Learning new vocabulary is an important part of reading any story. Often, new words in an unfamiliar context need to be mastered before a student can understand what’s happening in a story. This is especially important when the story is set in a different time or different country and many words or context is quite unlike what students know.
After choosing a word, students provide a definition and an image or scene that illustrates the word. Students may be provided the vocabulary words, or they can use words that they have discovered through their own reading of the text.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the vocabulary words in "Ghost of the Lagoon" by creating visualizations.
Build a visual vocabulary wall in your classroom where students can post new words, definitions, and illustrations from "Ghost of the Lagoon." This helps reinforce learning and encourages students to reference and add to the wall throughout the unit.
Rotate student responsibility for updating the word wall each week. This fosters ownership, teamwork, and consistent engagement with vocabulary words.
Engage students by having them play quick games like "Guess the Word" or "Word Charades" using the vocabulary wall. These activities make learning fun and help solidify understanding.
Ask students to relate vocabulary words to their lives or local environment. This makes new words more meaningful and memorable.
Set aside time each week to review words on the wall, add new ones, and celebrate students’ creativity and effort. Positive reinforcement boosts confidence and motivation.
The 'Ghost of the Lagoon' vocabulary activity is a lesson where students select key words from the story, define them, use them in sentences, and create visual representations to deepen understanding of the story's language and context.
Students can effectively learn new vocabulary by defining each word, using it in a sentence, and illustrating its meaning with drawings or images. This multimodal approach helps reinforce word comprehension and retention.
Example vocabulary words from 'Ghost of the Lagoon' include lagoon, pandanus, vulnerable, reef, harpoon, expedition, and phosphorus.
A visual vocabulary board is an activity where students display vocabulary words, their definitions, example sentences, and illustrations or images that represent each word. It helps connect words to meaning visually and contextually.
Visualizing vocabulary helps students connect unfamiliar words to images and real-life scenarios, making it easier to grasp the story's setting and context, especially when it differs from their own experiences.