As students read, they'll likely encounter unfamiliar vocabulary words! A great way to engage students with vocabulary is to have them create visual vocabulary boards with words from “The Monkey’s Paw”. Students can choose to define the word based on context clues before looking it up in a dictionary. Then, they'll create an illustration of the word, whether within the context of "The Monkey's Paw" or their own sentence.
(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 Monkey’s Paw” by creating visualizations.
Invite students to swap their visual vocabulary boards with a classmate. This helps students see different perspectives and reinforces learning through collaboration.
Ask each student to leave a positive comment and a suggestion for improvement on their peer’s board. Feedback encourages thoughtful engagement and growth.
Display all boards around the room or virtually. Allow students to walk around and observe classmates’ work, building a stronger connection to the new vocabulary.
Have students jot down one new word or illustration that stood out to them during the review. This reflection reinforces retention and celebrates creative approaches.
Effective ways to teach vocabulary from 'The Monkey's Paw' include using visual vocabulary boards, encouraging students to define words using context clues, and having them illustrate the meaning through drawings or photographs. This helps deepen understanding and retention.
Students can create visual vocabulary boards by choosing unfamiliar words from the story, finding their definitions, writing sample sentences, and illustrating the words using scenes, characters, or items. Digital tools or image searches can also be used for visuals.
Some challenging vocabulary words in 'The Monkey's Paw' include rubicund, fakir, talisman, simian, doughty, credulity, and fusillade. These words are ideal for vocabulary activities.
Using context clues helps students infer the meaning of new words based on how they're used in the story. This builds critical reading skills and encourages independent learning before consulting a dictionary.
A sample activity is to assign students to pick three new words from 'The Monkey's Paw', define each word, write a sentence using it, and draw or find an image that represents its meaning. This can be done individually or with a partner.