Adapted from : Marzano, R.J. & Pickering D. J. (2005) Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher’s Manual.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Steps to Building Academic Vocabulary (for all)
Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or
example of a new term.
Step 2: Students restate explanation of new term
in own words.
Step 3: Students create a nonlinguistic
representation of term.
Step 4: Students periodically do activities that help
add to knowledge of vocabulary terms.
Example: “Review Activity: Solving Analogy
Problems”
Working with ELL Students
Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or
example of the new term (along with a
nonlinguistic representation).
Step 2: Ask students to restate the description,
explanation, or example in their own words in
their own language.
Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture,
symbol, or graphic representing the term or
phrase. Students should create their own
representation and not copy yours from Step 1.
Step 4: Engage students periodically in activities
that help them add to their knowledge in terms in
their notebook. Allow students to use their native
language as much as possible.
One or two terms are missing. Please think about
statements below, turn to your partner and
provide terms that will complete the analogies:
Inch is to ruler as word is to __________.
Step 5: Periodically students are asked to discuss
terms with one another.
Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the
terms with one another. Pair students of the same
language together.
Example “Talk a Mile in a Minute” (think of the
game show Password)
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Teams of 3-4
Designate a “talker” for each round
Try to get team to say each word by
quickly describing them
May not use words in category title or
rhyming words
Step 6: Periodically students are involved in games
that allow them to play with terms.
Example: “Vocabulary Charades”
Step 6: Involve students periodically in games that
allow them to play with terms. Pair students of
the same language together.
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Please stand.
Using your arms, legs, and bodies, show
the meaning of each term.
Feldman and Kinsella (2005) suggest teachers must prioritize which unfamiliar words to teach and
choose vocabulary that falls under the following categories:
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“big idea” words that get at the central concepts addressed in the text or lesson
General academic words that are commonly used and applied across the content areas and
grade levels
Words that are specific to the subject area and are frequently taught to students at a particular
age and at a particular proficiency level
Words with multiple meanings
Related words that might help students engage in academic discourse about the topic and ideas
and/or themes associated with it.
In order for students to benefit from their word knowledge, it is not enough for teachers to simply
introduce new vocabulary and share definitions. Research shows there are several components of an
effective vocabulary program:
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Regular opportunities to develop oral language (Nagy, 2005)
A culture of promoting word consciousness (Nagy and Scott, 2000)
Dynamic, explicit instruction of key words (Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, 2002)
Guidance in independent word-learning strategies (Graves, 2000)
Daily structured contexts for academic word use in speaking, writing, and assessment (Beck,
McKeown, and Kucan, 2002)
Students’ fluent reading of varied text (Cunningham and Stanovich, 1998)
US History Academic Vocabulary
English
 Abolition
 Allies
 Political (social, economic, cultural)
conflict
 US involvement
 Expansionism
 Militarism
 Ratification
 Cultural diffusion
 Nativism
 Assimilation
 Political party
 Domestic (foreign) policy
Spanish
• abolición
• Aliados
• Políticos (social, económica, cultural) los
conflictos
• EE.UU. la participación
• El expansionismo
• militarismo
• Ratificación
• Difusión Cultural
• nativismo
• Asimilación
• El partido político
• Interno (extranjeros) la política
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Administration
Legislature
Judicial
Economic development (programs,
policies, systems)
Gender roles
Expansion
Exploration
Conquest
Imperialism
colonialism
National identity
Patriotism
Americanism
Treaties
Agreements
Tariffs
Labor union
Diplomacy
International relations
Conflict/strife
Migration
Progressivism
Discrimination
Equal rights
Civil rights
Civil liberties
Reconstruction
Reform
Industrialization
Civilization
Democracy
Communism
Capitalism
Socialism
Ideology
Programs (policies)
Stalemate
Disarmament
Isolationism
Laissez-faire
Quota
Consumer
Assembly line
Age (era, period, circa)
Manifest destiny
• Administración
• Legislatura
• Judicial
• El desarrollo económico (programas, políticas,
sistemas)
• Los roles de género
• Expansión
• Exploración
• Conquista
• El imperialismo
• colonialismo
• La identidad nacional
• Patriotismo
• El americanismo
• Tratados
• Acuerdos
• Tarifas
• Trabajo de la Unión
• Diplomacia
• Relaciones internacionales
• Conflicto / conflictos
• Migración
• El progresismo
• Discriminación
• La igualdad de derechos
• Derechos civiles
• Libertades Civiles
• Reconstrucción
• Reforma
• La industrialización
• civilización
• Democracia
• comunismo
• El capitalismo
• socialismo
• ideología
• Programas (políticas)
• Estancamiento
• Desarme
• El aislacionismo
• El laissez-faire
• cuota
• Consumidor
• Línea de montaje
• Edad (época, período, circa)
• Destino Manifiesto
• Sufragio
• Prohibición
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• Urbano
• Rural
• Sociedades
• Cambio demográfico (evolución de la población)
• La esclavitud (esclavitud, bajo contrato)
• aparcero
• compromiso
• Instituciones
• Movimiento (s)
• Constitución
• Reforma
• Mecanizado (-ción)
• La unidad nacional
• La urbanización
• La corrupción política
• Asuntos de Interior (nacionales, mundiales,
nacionales, internacionales)
• auge económico (o nada)
• Bienestar
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Suffrage
Prohibition
Urban
Rural
Societies
Demographic shift (population trend)
Slavery (enslaved, indentured)
Sharecropper
Compromise
Institutions
Movement(s)
Constitution
Reform
Mechanized (-ization)
National unity
Urbanization
Political corruption
Affairs (national, world, domestic,
international)
Economic boom (or bust)
Welfare
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Abolition
Allies
Political (social, economic, cultural) conflict
US involvement
Expansionism
Militarism
Ratification
Cultural diffusion
Nativism
Assimilation
Political party
Domestic (foreign) policy
Administration
Legislature
Judicial
Economic development (programs, policies, systems)
Gender roles
Expansion
Exploration
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Conquest
Imperialism
colonialism
National identity
Patriotism
Americanism
Treaties
Agreements
Tariffs
Labor union
Diplomacy
International relations
Conflict/strife
Migration
Progressivism
Discrimination
Equal rights
Civil rights
Civil liberties
Reconstruction
Reform
Industrialization
Civilization
Democracy
Communism
Capitalism
Socialism
Ideology
Programs (policies)
Stalemate
Disarmament
Isolationism
Laissez-faire
Quota
Consumer
Assembly line
Age (era, period, circa)
Manifest destiny
Suffrage
Prohibition
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Urban
Rural
Societies
Demographic shift (population trend)
Slavery (enslaved, indentured)
Sharecropper
Compromise
Institutions
Movement(s)
Constitution
Reform
Mechanized (-ization)
National unity
Urbanization
Political corruption
Affairs (national, world, domestic, international)
Economic boom (or bust)
Welfare
Words in Questions
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“foundational” – Understands why the Bill of Rights is considered a foundational document in
American history.
“Took root” and “reshaped” – Understands how the values and institutions of European
economic life took root in the colonies and how slavery reshaped European and African life in
the Americas.
“involved in shaping” – Understands the causes of the American Revolution, the ideas and
interests involved in shaping the revolutionary movement, and reasons for the American
victory.
“impact” – Understands the impact of the American Revolution on politics, economy, and
society.
“rise” and “reflected” – Understands the rise of the American labor movement and how political
issues reflected social and economic changes.
“at home and abroad” – Understands the causes and course of World War II, the character of
the war at home and abroad, and its reshaping of the US role in world affairs.
“struggle” – Understands the struggle for racial and gender equality and for the extension of
civil liberties.
“viewpoints and perspectives” – Understands the historical viewpoints and perspectives for
arguments for and against the New Deal.