The School Leadership Center of Greater New Orleans
February 23, 2013
Building Academic Vocabulary for Literacy Skills
Presenter: Amy Benjamin
www.amybenjamin.com
Today:
Review of December 8, 2012
Work on the first four subsets of the Academic Word List
Word components
Working with Tier III Nouns and Verbs
Informational writing: 1. definitions of nouns
2. writing sentences that explain verbs
Linking vocabulary to literature and sentence-writing skills
Narrative writing: Building up a noun phrase
Rationale: Readers need to 90-95% of the words in a text for adequate comprehension.
Academic writing requires knowledge of the words on the Academic Word List as well as
Tier III (technical) words. The need for vocabulary is emphasized throughout
the Common Core Standards for Literacy. Words are learned when the teacher lives by
the 4E’s: Exposure…Elaboration…Examples….Enthusiasm!
Think Box for the Academic Word List:
Try to find at least 5 words for each box.
Nouns: Words
that fit into
this frame:
The______
Adjectives:
Words that fit
into this frame:
It is very _____.
Words that might
describe something
you did yesterday.
Verbs: Words
to which we
can add …ing
Verbs: Words
to which we
can add …ing
Words that
might describe
the weather
today
Words
with x, y,
or z
Words that
have to do
with making
things less
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It’s easier to understand parts of speech than you think. Simply use the cues above. Not all words
follow the same morphology. It’s interesting to see how words morph into different forms.
Morphology Chart Sample
NOUNS:
VERBS:
ADJECTIVES:
ADVERBS
The_____.
To____
The ______thing.
Do it___________.
category, categories
(I) categorize
(He) categorizes
(I already)
categorized
(I am) categorizing
restriction, restrictions (I) restrict
(He) restricts
(I already) restricted
(I am) restricting
restrictive
restrictively
Do two more:
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A Useful List of Words with Prefixes, Roots, Suffixes
1. INTERMITTENT: inter- (between); mit/mis (to send); -ent (characterized by or
serving in the capacity of )
2. REFLECT: re- (back, again); -flect/flict (to bend)
3. SUBTRACT: sub- (under); -tract (to drag, to draw)
4. COMPLIANCE com- (with); -plic (to fold)
5. CORRESPONDENT: co- (with) re- (back, again); -spond (to pledge);
-ent (characterized by or serving in the capacity of)
6. PROPELLER: pro- (forward); -pel (to drive); -er (performer)
7. TRANSPORTATION: trans- (across); port (to carry); -ation (a suffix that
creates a noun out of a verb)
8. DESTRUCTIVE: de- (down); -struct (to build); -ive (having the quality of)
9. PERSPECTIVE: per- (through); spect (to see); -ive (having the quality of)
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intermittent
intercept
interfere
interface
inter-scholastic
interval
intermission
emit
permit
admit
commit
remit
omit
insistent
consistent
persistent
coherent
efficient
sufficient
deficient
apparent
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Aristotle’s Way of Composing Definitions:
1. This method works best with nouns.
2. Place the noun into its category:
In what category can we place a canary?
A canary is a bird…
3. Using adjectives and the relative pronoun that,
name the defining characteristics of the term being defined:
What distinguishes the canary from other birds?
A canary is a small, yellow bird that sings and is often kept
as a pet.
Use this formula to compose a definition of a:
cardinal
duck
ostrich
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Vocabulary List: Character Behaviors and Feelings
First, decide which adjectives below describe the behaviors and feelings of one
character in the book you are reading. Then, write a sentence that gives an
example of how the character shows this behavior or feeling.
addled
afraid
agitated
ambivalent
annoyed
antagonistic
anxious
apprehensive
baffled
belligerent
bewildered
boastful
bored
calm
cautious
concerned
confident
confused
curious
dejected
despondent
detached
determined
discouraged
ecstatic
elated
embarrassed
enthusiastic
excited
foolish
fortunate
frantic
friendly
frustrated
furious
grateful
helpful
helpless
hopeful
hostile
humiliated
hurried
inadequate
independent
introspective
insecure
interested
intrigued
intuitive
involved
irate
jittery
lighthearted
lucky
mischievous
mixed-up
moody
mystified
nervous
optimistic
overwhelmed
perplexed
puzzled
proud
relieved
resentful
responsible
satisfied
scared
secure
sullen
surprised
sympathetic
talkative
tense
thoughtful
thrilled
trapped
troubled
uncomfortable
undecided
uneasy
vexed
victimized
worried
zany
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from Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White
Charlotte:
Far into the night, while the other creatures slept, Charlotte worked on her web.
First she ripped out a few of the orb lines near the center. She left the radial lines alone, as
they were needed for support. As she worked, her eight legs were a great help to her.
So were her teeth. She loved to weave and she was an expert at it.
A spider can produce several kinds of thread. She uses a dry, tough thread for
foundation lines, and she uses a sticky thread for snare lines—the ones that catch and hold
insects. Charlotte decided to use her dry thread for writing the new message.
“If I write the word ‘Terrific’ with sticky thread,” she thought, “every bug that comes along
will get stuck in it and spoil the effect.”
Wilbur:
Some of Wilbur’s friends in the barn worried for fear all the attention would to to his head
and make him stuck up. But it never did. Wilbur was modest; fame did not spoil him.
He still worried some about the future, as he could hardly believe that a mere spider
would be able to save his life. Sometimes at night he would have a bad dream. He would
dream that men were coming to get him with knives and guns. But that was only a dream.
In the daytime, Wilbur usually felt happy and confident. No pig ever had truer friends, and
he realized that friendship is one of the most satisfying things in the world. Even the song
of the crickets did not make Wilbur too sad. He knew it was almost time for the County
Fair, and he was looking forward to the trip. If he could distinguish himself at the Fair,
and maybe win some prize money, he was sure Zuckerman would let him live.
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Using textual evidence: Follow the pattern:
We know Charlotte is confident because has everything she needs to be an expert weaver.
We know ___________ is ____________ because s/he _______________________.
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Building UP a Noun Phrase
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Proper Nouns:
Dee Dee, Bailey, Curtis, Patrick, Zoe, Beverly, Wilma, Neville, Kilroy, Hamilton,
Patricia, Genevieve, Daphne, Bryce, Grant, Vincente, Fillmore, Stephen, Marcus,
Sylvester, Maurice, Griffith, Rosaleen, Ramona, Annabella, Jebediah, Johann,
Eden, Vander, Ernesto, Cornelius, Crockett, Marla, Nathaniel, Woody, Zoltan
Ramsey, Miranda, Manfred, Ziporah, Charlotte, Regan, Edmund, Owen, Jasper,
Burke, Sebastian, Herbert, Ziggy, Violet, Xander, Julio, Josephine, Leo,
Indiana, Booker, Clifford, Clementine, Yolanda, Wendell, Murdock, Larkspur
Harper, Hester, Malcolm, Hattie Mae, Ezra, Jem, Barton, Maximillian, Aloysius,
Ignacio, Nestor, Randall, Dougal, Beatrice, Zephyr
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Characteristics (Adjectives): Adjectives answer the question “What kind?”
stolid, strange, strong, strict, stubborn, studious, sophisticated, successful, sullen,
supercilious, superstitious, surly, suspicious, sweet, taciturn, tactful, talented,
talkative, tasteful, tenacious, tense, terrified, thankful, thoughtful, thoughtless,
threatening, thrifty, timid, touchy, trendy, trusting, trustworthy, truthful, uncouth,
unctuous, unfriendly, unruly, uncivilized, unscrupulous, unselfish, useful, valiant
versatile, vivacious, warm, watchful, weak, weary, weird, whimsical, wise,
wishy-washy, wistful, witty, worried, wrathful, wretched, wrong
naïve, neat, negligent, nervous, noisy, obedient, obliging, optimistic, peaceful,
pensive, persevering, persistent, pessimistic, petulant, picky, plain, pleasant,
pitiful, polite, pompous, poor, popular, quarrelsome, quick, quiet, quixotic,
rambunctious, rash, respectful, restless, retiring, rich, risk-taking, rowdy, rude, sad,
scornful, sarcastic, satisfied, scared, secretive, secure, sedate, self-centered,
selfish, self-reliant, sensitive, serious, shrewd, shy, silly, sincere, skillful,
slovenly, sly, smart, sneaky, snobbish, sociable, stingy
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Characteristics (Adjectives):
gloomy, glum, gregarious, grateful, greedy, grouchy, grumpy, gullible, happy,
hard-hearted, hard-working, health-conscious, harried, hateful, haughty, helpful,
helpless, honest, hopeful, hospitable, humble, humorous, ignorant, imaginative,
immaculate, immature, impartial, impatient, impolite, impudent, impulsive,
independent, industrious, insistent, insolent, industrious, insistent, inventive,
jealous, jovial, joyful, lackadaisical, languid, lazy, light-hearted, lively, logical,
lonely, lucky, malicious, mean, messy, meticulous, mischievous, moody, mysterious
active, adventurous, affectionate, afraid, ambitious, amiable, angry, animated,
babyish, bewildered, blasé, bold, boorish, bored, bossy, brave, bright, brilliant,
busy, calm, candid, capable, careful, caustic, cautious, charismatic, conceited,
charming, cheerful, clever, clumsy, coarse, cold-hearted, courageous, cowardly,
cross, cultured, curious, dangerous, considerate, cooperative conscientious
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Roles: (common nouns)
lifeguard, philosopher, scientist, shoemaker, matador, explorer, inventor,
court jester, makeup artist, treasure hunter, student, drangon slayer, carpenter,
jeweler, candymaker, ventriloquist, fisherman, nurse, banker, tyrant, butcher,
reporter, web designer, programmer
secret agent, flight attendant, cashier, beekeeper, gladiator, clockmaker,
superhero, innkeeper, botanist, magician’s assistant; racecar driver, wizard,
game show host, dentist, food taster, actor
cake decorator, sky-diver, birdwatcher, trapeze artist; librarian, stamp collector,
tight-rope walker; dog trainer, dishwasher, cyclist; bodyguard, prime suspect,
ichthyologist, manicurist, sheriff, piano tuner, stuntman, composer, tour guide,
principal, knight, exterminator, factory worker, roofer, sailor, impersonator,
park ranger, mathematician, balloonist, guitarist, welder, window washer,
weatherman, scout
juggler, cowboy, clown, astronaut, anesthesiologist, zookeeper, crossing guard,
vegetarian, seamstress, thief, comedian
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Clarence was a strange and gloomy cake decorator.
Now, condense the sentence into a noun phrase
that has an appositive:
Clarence, a strange and gloomy cake decorator,
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Verbs (actions):
hides, can hide, is hiding, could have been hiding, was hiding, may be hiding
turns, might turn, is turning, should have been turning, was turning, might be turning
smiled, may smile, has been smiling, was smiling, would be smiling, could have been smiling
enjoys, enjoyed, is enjoying, could be enjoying, could have enjoyed, may be enjoying
steals, stole, has stolen, is stealing, has been stealing, was stealing, might be stealing
kicks, kicked, has bee kicking, has kicked, should have been kicking, had been kicking
fix, fixed, has fixed, has been fixing, should have been fixing, had been fixing, was fixing
complains, has been complaining, has complained, was complaining, complained
notices, will notice, will be noticing, has noticed, noticed, might notice, should have noticed
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Direct Object
(if needed)
If necessary, add a
noun (or pronoun)
that completes the
action.
Adverb
Add a word or words that
answer one of the
questions that adverbs
answer:
How? How often?
When? Where? Why?
Prepositional
Phrase
Add a prepositional
phrase that gives
more
information about
any
noun or verb in the
sentence.
(A preposition is a
word that will fit
into the frame
“Somewhere
____the rainbow.”
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