Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to The Miracle Worker by William Gibson.
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. Students will create a spider map of 3-5 terms at the teacher’s discretion. Each cell will contain a term, its definition and an illustration that depicts the meaning. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary in The Miracle Worker.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.
Adapt vocabulary tasks to match individual learning needs so every student can participate meaningfully. Offering choices, scaffolds, and tiered supports ensures all students—from struggling readers to advanced learners—can access and master key terms from The Miracle Worker.
Organize students into small groups according to their vocabulary skills or English proficiency. Homogeneous groups allow you to target instruction and support students at their own pace.
Select 3–5 words that fit each group’s level. Advanced groups can tackle more challenging terms, while emergent learners focus on high-utility words.
Let students choose how to demonstrate vocabulary knowledge: drawings, skits, digital slides, or oral explanations. This boosts engagement and honors diverse strengths.
Offer sentence starters and accessible vocabulary banks to scaffold writing and speaking about terms. These tools help all students use new words in context.
Check in with students as they work and praise effort and progress. Highlight improvements in vocabulary use to build confidence and motivation!
Effective ways to teach key vocabulary from The Miracle Worker include using visual storyboard activities, group discussions, and having students define and illustrate each term. This hands-on approach boosts comprehension and retention of new words.
To create a visual vocabulary board, select 3–5 key terms, write their definitions, and add student-made illustrations that show each word’s meaning. Organize these into a storyboard or spider map for easy reference.
Introducing vocabulary before reading helps students better understand and engage with the text, making it easier to follow the story and grasp deeper meanings as they encounter key terms in context.
Examples of key vocabulary from The Miracle Worker include bleat, indolent, impudence, oculist, bewildered, and tantrum. These words enhance students' understanding of the play’s language and themes.
A storyboard activity involves students defining vocabulary terms and illustrating them visually. This process supports active learning and helps students master new words by connecting definitions with imagery.