Another great way to engage your students is through the creation of storyboards that use vocabulary from The Color Purple. Here is a list of a few vocabulary words commonly taught with the novel, and an example of a visual vocabulary board.
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Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the vocabulary words in The Color Purple by creating visualizations.
Boost student engagement and solidify understanding of vocabulary from The Color Purple by organizing a fun, interactive review game. Games reinforce learning and help students recall definitions in a lively way.
Pick 8-10 relevant vocabulary words and divide students into small teams. Working in groups encourages collaboration and makes the review process more dynamic.
Prepare cards for each word—one with the word, one with its definition, one with a sample sentence, and one with a simple drawing or image. This supports multiple learning styles and keeps the activity hands-on.
Choose a matching game (students pair words to definitions/images) or charades (act out the word while others guess). Gamifying vocabulary makes review sessions memorable and fun.
Go over each word as a class, clarifying any confusion and celebrating creative thinking. This helps ensure everyone leaves with a better grasp of the vocabulary.
Effective vocabulary activities for teaching The Color Purple include creating visual vocabulary boards, using word mapping, and having students illustrate words through storyboards. These strategies help students connect new terms to the novel and deepen comprehension.
To make vocabulary lessons more engaging, encourage students to visualize words with images or scenes from the novel, work in pairs to discuss meanings, or use interactive digital tools like storyboard creators. This approach fosters creativity and better retention.
A visual vocabulary board is a graphic organizer where students define words, use them in sentences, and illustrate their meanings with pictures or scenes. For The Color Purple, students can select key terms, find definitions, and create visuals to reinforce understanding.
Focus on challenging or thematic words such as fractious, ululation, innate, downtrodden, Pidgin, corrugated, vesper, verbosity, and others that are central to the novel's context. These words build students' literary vocabulary and comprehension.
To create a storyboard for vocabulary, have students choose three key words, look up their definitions, use each in a sentence, and illustrate meanings using scenes or characters. Digital tools or drawing can make this process interactive and fun.