RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
Cycle #4: We Are the World
LESSON 1
Introduce all words in the cycle:
Display the word chart for this cycle, and tell students that this collection of words, called “We Are the World,” will
help them read, write, and talk about big ideas that affect us all. Read each word aloud, with the students repeating
the words after you: complex, domestic, global, diverse, integrate, reside.
Use contexts and friendly definitions to build word meaning: (Student Book, pp. 1, 2)
Set 1: complex, domestic, global
complex
Contexts and Definitions
Context #1:
Birds make two kinds of sounds to communicate,
bird calls and bird songs. Bird calls are usually
only a few short notes and are used for warning
about a predator or telling where food can be
found. Bird songs are more musical and complex
than bird calls, can have as many as 40 notes, and
are usually only produced by the male bird. He
uses his song to communicate with his mate and
to protect his territory.1

For the Teacher
T or S reads Context #1 aloud.
Friendly Definition:
Something that is complex has many complicated
parts and can be hard to understand.


T or S reads Friendly Definition aloud.
To integrate meaning and Context #1, ask:
o How does the meaning of complex fit Context 1?
Ideas to develop: Bird songs are much more
complicated than bird calls, which are just a few
notes.
o Follow up as needed: What do you mean by
that? What does that have to do with complex?
Context #2:
People used to joke about how easy it is to change
a light bulb. Not any more. Because a new law
requires light bulbs to use less energy, there are
many more kinds of bulbs than before. Now
consumers have a complex choice when shopping
for light bulbs. Do they want a halogen bulb, a
compact fluorescent, or a light-emitting diode? It
can be hard to figure out. 2


T or S reads Context #2 aloud.
To integrate meaning and Context #2, ask:
o This context says that people now have a complex
choice of light bulbs. What’s that all about?
Ideas to develop: It’s going to be much more
complicated and harder to understand what kind of
light bulb to buy because of the new law.
So, what’s the word that means complicated?

Activate Vocabulary: Now let’s try using complex.
 Which is more complex – a game of chess or a game of checkers? Why?
 Why is tying your shoes more complex than having Velcro on your shoes?
Summarize: Let’s summarize what we know about complex.
Something complex has so many parts or things going on that it can be complicated and hard to understand.
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
domestic
Contexts and Definitions
Context #1:
Professor Bob Enick of the University of Pittsburgh has
developed a way for oil companies to get more oil from
domestic oil wells. Companies usually use water to
push oil out of the ground, but a lot of the oil stays
behind. Professor Enick discovered that you can mix
soap with carbon dioxide to create a foam that punches
a lot more of the oil out. If companies begin using
Professor Enick’s method, our country will have more
domestic oil, and we won’t have to depend as much on
oil from other countries.1

For the Teacher
T or S reads Context #1 aloud.
Friendly Definition:
Something domestic happens or helps people in their
daily lives at home or in their own country.


T or S reads Friendly Definition aloud.
To integrate meaning and Context #1, ask:
o How does the meaning of domestic fit
Context 1?
Ideas to develop: Professor Enick has a
method to get more oil from wells in our own
country so we don’t have to get as much oil
from other countries.
o Follow up as needed: What do you mean
by that? What does that have to do with
domestic?
Context #2:
Llamas are one of the oldest domestic animals in the
world because they are intelligent and easy to train.
They were domesticated from their wild relatives by
ancient people in South America. For centuries, these
people have used llamas in their daily work to carry
heavy loads over rough mountain ground. These pack
animals can carry up to 75 pounds and travel as far as
20 miles in a single day.2


T or S reads Context #2 aloud.
To integrate meaning and Context #2, ask:
o This context says that llamas are domestic
animals. What’s that all about?
Ideas to develop: Llamas are tame animals,
not wild animals, that help people do their
daily work.
So, what’s the word that has to do with things
in our home or country?

Activate Vocabulary: Now let’s try using domestic.
 Which animals are domestic and which are wild? Why?
o a wolf and a dog
o a farm goat and a mountain goat
o a water buffalo and a cow
 Which machines are domestic? Why?
o a washing machine in your basement OR a washing machine at the laundromat
o the dishwasher in a restaurant OR the dishwasher in your kitchen
o What other domestic appliances can you think of?
Summarize: Let’s summarize what we know about domestic.
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
We say something is domestic when it has to do with our home, like a tame animal that is a pet or that helps us do
our work, or when it has to do with something happening in our own country rather than another country, like where
we get oil.
global
Contexts and Definitions
Context #1:
“Yarn bombers” are striking in cities across the
world. In the dark of night, these artists are
covering public places with knitted art. They
have put knitted vests on statues, covered park
benches and phone poles with colorful knitting,
and even made gigantic “sweaters” for buses,
cars, and bridges. Yarn bombing has become a
global movement, with fuzzy art popping up in
the United States, Europe, Asia, and beyond.1

For the Teacher
T or S reads Context #1 aloud.
Friendly Definition:
If something is global, it is so big that it includes
all of something or might even include the whole
world.


T or S reads Friendly Definition aloud.
To integrate meaning and Context #1, ask:
o How does the meaning of global fit Context 1?
Ideas to develop: People are doing yarn bombing in
countries all around the world.
o Follow up as needed: What do you mean by
that? What does that have to do with global?
Context #2:
Drivers may soon have a new tool, called a Global
View Map, to increase their awareness while
driving and help them avoid accidents. A video
camera mounted on the top of a car provides a
global view of the vehicle’s surroundings as the
car moves through traffic. The video from the
camera is projected onto a map of the area on the
windshield, giving drivers up-to-the-minute data
about what’s going on around them.2


T or S reads Context #2 aloud.
To integrate meaning and Context #2, ask:
o This context says that the camera will give
drivers a global view of their surroundings.
What’s that all about?
Ideas to develop: The camera will give information
about all the views around a car so that drivers can
have the total picture and avoid accidents.
So, what’s the word that means involving all of
something?

Activate Vocabulary: Now let’s try using global.
 Which is an example of buying groceries that are part of a global food system? Why?
o buying blueberries grown in Chile OR
o buying apples grown at a local farm
 How could you get a global understanding of the opinions of seventh graders in your school about
homework?
Summarize: Let’s summarize what we know about global.
Something global has to do with the whole of something, like yarn bombing across the whole world or
understanding what the whole seventh grade thinks about homework.
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
LESSON 3
Using the Vocabulary: Expand It (Student Book, p. 8)
Tell students that their challenge is to expand the examples of things to which each vocabulary word can apply.
With a partner, they will write one example for each use of each word in one minute (e.g., for the word complex,
they will come up with one complex machine and one complex idea.) Call on as many students as possible for each
word to get a range of examples. Have students write examples and share their ideas one word at a time.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What would be a complex machine?
What would be a domestic animal?
What would be a global problem?
What would be a diverse group of people?
What people might you want to integrate?
What kinds of places do animals reside?
and
and
and
and
and
and
What would be a complex idea?
What would be a domestic chore?
What would give you a global view of something?
What would be a diverse group of things?
What things might you want to integrate?
What kinds of places do people reside?
LESSON 4
All-Word Review: Showdown
Ask students to read aloud all the words from the word chart. Tell them you’ll describe a short situation, and then
they will write the word that matches on their white board and turn it over so the word cannot be seen. When all
boards are turned over, say, “3-2-1 Showdown!” and students should hold up their boards. Call on a student for
the word. There aren’t any foolers in this set.
The newspaper writes about what’s going on in the United States. (domestic news)
We were amazed by the detailed design of the spider’s web. (complex design)
Our teacher wove a unit about the solar system into our science program. (integrated the unit)
We want a health insurance plan that covers everything we need to stay healthy. (global health plan)
The power to choose their leaders is a basic right of the people when they vote. (power resides with the
people)
6. The little preschool band played many kinds of homemade instruments. (diverse instruments)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Using the Vocabulary: Guess It (Student Book, p. 9)
Tell students their goal is to come up with a variety of answers to the questions below. Divide them into two
teams and have them work with a partner from their team to answer each question. Then, discuss each question
one at a time, asking students to explain how their answers are related to the target words. Give a point for each
different answer. Teams can “win” with the most points for individual questions and for the most points overall.
1. We wanted to reside in a diverse neighborhood. What did we do?
2. We studied a complex global issue. What was it?
3. He had a really unusual domestic animal residing in his room. What was it?
4. We integrated a new act into our talent show to make it more diverse. What was it?
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
5. They had a domestic quarrel about a global problem. Who was arguing about what?
6. When our teacher decided to integrate art with our writing assignment, it became too complex. Why?
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
LESSON 5
Writing: Write About It (Student Book, p. 10)
Introduce this activity as a homework assignment at the end of Lesson 4.
Tell students they can choose one of the three topics below. They will write one sentence for each of the RAVE
words from this cycle related to that topic. The sentences do not have to form a coherent paragraph, but students
may try that if they want to. They do not have to use the words in any particular order. If it would be helpful,
model a few sentences for the first topic (see below).
#1 The Coolest Place I Know
(Possible sentences related to this topic: I reside in a tree house high in the mountains of South America. It is a
complex set of rooms joined by twisted vines and branches. I have a global view of the whole valley from here,
etc.)
#2 The Invention That Will Make Me Rich
#3 If I Had a Trillion Dollars
During Lesson 5, ask several students to read the sentences they wrote. If necessary, ask, “How is that RAVE word
related to the topic?”
LESSON 6
Using the Vocabulary: Why This Word? (Student Book, p. 11)
Tell students that in this activity there are pairs of words and sentences that are related in some way.
They will use the meaning of each word to figure out which word belongs in which sentence. Give students two
minutes to write their answers. Discuss the nuances of each word and the cues in each sentence that connect to the
word.
1. domestic/global
Deciding how to control fishing in every ocean is a _______________ issue.
Deciding which bridges to repair in our town is a _________________ issue.
2. diverse/complex
Matt visited a ________________set of colleges before deciding which one to go to.
Matt had a _______________ set of decisions to make before he made up his mind.
3. integrate/reside
Roy worked hard to ______________ his dancing and athletic talents.
Roy is a star because both dancing and athletic talents ___________in him.
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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RAVE! Robust Academic Vocabulary Encounters!
Grade Seven, 2012-2013
LESSON 7
Review Cycles 3 and 4: Match the Stars
Tell students they must try to match the answers of classmate “stars” to each question below. Use a random method
to appoint a different “star” for each question. The “star” should write an answer on their white board while the
other students do the same. Everyone holds up their white board at the same time, and those whose answers
matched the “star’s” answer earn a point for that question. “Stars” get a point if at least one student matches their
answer. Students should explain how their answer is related to the target word.
1. What is an easy math concept?
2. What is a common domestic pet?
3. What would be a good principle to live by?
4. What might you presume if you saw a person in a bathrobe?
5. What is the most complex game you know?
6. Where do the most famous people reside?
7. Which store sells the most diverse items?
8. What time of day are you most coherent?
9. Which concept is the most abstract – peace, beauty, or love?
10. Who is a popular global celebrity?
11. Which fast food version of a hamburger do you like best?
12. What would you like to integrate with schoolwork to make it more fun?
RAVE! Teacher Guide, We Are the World
© 2012 University of Pittsburgh
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