Siddhartha
by Hermann Hesse
Vocabulary Strategy: Instructions
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Purpose
--------------------This vocabulary strategy, Desk Top Vocabulary, is a fun way for students to learn
vocabulary words and their definitions without having to copy them all out from a
dictionary. Studies have shown that students who memorize spelling and definitions of
words have a very low retention rate for those words. When students learn about only one
word each and then teach that word to everyone else in the class, it is much more likely
that they will remember and be able to use the words in the future.
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Context & Rationale
-------------------------------------As you begin to read Siddhartha, you will encounter many words that you and your
students are unfamiliar with. These words are often Hindi words that have significance to
the novel because they refer to Hindu, Buddhist, or Indian cultural concepts. Before you
begin reading, or early in the novel, use this Desk Top Vocabulary Strategy to help your
students learn these words so they recognize and process them as they read.
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Step-by-step Instructions
-----------------------------------------***Allow 30-40 minutes for this activity***
STEP ONE (a few days in advance)
Hand out the Student Instructions Sheet and one large index card to each student. Go
through the instructions with your students. Assign a word to each student by asking
student to draw a word from a bag of words (use the list of words below). It may help your
students if you show them a few examples you come up with yourself.
STEP TWO
On the Desk Top Vocabulary day, arrange the desks in two long rows (or four if necessary
because of classroom space) facing each other. One row of students will stay in the same
desks and the other row of students will rotate one desk to their right every four minutes.
STEP THREE
Instruct students to get out their Index card and teaching props, leaving the rest of their
“stuff” against a wall of the classroom. Tell the students to be seated, and proceed to
explain the rotation to them.
STEP FOUR
After each student has taught his/her word to all the other students, draw words from a
bag and ask randomly selected students for definitions.
As you run across these words in your reading, refer to the desk top vocabulary exercise to
refresh students’ memories of the definitions.
Laura Andreasen – Brigham Young University - 2009
Unfamiliar Words from Siddhartha
Agni
Māyā
AnāthapiĦdika
Nirvana
Atharva Veda
Om
Ātman
Parinirvāna
Bo Tree
Prajāpati
Brahmā
Rig Veda
Brahman
Śākyamuni
Brahmin
Samana
Chandogya Upanishad
Sāma Veda
Gotama
Samsāra
Jetavana
Satyam
Kāma
Sāvatthi
Kāmasūtra
Siddhartha
Krishna
Upanishads
Lakshmi
Vedas
Magadha
Vishnu
Māra
Yoga