UMU Lesson Plan Template

Name: Kristina Hass Date: February 27, 2018

Grade Level: 3 Class Period: 9:45am – 10:30am
Subject: Vocabulary Lesson # & Title: Context Clues
Function of the Lesson (check all that apply):
*** Introduce New Skill or Content
 Practice
 Review
 Remediation/Re-teaching

Context for Learning and Planning Rationale:

This lesson will be taught to a student on a one on one basis. The student in particular that I will be teaching is Natalia, a
third grader at Rockhill Elementary. Natalia is Caucasian, and is eight or nine years old. She can read fairly fluently, but
needs motivation and encouragement at times to continue working. Natalia enjoys playing games and working with hands on
activities. She also likes activities such as writing what she is learning on white boards. Natalia occasionally loses focus, and
may need a brief break every once in a while.
Classroom Environment: The teaching of this mini unit will be done in the Rockhill office conference room. The room has
one large table in the middle surrounded by swivel chairs. There are several posters and post it notes on the walls containing
various information. The room has a row of windows on one wall, and has a large white board on another.
Rationale: This lesson will be taught to accommodate to the student’s interests and experiences. The lesson involves several
hands-on activities, such as reading through an discussing a book or creating a briefcase. This will align with the student’s
interest in playing games and completing fun activities and will therefore be engaging to the student. The lesson also
incorporates the student’s prior knowledge, such as using synonyms and antonyms. This will allow the student to apply this
knowledge into learning new word and will make it easier for the student to gain a deeper understanding of the words.

Content Standards:
Standard: Vocabulary Anchor Standard 4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases by using context clues and analyzing meaningful word parts.
Rationale: It will be important for the student to know how to recognize and utilize context clues while reading, as she will
often encounter new words that she does not recognize. By having the ability to use context clues, the student will be able to
learn the meaning of these new and challenging words, and will therefore be able to easily expand her vocabulary through the
use of this strategy.

Learning Objectives:
1. Given four types of context clues and four different sentences, the student will be able to distinguish which type of
context clue is used in each sentence with 75% accuracy.
2. Given four unknown vocabulary words, the student will be able to generate definitions for these words by using
context clues with 75% accuracy.

Academic Language:
 Context clue  Antonym  Example
 Synonym  Explanation

Assessment Plan, Formative Assessment:

1. After explicit instruction, the teacher will ask the student to do a Fist to Five on her understanding of the types of
context clues and their uses. This will allow the teacher to see how confident the student is with the information
presented so far in the lesson. If the student appears to be unsure of the topic or still has questions, the teacher will
take some time to review or answer specific questions to ensure a full understanding before proceeding with the
lesson.
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 2. During structured practice, the teacher and student will read the book Brave Irene together. Upon finding an
unknown word surrounded by context clues, the teacher will pause to find out the word’s meaning using the context
clues. Whenever the student participates in this process, the teacher will listen to responses and will make any
modifications necessary. The teacher will also listen to see if the student seems unsure of any concepts and will be
sure to review these as needed.
3. During guided practice, the teacher will work with and observe the student as she completes the activity regarding
the briefcase. As the student matches sentence slips to the proper type of context clue, the teacher will watch to
ensure correctness, and will make sure the student understands why a response may or may not be accurate. The
teacher will also discuss the student’s proposed definition for words before she writes them down on the notepad.
This will allow the teacher to assist the student in revising the definition if needed, as well as review anything that
the student may be unsure of regarding the creation of a definition based on context clues.
4. After independent practice, the teacher will have the student come up with a single sentence to sum up the entire
lesson. This will give the teacher the chance to see if the student was able to get the main idea of the lesson, and
whether she understood what was most important in the lesson. If need be, the teacher can make corrections or
additions to the student’s sentence in order to improve it and explain why such corrections were necessary. The
teacher can also take this time to go over any questions the student may still have.

Assessment Plan, Summative Assessment:

1. During independent practice, the student will use context clues and her briefcase (if needed) to define the four terms
that were listed during the lesson introduction. The student will be given sentence slips containing each of the word
words, and will first need to match them to the type of context clue used. Next, she will need to use each type of
context clue to come up with a definition for each word, which she will share with the teacher orally. The teacher
will then grade her for accurate definitions, as well as for accurate matching to context clue type. This will assess
the student’s ability to distinguish types of context clues, as well as her ability to use them in order to generate word
definitions for unknown words.

Procedures, Lesson Introduction (5 minutes):

1. To grab the student’s attention, write the following words on the white board. Do not include their definitions:
a. Argle-Bargle (copious but meaningless talk or writing)
b. Chanticleer (a rooster in a fairy tale)
c. Funambulist (a tightrope walker)
d. Noctambulist (a sleepwalker)
2. Read the words aloud to the student, and ask her if she has any idea as to what these words mean.
3. Explain that these are fairly complex and uncommon words, which means that she as a third grade student has not
likely encountered them before.
4. Tell the student that standing alone, it is nearly impossible to guess what these words might mean. However, if they
were used in a sentence or passage that gave clues as to what they are, it might be possible to define them.
5. Activate the student’s prior knowledge by asking her if she knows a strategy that she could use for defining these
words.
6. After listening to her response, explain that the strategy that she will be learning today involves using what are
called context clues. Context clues are words that surround an unknown word, but give hints as to what the word
might be.
7. Read over the lesson objectives to the student so that she knows what will be expected of her in this lesson. By the
end of the lesson, the student will be able to use given context clues to discover the meaning of the words on the
white board.

Procedures, Lesson Body (35 minutes):

Explicit Instruction: I do (Teacher 100%, Student 0%):10 minutes
1. Show the video found at the following link: https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/context-clues/. This is a Flocabulary
video that introduces four different types of context clues: synonyms, antonyms, examples and explanations.
2. Next, review each of the types mentioned in the video.

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 3. First, ask the student if she knows what a synonym is. Listen to her response, and either explain or confirm that a
synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word. For example, in the sentence “I shivered in the cold,
frigid air,” the words “cold” and “frigid” have similar meanings and are therefore synonyms.
4. Explain that when encountering an unknown word in a sentence that uses synonyms, one must know that the
unknown word has the same meaning of its synonym. In the example sentence, “frigid” means the same thing as
“cold”.
5. Next, ask the student if she knows what an antonym is. Listen to her response, and either explain or confirm that an
antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. For example, in the sentence “The blistery
temperatures made me wish for cold instead,” the words “blistery” and “cold” have opposite meanings and are
therefore antonyms.
6. Explain that when encountering an unknown word in a sentence that uses antonyms, one must know that the
unknown word has the opposite meaning of its antonym. In the example sentence, “blistery” has the opposite
meaning of “cold,” so the meaning of “blistery” must be “hot”.
7. Next, explain that another type of context clue is an example, where a specific example of the unknown word is
given. For example, in the sentence “We collected kindling, such as dry twigs and branches, to start the fire,” the
words “dry twigs” and “branches” are examples of what “kindling” is.
8. Explain that examples are usually objects that the reader will already be familiar with, and will likely be separated
by commas from the rest of the sentence. A sentence using examples will also usually have key words to introduce
the examples, including “such as,” “for example,” “including,” and others.
9. Next, explain that another type of context clue is an explanation, where the sentence(s) surrounding the unknown
word create an image that defines the word. For example, in the sentence “The team was elated when they won the
trophy,” the description of winning a trophy implies that the feeling of elated was likely a feeling of great happiness.
10. Explain that an explanation sentence can directly define the unknown word, or can simply give clues based on what
the rest of the sentence is about.
11. Before moving on to the next section of the lesson, ask the student for a quick Fist to Five on her knowledge of
using different types of context clues. Take note of her response and provide any assistance or answer any questions
that she still has.
Structured Practice: We do (Teacher 75%, Student 25%):10 minutes
1. The teacher and student will work together and read through the book Brave Irene by William Steig.
2. This book contains several context clues that explain the meanings of various challenging words that the student
may not yet be familiar with. The teacher will pause the reading when coming across a context clue.
3. The teacher may use several of these context clues as examples to the student, but will ask questions and encourage
participation as much as possible.
4. Point out the unknown word to the student.
5. Then ask the student to read the sentence out loud and identify the type of context clue that it is.
6. If needed, provide assistance or review to the student after hearing her response.
7. Next, have the student guess what the word might mean based on the given context clues surrounding it.
8. Confirm or modify the student’s definition of the word, and ask the student to explain why she defined the word as
she did.
9. Select several passages to review in this way throughout the book while reading.
10. After completing the book, explain that now the student will be able to become an independent word detective as
she practices even more with using context clues.
Guided Practice: We do (Teacher 25%, Student 75%): 15 minutes
1. The teacher will display a sample detective briefcase and will explain that the student will be creating one of her
own as a way to help her practice using context clues when encountering words that she does not recognize.
2. The student will be given materials to create a detective briefcase of her own to help her to use context clues. These
materials will include a file folder, a lid cutout, a pocket cutout, four magnifying glass cutouts, a notepad cutout, and
sentence slips.
3. The student will write one type of context clue onto each magnifying glass before gluing them onto the briefcase.
4. To save time, the materials will already be cut out for the student, so she will glue them onto the briefcase.
5. The pocket will only be glued on the border of three sides, so that the sentence slips can be put into it.
6. The lid will fold over the open side of the file folder in order to make it look like a closed briefcase.

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 7. Once the briefcase is assembled, the student will be asked to do some detective work and find out the meaning of
several words using the different types of context clues discussed throughout the lesson.
8. The student will pull out a sentence slip, and will match it to the type of context clues that it represents as displayed
on the magnifying glasses.
9. Several of the words on these slips are vocabulary words that will be taught in the next vocabulary lesson, so the
student will be able to begin to find meaning in these words during this activity.
10. Next, the student will identify the unknown word in the sentence by writing it onto the notepad cutout.
11. The student will use context clues to create a definition for the unknown word, and will discuss her ideas out loud
with the teacher.
12. The teacher will listen to student responses and will make any corrections or provide assistance when necessary.
This will serve as a formative assessment to ensure that the student can distinguish between the different types of
context clues and can use them to define an unknown word.
13. If the teacher sees that the student is struggling, go back and further review the concept in question and complete an
example sentence together to help the student to better understand.
14. Once the student has been able to define the word based on its context clues, she will write her definition next to the
word in her notepad.
15. This process will be repeated for each sentence slip, depending on time.
16. If the student completes each sentence slip and still has time, she will be allowed to spend a few minutes decorating
her briefcase.
Independent Practice: You do (Teacher 0%, Student 100%): 5 minutes
1. The teacher will give the student a sentence slip with each of the four words on the white board from the lesson
introduction. Each of the four sentence slips will use a different type of context clue.
2. The teacher will explain that now that the student has become a proficient word detective, she will now be put to the
test of defining the complicated words from earlier. It will finally be her chance to solve the mystery of the strange
new words!
3. The student will be asked to independently match these sentence slips to one of the types on the magnifying glasses,
and will be asked to orally define each word based on the context clues given.
4. This will serve as a summative assessment of the lesson, as it will be completed without teacher assistance. The
teacher will grade the assignment based on the student’s ability to distinguish different types of context clues, as
well as her ability to define new words by using the context clues.
5. Upon completion of the summative assessment, the student will be asked to come up with one sentence to
summarize today’s lesson. This will serve as a formative assessment for the teacher to see whether the student
understood the main topic that was discussed in the lesson. If need be, the teacher can go back and review once
more to make sure the student has a full understanding of what she learned before moving on.

Procedures, Lesson Closure (5 minutes):

1. The teacher will review the four different types of context clues that this lesson discussed.
2. Ask the student to name the four types and see if she can define each of them.
3. Make any corrections to the student’s response, and explain anything that she may have missed.
4. Explain that by using context clues, the student was able to learn some new words that she likely did not know
before today’s lesson.
5. Ask the student if she can think of any examples of when she might use context clues in real life.
6. Explain that context clues is a strategy that can be used when reading anything. This can include magazines,
newspapers, poems, etc. Context clues can even be heard through speaking, such as in a movie or during a news
report.
7. By using context clues, the student can be a word detective anytime, and can learn many new words just by using
the words around them.
8. Encourage the student to use her new detective skills to try and learn a new word everyday.
9. Finally, tell the student that the next lesson will focus on learning specific new words by using various skills and
strategies.

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Instructional Materials and Support:
 Flocabulary video:  Sample briefcase  Pocket cutout
https://www.flocabulary.c  File Folder  Notepad cutout
om/unit/context-clues/  Suitcase lid cutout  Glue
 Brave Irene by William  Magnifying glass cutouts  Markers
Steig  Sentence slips  Pencils

Research and Theory Commentary:

1. This lesson will incorporate Vygotsky’s scaffolding technique. At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher will
explain the basics of the topic, while the student simply listens or answers the occasional review question. Later on,
the student will work along with the teacher in order to discover more about context clues by reading through
various passages in Brave Irene and creating a detective briefcase that will include a review of using context clues.
At the end of the lesson, the student will complete a summative assessment independently, completing all of the
work on her own with no aid from the teacher.
2. The lesson will also use Dewey’s idea of learning by doing. Instead of simply watching the teacher explain how to
use context clues to define new words, the student will receive the opportunity to do so on her own through various
hands on activities such as designing a briefcase. These activities will allow the student to receive a firsthand
experience of using context clues, and will be more memorable than if a teacher simply explained the concepts to
her.
3. This lesson also uses the ideas of wait time by Mary Budd Rowe. Whenever the student is asked a question, or is
instructed to complete an activity of some sort, the teacher will give her ample time to do so. This will reduce the
pressure to immediately come up with a response, and will allow for the student to think more about her responses
or actions before presenting them. This will lead to more thought out answers from the student, and will give her the
chance to better understand the information that she is responding to.

Cultural Responsiveness, Equity, and Inclusion Commentary:

This lesson will be aware of any cultural differences that the student may have. The lesson will include information and
topics that correspond with the culture and experiences of the student, so that she will not feel left out or have difficulty
understanding the information that is presented. This will encourage as much learning as possible and will strive to make the
lesson relatable and interesting for the student.

Use of Technology Commentary (if applicable):

1. This lesson will begin by using a video about context clues from Flocabulary. This video can be used as a fun way
to help the student remember things like the different types of context clues, as well as how they can each be used in
order to find the definition of an unknown word. This video is a more memorable way to remember the lesson’s
major concepts than if they were simply explained by a teacher.

Reflection and Instructional Commentary (if applicable):

After the teaching of this lesson, I felt that while there were many strong aspects, there were also several aspects that
could be improved upon. I feel that many features of this lesson were enjoyable to Natilia, and therefore kept her engaged in
learning. For example, she really liked the idea of being a word detective throughout the lesson, and enjoyed creating a
detective briefcase to show her work with. The use of John Dewey’s learning by doing theory proved to be useful in teaching
context clues to Natilia as well, as by allowing her to become a detective, she became interested in learning about using
different types of context clues to define unknown words. I also felt that I incorporated technology in a meaningful way
during this lesson through the use of the Flocabulary video about context clues. Natilia loves Flocabulary, as well as
listening to music in general. Therefore, watching this video grabbed her attention and helped her to gain a grasp on some of
the lesson information early on. I also liked my lesson introduction, as writing such difficult words on the board early on got
Natilia interested and longing to discover the meaning of these words.
I also noticed some areas that I could work to improve on in the future. One such aspect was the length of my
guided and independent practice. I feel that while Natilia did enjoy creating her detective briefcase, the fact that the guided
practice and independent practice were basically the same activity proved to be a bit too much for her. I could tell that
Natilia began to lose interest after completing guided practice; therefore, when she got to independent practice, she was
having a hard time focusing. This ties into the theories and research regarding students having relatively short attention spans

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and needing to take breaks and complete short activities. I also feel that while the detective concept did appeal to Natilia’s
interests, the activities such as finding word definitions could have been done in a way that pertained more to her interests. I
have discovered after working with Natilia that she enjoys listening to music, and tends to work more efficiently when I play
music in the background. According to theories by Howard Gardner, people have several different ways to process
information, and I feel that Natilia best learns through listening to a song about the topic, or by listening to music while she
works. While I did include a Flocabulary song in my lesson, I feel that by allowing her to listen to music while completing
her independent practice, she may have been better suited for completing the assignment. A third way that I would like to
improve this lesson for next time is to spend a little more time going over the different types of context clues. While we
watched the Flocabulary video and I discussed all four types, Natilia seemed to have difficulty telling them apart when
actually applying them into sentences. She especially mixed up explanations and examples. I feel that by using more
repetition, as discussed in theories by B.F. Skinner, I would have helped Natilia to better remember the differences between
the different types of context clues.

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ANTONYMS

Although Tom was timid around others, Tina was not nervous at all.

Although yesterday was completely dry, the ground was damp today when we woke up.

Although Penny never walks in her sleep, her sister Stacy is a noctambulist.

EXPLANATIONS

We could tell by Jack’s angry screams that he was in quite a fury.

The doctor placed a bandage over the cut so it would mend quickly.

Everyone admired the funambulist as she moved across the tightrope without falling.

SYNONYMS

In her excitement, Jamie ran with many bounds, leaps, and hops.

Can you not be so irritating and annoying all the time?

The chanticleers and roosters ran outside as soon as I unlocked their gate.

EXAMPLES

Sue has been on many journeys, including road trips and airplane flights, across America.

Many things vanish, such as the sun after it sets or the rabbit into a magician’s hat.

When I hear argle-bargle, including meaningless conversations or talks, I cover my ears.

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Detective

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 UMU Lesson Plan Template

Name: Kristina Hass Date: February 27, 2018

Grade Level: 3 Class Period: 9:45am – 10:30am
Subject: Vocabulary Lesson # & Title: Vocabulary Words
Function of the Lesson (check all that apply):
*** Introduce New Skill or Content
 Practice
 Review
 Remediation/Re-teaching

Context for Learning and Planning Rationale:

This lesson will be taught to a student on a one on one basis. The student in particular that I will be teaching is Natalia, a
third grader at Rockhill Elementary. Natalia is Caucasian, and is eight or nine years old. She can read fairly fluently, but
needs motivation and encouragement at times to continue working. Natalia enjoys playing games and working with hands on
activities. She also likes activities such as writing what she is learning on white boards. Natalia occasionally loses focus, and
may need a brief break every once in a while.
Classroom Environment: The teaching of this mini unit will be done in the Rockhill office conference room. The room has
one large table in the middle surrounded by swivel chairs. There are several posters and post it notes on the walls containing
various information. The room has a row of windows on one wall, and has a large white board on another.
Rationale: This lesson will be taught to accommodate to the student’s interests and experiences. The lesson involves several
hands-on activities, such as writing on a white board, playing Bingo, and rolling a dice. This will align with the student’s
interest in playing games and completing fun activities and will therefore be engaging to the student. The lesson also
incorporates the student’s prior knowledge, such as using synonyms and antonyms. This will allow the student to apply this
knowledge into learning new word and will make it easier for the student to gain a deeper understanding of the words.

Content Standards:
Standard: Vocabulary Anchor Standard 6 Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain specific
words and phrases. Demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term
important to comprehension or expression.
Rationale: This lesson will focus on teaching the definition of ten different vocabulary words. The student will need to
understand that there are many different methods for understanding a word, such as by knowing synonyms or antonyms, as
well as by putting the word into context by creating a sentence around it. By understanding these different strategies, the
student will be able to gain a fuller understanding of the words. The student will also be able to use these different methods
to discover the meaning of words later in life in order to gain a more diverse vocabulary. This lesson will be taught over the
span of two tutoring sessions.

Learning Objectives:
1. Given ten vocabulary words, the student will be able to create some form of representation that demonstrates her
knowledge of the word’s meaning through definitional, contextual, and conceptual means (definition, picture, use in
a sentence, synonym, etc.) with an 50% accuracy.

Academic Language:
 Damp  Irritating  Fury
 Mend  Vanish  Timid
 Bound  Journey
 Volunteer  Beneficial

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Assessment Plan, Formative Assessment:
1. After explicit instruction, the teacher will ask the student to do a Fist to Five on her understanding of the new
vocabulary words that have been introduced. This will allow the teacher to see how confident the student is with the
information presented so far in the lesson. If the student appears to be unsure of the topic or still has questions, the
teacher will take some time to review or answer specific questions to ensure a full understanding before proceeding
with the lesson.
2. During structured practice, the teacher will ask the student if she remembers the meaning of the terms “synonym”
and “antonym”. This will allow the teacher to see how familiar the student already is with synonyms and antonyms,
and will allow for the chance to review or reteach them if necessary.
3. During structured practice, the teacher will have the student write synonyms and antonyms to various vocabulary
words on the white board. As she does this, the teacher will be observing the student in order to assist her and make
any necessary corrections. When the student is considering a synonym or antonym of a word, the teacher may
remind her of the word’s meaning to help her as she becomes familiar with it. The teacher will also go back and
review concepts such as synonyms and antonyms if the student needs a reminder.
4. During guided practice, the teacher will be observing the student as she plays Bingo. The teacher will watch to see
where the student places her plastic chips, and will assist the student or encourage her to make a correction if
necessary. The teacher will also go back and review concepts if the student appears to be struggling or unsure with
any words or concepts during the game.
5. After completion of independent practice, the teacher will ask the student to name three strategies that she learned
for finding meaning in new words. These can include any of the methods discussed during the lesson, including
definitions, sentences, synonyms, antonyms, drawings, and acting. By naming these, the student will express to the
teacher her knowledge of the different ways that she can become familiar with new words, such as the ten words
discussed in today’s lesson.
6. During the lesson closure, the teacher will review each word with the student by pointing to it and asking for a brief
explanation of what that word means to the student. This will allow the teacher to see whether the student has found
meaning in watch of the ten featured words, or whether the student still needs more practice with the words before
she can begin to apply them.

Assessment Plan, Summative Assessment:

1. During independent practice, the student will be given a sheet of paper that she will divide into ten sections, as well
as a dice and a dice rolling key. The student will work through her word list and will roll the dice three times for
each word. Depending on the number rolled, the student will complete a different activity for the word, including
defining it, writing a synonym or antonym, drawing a picture, using the word in a sentence, or acting it out. When
rolling, the student should be able to complete an activity to demonstrate conceptual, contextual, and definitional
understanding for each word. For example, the student may define a word (definitional), use the word in a sentence
(contextual), and write a synonym for the word (conceptual). After completion, this activity will be graded to ensure
that the student has met the lesson objective. It will be important for the student to have a deeper understanding of
the words, which is why it will only be necessary for the student to fully understand 50% of all words.

Procedures, Lesson Introduction (5 minutes):

1. To grab the student’s attention, the teacher will read a brief passage using all of the lesson’s featured vocabulary
words.
2. To activate prior knowledge, the teacher will ask the student if there were some words in the passage that she did not
understand, as well as if there were words that the student already understands.
3. Listen to the student’s response, and explain that in today’s lesson, she will learn the meaning of these new words.
4. Explain that once one understands more complex words such as those in the passage, one will be able to replace
simpler words with them, making their vocabulary more interesting.
5. Read the passage again using less complex words to replace the vocabulary words.
6. Explain that while these words are easier to understand at this time, the more complex words likely sounded more
interesting and less repetitive.
7. Tell the student that today, she will be learning strategies for getting meaning out of ten new words.

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Procedures, Lesson Body (45 minutes):
Explicit Instruction: I do (Teacher 100%, Student 0%):5 minutes
1. The teacher will write each word on the board, one at a time.
2. After writing a word, point to the word and say it out loud.
3. Now say the word again out loud, this time having the student say it as well.
4. Next, ask the student if she is already familiar with the word or has a guess as to its meaning.
5. If the student is already familiar with the word, do not spend too much time on it. Focus on words that the student
does not already know.
6. Listen to the student’s response, then define the word using the definitions listed below.
a. Damp: slightly wet
b. Mend: to repair or fix
c. Bound: to walk or run with leaping strides; to leap
d. Volunteer: to freely offer to do something
e. Irritating: causing annoyance or anger
f. Vanish: to suddenly disappear
g. Journey: an act of traveling from one place to another
h. Beneficial: favorable, with good outcomes
i. Fury: wild anger
j. Timid: easily frightened
7. If the student has any questions about a word, make any necessary clarifications.
8. After defining the word, use it in an example sentence, using the sentences below.
a. Damp: The ground was damp after the rain stopped.
b. Mend: A doctor gave me a cast to help mend my broken bone.
c. Bound: Lisa came bounding down the hill.
d. Volunteer: A volunteer fireman is very brave.
e. Irritating: It was very irritating when she kept poking me even after I asked her to stop.
f. Vanish: Did that magician really just make his rabbit vanish?
g. Journey: He went on a long journey across the United States; he began in New York and ended in
California.
h. Beneficial: Recycling can be very beneficial to the earth.
i. Fury: In his fury, Jake kicked a wall so hard that his foot hurt afterwards.
j. Timid: The timid mouse ran away after hearing the smallest of noises.
9. If the student has any questions about a sentence, make any necessary clarifications.
10. Before moving on, ask the student to do a quick Fist to Five on her knowledge of the vocabulary words. Take note
of her response and provide any assistance or answer any questions that she still has.
Structured Practice: We do (Teacher 75%, Student 25%):10 minutes
1. Explain that when considering a word, it is important to be able to understand the meaning, or definition of that
word, as well how that word can be applied in writing or speech, such as through sentences. Additionally, it is
important to understand how the new words can relate to other words.
2. Ask the student if she remembers what a synonym is.
3. Listen to the student’s response, and explain or confirm that a synonym is a word that has the same meaning as the
word in focus.
4. As an example, choose the word “journey.” Explain that a journey is similar to a trip, or a trek. Both the words
“trip” and “trek” are synonyms to “journey” because they mean the same thing.
5. Point to a word on the white board, and ask the student to read the word out loud. Next, ask the student to write a
synonym for that word.
6. If the student needs assistance, the teacher may review the definition of the word with the student. Say the
definition out loud, and then have the student repeat the definition.
7. Observe the word that the student writes, and provide assistance or encourage corrections if needed.
8. Have the student write a synonym for a few more words, and continue to observe and assist her.
9. Now ask the student if she remembers what an antonym is.
10. Listen to the student’s response, and explain or confirm that an antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of
the word in focus.
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 11. As an example, choose the word “damp.” Explain that when something is damp, it is wet. This means that it is
NOT dry. In this case, the word “dry” is an antonym to the word “damp” because they are opposites.
12. Point to a word on the white board, and ask the student to read the word out loud. Next, ask the student to write an
antonym for that word.
13. If the student needs assistance, the teacher may review the definition of the word with the student. Say the
definition out loud, and then have the student repeat the definition.
14. Observe the word that the student writes, and provide assistance or encourage corrections if needed.
15. Have the student write an antonym for a few more words, and continue to observe and assist her.
Guided Practice: We do (Teacher 25%, Student 75%): 15 minutes
1. Tell the student that in order to practice using the new vocabulary words in different ways, she will be playing a
Bingo game that involves the new words.
2. Give the student a Bingo board and several plastic chips.
3. The teacher will pull one Bingo clue slip out of the plastic baggie that it is contained in.
4. Read the clue slip out loud to the student.
5. The clue may be either a synonym, an antonym, a sentence, or a definition. The student will need to find either the
word being described, or a synonym or antonym to that word.
6. Once the student locates the correct word, she may place a chip on top of it.
7. The teacher will be observing the student at this time to ensure that she is correctly identifying the words that are
asked for. If the student seems unsure of a certain word, or is struggling overall, go back and review whatever the
student needs more assistance with.
8. Once the student places five chips in a row either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, she will have gotten a Bingo
and won the game. Check to make sure that all of the spaces in her Bingo row are accurate before accepting it as a
win.
9. If the student completes this game quickly and there is still time, she may play a second game of Bingo for further
review.
Independent Practice: You do (Teacher 0%, Student 100%):15 minutes
1. As a summative assessment, the student will be given a dice and a dice rolling key, as well as a sheet of paper. The
dice rolling key will contain the numbers 1-6. Each number will contain a different activity on it.
2. The student will fold or divide her sheet of paper into ten sections, and will write one vocabulary word in each
section.
3. The student will go through each of the ten vocabulary words. For each word, the student will roll the dice three
times. Whatever number she rolls will determine what activity she must complete for that word.
4. For example, if the student is on the word “journey” and rolls a 4, she will be expected to draw a picture to represent
the word. If she rolls a 5, she will write a sentence with the word in it.
5. The teacher may make adjustments to this activity if necessary. For example, if the student continues to roll the
same number over and over again, the teacher will allow her to reroll. This activity should be adjusted so that the
student has a chance to do each dice activity at least once.
6. The rolls should also incorporate one conceptual, one contextual, and one definitional activity for each word. For
example, she may write a definition, write a synonym, and write a sentence.
7. After completion, the student will turn in her activity to be graded. This will ensure that she has met the lesson
objective and has a sufficient understanding of the vocabulary terms.
8. When the student completes the summative assessment and hands it in to be graded, ask her to name three strategies
for finding meaning in a word. These strategies are the different types of activities that the student completed with
the new vocabulary words throughout the lesson, such as sentences, synonyms, antonyms, definitions, drawings, and
acting. This will serve as a final formative assessment to see that the student understood the methods for finding
meaning in a new word and applying it to context.

Procedures, Lesson Closure (5 minutes):

1. Review the vocabulary terns with the student.
2. Return to the ten words written on the white board, and point to each one.
3. Ask the student if she can remember the meaning of each word as it is pointed to.
4. Listen to the student’s response, and provide assistance when needed. Additionally, take note of any words that the
student is still not familiar with.
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 5. Explain that today, the student was able to learn the meanings of these words, and was able to find new ways to
apply that meaning through various means, such as synonyms, antonyms, pictures, sentences, etc.
6. Ask the student why she thinks that this lesson might have been important. How could she use what she learned in
real life?
7. Listen to her response, then explain or confirm that by learning new vocabulary words, the student will be able to
begin using these words anywhere in life. She may say them to others, or may use them in her writing.
8. Explain that by having a large vocabulary, one can use multiple different words instead of the same ones all the
time. This will allow for her to be more creative with her word usage.
9. Additionally, the student now has an understanding not only of the word’s meaning, but of various ways to apply the
word as well. For example, she can now use the new words in sentences to give them context.
10. Tell the student that in later lessons, she will begin to learn even more vocabulary words, and will also find even
more ways to use them, such as practicing them in a writing piece.

Instructional Materials and Support:

 Introduction Passage  Plastic baggie for clue  Dice
 White board slips  Dice Rolling Key
 White board markers  Bingo clue slips  Blank sheet of paper
 Bingo board  Plastic chips

Research and Theory Commentary:

1. This lesson will incorporate Vygotsky’s scaffolding technique. At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher will
explain the basics of the topic, while the student simply listens or answers the occasional review question. Later on,
the student will work along with the teacher in order to discover more about the vocabulary terms by creating
synonyms and antonyms and playing a game of Bingo together. At the end of the lesson, the student will complete a
summative assessment independently, completing all of the work on her own with no aid from the teacher.
2. The lesson will also use Dewey’s idea of learning by doing. Instead of simply watching the teacher explain the
meaning of the new vocabulary words, the student will receive the opportunity to do so on her own through various
hands on activities such as playing Bingo. These activities will allow the student to receive a firsthand experience of
using her new words, and will be more memorable than if a teacher simply explained the concepts to her.
3. This lesson also uses the ideas of wait time by Mary Budd Rowe. Whenever the student is asked a question, or is
instructed to complete an activity of some sort, the teacher will give her ample time to do so. This will reduce the
pressure to immediately come up with a response, and will allow for the student to think more about her responses
or actions before presenting them. This will lead to more thought out answers from the student, and will give her the
chance to better understand the information that she is responding to.

Cultural Responsiveness, Equity, and Inclusion Commentary:

This lesson will be aware of any cultural differences that the student may have. The lesson will include information and
topics that correspond with the culture and experiences of the student, so that she will not feel left out or have difficulty
understanding the information that is presented. This will encourage as much learning as possible and will strive to make the
lesson relatable and interesting for the student.

Use of Technology Commentary (if applicable):

This particular lesson will not involve the use of technology.

Reflection and Instructional Commentary (if applicable):

I feel that this lesson was very successful overall. Natilia enjoyed the activities that I planned, and was engaged and
excited to learn throughout the lesson. In fact, when we played vocabulary Bingo, she even asked if she could complete the
entire board rather than playing simply until she got a Bingo. She additionally wanted to continue using the dice to roll
activities to complete with each word, even though we did not have the time to fully go through each word. This lesson
covered John Dewey’s theory of learning by doing, as it included multiple hands on activities, all of which Natilia enjoyed. I
also felt that the study of the same vocabulary words throughout the lesson helped with repetition, and I believe that Natilia
was indeed able to gain a decent understanding of several of the words by the end of the lesson. This applied the theories of
B.F. Skinner regarding repetition to help students to best remember a topic.
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 While this was a strong lesson overall, I also feel that there are some aspects that I could work to improve on. One
aspect was that I wish I would have been able to more thoroughly review each word for the independent practice. Instead of
getting to include a conceptual, contextual, and definitional understanding for each word, we only had time to roll the dice
one time for each, which made me feel as though Natilia was not able to review each word fully on her own. This would
have demonstrated a fuller use of Skinner’s theories of repetition. I also feel that my lesson introduction was not as effective
at grabbing Natilia’s attention as I had expected it to be. While she did listen to the story as I read it, she did not seem to get
the overall idea that the vocabulary words made it sound much more complex and interesting. I feel that maybe if I had
better related the story to Natilia’s personal interests, as stated in the theories pertaining to interest driven learning, I may
have been better suited to gaining her attention and effectively introducing the topic. A third improvement that I feel I could
make for next time is to be more focused when it came to using scaffolding, especially during independent practice. While I
did not explicitly give any answers to Natilia, there were some occasions in which I assisted her in finding the answer, which
meant that this was not entirely independent practice, as it should have been. I feel that I could have better aligned with
Vygotsky’s scaffolding theory in order to have made this step fully independent without any assistance to truly see how much
Natilia understood about the vocabulary words.

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 Lesson Introduction Passage

One day, a young girl was on a walk. The

ground was damp (wet) and squished underneath
her feet as she bounded (ran) across a field. She
was enjoying the long journey when suddenly,
the wind started to blow harder and harder until
she saw a storm appear out of thin air! The storm
was loud and dark, and rain began to pour all
around her. This got her clothes all wet, which
was very irritating (annoying). She felt that an
umbrella would be quite beneficial (helpful) right
now. As lightning struck, the timid (nervous) girl
screamed and ran in the opposite direction. “I
should have volunteered (chosen) to stay in my
house and clean today!” the girl thought to
herself. Just then, as quickly as it had come, the
fury (anger) of the storm vanished (left), and the
day became calm once again. The girl was not
afraid now but hoped that she would be able to
mend (fix) her wet and muddy clothes!

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 Appear Irritating Break Leap Beneficial

Dry Anger Timid Offer Vanish

Volunteer Brave Damp Annoying

Mend Trek Fury

Calm Helpful

Timid Bound Journey Volunteer Useless

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 Bingo Clue Slips

Synonym for fury

The leaping deer took a long ______
over the fence.
Synonym for bound

When I broke my favorite toy, I took

Synonym for beneficial it to the shop so the worker could
_____ it.

Synonym for irritating

My baby sister is so ______ because
she won’t stop crying.
Synonym for journey

My pet cat is ______ and hides

Synonym for volunteer whenever she hears footsteps.

Antonym for damp Will you _____ to help clean the

floor?

Antonym for timid

To freely offer to do something

Antonym for mend

Favorable, with good outcomes

Antonym for vanish

Easily frightened

Antonym for beneficial

Slightly wet

Antonym for fury

To suddenly disappear

The boy screamed in a _____ of

anger. An act of traveling from one place to
another

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 Dice Rolling Key

1. Write a definition of the word.

2. Write a synonym for the word.

3. Write an antonym for the word.

4. Draw a picture to represent the

word.

5. Use the word in a sentence.

6. Act out the word.

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