No Series: Building Science Vocabulary

Building Science Vocabulary

Lesson Objective: Identify challenging words in a text
All Grades / Science / Literacy
2 MIN

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

  1. Why is it beneficial to have students identify challenging vocabulary on their own?
  2. How could you consider vocabulary development when selecting texts for your students?
  3. How would you have students share and define the words they select?

45 Comments

  • Private message to christie DeVito

this merhod encourages students to research words of interest and will spark a longer list of words thana teacher directed list. students will also take ownership of work All positive .

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to deborah santagata
What do the students do with the words once they select them? What would be the next step, and how would you use this vocabulary in your lessons?
Recommended (3)
  • Private message to Zachary Schoenbrot

When using this strategy I have students look up the defintion in a dictionary (you will probably have to teach them how to use one) and then write down the defintion of the word in their own words. I also have them draw a sketch of the word. I then pull a playing card with their name on it. If their name is pulled, they share their word and its defintion.

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Miranda Bauer
The assessment is not pulling up...any other way to get it?
Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Kenya Wilson
Great strategy for supporting both science content and general vocabulary, and identifying whether students struggle to understand science concepts vs. poor reading comprehension.
Recommended (1)
  • Private message to Heather Valdespino
Awesome! If you want a great science writing curriculum with all of the articles already there for you check out www.sci-laws.com. The program is called LAWS:Literacy and Writing in Science!
Recommended (1)

Transcripts

  • Building Science Vocabulary
    Program Transcript

    ECET - Strategies New Orleans - Shelia Darjean Banks

    Shelia Banks:
    In pairs, I want

    Building Science Vocabulary
    Program Transcript

    ECET - Strategies New Orleans - Shelia Darjean Banks

    Shelia Banks:
    In pairs, I want you to identify vocabulary words. I want you to find five words that are difficult for you to understand.

    Banks (Interview):
    I was really interested in having students incorporate bigger segments of vocabulary into their existing knowledge. So, what I like to do is have students identify the words themselves as opposed to me standing in front of them and explicitly telling them to define this set of words.

    Student:
    Propogate.

    Banks:
    You may already know the definition of a word by looking at its root, even though you can't pronounce it. Okay? So let's focus on the words that are just completely ambiguous to us.

    Banks (Interview):
    I take special care to tell them to use words that are of interest to them, because sometimes it may not be what you know, it may be what you want to know.

    Student:
    We chose this word because we understood the beginning part, but not the other part, so we wanted to find out what the first part was. That's why I was interested in that word.

    Banks:
    Okay. Let me stop you right there. We're gonna focus on the beginning part of the word. Okay? Think about the word vulnerable.

    Banks (Interview):
    By having the students find the words themselves, we're generating not just five words, but maybe twenty-five words out of a classroom that will be brand new to most of the students.

    Banks:
    Okay, actually that word has come up a lot in several different groups, and I think we may have talked about it in a previous class that our bridge is a cantilever bridge, the crescent city connection, and that's probably why it refreshed something in your memory.

    Banks (Interview):
    If we want to increase their levels of reading and writing, um, to a higher level, that means we also need to increase the level of vocabulary. Unfortunately a lot of high school students are technically reading below their grade level, so introducing them to a higher level of vocabulary is one strategy that we can use to increase their text complexity and their reading comprehension skills.

School Details

John Ehret High School
4300 Patriot Street
Marrero LA 70072
Population: 2089

Data Provided By:

greatschools

Teachers

teachers
Shelia Darjean Banks