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Vocabulary Web

Main Core Tie

English Language Arts Grade 3
Language Standard 5 c.

Time Frame

2 class periods of 30 minutes each

Group Size

Large Groups

Life Skills

Communication

Authors

Utah LessonPlans
brooke rauzon

Summary

Teacher models making a web using descriptive words. Students listen to the story Brave Irene. Teacher passes out a list of the descriptive words used in the book. Students create a vocabulary word web using one of the descriptive words from the text.


Materials


Background for Teachers

Teachers should read the book Brave Irene and be familiar with the descriptive words found in the text.


Student Prior Knowledge

Students should have an understanding of how to create an organizational web.


Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will explore the meaning of descriptive words found in an entertaining text.


Instructional Procedures

Attachments

  1. Model a word web by using the word 'walk' in the center of the web and having the students brainstorm creative words that could be used instead of 'walk', such as: amble, saunter, scurry, traipse, plod, etc.
  2. Discuss how these words portray a much clearer picture than the simple word walk.
  3. Ask the students to move into small groups of two or three.
  4. Instruct the students to make their own word webs writing 'said' in the middle of the web and thinking of creative words to use in place of the word 'said', such as yelled, exclaimed, whispered, murmured, stammered.
  5. Time the students for five minutes to see how many new words each group can think of.
  6. Write the students' ideas on the board.
  7. Comment on the creative words and use some of them in sentences as they are presented by the students.
  8. Move the students into a large group and read aloud the story Brave Irene.
  9. Model fluency by using intonation, expression, and punctuation cues.
  10. Ask students to return to their desks to fill in the ice cream cone organizer using one of the creative verbs from the text.
  11. Provide a list for each student of the strong verbs used in the story.
  12. Demonstrate to the students how to complete the ice cream cone organizer.
    • The new vocabulary word will be at the bottom on the cone with each scoop of ice cream showing different concepts of the new word.
    • On one scoop the students will list synonyms of the word, on another scoop they will list antonyms, on the third scoop the students will use the new word in a sentence and on the fourth scoop the students will create a drawing to help them visualize and remember the meaning of the word.
    • Note: Here are some words from the book Brave Irene: resented, cautioned, scattered, wrestled, wrenched, bumbling, waltzing, pounced, flounced, clung, trudged, hastened, cherished, shuffled, plowed, plodded, muffled clutched, plunged, strode, meddling, delirious, fretted, ceased, gazed, peered.


Strategies for Diverse Learners

Students may be grouped in pairs for the ice cream activity to provide support for struggling student. Gifted students may want to choose more words or create a different type of organizer for the new vocabulary word.


Extensions

Cut up the strong verbs from the story and place them into a container. Allow students to draw out one word and act out the meaning. The rest of the class will try to guess what the word is by watching closely and using their word lists. You may want to have the students cut out the ice cream cones to create a vocabulary wall.


Bibliography

Brave Irene, by William Stieg


Created: 08/01/2005
Updated: 02/05/2018
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