“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
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 Wild Robot by Peter Brown. 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 words in The Wild Robot.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions, and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.
Grade Level 4-6
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Visual Vocabulary Boards
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | The definition is correct. | The definition is partially correct. | The definition is incorrect. |
| Visualizations | The storyboard cells clearly illustrate the meaning of the vocabulary words. | The storyboard cells relate to the meaning of the vocabulary words, but are difficult to understand. | The storyboard cells do not clearly relate to the meaning of the vocabulary words. |
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 Wild Robot by Peter Brown. 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 words in The Wild Robot.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions, and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.
Grade Level 4-6
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Visual Vocabulary Boards
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | The definition is correct. | The definition is partially correct. | The definition is incorrect. |
| Visualizations | The storyboard cells clearly illustrate the meaning of the vocabulary words. | The storyboard cells relate to the meaning of the vocabulary words, but are difficult to understand. | The storyboard cells do not clearly relate to the meaning of the vocabulary words. |
The teacher should choose important words from the story that will aid students in understanding the story itself, as well as improve their lexicon.
Offer students words that match their level, so you can challenge or scaffold students appropriately. In this manner, lower level students will not become overwhelmed, while higher level students will not be bored.
Visual aids work extremely well for vocabulary acquisition. When students use a spider map or storyboard to define words and draw an example, they are more likely to retain the knowledge of the new word.
Helping students to learn specific vocabulary words on the front end of the story aids students in their overall understanding of the story. Pulling words out at the beginning of study assists in the retention of the words as well.
Students are visual learners, so connecting words to pictures they create in their head or on a map really helps them to cement understanding. Making the connection of the drawing uses a different part of the brain so they will be more likely to remember long-term.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher