Another great way to engage your students is creating a storyboard that uses vocabulary. Here is a list of a few vocabulary words commonly taught with The Fault in Our Stars and an example of a visual vocabulary board.
In the vocabulary board, students can choose between coming up with their own use of the vocabulary word, finding the specific example from the text, or depicting it without words.
(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 The Fault in Our Stars by creating visualizations.
Adapt visual vocabulary activities to support all students, including English learners and those with IEPs. Offer word banks, sentence starters, or visual cues so every student can access and succeed with the content.
Demonstrate how to select a word, define it, use it in a sentence, and illustrate its meaning. Show your thinking aloud so students understand each part of the process and feel confident to start on their own.
Give each student or pair a mix of familiar and challenging words. This encourages collaboration and ensures students engage with a range of vocabulary instead of repeating the same few words.
Display all student boards around the classroom and have students circulate to view others’ work. Encourage students to leave sticky note comments or questions to deepen understanding and promote peer feedback.
Invite students to explain how each vocabulary word relates to key themes or events in the novel. This builds critical thinking and helps students see vocabulary in literary context.
A visual vocabulary board for The Fault in Our Stars is a graphic organizer where students define and illustrate vocabulary words from the novel using images, scenes, or characters to show their understanding.
Encourage students to create visual representations of vocabulary words, use storyboards, and write sample sentences to connect each word to the novel, making learning both engaging and memorable.
Important vocabulary words include unprecedented, idyllic, liberated, affliction, futility, oblivion, inexorable, malevolent, narcissist, and solace.
Have students select words from the novel, look up definitions, write original sentences, and illustrate each word using drawings or images. This process boosts comprehension and retention for grades 6-12.
Visual vocabulary boards help students deepen understanding by connecting words to images and context, supporting multiple learning styles and making vocabulary acquisition more interactive.