EDU 542 Lesson Plan #2

Allison Hardin
Vocabulary is Alive!
Vocabulary Acquisition Model
Behavioral Theory
Chapter 6 pages 214-238
Kindergarten Language Arts
Lesson plan@ 50 and Reflection @ 50
1. MATERIALS/PREPLANNING

● Materials - List all of the materials you will need for teaching this lesson.
➢ Book: What’s Alive by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
➢ Book: Living Things and Nonliving Things: A Compare and Contrast Book by Kevin Kurtz
➢ Vocabulary cards and matching pictures
➢ Vocabulary Word Map graphic organizer
➢ Vocabulary Assignment
➢ Word Search
➢ Computers and link to interactive Science Game.

● Vocabulary:
➢ Alive
➢ Grow
➢ Inanimate

● Literature - List supporting literature or reading materials

➢ What’s Alive by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
➢ Living Things and Nonliving Things: A Compare and Contrast Book by Kevin Kurtz

2. OBJECTIVE
● At the end of the lesson, students in Kindergarten will be able to define selected vocabulary words.
● “State the Cognitive Taxonomy /DOK Level:
➢ Remembering: Students will recall information they learned about their vocabulary words.
● List the standards met by this objective.
➢ L.K.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten
reading and content.
➢ L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.”

3. ASSESSMENT Perfect Assessment Tool Rationale:

● Label your method of assessment as authentic, formal,
or informal and the type of assessment tool used (ex. a
rubric).
➢ Informal
➢ Type: Verbal
● Describe your assessment tool and how it supports the
brain for excellent learning.
➢ Students will be individually assessed by verbally
answering the following questions with the
corresponding sentence stems:
➢ Why is it important to figure out words we do
not know in a story?
❏ “It is important to figure out words we
do not know because____.”
➢ What are some strategies we can use to figure
out what words mean?
● Provide a rationale as to how this assessment links with
or supports this theoretical model.
➢ This assessment links to the behavioral theory based on
the idea that behaviors are acquired through
conditioning. The conditioning occurs specifically
through the interaction with the Word Match Vocabulary
game, Vocabulary Word Map, and interactive read-
aloud. This allows the students to respond to their
surroundings in the classroom environment that build
upon their actions.
● Include a copy or your assessment tool.
➢ Students will be individually assessed by verbally
answering the following questions with the
corresponding sentence stems:
➢ Why is it important to figure out words we do
not know in a story?
❏ “It is important to figure out words we
do not know because____.”
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 ❏ “We can use____ to figure out what ➢ What are some strategies we can use to figure
words mean.” out what words mean?
➢ A new word I learned was____. ❏ “We can use____ to figure out what
❏ “I learned___. It means___.” words mean.”
➢ A new word I learned was____.
This verbal informal assessment supports the brain for excellent ❏ “I learned___. It means___.”
learning because students are using the sentence stems to
understand why they are learning the vocabulary words. Hearing
themselves answer the questions out loud will enhance memory
skills.

4. CENTRAL FOCUS/ PURPOSE (2 parts to include)

● 1. The Central Focus is a statement of the important understandings and core concepts that you want students to develop in
the learning segment.
➢ In this learning segment, students will develop an understanding of living and nonliving things by developing
attributes and remembering/recalling related vocabulary words.
● 2. Clearly state (to the students) how this lesson will benefit them. This statement lets students know WHY you are spending
their time on this lesson.
➢ “Boys and girls, today you will be able to remember the definition of three vocabulary words. You will be able to use
these words in a sentence by understanding the meaning of the words. It is important to remember the meaning of
a word because we use vocabulary everyday and in many different ways.”

5. MOTIVATION FOR LEARNING

● Identify the type of motivation (i.e., intrinsic/extrinsic) that is appropriate for this theoretical model.
➢ Intrinsic motivation is appropriate for this Vocabulary Acquisition Model because the students will be engaging for
personal satisfaction. Demonstrating the ability to define an academic vocabulary word can lead to a sense of
internal accomplishment.
● Describe exactly what you will do to in this lesson to support motivation to learn.
➢ Have students turn to their partner and share a time when they did not know the meaning of a word in either English
or another language.
➢ Call on volunteers to share answers.
➢ Explain to students that not understanding the meaning of a word is a learning opportunity and that many people
experience unfamiliar words everyday.
➢ Tell students that you are going to read a text and they will be finding unknown words that they do not know the
meaning of.
➢ Read What’s Alive by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld from Lesson #1
➢ Guide students to raise their hands when they hear an unknown word. List the words on the whiteboard.
➢ After reading the text, explain the meaning of unknown words that students provided.
➢ Go back and read the sentence from the text and discuss how the word was used.

● How will this lesson promote a Growth Mindset

➢ Students will have the opportunity to engage in whole class, group, and partner discussion. The students will
actively communicate verbally, listen carefully, raise their hand and support classmates with positive comments or
gestures that can increase their confidence resulting in perseverance.

6. PRE-LESSON - Just before teaching the new lesson do the following:

● Review/Make Connections to Previously Learned Material
➢ Have students play Word Match vocabulary game to review vocabulary words
❏ Place each student with a partner
❏ Provide each pair of students with all 3 vocabulary cards and picture cards that match the word.
❏ Students will work with their partner to match the vocabulary word with the correct illustration.
● Restate Objectives for the Lesson (State the objective to students in a way that students will know what they will learn. This
helps them make connections with prior learning.)
➢ “Boys and girls, today you are going to learn the meaning of three vocabulary words: Alive, Grow, and Inanimate.”

6. LESSON BODY: Provide text pages #214-238 for your lesson. Follow the exact steps provided in the text for the
lesson you are teaching. Clarity is the key.

Step 1: Pretest Knowledge of Words Critical to Content

● Teacher will pretest knowledge of academic vocabulary with a “vocabulary word map”

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 ● https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CJGyymgj3itW4Ie7eAz2U7mDF_68IsUccnRBTyCIxkM/edit?usp=sharing
●
● Teacher will model this graphic organizer on the overhead for students.
● Teacher will ask students to spell and define the vocabulary words to check for knowledge.
➢ Due to the limited reading and writing abilities in Kindergarten, the words will be highlighted and students will trace
over the highlighted words.
➢ Students will write/trace word in the first box, the meaning in the second box, use the word in a sentence in the third
box, and draw a picture in the fourth box.

Step 2: Elaborate on and Discuss Invented Spellings and Hypothesized Meanings

● Teacher will assign each table group one of the 3 vocabulary words: Alive, Grow, Inanimate
➢ Each group will discuss the word by telling their group members how they spelled the word and what they think the
meaning is.
➢ Teacher will have each group decide on a “speaker” for their table and tell the class how they spelled their provided
vocabulary word and what they think the meaning is.
➢ This process will continue until each table group has shared.

Step 3: Explore Patterns of Meanings

● Each group will find one synonym and one antonym for their provided vocabulary word
➢ Students will work together in their groups to list words (verbally) that are similar and different.
➢ Example: Alive: synonym- living, dog antonym- dead, book
➢ Each group will decide on a different speaker to share synonym and antonym with class
➢ Teacher will record answers on board for students to reference.
● Teacher will refer to all 3 vocabulary words on whiteboard and ask students if they see any patterns in the spelling such as,
words with the same letters or sounds.
➢ Teacher will use different colored markers to underline each pattern. For example, all “a’s” will be blue.

Step 4: Ready and Study

● Teacher gathers students on rug for read-aloud Living Things and Nonliving Things: A Compare and Contrast Book by Kevin
Kurtz from lesson #2.
➢ Teacher explains to the class that they will be listening for the 3 vocabulary words, Alive, Grow, and Inanimate in
the text.
➢ Students will clap their hands once every time they hear one of the academic vocabulary words.
➢ When students clap their hands for a vocabulary word, the teacher will stop at the end of that sentence and show
students how to reread portions of the text to figure out the meaning of a word.
➢ Teacher will model how to use context clues and related words to guess the meaning of the word.
➢ Teacher and students will discuss the word placement and usage.

Step 5: Evaluate and Posttest

● Students will be individually assessed by verbally answering the following questions with the corresponding sentence stems:
➢ Why is it important to figure out words we do not know in a story?
❏ “It is important to figure out words we do not know because____.”
➢ What are some strategies we can use to figure out what words mean?
❏ “We can use____ to figure out what words mean.”
➢ A new word I learned was____.
❏ “I learned___. It means___.”
● As individual students are being assessed, the rest of the class will be working on a simple word search that includes the
academic vocabulary.

7. ASSIGNMENT
● Design a brain compatible Perfect Assignment to support this lesson.
➢ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fGDDck2N_utMkb2iKa0eR5Q1X30p5SQVHdpLTT58Iyc/edit?usp=sharing
➢
➢ Students will need to draw a line from the academic vocabulary words to the corresponding picture.
● Explain why it is the perfect assignment based on how the brain learns.
➢ This Vocabulary Assignment works well with The Vocabulary Acquisition Model because the brain learns by making
connections to previously learned material by working with words from previous lessons. The students are fostering
a deeper understanding of the selected academic vocabulary words by elaborating on the meaning through
listening to other definitions and exploring related words such as synonyms and antonyms,
● Attach a copy.
Vocabulary Assignment

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8. Student Work Examples/Technology Support
● Attach samples of student work.
➢ Student Sample #1
➢ Student Sample #2

● Include a variety of levels of performance

● Add technology support (ex. www resources/interactive activities etc.)
● Interactive Science/Living Things if extra time is available.

Reflective Thinking/Curriculum Evaluation @50 Points

9. Reflective Thinking/Curriculum Evaluation

Reflection is a very important part of each lesson. Please take the time to thoughtfully prepare your reflections. Follow
the format provided below and provide a professional quality reflective analysis of your work.

Relevance: Explain how this lesson demonstrates your competence with one of the Graduate SLOs below? Delete unused
SLOs.

SLO 1: Demonstrate advanced understanding of the trends, issues, and research associated with education in
general and with their respective specialization.

SLO 2: Evaluate and conduct research to improve instructional practices and institutional cultures.

● This Vocabulary Acquisition Model lesson plan used research to improve instructional practice by exploring context clues,
synonyms, antonyms, and various meanings of academic vocabulary words relating to the previous lesson. This
investigation led to professional knowledge about this model and the ability to transfer learning to the students on the central
focus of living and nonliving objects.

Significance/competence: Using careful analysis and evaluative thought, address the points listed below. Add other
pertinent information that supports our competence by using this lesson model.

● Explain how this lesson supports helping students reach levels of deeper learning.
➢ The students are fostering a deeper understanding of the selected academic vocabulary words by elaborating on
the meaning through listening to other definitions and exploring related words such as synonyms and antonyms,

● How does this model make learning stick in long term memory?
The Vocabulary Acquisition Model makes learning stick through:
➢ Encouraging active engagement: Students are participating in whole class and partner discussion. Students are
defining academic vocabulary words through text, Word Match vocabulary game, and Vocabulary Word Map.
➢ Activate prior knowledge: Vocabulary Word Match Game
➢ Make connections: Have students turn to their partner and share a time when they did not know the meaning of a
word in either English or another language.
➢ Repetition: Repeating the same text for a different purpose each time.
➢ Motivation: What’s Alive by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

● Provide examples and rationale for appropriate use of this teaching model and where it is suitable throughout your
curriculum. Indicate/discuss strengths/weaknesses based on theology/theory.
➢ This model would be appropriate for a variety of grade levels and content areas that focuses on vocabulary. One
strength based on this theory is helping the learner to develop vocabulary knowledge through observing and
modeling. One weakness in this lesson model is the limited amount of vocabulary words that can be covered.
● How will you support advanced/ELD/Special needs learners through using this model?
➢ Advanced: This student will be encouraged to write a paragraph using all 3 vocabulary words.
➢ ELD: This student will have the opportunity to define the words in English or their native language.
➢ Special needs: This student will create their assignments in teacher-led small groups.

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 ● Provide links to the Common Core State Standards and explain how this lesson could support the CCSS.
● This lesson supports the CCSS below by implementing the ability for students to define a vocabulary word and understand
how to find the meaning.
➢ L.K.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
kindergarten reading and content.
➢ L.K.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Link to Theory:

● Explain the links between this lesson model and the supporting theory (i.e., behaviorism, info processing, social learning or
constructivist).
➢ This lesson is closely linked to the behavioral theory based on the idea that behaviors are acquired through
conditioning. The conditioning occurs specifically through the interaction with the Word Match Vocabulary game,
Vocabulary Word Map, and interactive read-aloud. The students are responding to their surroundings in the
classroom environment that build upon their actions.
● Link this lesson to one or more of the Big Ideas and provide a rationale.
8. Learners benefit from hearing or reading the ideas of others
➢ Big Idea #8 emphasizes the idea that students are conditioned through their environment. This idea can be linked to
this lesson by students examining the meaning of unknown words in the text during the read-aloud.

● Describe technological resources you have found useful.

Interactive Science/Living Things if extra time is available.
➢ This interactive Science game extends learning on things that are alive and not alive. The content relates to the
prior lesson and utilizes academic vocabulary words used in this Vocabulary Acquisition Model. In this science
game, students will click on the picture that is either alive or not alive depending on the question.

Growth Mindset

How does this lesson help a student develop a stronger positive growth mindset? Provide specific examples. Include ideas on how
you might reward learning according to the Growth Mindset research.

➢ Students that have a Growth Mindset believe that their knowledge can be increased through working hard and persevering.
One way I would reward this mindset is challenging their knowledge to a deeper level of understanding by providing them
with an extended learning activity such as extra time on the Interactive Science game or provide them the opportunity to
search the vocabulary words on the internet. Another way to reward a growth mindset is to praise the students’ effort either
verbally or with tangible items teaching them that their intelligence can increase.

Professional Actions/Areas for growth: What are your next professional steps in this area to keep moving forward as a
professional?

● Discuss what went well and what changes you have made for improving learning.
➢ If this lesson were implemented in a real classroom, I think the area that would go well would be the interactive
read-aloud. Students are engaging in discourse, answering purposeful questions, and making meaningful
connections. This would be an effective step to a lesson that motivates students, checks for background knowledge,
and introduces new academic vocabulary. I also think that the discourse would be successful because the students
can build off of each others’ knowledge by gaining insight into new information. One change that I would make to
improve learning for this integrative lesson model would be to implement more technology.

● What have you learned about how learning happens?

➢ I have learned that behaviors are acquired through conditioning and interacting with the environment, such as the
Vocabulary Word Game. Student responses to environmental factors can impact their learning through stimulus-
response.
● What more do you need to read or learn?
➢ I would love to extend my learning on ways to elaborate on and discuss invented spellings and hypothesized
meanings as seen in step two. I believe that finding various ways to discuss spellings and meanings is essential to
learning vocabulary words so that this step can incorporate all types of learners.
➢
● How does this add to your credibility to supervise student teachers?

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➢ If I were to supervise a student teacher in the future, this lesson can add to my credibility by providing
understanding on the specific steps to teach a Vocabulary Acquisition Model. A student teacher would be able to
clearly follow the steps outlined in this lesson to deliver interaction with the environment.