1. Word Walls in the Secondary Classroom
What?
Why?
Word Walls in the Secondary Classroom
Where?
When?
How?

3. Questions? On an index card:
List at least one question you have about using word walls.
No questions? List a strategy you have used in your classroom that you feel was successful.

4. Word Walls…. Why???

5. Word Walls…When? Anytime… As an activating strategy: Mid-Unit:
Use to introduce or preview vocabulary
Starter activity
Initiate prior knowledge
Mid-Unit:
Have students reflect on what they have learned so far
Make connections
Use as a reference during lessons
As a summarizing strategy
Write a summary of the lesson using vocabulary words
Have students pair up and quiz each other on definitions
Give a weekly quiz rotating unit vocabulary words

6. Word Walls….What??? Targeted Words Necessary for Student Success
High Frequency
Thematic
Content (ELA, Science, SS, Math, Health, Art…)
Sentence Word Walls
Semantic Clusters
Big Words
Root Words, Prefixes, Suffixes

7. Word Walls….Where???? Large Wall for High Frequency
Small Areas for Thematic
Cabinet Doors
Table Top
Hanging From the Ceiling
Window
Small Wall
Side of Shelf
Bulletin Board

8. Word Walls….How many words and how often???
One at a time
Word of the day
As encountered in unit
As a group
Preview unit vocabulary
Introduce small groups of words by category

9. Let’s play Group yourself in pairs
One person will face the board and the other will have their back to it.
You will have 1 minute to describe a list of words without saying the term.

10. With your partner’s back to the board, describe the vocabulary words without saying the word. Goal: Guess as many words as possible in 1 minute.
Vacation
Holiday
Election
Beach
Donald Trump
Turkey
Payday
Football

11. With your partner’s back to the board, describe the vocabulary words without saying the word. Goal: Get as many words as possible in 1 minute.
Comet
Hillary Clinton
Party
Chocolate Pi
Snowman
Shopping
Technology

12. Word Walls… How??? “Do” the Word Wall
Be a Mind Reader – Give clues to students and have them guess the word based on their prior knowledge or knowledge from the current unit.
Making Meaning –Identify 4-5 vocabulary words from the text that students will need to understand in order to comprehend the text.  In order to activate prior knowledge, students will brainstorm what they already know about the vocabulary term.  Do a think-pair-share if you perceive that they will have difficulty with the new terms.  During the reading, use the think aloud strategy to model how context clues provide context and give meaning to the vocabulary words. Making Meaning Worksheet
Double Bubble – At the end of a unit, choose two terms whose meanings can be compared and contrasted. Students individually complete the Double Bubble Map using what they have learned in the unit to determine how the terms coincide and how they are different. Students will have seen the most pertinent vocabulary associated with the particular area of study. The Double Bubble Map can bring the word wall for the unit to an appropriate closure and can also be used as a quick summative evaluation of the understanding acquired with respect to terminology presented in the unit.

13. “Do” the Word Wall (cont.)
Graffiti Vocabulary - When the vocabulary words are associated with subject specific concepts, have the student create word posters that incorporate visual representations of the term. Sample Rubric
Quick Definitions - Provide a definition (orally and/or written on the board) of one of the word wall words. Students choose and write the word to match the definition. Repeat the process encouraging students to review all the words as they select the answer.
Vocabulary Cartoons - This strategy, taken from an SAT Prep resource, is an excellent way to help students visualize new words.  It includes the following elements:
vocabulary term
phonetic spelling
brief description
linking word
cartoon
sentence that uses the vocabulary term
Jigsaw this activity at the beginning of a unit so that each student group is responsible for one word.  Throughout the unit, refer to the vocabulary cartoons as the terms come up in the lessons.  Groups must present their work on the spot. Vocab Cartoon Handout
Word Sorting - Provide a list of vocabulary words from a reading selection and have students sort them into various categories (e.g., parts of speech, branches of government). Students can re-sort words into "guess my sort" using categories of their own choosing.

14. Categorized by color and type

15. Term, definition and illustration

16. Illustrated Math Terms

19. Thematic Word Wall in High School Classroom
What Is the Tone of My Writing?
Thematic Word Wall in High School Classroom

20. Go here to complete brief PL survey.