Landforms Vocabulary

We are studying various landforms in social studies. The text does an excellent job of bolding vocabulary words and embedding the definition within the text. This made it easier for students to identify new vocabulary and look for the definition.

I told students that sometimes authors define new vocabulary words in the text. They didn’t always need to use the dictionary or glossary to find the meaning. Vocabulary words are usually printed in bold text to draw the readers’ attention to the word. The word is usually defined within the sentence it appears or the sentence before or after the word. I pointed out the author can provide a different word (crops, plants) to define the word or directly state what the word means (a natural resource is…). Sometimes the author gives the definition with examples, i.e. minerals, such as silver, gold, or iron is found inside the earth.

I directed students to page 4 of the reading guide. There was a vocabulary match with words listed on the left and definitions on the right. Students were directed to write the letter of the word next to the correct definition. They were given the page numbers to read to ensure most of their time was spent on task versus flipping through pages on a scavenger hunt.

 I modeled finding the definition within the text. I laid a transparency over the book page and used a dry-erase maker to underline the definition, emphasizing their responses should be text-based. 

Students worked in self-selected pairs to complete the assignment. Even though this was a simple assignment that students could have completed independently, they are more motivated when working cooperatively. There is more discussion of the content which increases their English language and conversational skills as well as their academic language. 

Students were assessed on the number of correct responses in the reading guide. Correct responses demonstrated students referred explicitly to the text for the answers. 80% was considered mastery.

Students completed a crossword puzzle to reinforce the vocabulary learned in today’s lesson. They used a light-colored color pencil or crayon to shade in the words. Using various tools is highly engaging to students and motivates them to complete the task.