Cluster 3: Vocabulary Acquisition and UseArchived

In this lesson students will use details from the story It's Mine! by Leo Lionni to describe story elements, determine unknown words, and understand the moral or lesson of the text. This will be done with teacher support, in pairs, and by working independently. The lessons will conclude with a piece of opinion writing to show students’ perspective on the text.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this reading lesson, students will identify and describe story elements and retell the major events in the story Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes. Students will also identify the moral or the lesson learned in the story and write an opinion paragraph about the main characters as they explore the concept of bravery.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be engaged with the adorably illustrated and written children's book, Mr. Duck Means Business. They will discuss the story elements, practice retelling it, and create an expository writing piece about how the main character changed from the beginning to the end of the book.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson helps students explore different objects that may sink or float. The teacher will begin the lesson with two candy bars. The students will be able to touch and feel the weight of the candy bars and make predictions on whether the candy will sink or float. After the teacher performs the investigation students will be broken up into groups of three to four and will look at ten different objects and predict if they will sink or float. The students will record their predictions. Fill out a table with there findings and write about why there predictions were correct or incorrect. By the end of the lesson students should understand what a prediction is. They should also understand that objects with more air float.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will practice identifying descriptive words in their reading. Students will identify describing words based on the five senses. Students will create a riddle using descriptive words and add it to a digital class presentation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Explore the small differences in the meanings of synonyms in this interactive tutorial. Join Gemma as she compares, orders, and chooses synonyms based on their shades of meaning.

This is part 4 of a 4-part series. Click below to view parts 1, 2, and 3:

• Searching for Similarities - Part 1: Adjectives and Synonyms
• Searching for Similarities - Part 2: Verbs and Synonyms
• Searching for Similarities - Part 3: Synonyms and Context Clues

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Determine the meaning of unknown words using context clues in this interactive tutorial. Join Gemma as she uses synonyms as clues to figure out what words mean in the observations of her family.

This is part 3 of a 4-part series. Click below to view parts 1, 2, or 4:

• Searching for Similarities - Part 1: Adjectives and Synonyms
• Searching for Similarities - Part 2: Verbs and Synonyms
• Searching for Similarities - Part 4: Synonyms and Shades of Meaning 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Determine the meaning of unknown words using context clues in this interactive tutorial. Join Jake as he uses antonyms as clues to figure out what words mean in the observations of his family.

This is part 3 of a 3-part series. Click below to view parts 1 and 2:

Observing Opposites - Part 1: Adjectives and Antonyms

Observing Opposites - Part 2: Verbs and Antonyms

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Help Pat the Penguin use context clues to find the meanings of unknown words and phrases in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Sort and describe words based on categories and key attributes in this interactive tutorial. Visit a circus, zoo, and fire station as you learn to describe and group people, animals, and objects.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this activity, students will identify and sort contractions, synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations, homophones, and homographs.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will match affixes to their meanings by playing a memory game.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify antonyms by playing a card game.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify synonyms by playing a domino game.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will choose words to complete sentences.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will exchange antonyms for the underlined word in sentences.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the features that distinguish one word from another by completing a semantic feature analysis grid.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify connections between words and record their shared attribute/category.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will brainstorm words related to a topic and use books and/or reference materials to answer questions about unknown words on a semantic map.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will describe a vocabulary word using a four square map.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the multiple meanings of words.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will sort verbs related to a picture.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will use adjectives to describe and identify objects.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will complete a sentence using descriptive words (adjectives).

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will match and correctly use homophones while playing a game.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will match synonyms.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will match words to corresponding meanings (symbols, contractions, abbreviations) while playing a memory game. As an extension, students can sort matched words into categories.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify word components (base word and affixes) by doing a sort.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify and segment base words and inflections.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify base words and inflections.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will produce words with affixes to complete sentences while playing a board game.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will compare and contrast the attributes of words using a Venn diagram.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will demonstrate understanding of words by applying them to a variety of contexts.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will distinguish one word from another by completing an attribute analysis grid. As an adaptation to this activity, teachers may create attribute analysis grids that reflect units of study.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will add affixes to base words to make new words, then use the new words in sentences.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify and sort words by categories.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will produce categories and corresponding words. As an adaptation to this activity, the students may sort teacher-selected words into categories and produce a category heading based on shared attributes OR produce words that belong in teacher-selected categories (based on units of study).

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will produce and categorize words by rolling a category cube and writing corresponding words.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will brainstorm categories and corresponding words. As an adaptation to this activity, students can sort teacher-selected words and identify the category title based on shared attributes.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will state words that correspond to specific categories by playing a board game. NOTE: A blank game board is provided to allow teachers to create categories relevant to classroom instruction. As an extension, students may choose the word that does not belong in a set of words and name the category for the remaining words.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between the meanings of words using a Venn diagram.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will compare four words, determine the one that does not belong in the set, and produce a category title for the remaining words based on shared attributes.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will sort words by categories.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the relationship among words by placing them on a continuum.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will write simple definitions, sentences, and examples of target words in a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the meaning of words in context by playing a matching game.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify unknown words, determine their meaning, and rewrite sentences to demonstrate their understanding.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify attributes of words and record them on a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the multiple meanings of words in context.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will distinguish one word from another by completing an attribute analysis grid. As an adaptation to this activity, teachers may create attribute analysis grids that reflect units of study.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will write simple definitions, sentences, and synonyms of words on a recording sheet.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will compare and contrast words using a Venn diagram.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will sort transportation words into categories (air, land, water).

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify words to complete text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the meaning of words in context.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify words to complete sentences.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify more precise alternatives (synonyms) for overused words.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the multiple meaning of words by constructing a web.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, student will determine the meaning of words. NOTE: To fully meet the expectations of the aligned standards, students will need to identify unknown words in text they are reading and use strategies to determine the meanings of the unknown words.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will determine the meaning of words of interest in text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will describe a target word using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will write simple definitions, sentences, and synonyms of targeted words found in content-area text.

Type: Student Center Activity

This is a sample lesson that can be applied to any book to help students learn new vocabulary words.

Type: Teaching Idea