Amanda Niehaus
EDP 621
Spring 2004
Cooperative Lesson
Title of Lesson: Using Vocabulary to Make Predictions About a Story
Grade Level: second grade to middle school
Goal: Make reasonable predictions using vocabulary from a story. Use the vocabulary to write your own version of the story.
Abstract:
Students will examine a set of vocabulary words from an unknown
story. Students will work in a
group to write their versions of what they think the story will be about, using
the vocabulary words given. Students
will gain a better understanding for the importance of vocabulary and how it
fits into a story.
Materials: writing paper, pencil, vocabulary list, drawing
paper, crayons, book, graphic organizer, venn diagram
Time: approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours
Procedure:
1. Teacher chooses a story that the students have not read.
2. Teacher writes vocabulary words from the story on the chalkboard. Vocabulary words need to be about the setting, characters, problem, actions, solutions, and feelings.
3. Teacher reads each vocabulary word out loud, but does not go over the meanings of the words. Teacher then tells the students the title of the story.
4. Teacher explains to the students that they are to use these vocabulary words to write a story.
5. Teacher separates the students into groups of 3-4. The groups will be heterogeneous.
6. Students need to discuss what each vocabulary word means.
7. Students need to then categorize the words using the graphic organizer.
8. Students need to then write a story (using the vocabulary words), as if they were the authors.
9. After the stories are written, each group will share their story with the whole class. The class will discuss the similarities and differences of the stories that were shared.
10. The teacher will read the story. As a class we will then discuss how each vocabulary word fits in the original story.
11. After reading and discussing, students go back into their groups and complete a venn diagram. Students are to find the similarities and differences of their story and the original story.
12. After the activity, discuss what was learned.
Positive Interdependence: Students
interact with each other in a group and as a class. Students need to work together and create something that
they are proud of.
Individual
Accountability: Everyone participates either in small
groups or whole class. Each
student will be accountable for his/her actions, behavior, and contribution.
Social
Skills: Students will need to use appropriate social skills to
contribute to their groups story, as well as to participate as a whole
class. Using the appropriate
social skills will reduce conflict and increase creativity.
Face-To-Face Interaction: Students
will work face-to-face to complete their stories. They must have successful
interaction to reach the common goal.
Heterogeneous
Grouping: Small groups will be arranged
heterogeneously to increase positive interdependence among students.
Group
Processing: After the activity is over discuss what
was learned. Teacher needs to
stress the importance of vocabulary.
Teacher also needs to have a discussion with the students about what
went well, what didn’t go well, what needs to change, and what can stay
the same. At this time the teacher
can allow the students time to rate their group members, as well as themselves.
Evaluation: Students
will be evaluated on their personal contributions to the group. Groups will be assessed on how well
they work together to accomplish their goal.
Trust: The
students need to be in an environment where they can trust each other. They need to be in a group where they
feel comfortable in expressing their ideas. They need to be in a group where they can take risks.
Expectations: The
groups will develop expectations for its members. The expectations will be academic expectations, social
expectations, and behavior expectations.
Friendship: One goal
of this lesson is to allow students to work with different students. By placing the students in groups, they
are given a chance to make new friends.
Directions: Place the vocabulary words in the
correct categories.
_____________________________________________________________
Characters:
_____________________________________________________________
Setting:
_____________________________________________________________
Problem:
_____________________________________________________________
Actions:
_____________________________________________________________
Solutions:
____________________________________________________________
Feelings:
_____________________________________________________________
Unknown
Words:
_____________________________________________________________
Vocabulary
Words:
chewing present growing
jungle grabbed twins
barked hurry Max
hair Addie birthday
house sad embarrassed
suit party excited
*
This is an example of the lesson with a second grade level book. This lesson can also be done with
chapter books.