4 Tools for Building Academic Vocabulary “4 Tools for Building Academic Vocabulary” by Susan Oxnevad was originally published on gettingsmart.com There is a wealth of research to suggest that vocabulary knowledge is the single best predictor of student academic achievement across all curriculum areas. Experts agree, if given the opportunity to receive effective vocabulary instruction, most students can acquire vocabulary at rates that will improve their comprehension and also their chances for success in school. Why Vocabulary and Tech? Technology is an effective and engaging tool that can be used to improve vocabulary acquisition for all learners and engage them in the learning process. 1. Wallwisher is a free and user friendly digital tool that allows users to create a digital wall of multimedia sticky notes which can include text, images, links and videos. 2. ThingLink is a tool for creating interactive images that supports a variety of multimedia. 3. 4.
W&M School of Education - Frontloading Vocabulary in Core Content Classes: Instructional Strategies Scenario: Your students begin their cultural study of ancient Sumerians. You have provided a reader's guide for individual completion by the end of the class period in preparation for a whole-group discussion the following day. You anticipate a lively discussion as you construct questions requiring critical thinking skills and application of knowledge. Thus far, your students have given no indication that confusion exists. The following day you ask the first question. What do you do? Solution: Frontloading or preteaching vocabulary is a powerful before-reading instructional strategy to facilitate comprehension of a passage. Identifying Problematic Vocabulary The first step in teaching vocabulary involves prescanning the reading assignment to identify problematic vocabulary (Coffman, 2009). Instructional Strategies to Frontload Vocabulary The Frayer Model Figure 1: The Frayer Model Strategy Choiceboards Vocabulary Cards 1.
Literacy in Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects: Scaffolding Levels of Text Complexity (With Discipline-based Texts) Today’s standards in Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects require that students comprehend and analyze complex texts and write arguments or informational papers focused on discipline-specific texts. This one-hour on demand web seminar describes strategies piloted among teams of interdisciplinary teachers, grades 6-12, who implemented reading strategies for complex texts, including primary sources, and facilitated students in conducting research to answer a question, citing evidence to make their claims. Glimpse a few activities that motivated teachers to use geoscience texts that moved from simple graphics (such as a representation of fracking fluids) to a highly scientific article on methane contamination. Discuss the role of a content specialist (geoscientist) in providing context for the readings, understanding the organizational patterns of writing for science, and approaching writing inductively. Expected Outcomes:
10 Dos & Don'ts For Teaching Vocabulary In Any Content Area 10 Dos & Don’ts For Teaching Vocabulary In Any Content Area With the Common Core adoption in the United States, teaching vocabulary is no longer strictly the domain of the English-Language Arts classroom. While Robert Marzano has been promoting the instruction of academic vocabulary for years–and many school literacy plans have included reading and writing across the content areas for years–it is now a matter of standard and law. Which makes it kind of a big deal. And while a small portion of non-ELA teachers may wonder (sometimes out loud) why they have to do “ELA teachers’ jobs and their jobs too,” this is a change that’s been a long time in coming.
30 Surprising (And Controversial) Ways Students Learn Have you checked your assumptions about student learning at the door? People in general, hold onto beliefs that are shaped by early experiences, the media, and faulty influences. The following list is a compilation of research that may surprise you. Read on, and be prepared to put your traditional beliefs aside as science points to innovative methods that indicate future success. 1. Until recently, studies done with regards to children and video games usually centered on the negative impacts and consequences of prolonged use. She recognized several social motivations for playing video games including competition, a reason to hang out and casually converse with friends, and teaching peers how to play a game. In boys who struggle with stress, fear, and anger- negative emotions that can have violent consequences- video games acted as a safe alternative for the release of pent up emotion. 2. 3. 4. Patrick S. 5. Kids who garden show a better ability to concentrate. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Five Strategies to Infuse Common Core State Standards with Social Studies Instruction Posted by Herff Jones | Nystrom on Friday, June 28, 2013 · 3 Comments The Common Core State Standards are here. According to the Common Core website, there are only five states that have not yet adopted the new standards. So, what exactly, makes the Common Core standards so compelling? Well, the English Language Arts standards are organized around a series of “shifts” in thinking about pedagogy that attempt to increase the complexity of student understanding. Consider the following ideas: Shift 1: Balancing Informational Text and Literature Shift 2: Building Knowledge in the Disciplines Shift 3: Staircase of Complexity Shift 4: Text Based Answers Shift 5: Writing from Sources Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary These shifts have direct implications for the social studies classroom. Strategy 2: Spend Time Helping Students Grapple with Text Another tenet behind the English Language Arts standards is the idea that students need multiple opportunities to struggle with text. See? References
Venn Diagram Worksheet Maker Graphic Organizer Library - Over 1,150 Printables - Organizers For Everything! View All Organizers Ultimate Graphic Organizer Maker - 20 Instant Organizers - Teachers Love It! View Makers Graphic Organizers Maker The teacher tools below will allow you to make graphic organizers by filling out a simple form. Concept Web Generator - Try to reinforce the who, what, when, where and how of a concept. Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement A while back, I was asked, "What engages students?" Sure, I could respond, sharing anecdotes about what I believed to be engaging, but I thought it would be so much better to lob that question to my own eighth graders. The responses I received from all 220 of them seemed to fall under 10 categories, representing reoccuring themes that appeared again and again. So, from the mouths of babes, here are my students' answers to the question: "What engages students?" 1. "Middle-school students are growing learners who require and want interaction with other people to fully attain their potential." "Teens find it most interesting and exciting when there is a little bit of talking involved. 2. "I believe that when students participate in "learning by doing" it helps them focus more. "We have entered a digital age of video, Facebook, Twitter, etc., and they [have] become more of a daily thing for teens and students. 3. "I believe that it all boils down to relationships. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Global Connections . Religion The Islamic tradition recognizes many of the Jewish and Christian prophets, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (although he is not considered to be the son of God). Many non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muhammad is the equivalent of Jesus in the Islamic tradition; in fact, it is the Quran that stands in the same central position in Islam as Jesus does in Christianity. Muhammad himself is not divine, but a prophet chosen by God to deliver his message and an example of piety to emulate. Jews and Christians are specifically protected in the Quran as Peoples of the Book, reinforcing their spiritual connection to Islam by virtue of having been given revelations from God. The Islamic legal tradition has upheld the rights of Jews and Christians to maintain their beliefs and practices within their communities in Islamic lands, and this policy of tolerance has generally been upheld. Back to top Related sites Christians in the Middle East: ? Related maps
Worksheets, Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, and Rubrics from TeAch-nology.com Three Steps for Improving Teacher Questions According to Robert Marzano's book, Classroom Instruction that Works, 80 percent of what is considered instruction involves asking questions. It makes sense then, that if we want to improve our effectiveness at teaching, of course we would start by improving our questions. I have thought a lot about this topic and I would like to share three specific actions that we can take to improve our questions. Step One The first action for improvement in reality is not an action, but a shift in thinking about our own concept of teaching. After understanding this definition of a true discussion, trying to "lead" a class discussion is a waste of effort and time, primarily because "leading" destroys the exploratory purpose of the "discussion", but also because the number of students that are able to participate in a whole-class discussion is limited to just a few. Step Two The next move is to prepare the questions you want to ask as an integral part of the lesson. Step Three
Sumer The irrigated farming together with annual replenishment of soil fertility and the surplus of storable food in temple granaries created by this economy allowed the population of this region to rise to levels never before seen, unlike those found in earlier cultures of shifting cultivators. This much greater population density in turn created and required an extensive labour force and division of labour with many specialised arts and crafts. At the same time, historic overuse of the irrigated soils led to progressive salinisation, and a Malthusian crisis which led to depopulation of the Sumerian region over time, leading to its progressive eclipse by the Akkadians of middle Mesopotamia. Sumer was also the site of early development of writing, progressing from a stage of proto-writing in the mid 4th millennium BC to writing proper in the 3rd millennium BC (see Jemdet Nasr period). Origin of name[edit] City-states in Mesopotamia[edit] Map of Sumer Other principal cities: History[edit]
Introduction to Academic Writing: Compare and Contrast Essay Outline In block organization (separating similarities and differences) format, we discuss the similarities and differences between the two topics in different paragraphs. First, we focus on only similarties in one paragraph and then differences in another paragraph. Look at the outline below to have a clear idea about how to organize a compare and contrast essay by using block organization format.Read the essay below and look at the outline of it. My Two Homes There are two places that have had profound impact in my life. One of them is New York City, and the other is Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. There are many reasons why New York seems like my home away from home. Despite their similarities, these cities are different. In conclusion, these are the two cities I love. Now, I want you to create your own outlines on Turkish and American family structures and send them to my email (ttxbk2@nottingham.ac.uk). 1.