Context-Relationship Procedure
1. Give students a list of new vocabulary words and divide them into groups.
2. Have them write their own paragraphs and questions following the directions below.
3. Afterwards have them exchange their paragraphs with other groups and come up with
the meaning of the words.
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Sentence 1
Sentence 2
Sentence 3
Sentence 4
Uses word in context.
Does not use the word, but further explains it
Uses the word and contrasts it to an antonym
Uses the word and defines it
4. Next, a multiple choice item is created to check meaning.
Example
Joe was very happy to move to a safe, quiet suburban are. His neighborhood had a
community pool and lots of kids his own age to play with. The suburban area was very
different from the downtown or urban district he had once lived in. The suburban
neighborhood on the outskirts of town, near the big city was just the place for Joe.
Suburban means:
______a type of car
______a neighborhood on the outskirts of town
______another name for city
K.I.M. -- for vocabulary words and new ideas
Write the term or key idea (K) in the left column, the information (I) that goes along with
it in the center column, and draw a picture of the idea, a memory clue, (M) in the right
column.
The key idea may be a new vocabulary word, or a new concept. The information may be
a definition or it may be a more technical explanation of the concept. The memory clue is
a way for students to fully integrate the meaning of the key idea into their memories. By
making a simple sketch that explains the key idea, students synthesize and interpret the
new information, making it their own. Then, students can reference their drawings to
easily remember new key ideas.
K
Key idea
I
Information
1. drought
Little or no rain over a period of time
2. coup
Takeover of government by military
3. sovereignty
Political independence
M
Memory Clue
Marzano’s Building Academic Vocabulary
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/vocab/strategies.html
Step 1: The teacher will give a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
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Provide learners information about the term.
Determine what the learner already knows about the term.
Ask learners to share what they already know as a means of monitoring
misconceptions.
Ask learners to share what they already know to use this knowledge as a
foundation for more learning.
Utilize examples, descriptions, but not definitions. Definitions are not a
recommended method for vocabulary instruction as they do not provide learners
an informal, natural way to learn new vocabulary.
Instruct learning of proper noun terms through identifying characteristics of the
proper noun.
Step 2: The teacher will ask the learner to give a description, explanation, or example
of the new term in his/her own words.
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Remind learners to not copy, but use their own words.
Monitor students to determine if any confusion exists.
Provide more descriptions, explanations, or examples if necessary.
Request that students record these in their Academic Notebook Worksheet. These
notebooks can travel with the learner as he/she moves through each grade level
and become a compilation of vocabulary terms mastered.
Step 3: The teacher will ask the learner to draw a picture, symbol, or locate a graphic to
represent the new term.
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Provides learners a nonlinguistic method of vocabulary mastery.
Share examples of other learners' drawings or allow students to work in teams to
help those who complain that cannot draw.
Teach the concept of speed drawing for those who labor too long over their work.
Ask learner to share their work.
Use graphics from magazines or the Internet.
Internet Clipart Resources:
o
o
Madrid Teacher
Vocabulary Quiz Using Images
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Illustrating terms through symbols, drawing the actual term, illustrating with a
cartoon, or drawing an example of the term should be encouraged.
Step 4: The learner will participate in activities that provide more knowledge of the
words in their vocabulary notebooks.
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Remind learners to not copy, but use their own words.
Distribute the Academic Notebook Worksheet to assist learners in organizing
their vocabulary terms.
Encourage learners to identify prefixes, suffixes, antonyms, synonyms, related
words for the vocabulary term as "new info" on the Academic Notebook
Worksheet.
If English is a second language to the learner, provide an opportunity to translate
the word into their native language (BabelFish).
A list of activities can be found at: TeachNet, GameAquarium, ESL Bears, Word
Scrambler,.
Step 5: The learner will discuss the term with other learners.
Pair-Share Strategy:
1. THINK: Allow think time for learners to review their own descriptions and
images of the terms.
2. PAIR: Put learners in pairs to discuss their descriptions, images, and any new
info related to the terms.
3. SHARE: Provide opportunity for groups to share aloud and discuss conceptions
and misconceptions.
Monitor as learners help each other identify and clear up confusion about new terms.
Step 6: The learner will participate in games that provide more reinforcement of the
new term.
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A variety of games are available at this website: PowerPoint Games, Word Game
Boards, Excel Games, WORDO, Twister, Fly Swat.
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/vocab/strategies.html
Social Studies Morphemes
The Word Bench activity in which you ask your students if they know any other words
that look and sound like a new social studies term and if they think any of these words
might be related will help your students become more morphologically sophisticated. In
addition, you have the unique opportunity to teach your students the meaning for some
morphemes that occur most commonly in social studies words. Seize this opportunity
when introducing one of these words, because your students might not notice these
morphemes in any of their other classes:
Morpheme
anti (against)
Social Studies Usage
antitrust, antislavery
com, con (with, together) community, congress, conspiracy
General Usage
antibody, antisocial
compile, committee, company, conform
counter, contra (against)
counterintelligence, counteroffensive
counterfeit, contradict
ex (out)
exports, explorers
expedition, exit
form (shape)
conform, reformers
deformity, formula
geo (earth)
geography, geopolitical
geometry, geology
im, in (in)
imports, immigration, invasion, inauguration
implant, impoverish, indent, intruder
im, in (opposite)
immoral, independence
impatient, inefficient
inter (between)
international, intervention
interrupt, interfere
ism (state of)
communism, capitalism
patriotism
ist (person)
communist, nationalist
pianist, scientist
mono (one, same)
monarchy, monopoly
monorail, monastery
non (opposite)
nonviolence, nonpartisan, nonproliferation
nonprofit, nonstop
sub (under)
subcontinent
subway, substitute
trans (across)
transAtlantic, transcontinental
transport, transfer
uni (one, same
unilateral, unified, universal
uniform, united
Vocabulary Prediction Chart
Predict the meaning of the vocabulary words below before you read the text. After you
read, go back and write what you think the word means. After reading, place a check in
the box if your first prediction was correct. If you changed your prediction after you
read, write your new definition. Identify the clue words in the reading that helped you
with the definition.
Vocabulary Word
Predicted Meaning
After Reading
Clue Words
The Frayer Model
DEFINITION (in own words)
CHARACTERISTICS
WORD
EXAMPLES (from own life)
NON-EXAMPLES(from own life)