Lesson: Vocabulary
with Wordsmith
2nd grade vocabulary
review
**Applicable for all
grade levels**
Objective: Students will
be able to use tier II vocabulary words in context
Standards:
CA 2nd
Core: Reading Informational Text – C.S. 4 – Determine the meaning of words and
phrases in a text releveant to a grade 2 topic or subject area
CA ELA RC 2.0 –
Students read and comprehend grade-level materialCA VAPA 1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION
Development
of the Vocabulary of Theatre
1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as actor,
character, cooperation, setting, the five senses, and audience, to describe
theatrical experiences.
CA VAPA 2.0 CREATIVE
EXPRESSION
Development of
Theatrical Skills
2.1 Perform in group improvisational theatrical games that
develop cooperative skills and concentration.
CA VAPA 5.0
CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS
Connections and
Applications
5.1 Use problem-solving and cooperative skills in dramatizing a
story, a current event, or a concept from another subject area.
Careers and
Career-Related Skills
5.2 Demonstrate the ability to participate cooperatively
in the different jobs required to create a theatrical production.
Materials:
Poster of Rubric
Paper
Pencils
Clipboards
Grabs: vocabulary words – vibrant, retreat, stylish, exhausted, anchor
Background:
Students have been introduced to 5 new vocabulary words: 2
words on Monday, 2 words on Tuesday and 1 word on Wednesday. As a part of the
introduction to the words, the following are discussed and written down by the
teacher and the students: kid-friendly definition, synonyms, antonyms, part of
speech, syllabication, spelling, contextual sentence and contextual drawing.
Thursday— Introduce new activity
The teacher selects four students to model the game with her
in front of the rest of the class. Each student needs a clipboard, piece of
paper and pencil. The teacher describes the game, Wordsmith, to the group and the class, and the teacher chooses a
prior vocabulary word to demonstrate how the game is played. All the children
will write down the “script” so that they all have the text from which to
practice. The teacher models the entire process with the children, including
brainstorming the contextual sentence and practicing the performance several
times.
The teacher then divides the class into 5 groups. Each group
will be assigned one word. The groups can then be given 20 minutes to work on
the script for their word. When 20 minutes are up, teacher tells the class they
will again have time tomorrow to practice, and then class transitions by repeatedly clapping the spelling of their word on
their way back to their seats only until they are seated, then they freeze and
wait for directions for the next task.
Modeling script |
Wordsmith (modified)
This game is played as described in
the syllabus on page 11, except this version differs from the original in the
following ways:
The actors will all stand in a row,
center-stage. The actors, on cue from the actor at far stage-right, will say
the vocabulary word in unison. Then the actors, starting with the actor at
stage right, will spell the word one letter at a time. The actors will then say
the word in unison again. Next, the actors will define the word, each actor
saying one word of the definition at a time in order from the far right actor
until the definition ends. The actors will then say the word in unison again.
Finally, the actors will use the word in a contextual sentence they created,
one word at a time from the far right actor until they have finished the
sentence, each actor saying one word as cued by the actor before him/her, until
the sentence ends. The actors will then say the word in unison one final time.
Sample
script:
In unison: “debris”
One letter at a time, one person at a time: ‘D’
‘E’ ‘B’ ‘R’
‘I’ ‘S’
In unison: “debris”
One word, one person at a time: “debris means the remains of
something that has been destroyed or broken up”
In unison: “debris”
One word, one person at a time: “The beach was littered with debris
from the shipwreck after the storm.”
Friday -- Presentation
Begin the lesson by reviewing the rubric that will guide
today’s presentations. Make sure the children understand all the categories and
provide concrete examples of all the scoring possibilities (what does “got a
ways to go” actually look like in terms of the presentation). Be sure to stress
that this is a group presentation, and group members should always seek to make
the group look good, not themselves. Discuss what being a part of a performing
troupe means as far as cooperative working and performing.
Move the children into their groups to finish their script
and begin practicing their presentations. Give them twenty minutes until
presentation time, then let them know when they have 10 minutes left (teacher
can modify time allotment as deemed necessary). Collaboration is a category on
the rubric, so make sure you are visiting each group to ensure they are working
together properly and to clear up any misconceptions.
When the 20 minutes are up, ask the children to go back to
their seats until their group is called. Take this time to discuss the rubric
again (rubric should be displayed).
Presentation:
Call each group up to present one at a time. They may need
multiple attempts at the performance the first time this is done. Allow them to
restart if necessary.
Transition (ticket to
go):
At the end of the period, students can transition to recess
by spelling their words on the way out the door, one group at a time.
CATEGORY
|
I've arrived!
|
Almost there
|
On my way
|
Got a ways to go
|
Vocabulary
Definition
|
Provides the complete definition that
shows understanding of the word
|
Provides an incomplete definition but
still shows understanding of the word
|
Provides an incomplete or incorrect
definition that leads to a contextual misunderstanding in the sentence
|
Provides no definition
|
Sentence
in Context
|
Provides a complete sentence that
presents the vocabulary word in a contextual setting such that general
meaning can be derived
|
Provides a complete sentence that
presents the vocabulary word in a minimally contextual sentence with few
contextual clues
|
Provides a complete sentence that
presents the vocabulary word without contextual clues
|
Provides a complete sentence that uses
the vocabulary word incorrectly
|
Posture
and Eye Contact
|
Maintains position center stage in a row;
stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident; maintains eye level at the
back wall.
|
Maintains position center stage in a row;
may not stand up straight; may lose eye contact with back wall but regains
positioning
|
Does not maintain positioning; does not
stand up straight; does not attempt to focus on back wall
|
Interferes with presentation through lack
of proper posture and focus
|
Volume
|
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all
audience members throughout the presentation.
|
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all
audience members at least 90% of the time.
|
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all
audience members at least 80% of the time.
|
Volume often too soft to be heard by all
audience members.
|
Collaboration
with Peers
|
Almost always listens to, shares with,
and supports the efforts of others in the group. Tries to keep people working
well together.
|
Usually listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group. Does not cause "waves"
in the group.
|
Often listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group but sometimes is not a good team
member.
|
Rarely listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group. Often is not a good team member.
|
What a fun activity! Students will really be engaged and enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great site for teachers. It has so many resources and links that we can use and implement with little to no prep. I can't wait to share this with my school site.
ReplyDeleteLesley,
ReplyDeleteWow whata great lesson to reinforce vocabulary for any grade level. I will use this in my first grade classroom. I also love the standards and the rubric. You guys have really out done yourselves doing this blog for your final project!!!
Thank you all for your support! Trixley and I hope you all will send us your wonderful lessons from the program so that we can all share them with educators who want to bring excitement back to learning.
ReplyDeleteI am new to second grade this year. I kind of feel I did ok wiht story vocabualry words this year, but it did get a little boring by the end of the year. I really like the idea of a group presentation for individual words. The saying in unison plus one word at a time not only will help with inputting the knowledge into more long term memroy but it provides an opportunity for working in a group in a fun way. I look forward to tryingit next year.
ReplyDeleteI hope to have a video of the kids actually doing this game on the blog in the next few days. We've used this game from second to fifth, and my fifth graders this year loved playing this game just as much as the younger ones. I also used this lesson for one of my observations -- oh boy, was my administrator impressed! She loved the simultaneous engagement. I provided the kids with a sample script taken from this lesson plan as well as the rubric. She noted that the kids were all referring to the rubric to make sure they were on point. It was good stuff! One further note: one of my fellow graduate students just used this lesson with her fifth grade class to summarize articles about the pre-revolutionary taxes being imposed on the colonists. Instead of single words, the game was modified so that they said the name of the tax in unison, then each said a word from the sentence they produced as they summarized the topic. It was great.
Delete