In this week’s class, I was really interested in the different types of graphic organizers and vocabulary word maps. I don’t recall using any type of organizational diagrams to dive deep into vocabulary during my grade school years; maybe they just didn’t stand out to me. My group practiced using a modified Frayer model, which I found to be useful. I see how some words with multiple meanings can be confusing for students, but on the other hand be hugely discussion-provoking. I enjoyed the activity we did using the pictures within posters on the walls. I saw historic pictures as well as modern, relevant images, which really gave meaning and personal connection to the lesson. There is a lot to be said about making historic events connect to the present, because I know when I was a young student, often times I felt so far disconnected from some social studies topics because they happened “so long ago”. Giving students the power to define certain vocabulary and share their knowledge is crucial in building connection and relevance to the material and building confidence.
I have been thinking about how to incorporate tier-2 words relevant to social studies topics across a few subject areas. Ideally, I like to think I can teach important social studies vocabulary during reading/writing/literacy instruction to create a cohesion between subject areas. I also realize that tier-3 words are likely going to need more time and sometimes vocabulary maps!
My final take-away from the class last night was the summarizing methods. The It Says…I Say… And So… model was an entirely new concept to me. I found it difficult to find the difference between the concrete parts of the article, It Says…, and what I got from the information (I Say). I guess I have never effectively learned how to break down a piece of text and create inferences from it. I tend to want to include all information in a summary, and I have difficulty decifering the most important information. I hope to better educate my future students so they are well-equipped with these crucial skills.
Hi Lane, I too am a big fan of the Frayer Model. I especially like the way I have to think about a non-example. Most of the time I break into a sweat when I have to do that but always feel super smart on the other side!
I also appreciate knowing that the summarizing strategy was challenging for you! When I saw the number of hands of students who were also challenged by that strategy I learned that I still have work to do! So, based on that I will adjust my instruction for next week to better unpack “It says? I say! I am even going to try it out with my 16-year old daughter before I teach my new and hopefully improved lesson! You let me know if it helps!