit, enabling them to read more fluently, understand the author's word choice, and gain deeper insight into the meaning of a text.
Students can practice their vocabulary skills by creating storyboards that incorporate the use of words in real-life contexts. This helps them to define and use a word, master its application, and retain it in their vocabulary.
The lesson time may vary depending on the number of words per unit. However, research suggests that teachers can have a greater impact on vocabulary by giving students repeated exposures to 5-10 useful new words every week, rather than drilling them on 20 or more words at a time.