Vocabulary Writing Review

Lesson Components
What teacher and student behaviors are planned and expected
Context: Course name; grade level; length of lesson; description of setting, students, and
curriculum and any other important contextual characteristics
This lesson will be taught to three unleveled 6th grade Language Arts classes. One of these classes,
although ostensibly the same, has a higher percentage of special needs students 10 or 11 of the 20
students have IEPs. There are two SPED teachers who assist in the classroom during that block.
This lesson is intended to combine writing practice with a general, cumulative review of the
vocabulary words that theyve worked with thus far. Exactly one week ago (on 10/31), the students
took a vocabulary test for their second list of vocabulary words.
Estimated length: 40/45 minutes on the first day. It is unlikely that they will actually finish the entire
writing activity in one class period, and will probably continue working on it next week (or whenever
we next have time).
Virginia SOL(s):
6.4 f) Extend general and specialized vocabulary through speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Common Core State Standard(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
Objectives (KUD format):
Students will understand that frequent review helps cement what theyve learned
Students will know the definitions of their vocabulary words
Students will know how to use vocabulary words in their writing
Students will be able to use vocabulary words in their writing
Assessments: Methods for evaluating each of the specific objectives listed above.
Diagnostic: The act vocab test they took last Friday.
Formative: I will interact with the students over the course of the lesson, and will help them figure
out how to include the words in their writing.

Comments

Summative: I will look at the students writing at some point in the future (after theyve finished).
Procedures: Detail student and teacher behavior. Identify possible student misconceptions.
Include:
I.

Welcome/greeting/announcements

I will greet the students as they enter.

Morgan: Good afternoon, Bob. Did you have a nice lunch? Do you have any plans for the weekend?
Good morning, Meredith.
II.

Hook/ bridge/ opening to lesson

After theyve finished their other work, and its time to start the vocabulary writing lesson, I will tell
them to return to their seats, and that we are going to be reviewing vocabulary today.
Moran: Everyone, return to your seats. *waits for people to move around and get settled* Give me
five Today, were going to review the vocabulary words that weve studied so far this year. Its
important to review them because otherwise people are likely to forget what theyve learned and
we certainly wouldnt want all of your hard work to go to waste.
III.

Instructional steps

I will model how to incorporate a specific set of words into writing. I will use the projector so
that they can follow along with my work.
Morgan: Does everyone have one of these handouts that have all of our vocabulary words on them?
*waits to see if anyone was missed* Okay. Today, were going to be doing some writing. You can
choose to write a story, or a long poem, or a bunch of shorter poems. Whatever you decide, youll
need to include vocabulary words in your writing. Can anyone tell me why Im asking you to use our
old vocabulary words in your writing?
Students: *are quiet*
Morgan: Youll be using our old vocabulary words in your writing. How will that help your learning?
Sally Sue: We to help us remember them.
Morgan: Right. If you dont use the things you learn, if you dont review them or think about them,
then youll almost definitely forget them. A little bit of review can make sure that you dont forget
what youve learned. There are also some of you who were still struggling with these words when we
took our test last week, so this is a good chance for you to continue working on them. Now, Im
going to give you an example of what Im looking for. This is an EXAMPLE, so you should just be
watching and listening. Dont write it down. Sarah, are you going to be writing this down?
Sarah: No
Morgan: Jeremy, are you going to be writing this down?
Jeremy: Yes.
Morgan: Kyle, help Jeremy out. Are you going to be copying down what I write?
Kyle: No.
Morgan: Jeremy, are you going to be copying down what I write?
Jeremy: No.
Morgan: Good. Now, I said that you had the option of writing a story, a poem, some song lyrics,
or a collection of things. If I decided to make story, I might start with something like, There once

Ill probably be doing

this more in 3rd
period than the others,
and will differentiate
that part of the lesson
to meet the needs of
different classes.

I often give students

some choice in their

was a business that was being cruel to animals. Activists heard about what was going on, so they
decided to take action and protest the business. They lined up outside the business, and when they
saw the owner, they told him to start treating animals better. He reacted by laughing at them Can
you see that Im making a story, but Im including vocabulary words in my writing? Heres another
example of something I might write, if I choose to do poems rather than a story.
Activists heard cows crying,
and they heard chickens dying.
They drew their swords,
pulled out their signs,
and decided to take action.
But alas! When they found the villain,
and demanded that he stop his evil activities,
he reacted by cackling,
twirling his moustache and laughing!
Morgan: When I was writing that poem I did the same thing as when I was writing the story, and I
made sure to use lots of vocabulary words. If you get stuck on whatever youre writing, you can
always switch to a new story or poem. So, for example, I could stop writing this poem *gestures to
the poem on the projector*, and start writing a new poem about a radioactive spider. Ive already
used the words activist, action, activity, and reaction, so I dont need to include those in my new
poem. Id want to be using new, different words radioactive, transaction, enact, etc. Any questions?
Students: *are quiet*
Morgan: Can someone repeat what I just said and tell the class what the directions are? Mabel?
Mabel: Were writing a poem or a story, with vocabulary.
Morgan: Can you write more than one story or poem, or do you need to stick with one thing the
entire time?
Mabel: You can do more than one.
Morgan: Right. And if you start a new poem or story, do you need to start over and reuse the same
vocabulary words?
Mabel: No.
Morgan: Okay, great. Any final questions? *silence* okay then, go ahead and get started! Remember,
this goes in your vocabulary notebooks.
While the students are working, I will circulate the room, answering questions and
addressing issues as they arise.
IV. Closing
I will ask a couple students to collect all of the notebooks and put them away. I will also ask the last
period of the day to stack the chairs on the desks, and pick up any pieces of trash/markers/etc. off
the floor.
Can I get a couple of students to collect the notebooks and put them away?... Thank you, Mary,
Drew.
Materials:
-

computer and projector

assignments.
I also model new
activities and give
examples.
This assignment
requires students
to incorporate vocab.
words from previous
units into some
original writing. The
assignment acts as a
review/extension for
their vocabulary, and
gives them some more
writing practice.

paper, pens/pencils
Cumulative vocabulary (definition) list handout
Their Vocabulary Notebooks (which live in the class)

Attention to Individual Student Needs: Detail specific actions/materials you will use to meet
individual needs in this lesson.
They have choice in what to write
I will circulate the room while the students are working to assist with individual student needs.
Technology Use: Detail specific technology being used in the lesson with explanation for why
it is being used.
I will use an elmo/projector so that I can effectively model activities.
This handout does fit on one page, the formatting is just different in this document.
Sub-, -Ful, and Act Vocabulary List Handout

subway

a railway system that runs under the ground below a big city

subdue

to defeat or control a person or group, especially using force

subject

The subject of something such as a conversation, letter, or book is the thing that is being
discussed or written about

submerge

to cover something completely with water or another liquid

subdivide

to divide into smaller parts something that is already divided

subtitle

1. a second title below the main title in a book, which gives more information about what is
in the book, show etc
2. the words printed over a film in a foreign language to translate what is being said by the
actors

tactful

not likely to upset or embarrass other people

pitiful

1. someone who is pitiful looks or sounds so sad and unfortunate that you feel very sorry
for them
2. a pitiful amount is very small
3. very bad in quality

disgraceful

bad, embarrassing, or unacceptable

Root Word
ACT = move, go, do, drive, urge, act
Vocabulary Words
Action

To do a specific thing that needs to be done, especially after discussing it

Activist

Someone who works hard doing practical things to achieve social or political change

Enact

a) To make a proposal into a law

b) To perform the actions of a story

Exact

Completely correct in every detail

Transaction

A business deal or action, such as buying or selling something

Reaction

Something that you feel or do because of something that has happened or been said

Activity

Something that you do because you enjoy it

Challenge Words
Retroactive

A law or decision that is effective from a particular date in the past

Radioactive

a) A radioactive substance that is dangerous because it contains radiation

b) A form of energy that can harm living things

Counteract

To reduce or prevent the bad effect of something, by doing something that has the opposite
effect