CRITICAL SOCIAL STUDIES VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN KATY ISD Elementary Training

Vertical Team Book Study

Learning Goals  Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the following:  Building background knowledge can enhance students’ learning and their capacity to learn.  Instruction of critical vocabulary must help students: develop an initial understanding of terms, and store understanding in permanent memory.

4 worth being familiar with important to know and do ‘big ideas’ worth understanding The CRITICAL Vocabulary

Research Support  Vocabulary knowledge plays key role in text comprehension.  Nagy and Scott, 2000  Vocabulary knowledge increases when students (not teachers) make connections between vocabulary terms.  Blachowicz and Fisher, 2000  Vocabulary knowledge increases when students create their own images and actions to represent word meanings.  Blachowicdz and Fisher, 2000

Research support continued  Direct vocabulary instruction has an impressive track record of improving students’ background knowledge and the comprehension of academic content.  Marzano, 2004

Direct Vocabulary Instruction Works –Building Academic Vocabulary, 2 And the research says….!

Characteristics of Direct Vocabulary Instruction  Effective vocabulary does not rely on definitions.  Students must represent their knowledge of words in linguistic and nonlinguistic ways. multiple  Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual shaping of words through multiple exposures.

Characteristics of Direct Vocabulary Instruction  Students should discuss the terms they are learning.  Students should play games with words.  Instruction should focus on terms that have a high probability of enhancing academic success.

Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Step 2: Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. Step 4: Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their notebooks. Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. Step 6: Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms. A Six-Step Process for Teaching Critical Vocabulary by Robert Marzano

Steps one, two and three Building the Foundation 1. Teacher provides description of the new word. 2. Students state description in their OWN words. 3. Students construct representation of the new word.

Building the Foundation  only giving students a definition  asking students to look up the words in the dictionary or glossary  holding students accountable for knowing the word without any further instruction  just the first steps – there are SIX steps!  video or picture  telling a story  Read aloud  current events  primary source  guest speaker  Social Studies Alive! activity  connections to real-world applications  map Is not based on ……Is based on using ……

Three Minute Pause With a partner discuss how what you have heard “squares” with your thinking.

So what does this look like in MY class?

3 rd Grade Example scarcity

Step 1 – Teacher Provides Explanation  Read Aloud “ Toys for Me”  Ask students discussion questions

Step 2 – Students create their own meaning  Have students use the strategy Think, Pair, Share to discuss information on scarcity to develop a description for the word.

Step 3 Students create representation THISORTHAT

Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Step 2: Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. A Six-Step Process for Teaching Critical Vocabulary by Robert Marzano Time to begin Vocabulary Record Keeping!

How to begin Critical vocabulary formal record keeping  Write the word.  Describe the word as they might explain the meaning to a friend.  Draw what they understand about the word. Creating pictures and diagrams is important, even if the student is not a proficient artist.  In addition, students could:  Add anything else that will help them understand the word  Use the word in a sentence  Create an antonym or synonym  Explain how the word relates to the unit of study

Critical Vocabulary Formal Record TERMMY MEANINGPICTURE

Critical Vocabulary Formal Record TERMMY MEANINGPICTURE scarcity I can’t have everything that I want. I have to make choices. This OR That

Critical Vocabulary Formal Record Term: Describe:_____________________________ ___________________________________ __________________________________ Draw:

Critical Vocabulary Formal Record Example Term: Scarcity Describe: I can’t have everything that I want. I have to make choices. Draw: Buy?Save? OR ThisThat

Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Step 2: Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. Step 4: Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their notebooks. Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. Step 6: Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms. A Six-Step Process for Teaching Critical Vocabulary by Robert Marzano

Ideas for Step 4  Foldables  Frayer Model  Etch-a-Sketch  Venn diagrams  Concept of Definition Map

Definition Characteristics Examples Non-Examples Scarcity A shortage, or lack of supply We have to make choices. There are 5 children and only 2 books. There are 5 children and 5 books.

Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Step 2: Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. Step 4: Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their notebooks. Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. Step 6: Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms. A Six-Step Process for Teaching Critical Vocabulary by Robert Marzano

Step 5 Vocabulary Discussion  Pair up students.  Ask them to look at certain word(s) in their Critical Vocabulary Formal Record.  Students can describe their sketches and explain how it helps them remember the word.  Ask them to identify areas of:  Disagreement  Confusion  Share whole class.  Students make additions or revisions to their Critical Vocabulary Formal Record.

Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Step 2: Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. Step 4: Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their notebooks. Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. Step 6: Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms. A Six-Step Process for Teaching Critical Vocabulary by Robert Marzano

Step 6 Game Time! Free Association  Quickest and most unstructured  Teachers gives a target term.  Asks students to simply say any words that they think of when they hear the target term.  Students work in small groups or pairs.  After a few seconds, say, “Stop.”  The last person to say a word must explain how that word is related to the target.

Free Association  If too chaotic with groups, do whole class asking students to raise hand.  Can also do on paper. (This is KMAC “Silent Debate” strategy)

Vocabulary Gaming  New strategy in KMAC to use when using review games with critical vocabulary terms.

What if my student says, “I can’t do this!” Model, model, model. Go back and provide additional descriptions, explanations or examples. Allow students to work together. Suggest they draw a symbol or example, represent with a graphic, or act out the term.

Where are MY words? On the R Drive R:\Common K-12\Vocabulary\Social Studies\  Master list of all critical vocabulary words K-12  Grade level list with descriptions  Glossary with all words, descriptions, and at what grade words are taught (alphabetical order)

Learning Goal Participants will develop a deeper understanding of effective vocabulary instruction and why it is important for all students.