Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. For this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates new vocabulary in Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.
Students will preview the terms and definitions and use whole class or small group discussion to demonstrate their understanding of each meaning. This can be done at the beginning of each chapter so that students can preview what they will read or teachers could decide to do at the end of a chapter as an assessment. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a spider map that defines and illustrates new vocabulary from Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions, and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.
Set up a dedicated wall or bulletin board to display new vocabulary words throughout your unit. This gives students a consistent, visual reminder of the terms and supports ongoing learning.
Engage students in choosing important words from each chapter to include on the word wall. This builds ownership and ensures the vocabulary is relevant to their reading.
Assign each student a word to define and illustrate on an index card or small poster. Encourage creativity by letting them use drawings or magazine cut-outs for visuals.
Designate a weekly 'Vocabulary Keeper' to add new words, update definitions, or refresh illustrations as the class progresses. This keeps the wall dynamic and engaging.
Use the word wall for quick review games, exit tickets, or as prompts for writing practice. Frequent interaction helps reinforce understanding and recall.
A visual vocabulary board for Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is a graphic organizer where students define, illustrate, and provide examples of key terms from the story, helping them to better understand and remember the vocabulary.
To teach vocabulary from Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters to 2nd or 3rd graders, introduce key terms before reading, use storyboards or spider maps for definitions and illustrations, and encourage discussion or group activities to reinforce understanding.
Example vocabulary words from Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters include: acknowledge, bountiful, commotion, considerate, enclosure, garments, grieve, hysterically, ignored, proclaimed, silhouetted, and transfixed.
The best way to assess students’ understanding of new vocabulary is to have them define and illustrate each term, participate in class discussions, and use vocabulary in sentences, either at the beginning or end of each chapter as needed.
Previewing vocabulary before reading helps students build comprehension, recognize important words in context, and retain new terms more effectively throughout the lesson.