PROPER VOCABULARY FLASHCARD FORMAT Tahoma Junior High 8 th Grade Science Maple Valley, WA

Science has LOTS of vocabulary. Sorry, Nature has LOTS of things we need to name. The easiest way to learn all these words quickly is using FLASHCARDS. Here’s how to make them properly…

Flashcard Must Haves:  be made on 3” x 5” index cards (consistent size, cheap) * no spiral bound sets – remove the spiral wire/extra paper  hand-written (pictures can be printed/pasted)  have a “Title Card” with Name, Period, Teacher and Unit  your own rubber band to keep them together  stored in Ziploc bag (or your equipment pouch) to avoid water damage, but removed when turned in to teacher - + = Ziploc bag cards rubber band Happy Teacher!

How many flashcards should there be ? 1. Title Card (pieces of paper rip/get lost) – make this card FIRST in case they get lost 2. One card for every crossword word in the wordlist 3. One card for each Presentation Topic (most units have group presentations to finish the unit) * however, you SHOULD add more: major concepts from handouts, sketches/visuals, anything that will help you remember the parts of the unit !

For sets of flashcards, you will be getting words in a wordlist on crossword puzzles. These WORDS are your required vocabulary for the unit - and the clues on the back are the official 8 th Science DEFINITION * do NOT get definitions from online (they are complicated!) AND… they also will NOT match what we have on tests atom molecule heat

Here is a visual picture of the cards: ( ALL 8 th grade work MUST be HANDWRITTEN, so PRINT and be NEAT ) Justin Bieber Period 3 Mrs. Morceau Astronomy Unit Leave room for the teacher to grade and make notes! Don’t add color, or drawings, or doodling, or write too big. Always use your FULL LEGAL NAMES on ANY school paper ! YOU MUST HAVE A SEPARATE COMPLETE TITLE CARD * keep your graded Title Card until semester report cards – it’s a “receipt”

On the front you put the WORD (s) and a PICTURE (sketch by hand or printed and cut-out/pasted) This method is commonly used for learning foreign languages as shown at left. A picture helps add a visual connection to the word which is VERY important !

FRONT OF THE CARD **the blank side ** put the word (or words) from front of crossword on front of card ELL students – you need to put your native language Translation of the word on the front also

ELL students – you need to put your native language translation of the definition on the back also BACK OF THE CARD ** the lined side ** put the WHOLE definition from the back of the crossword on the back of the card

Another example with a single word… using a printed picture from internet glued onto the card you do not need any “across / down #s” anywhere AND DON’T PUT THE WORD(s) ON THE BACK TOO (that defeats the purpose of a “FLASHCARD” !)

crossword’s “official 8 th Science” definition on back… In this case, since learning the EXACT definition IS the goal, copying the definition is NOT plagiarism / copying (when you put your own name on work calling it your own, then there’s trouble)

REMEMBER: you should make more cards than the minimum – any that will help you learn the unit’s words, ideas, concepts, topics, etc. Flashcards can be used for many different situations: math formulas, language, geography, etc. The idea of a FLASHcard, is you “Flash one side” and then have to give the other side FROM MEMORY. Go back and forth, a LOT – have someone else test you after practicing.

Make the cards in small bunches of four/five each night right away! Start practicing with them as the pile grows: at the dinner table, during TV commercials, in the car, etc. ( the rubber band and Ziploc bag is to avoid losing any & protect them until you turn them in ) – use over and over and over… word = definition then definition = word You’ll be surprised how quickly and well you learn things when you put a little time in using these cards !

YOUR SET OF CARDS WILL BE GRADED AS A 40 POINT ASSIGNMENT ( cannot be turned in Late ) and ARE DUE… WHEN YOU TAKE TEST (if absent, when you do makeup test) BUT THE REAL PAYOFF WILL COME DURING CLASS WHEN YOU LEARN BETTER - AND ON THE TESTS WHEN YOU SHOW YOU KNOW WHAT SCIENCE WORDS MEAN AND CAN TALK LIKE A SCIENTIST AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING SAID TO YOU.

Having good vocabulary on- hand ( in your brain and not relying on looking something up ) and using it makes very good impressions on people important to your success. It also exercises your brain to learn better. Science just can’t get around lots of vocabulary and we’ll be using it in class, so the sooner you learn it – the more fun you will have by understanding things better! end show