Teachable Moments - Post-Halloween Edition

We all know that parents are the first teacher.

What makes great parents good teachers is their uncanny ability to capitalize on the teachable moments that they encounter in their lives.

Those of you who have gotten to know SchooDoodle over the years understand that our corporate culture places a high value on health and wellness. Subsequently, we are not keen on the idea of children gorging themselves with candy for the weeks leading up to the other major gorging holidays....but I digress.

Halloween presents a teachable moment for your early learners. Most states require that 3-4 year old children have an understanding of basic pattern recognition, sorting and matching skills prior to entering Kindergarten. Elementary school curriculum continues to build upon this concept for the first few years of school.

With this in mind, why let your child off by simply dumping their 850 pounds of sugar and fat on their bedroom floor? This is a teachable moment!

Encourage your child to organize their candy into any number of piles on the floor. Start basic with color piles; then move up to candy classification (i.e. chocolate, suckers, etc.). The possibilities are endless.

If you follow SchooDoodle, you are obviously a great parent and exceptional teacher! :) Do not let the teachable moments escape you. Incorporate learning into your everyday life and your child will grow into an intelligent adult...you are the first teacher!

Reading Between the Lines: Making Inferences About Idioms

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: 4-6

Overview
Idiomatic expressions are a great way to give students practice with inference skills. In this lesson plan, students practice using prior knowledge and textual information in order to infer (or guess) the meaning of idiomatic expressions.

Objectives
Students will:
· Learn the definition of “idiom”
· Identify idioms in passages
· Infer the meaning of unknown idioms through prior knowledge and textual information
· Write sentences that provide textual clues to the meaning of unknown idioms

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· WordTeasers: Idioms

Getting Started
Write the following sentence on the chalkboard:

The cowboy rode into the sunset.

Call upon a volunteer to read the sentence aloud. Then ask: “What do you think the cowboy was riding?” (A horse.) Why is that a good guess? (Because cowboys usually ride horses.) Could the cowboy be riding a motorcycle into the sunset? (Maybe. But cowboys generally ride horses.)

Next, ask: “What direction was the cowboy riding?” (West) How do you know? (He was riding into the sunset and the sun sets in the West.)

Finally, ask: About what time of day was it? (Late afternoon; early evening.) How do you know? (The cowboy was riding into the sunset.)

Tell students that in answering these questions they used information they already knew about cowboys and about where the sun rises and sets. They were able to make a good guess or infer the answers to the questions based on this prior knowledge.

Development
Write the following idiomatic expression on the chalkboard.

Alex does not mince words.

Ask the class if they know what it means to “not mince words.” Allow time for students to tell what they know about the idiomatic expression.

Next, write these two sentences on the chalkboard.

Alex always says exactly what is on his mind. He does not mince words.

Again, ask students what they think it means to “not mince words.” (To say exactly what you think, even if it upsets other people.) Did the first sentence in this passage help students understand the meaning of “not mince words”? Why or why not?

Tell students that the phrase “not mince words” is an idiomatic expression. An idiom is a phrase that means something other than what the individual words might suggest. When students come across an unknown idiomatic expression, they can often guess (or infer) the meaning from the rest of the passage. Distribute the activity sheet to the class. Give students time to complete the worksheet. Then discuss each passage with students? How were students able to infer their answers?

Activity Worksheet
Directions: When you read a story, you often find clues that make it possible for you to make a good guess about words or phrases or facts that are not stated in the story. This is called making an inference. Read each passage below. From what the passage says, determine the meaning of the idiomatic expression in bold. Check the correct answer.

1. Whenever anything goes wrong, Ted gets very upset, while his friend Esai rolls with the punches.

What can you infer about Esai from this sentence?
_____ (a) Esai gets into a lot of fights.
­­­­­­­­­­ _____ (b) Esai is ten years old.
_____ (c) Esai usually takes things as they come.

2. Cassie can’t keep a secret. Whenever there is a surprise birthday party for someone, she always seems to spill the beans.

What can you infer about Cassie from this passage?
_____ (a) Cassie is clumsy and if always knock over the cake.
_____ (b) Cassie’s friends are planning a birthday party for her.
_____ (c) Cassie often tells or reveals secrets.

3. Eric is really two-faced. He says nice things about you when you’re together but always disses you when you’re not around.

What can you infer about Eric?
_____ (a) No one likes Eric.
_____ (b) Eric is phony.
_____ (c) Eric is clumsy.

4. Whenever it’s time for recess, Juan always jumps the gun. He runs to the door before the bell rings.

What can you infer about Juan?
_____ (a) He often does things before he should.
_____ (b) He jumps up and down when it’s time for recess.
_____ (c) He doesn’t like school.

5. Brittany is feeling down in the dumps. She got to school late. She got a bad grade on a math test, and her best friend is mad at her.

What can you infer about Brittany today?
_____ (a) She watches a lot of television.
_____ (b) She doesn’t like math.
_____ (c) She is sad and unhappy.

Extension: Distribute WordTeasers: Idioms cards to students. Challenge them to write a statement using an idiom. Then have them write one or two other sentences that provide context clues to the definition of their idiomatic expression. For example:

Statement 1. Gary wants to bury the hatchet.
Supporting Statements: Gary was mad at Nicole, but since she apologized he is ready to bury the hatchet.

Have students read their first statement out loud. Does the class know the meaning of the idiom in the statement? Now have them read their second passage. Can students infer the meaning of the idiom now?

Next Week: Vocabulary Skills for High School Students with WordTeasers: College Prep

Source: WordTeasers: Idioms — an educational game designed to get kids talking, laughing, thinking, writing…and improving language arts skills. Ages 9+ .

Available at SchooDoodle.com.

WorldTeaser Geography Challenge

Subject: Geography; World Culture
Grade(s): 4-6

Overview
Using the process of elimination and critical thinking skills, students determine the correct answer to questions about geography and world culture and then demonstrate their understanding of the process of elimination strategy by creating their own WorldTeaser Challenge questions.

Objectives
Students will:
· Understand the meaning of process of elimination
· Learn how the process of elimination can help in answering multiple choice test questions.
· Locate countries on a world map and identify their world region or continent.
· Develop questions that demonstrate an understanding of the process of elimination

National Geography Standards
Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· World map
· WorldTeaser: World Culture and Geography game

Getting Started
Write the following WorldTeaser Challenge on the chalkboard:
The name of this country in Asia means “land of the pure.” Is it:
(a) Peru
(b) Pakistan
(c) Pachyderm
Ask for students to vote by a show of hands whether they think the answer is (a), (b), or (c). Tell students that the answer is (b) Pakistan. Then ask students: “If you didn’t know that the answer was (b) Pakistan, is there a way you might have been able to guess at the correct answer?” Lead students in a discussion of Process of Elimination. Ask: “What is a pachyderm?” (An elephant.) Since pachyderm is not the name of a country, we can eliminate it as a possible answer. Then ask: Is there any other clue to the correct answer in the question? Say: “The question tells us that the country with the name “land of the pure” is on the continent of Asia. On what continent is Peru? (South America.) Therefore, we can eliminate Peru as a possible answer.

Development
Next, write the following WorldTeaser Challenge on the chalkboard:
The very first international Starbucks opened in this Asian country in 1996. Is it:
(a) Jordan
(b) Japan
(c) Java
Then ask: Which one of the possible choices can we easily eliminate? Why? (Answer: (c) Java, because it is not the name of a country.) What clue to the correct answer can we find in the Challenge statement? (The answer is the name of a country in Asia.) Then, have students locate Jordan on a world map. Ask: In what world region is the country of Jordan? (Middle East) What does the challenge question tell us. (The correct answer is a country on the continent of Asia.)

Activity
Divide students into small groups. Let each group select a different country of the world to research. Tell students they are going to write a WorldTeaser Challenge question like the two they just read. Tell students to follow these steps.
(1) Find an interesting, unusual, or trivial fact about their country. For example, if their country is Libya, students might write: The flag of this country is one solid color with no writing or decoration on it.
(2) Next, have students revise their statement to include the name of the country’s continent or world region. For example: The flag of this country in Africa is one solid color with no writing or decoration on it.
(3) Now, write three possible answers to the question. Tell students to pick one silly or obviously incorrect answer, such as Limeaid. (Tell students their choice does not have to begin with the same letter of the alphabet as their correct answer.). Then pick one possible answer that is the name of a country which is not in the same continent or world region as their country. (For example, Latvia or Luxembourg.) Finally, tell students to write the correct answer. When completed, their question should follow this format:
The flag of this country in Africa is one solid color with no writing or decoration on it. Is it:
(a) Limeaid
(b) Latvia
(c) Libya
Have each group pose their WorldTeaser Challenge to the rest of the class.

Follow-up
For a more advanced WorldTeaser Challenge game, suggest that students develop clues about their selected country based on the certain physical and human characteristics, such as:
Physical characteristics:
1. The name of a country that the selected country borders.
2. A tangible or intangible characteristic that help distinguish their selected country from other places.
3. The climate, vegetation, or typical animal life found in their country.
Human characteristics:
1. The primary language of their country.
2. The political system of their country.
3. The primary religion of their country.

Next Week: Language Arts Lesson Plan on Idioms

Source: WorldTeasers: World Culture and Geography — An educational game designed to help upper elementary grade students supersize their global knowledge with fascinating, intriguing, and amusing trivia about countries and their culture. Grades 4 +. Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Because We Love Idioms: A Cause and Effect Lesson Plan

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: 4-6

Overview
Students use idiomatic expressions to develop a better understanding of cause and effect relationships and hone critical thinking skills.

Objectives
Students will:
· Learn the definition of “idiom”
· Demonstrate their understanding of cause and effect relationships, using idiomatic expressions
· Improve their critical thinking skills by identifying both the cause and the effect in sentences using idiomatic expressions
· Apply their knowledge of cause and effect by using idiomatic expressions in writing

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 5: Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· WordTeasers: Idioms
· 3 x 5 index cards

Getting Started
Write the following sentence on the chalkboard.
Sebastian studies once in a blue moon.
Ask students to tell what they know about the expression “once in a blue moon.” Have they ever heard that expression before? What do they think it means? (Something that happens or is done rarely.) Tell students that the phrase “once in a blue moon” is an example of an idiom or idiomatic expression. The meaning of an idiomatic expression cannot be determined by the individual words. Can students think of other idioms? (Raining cats and dogs; cool as a cucumber; chip on his shoulder.) Suggest other idioms from WordTeasers: Idioms and help students determine the definition for each.

Development
Next, ask students what they think will happen if Sebastian studies once in a blue moon. (He won’t get very good grades. He’ll fail the next test.) Write the following sentence on the chalkboard:
Because Sebastian studies only once in a blue moon, he failed the spelling test.
Then ask: What caused Sebastian to fail the spelling test? (He didn’t study for it. He studies only once in a blue moon.) What happened because Sebastian studies only once in a blue moon? (He failed the spelling test.)

Tell students that this sentence is an example of a cause and effect relationship. An effect is something that happens. A cause is what made it happen or why it happened. Write the following cause and effect sentence on the chalkboard.
After losing 10 games in a row, the basketball team threw in the towel.
Then ask: Why did the basketball team throw in the towel? (They had lost 10 games in a row.) What happened after the basketball team lost 10 games? (They threw in the towel.) Can students identify an idiomatic expression in that sentence? (throw in the towel) What does “throw in the towel mean”? (to quit)

Activity
Duplicate the following Cause and Effect Activity below and distribute to the class. Call on volunteers to read each sentence in the left-hand column and to identify the idiomatic expression and its meaning. Then, explain to students that the sentences in the left-hand column all state the cause or reason that something else happened. Put the letter of what happened (the Effect) from the right-hand column in the blank next to its cause or the “why” something happened.

Cause and Effect Activity
Name_______________
Directions:
Cause Effect
(1) _____Jeff felt under the weather. a. He was grumpy all day.
(2) _____Jack had a chip on his shoulder. b. The kids stayed in the house to play.
(3)_____ Sally was feeling down in the dumps. c. He didn’t go to school.
(4)_____ Jake got up on the wrong side of the bed. d. She called her bff Maria.
(5)_____ It was raining cats and dogs. e. She doesn’t watch the TV show.
(6) _____Vanessa thinks American Idol is for the birds. f. He got into an argument with his coach.

Extension
Have students combine the sentences in the left-hand column with the sentences in the right-hand column, using one of the following transitions words (or words that “signal” a cause and effect relationship).
because since due to the fact that
Finally, let students work in teams of two to come up with their own original cause and effect sentences that incorporate an idiomatic expression from WordTeasers: Idioms. Distribute 3 x 5 index cards to each team. Tell each team to write a “cause” sentence on one card and an “effect” sentence on the other. Then, mix up all of the cards and distribute to the class. Allow time for students to “pair up,” matching a cause and effect for each pair of students.

Next Week: Analogies with WordTeasers: College Prep
Source: WordTeasers: Idioms — an educational game designed to get kids talking, laughing, thinking, writing…and improving language arts skills. Ages 9+ . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Chart Your Geography Smarts: A WorldTeaser Geography Challenge for Kids

Subject: Geography; World Culture
Grade(s): 4-6

Overview
Students conduct a classroom-wide geographic literacy survey, chart the results on a graph, and then compare those results to the answers that young adults (18 to 24 years old) gave in a national geographic survey in 2006.

Objectives
Students will:
· Demonstrate knowledge of physical and human characteristics of given places around the world
· Collect, organize, and analyze survey data
· Create a bar chart to display that data, using Microsoft Excel
· Present those findings to a larger group

National Geography Standards
Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.

National Educational Technology Standards for Students
Standard 3: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

Materials Needed
· Computer with Microsoft Excel
· Geographic Survey (one copy per learner)

· (Optional) WorldTeasers: World Culture and Geography

Getting Started
Ask students if they have ever seen the television program called “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Let students tell what they know about the program. Then, say: “In a recent national survey among young adults, only 31% correctly estimated the population of the United States. Do you think our class is smarter than the adults in the survey? Let’s find out.”

Write the following chart on the chalkboard:
Population Range Number Answered % Answered
a) 10 million to 50 million
b) 150 million to 350 million
c) 500 million to 750 million
d) 1 billion to 2 billion

Then, ask: “Which of the population ranges in this chart contains the correct population of the United States today?” Write the number of students who vote for each population range under Number Answered. Then, have students calculate the percentage for each range, based on the total number of students who voted, and enter their answers into the % Answered column.

Next, tell students that the correct answer is (b) 150 million to 350 million. (Note: If you have a computer available, you can check the exact population of the United States at any given moment at http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html) What percent of the students in the class got the correct answer? Ask: “How does our class compare to the national average of young adults?”

Finally, tell students that they are going to conduct a classroom-wide survey of six geography questions, chart the results on a graph, and then compare those results to the national survey of young adults.

Development
Duplicate the Reproducible Geographic Survey (printed at the bottom of this Blog) and distribute one copy to each student in the class. Tell students that they do not have to put their names on the paper. The purpose of the survey is to determine how much the class as a whole knows about world, rather than to “test” individual students. Allow sufficient time for students to complete the survey.

While students our completing the survey, put the following chart on the chalkboard. Then, tally the results of the classroom survey by a show of hands to each answer for each question.
Survey Results
Number % Answered Adults Answered
Question 1 Answered Correctly Correctly
(a) Indonesia
(b) South Africa
(c) Armenia
(d) India

Question 2
(a) Russian
(b) Mandarin Chinese
(c) English
(d) Arabic

Question 3
(a) China and Russia
(b) United States and Mexico
(c) North Korea and South Korea
(d) Syria and Lebanon

Question 4
(a) Honolulu, United States
(b) Manila, Philippines
(c) Tokyo, Japan
(d) Mexico City, Mexico

Question 5
(a) Less than half the size of U.S.
(b) About the same size as U.S.
(c) About double the size of U.S.
(d) More than four times the size of U.S.

Question 6
(a) Africa
(b) Antarctica
(c) Asia
(d) Australia
(a) Europe
(b) North America
(c) South America

Activity
Tell students that they are now going create a bar chart that visually shows the results of each survey question and compares the results to each questions with those of the adults. To create a simple chart, follow these directions.
1. Open Microsoft Office Excel.
2. In Column B1, type the word Adults; in C1, type Our Class.
3. In Column B2, type the percent of Adults who answered this question correctly. (For example, for Question 1, 25% of adults answered the question correctly. Put 25% in B2.) In Column C2, type the percent of students in the classroom that got this answer correct, e.g., 62%
4. In Column A2, type the answer to the survey question. For example, type: Question 1: Correct Answer: Indonesia
NOTE: You may want to create a bar chart for each question. If not skip a row and enter information in the same Worksheet for the next survey question.
5. Highlight A1 through C2.
6. Point to and click Insert on the Main Menu. Then, drag down and highlight Chart Wizard.
7. Under Chart type, click: Bar. Then, click Next.
8. Next to Series in: Click Rows. Click Next.
9. In the Chart title box, write the name of your school.
10. Click the Legend tab. Then click the Placement button for where you want the Legend to appear, e.g., Left.
11. Click the Data Labels tab. Under Label Contains, click Value. Click Next.
12. Under Place chart, click As new sheet.
13. Click Finish.

Here are some things you can do to enhance your chart.
1. Right click the Legend text box and Title text box and click Format Legend. Highlight the type and change the font, font style, and size, as desired.
2. Right click one of the bars in the bar chart and click Format Data Point. Change the color or the Fill Effects of your bars.
3. Click the Text Box icon on the drawing toolbar and insert a text box in each bar. Insert copy and format the copy as desired.

Answers to Selected Questions from
National Geographic-Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy

% Adults (18-24)
Correct Answer Answered Correctly
Question 1: Indonesia 25%
Question 2: Mandarin Chinese 18%
Question 3: North Korea and South Korea 37%
Question 4: Mexico City, Mexico 62%
Question 5: More than 4 times the size 39%
Question 6: South America 59%

Reproducible Geographic Survey

Geographic Literacy Survey
Conducted by __________________
Age__________ Grade __________

Directions: Read each question. Mark an X on the line next to your answer choice.
Question 1 of 6
In which of these countries is a majority of the population Muslim?
Choose Your Answer
_____ (a) Indonesia
_____ (b) South Africa
_____ (c) Armenia
_____ (d) India

Question 2 of 6
Which language is spoken by the most people in the world as their primary language?
Choose Your Answer
_____ Russian
_____ Mandarin Chinese
_____ English
_____ Arabic

Question 3 of 6
The most heavily fortified border in the world exists between which two countries?
Choose Your Answer
_____ China and Russia
_____ United States and Mexico
_____ North Korea and South Korea
_____ Syria and Lebanon

Question 4 of 6
Which city would be least likely to be threatened by a tsunami?
_____ Honolulu, United States
_____ Manila, Philippines
_____ Tokyo, Japan
_____ Mexico City, Mexico

Question 5 of 6
How does the size of the population of China compare to the population of the United States?
_____ China’s population is less than half the size of the population of the United States.
_____ China’s population is about the same size as the population of the United States.
_____ China’s population is about double the size of the population of the United States.
_____ China’s population is more than four times the size of the population of the United States.

Question 6 of 6
On which continent is the Amazon rain forest?
_____ Africa
_____ Antarctica
_____ Asia
_____ Australia
_____ Europe
_____ North America
_____ South America

Conclusion
Have students prepare a report of their findings to present to another class or during a Parent conference.

Survey Variations: (1) Allow students to select 10 WorldTeaser Challenge questions around which to develop their survey. (2) Conduct a school-wide survey and chart the results by grade.

Next Week: Jumpstart Your Grammar Lessons with Idioms

Source: WorldTeasers: World Culture and Geography — An educational game designed to help upper elementary grade students supersize their global knowledge with fascinating, intriguing, and amusing trivia about countries and their culture. Grades 4 +. Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Can a Clown Be Morose? And Other Provocative Questions to Help Teach Vocabulary

Subject: English/Vocabulary
Grade(s): 7 and up

Overview
These four research-based word-building activities can be used across the curriculum to help take students advance from rote memorization of new words and their definitions to a total integration of the new words into their personal lexicon.

Objectives
Students will:
· Create “student-friendly” definitions of new words, using language and examples which are already familiar to students
· Relate new words to something they are already familiar with, using metaphors and similes; examples and non-examples
· Explain connections and answer deeper processing questions involving the new word
· Practice strategies for learning new words, using higher-level thinking skills

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Materials Needed
· Vocabulary list from content area instruction
· (Optional) WordTeasers: College Prep

Background
According to R. J. Marzano in his paper “Building Background for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools” (2004), “Direct teaching of vocabulary might be one of the most underused activities in K-12 education.” The reason, says Dr. Marzano, is that there is a misunderstanding of what it really means to teach vocabulary. “There is a belief,” he says, “that teaching vocabulary means teaching formal dictionary definitions.”

While learning the definition of a word is obviously important, many researchers believe that asking students the question “Does anybody know what the word ___ means?” or instructing students to “look it up” in the dictionary are two of the least effective strategies for teaching vocabulary at the secondary level. (Copying the word several times follows close on the heels of “least effective,” as well.)

What, then, are the hallmarks of good vocabulary instruction? According to Anita L. Archer, Ph.D., author of “Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction in Secondary Classrooms,” there are at least four key elements:
· Actively involve students
· Provide multiple exposures to words in different contexts
· Encourage deep processing of new words, connecting with and relating to prior knowledge when creating their own sentences
· Discuss new words together with related words

There are numerous word learning activities that support these strategies and that can be adapted for any curriculum or content area, while also serving to introduce “academic vocabulary.” Here are four of those activities, which use, as examples, the SAT-level vocabulary taken from WordTeasers: College Prep. You can easily adapt your own relevant vocabulary to these activities.

Yes/No/Why Activity
In this activity students are challenged to provide an answer to a question in which two or more key vocabulary words are juxtaposed in the same sentence. Be sure to tell students that there is no right or wrong answer to the question, but that they must provide a full and thoughtful explanation for their answer.

Can you aspire to something you are ambivalent about?
Is a salubrious activity ever deleterious?
Can you be frugal and benevolent at the same time?
Does someone you venerate have to be a luminary?

Extension: Distribute the WordTeasers game box and let students select pairs of words to construct their own Yes/No/Why sentences.

Idea Completion Activity
In this activity students are given partial sentences that include key vocabulary words and are challenged to complete the sentence. Examples of sentences using words from WordTeasers: College Prep might be:

José had a contrite look on his face after he…
Vanessa was reticent to talk about why she came home late because…
Derek was willing to condone Peter’s bad behavior because…
It is ludicrous to think that I…

Extension: Have pairs of students work together. One writes the first part of an Idea Completion sentence, using a word from WordTeasers: College Prep (or words you assign from a text or content area); the other then completes the sentence.

Meaningful Sentence Writing
When writing sentences using new vocabulary words, encourage students to connect or relate their prior knowledge or experience. Sentences should answer three or four who, what, when, where, or how questions. Suggest that they identify something from their personal life experiences the term reminds them of.

Poor Meaningful Sentence Example
Luke is gregarious.
Better Meaningful Sentence Example
I like Luke because he is always so friendly and gregarious when we are together.

Extension: An essential part of this “elaboration process” in writing meaningful sentences is having the students explain the connection. For example, the students should not only say what personal experience the term makes them think of, but also why it reminds them of it.

Examples and Non-Examples
When introducing a new word, such as proponent, give students an opportunity to distinguish between “examples and non-examples” of the word and then encourage them write their own examples.

Is [name of school coach] a proponent of our soccer team? (Yes)
How do we know she is a proponent? (She is our coach.)
Is [name of rival school] a proponent of our soccer team? (No.)
Why is [name of rival school] not a proponent? (They are an opponent or rival.)

Our soccer team has many other proponents. Can you name some? (Parents, teachers, siblings.)

Extension: Ask deeper processing questions, such as: “How do we know if or when someone is a proponent of something?”

By implementing some of these word learning strategies at the beginning of a new lesson, you can help students not only improve their vocabulary, but also actually enjoy and have fun learning new words.

Next Week: A Rose by Any Other Name: How to Apply Geography to Interpret the Past

Source: WordTeasers: College Prep — An educational game designed to help high school students improve vocabulary and have fun at the same time. Grades 7 + .

Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Can a Clown Be Morose? And Other Provocative Questions to Help Teach Vocabulary

Subject: English/Vocabulary
Grade(s): 7 and up

Overview
These four research-based word-building activities can be used across the curriculum to help take students advance from rote memorization of new words and their definitions to a total integration of the new words into their personal lexicon.

Objectives
Students will:
· Create “student-friendly” definitions of new words, using language and examples which are
already familiar to students
· Relate new words to something they are already familiar with, using metaphors and similes;
examples and non-examples
· Explain connections and answer deeper processing questions involving the new word
· Practice strategies for learning new words, using higher-level thinking skills

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Materials Needed
· Vocabulary list from content area instruction
· (Optional) WordTeasers: College Prep

Background
According to R. J. Marzano in his paper “Building Background for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools” (2004), “Direct teaching of vocabulary might be one of the most underused activities in K-12 education.” The reason, says Dr. Marzano, is that there is a misunderstanding of what it really means to teach vocabulary. “There is a belief,” he says, “that teaching vocabulary means teaching formal dictionary definitions.”

While learning the definition of a word is obviously important, many researchers believe that asking students the question “Does anybody know what the word ___ means?” or instructing students to “look it up” in the dictionary are two of the least effective strategies for teaching vocabulary at the secondary level. (Copying the word several times follows close on the heels of “least effective,” as well.)

What, then, are the hallmarks of good vocabulary instruction? According to Anita L. Archer, Ph.D., author of “Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction in Secondary Classrooms,” there are at least four key elements:
· Actively involve students
· Provide multiple exposures to words in different contexts
· Encourage deep processing of new words, connecting with and relating to prior knowledge when creating their own sentences
· Discuss new words together with related words

There are numerous word learning activities that support these strategies and that can be adapted for any curriculum or content area, while also serving to introduce “academic vocabulary.” Here are four of those activities, which use, as examples, the SAT-level vocabulary taken from WordTeasers: College Prep. You can easily adapt your own relevant vocabulary to these activities.

Yes/No/Why Activity
In this activity students are challenged to provide an answer to a question in which two or more key vocabulary words are juxtaposed in the same sentence. Be sure to tell students that there is no right or wrong answer to the question, but that they must provide a full and thoughtful explanation for their answer.
Can you aspire to something you are ambivalent about?
Is a salubrious activity ever deleterious?
Can you be frugal and benevolent at the same time?
Does someone you venerate have to be a luminary?
Extension: Distribute the WordTeasers game box and let students select pairs of words to construct their own Yes/No/Why sentences.

Idea Completion Activity
In this activity students are given partial sentences that include key vocabulary words and are challenged to complete the sentence. Examples of sentences using words from WordTeasers: College Prep might be:
José had a contrite look on his face after he…
Vanessa was reticent to talk about why she came home late because…
Derek was willing to condone Peter’s bad behavior because…
It is ludicrous to think that I…
Extension: Have pairs of students work together. One writes the first part of an Idea Completion sentence, using a word from WordTeasers: College Prep (or words you assign from a text or content area); the other then completes the sentence.

Meaningful Sentence Writing
When writing sentences using new vocabulary words, encourage students to connect or relate their prior knowledge or experience. Sentences should answer three or four who, what, when, where, or how questions. Suggest that they identify something from their personal life experiences the term reminds them of.
Poor Meaningful Sentence Example
Luke is gregarious.
Better Meaningful Sentence Example
I like Luke because he is always so friendly and gregarious when we are together.
Extension: An essential part of this “elaboration process” in writing meaningful sentences is having the students explain the connection. For example, the students should not only say what personal experience the term makes them think of, but also why it reminds them of it.

Examples and Non-Examples
When introducing a new word, such as proponent, give students an opportunity to distinguish between “examples and non-examples” of the word and then encourage them write their own examples.
Is [name of school coach] a proponent of our soccer team? (Yes)
How do we know she is a proponent? (She is our coach.)
Is [name of rival school] a proponent of our soccer team? (No.)
Why is [name of rival school] not a proponent? (They are an opponent or rival.)
Our soccer team has many other proponents. Can you name some? (Parents, teachers, siblings.)
Extension: Ask deeper processing questions, such as: “How do we know if or when someone is a proponent of something?”

By implementing some of these word learning strategies at the beginning of a new lesson, you can help students not only improve their vocabulary, but also actually enjoy and have fun learning new words.

Next Week: A Rose by Any Other Name: How to Apply Geography to Interpret the Past

Source: WordTeasers: College Prep — An educational game designed to help high school students improve vocabulary and have fun at the same time. Grades 7 + . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

"Iamb" -- A Poet

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: 4-6

Overview
Idiomatic expressions are a great way to introduce students to rhyming couplets. In this lesson plan, students are introduced to both rhyming couplets and idioms, and then write original couplets, using idiomatic expressions they have learned.

Objectives
Students will:
· Learn the definition of “idiom”
· Learn the meaning of “couplet” and “iambic pentameter”
· Compose a couplet using an idiomatic expression

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· (Optional) WordTeasers: Idioms

Getting Started
Write the following rhyming couplet on the chalkboard:

My mom says that my room’s a mess.
But I just shrug; I couldn’t care less.

Call upon a volunteer to read the couplet out loud. Ask students what they notice about these two lines. (The last word in the first sentence rhymes with the last word in the second sentence.) Explain to students that these two lines are called a couplet. A couplet is a type of poem with two rhyming lines. The two lines go together to make a complete thought. What does this couplet tell us about the author?

Development
Next, write the following line on the chalkboard, using the idiomatic expressing “barking up a wrong tree”:

You’re barking up a wrong tree.

Ask students if they know what the expression “barking up a wrong tree” means. (Make a wrong guess about something.) Explain to students that barking up a wrong tree is an idiomatic expression or idiom. An idiom is a phrase in English that doesn’t mean exactly what the individual words might suggest. Tell students they can think of idioms as expressions that have hidden meanings.

As a class, write a second line to form a couplet, using the sentence (and idiomatic expression), “You’re barking up a wrong tree.” For example:

You’re barking up a wrong tree.
If you think you can borrow any money from me.

Then give students time to write their own rhyming couplet, using the idiom “barking up a wrong tree.” Then, have volunteers read their couplets. Call on others to explain the meaning of each rhyme.

Activity
Distribute the WordTeasers: Idioms Challenge Cards to students (or write a list of idioms on the chalkboard). Tell students they are going to write a couplet, using an idiomatic expression. Give students time to complete the assignment. Then have each student read his or her couplet. Ask students if they can pick out the idiomatic expression in each couplet.

Extension
Tell students that there is another kind of couplet called a heroic couplet. The heroic couplet is written in a poetic form called iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter describes a particular type of rhythm in a line of poetry. It sounds like this:

dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM dee DUM

Or this:
good-bye good-bye good-bye good-bye good-bye

Explain that an iamb consists of two syllables, the first one short, the second one long, such as in dee DUM or in the word “good-bye” or in the phrase “I am.” Also, explain that pentameter means there are five feet or clusters of two syllables in the each line of poem. Write the following sentences on the chalkboard. Which one is an example of iambic pentameter? (My friends all say I have the gift of gab.)

It’s raining cats and dogs today.
My friends all say I have the gift of gab.
It’s time for me to hit the hay.

Can students write a second line to conclude this couplet?

Next Week: Get Ready for the SATs with WordTeasers: College Prep

Source: WordTeasers: Idioms — an educational game designed to get kids talking, laughing, thinking, writing…and improving language arts skills. Ages 9+ . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Gilligan's and Other Islands

Subject: Geography

Grade(s): 4-6

Overview
Coney Island, Treasure Island, Gilligan’s Island: While these may be some of the most imaginative islands ever created in the world, there are also hundreds of fascinating real islands in the world — from the island continent of Australia to the island nation of Great Britain to the island state of Hawaii. In this lesson, students are introduced to the subject of islands around the world and discover two main ways in which islands developed over millions of years. They then create a presentation about six specific islands of the world.

Objectives
Students will:
· Understand the definition of an island.
· Learn at least two different ways in which islands are formed.
· Understand an archipelago
· Discover how plant and animal species develop on an island.

National Geography Standards
Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.
Standard 7: The physical processes that shape the patterns of earth’s surfaces.

Materials Needed
· Gillian’s and Other Islands Challenge Cards from WorldTeasers: World Culture & Geography
· Map of Great Britain, Europe, and Ireland
· Map of southeastern coast of Africa

Getting Started
Begin by asking students if they can think of one thing that Australia, Great Britain, and Hawaii all have common geographically. (They are all three completely surrounded by water.) Ask students what we call an area of land, such as Australia or Hawaii, that is completely surrounded by water. (An island.) Ask students if they can name any other islands (e.g., Martha’s Vineyard, Puerto Rico, Greenland). Has anyone ever visited an island? If so, what was it like? Give students a chance to tell what they know about islands. Then, tell students that in this lesson they will learn about some of the many different islands of the world and will also learn two different ways in which islands are formed.

Development
Show students a map of Great Britain and Europe. Ask a volunteer to locate and point out the country of Great Britain. Is Great Britain an island? (Yes.) Where is it located? (Between the country of Ireland and mainland Europe.)

Tell students that at one time — thousands of years ago — Great Britain was joined to both Ireland and what is now northeastern France in Europe. Then ask student what they think might have happened. How do they think Great Britain became an island? Write their answers on the chalkboard. Tell students that the island of Great Britain was formed when sea levels rose, separating a section of land (now known as known as Great Britain) from the mainland. This happened when the heavy weight of glacial ice caused part of the earth’s crust to sink. Geologists call this isostatic depression.

Isostatic depression is one way in which islands have been created over millions of years. Can students think of another way? Show students a map of African and Madagascar. Ask a volunteer to point to the island nation of Madagascar. Tell students that Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. It used to be connected to the continent of Africa. Explain that over the years, erosion caused one part of the land to break off from the continent of Africa, forming the island of Madagascar.

Tell students that Great Britain and Madagascar are two examples of continental islands. Can they think of other island nations that are examples of continental islands? (Sicily off Europe; Greenland off North America; Barbados and Trinidad off South America.)

A second type of islands is called oceanic islands or volcanic islands. These islands develop as a result of the activity of undersea volcanoes. For example, an undersea volcano erupts and over time layers of lava eventually emerge above the surface of the ocean. Iceland is the largest volcanic island in the world. Can students think of other volcanic islands? (The Hawaiian Islands) Tell students that the Hawaiian Islands is also an example of an archipelago — a chain or cluster of islands.

Activity
Divide the class into six groups to research and report back to the class on one particular island of the world and how it was formed. For their reports, be sure each group includes: Name of Island, Location, Size, Type of Island, How It Was Formed. A list of islands of the world grouped by oceans and continents can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands.
(Or distribute at random one of the six WorldTeaser Challenge Cards titled Gilligan’s and Other Islands, which challenge students with a fascinating fact about each of six different islands: Bermuda, Aruba, Cyprus, Howland Island, Jersey, and Puerto Rico. Have student groups research the formation of these six islands.)

Follow-up
Based on what they have learned, ask students if they think new islands will be formed on earth in the future? Why or why not? Tell students that, in fact, the newest island to form on earth actually developed only about 45 years ago. The island is called Surtsey. Assign a group of students to research Surtsey, including type of island (oceanic island), when it first emerged (1963), and when plants and animals first appeared on the island.

Extension: Island Vocabulary
Have students write a brief definition of each of thee words associated with islands.
atoll
coral reef,
continent
plate tectonics
island
lithosphere
sea level
species
volcano

Discussion Questions
What are some of the ways that plants and animals may have gotten to new islands? Are those ways different for oceanic or volcanic islands as opposed to continental islands? (Yes, generally species on continentals were already there when the island separated from the mainland. Species on oceanic islands got there through wind or rain or the ocean’s currents.) Suppose that a piece of the state of Washington broke off and became an island. What kind of plants and animals might you expect to find on that island? What if a piece of Maine broke off and became an island. What kind of plants and animals do you think you would find there?

Next Week: Idioms

Source: WorldTeasers: World Culture and Geography — An educational game designed to help upper elementary grade students supersize their global knowledge with fascinating, intriguing, and amusing trivia about countries and their culture. Grades 4 +. Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Take the WordTeaser Challenge

Subject: English/Vocabulary
Grade(s): 7 and up

Overview
Put new vocabulary words into relevant context with this easy-to-play vocabulary game that is fun and challenging for students of all ages.

Objectives
Students will:
* Write creative definitions for unknown words and use those words in creative sentences.

* Determine the real definition of unknown words through context clues.

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Materials Needed
· WordTeasers: College Prep

Background
Researchers have shown conclusively that a strong vocabulary is crucial to academic development at all ages. Now, with the addition of the essay on the SAT college entrance test, a strong vocabulary is more critical than ever. As the College Board notes, to score a 6 (the highest possible essay score on the SAT essay), it is necessary to exhibit “…skillful use of language using a varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary.” WordTeasers: College Prep gives students a fun way to increase and improve their vocabulary by putting new vocabulary words into real-life context.

Activity
Divide students into groups of three to five students for each group. Then, give each group a WordTeaser Challenge Card (or let a volunteer from each group select a card from the WordTeasers: College Prep box.) Each student in the group writes down a made-up definition for the word they have selected. Tell students to be sure to include the word function (noun, verb, adjective, for example) and definition. One member of the group writes down the real definition, as found on the back of the WordTeaser Challenge Card. Call on each group, one group at a time, to read their WordTeaser word aloud to the class and then read their definitions. Then, take a class vote to see which definition the class thinks is the real definition. After students have voted for what they think is the real definition, have one student from the group read the WordTeaser challenge using that word to the class. Then, take a vote again. Does everyone agree that the definition selected in the first vote is still the correct definition? Why or why not?

Next Week: Gilligan’s and Other Islands: A geography lesson plan
Source: WordTeasers: College Prep — An educational game designed to help high school students improve vocabulary and have fun at the same time. Grades 7 + . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Hidden Meanings That Tickle Your Funny Bone

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: 4-6

Overview
Introduce students to the concept of figurative language with this activity that will tickle your funny bone and help students see the “hidden meaning” behind the literal translation of idioms.

Objectives
Students will:
· Learn the definition of “idiom”
· Demonstrate their understanding of idiomatic expressions.
· Write creatively about the origins of idiomatic expressions

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· (Optional) WordTeasers: Idioms

Getting Started
Write this sentence on the chalkboard: “It’s really raining hard.” Then call on volunteers to come up with other ways to say the same thing. (The rain is really heavy. We’re having a downpour.) See if any student suggests: It’s raining cats and dogs. (Or, if not, write that sentence on the chalkboard.) Discuss with students how they think that expression got started. (Note: You may want to refer to the “raining cats and dogs” challenge card in the WordTeasers: Idioms game box for the origin of the expression.)

Development
Tell students that there are many expressions or sayings in English that have “hidden meanings.” Then say: For example, what if you heard someone say, “Tom has a green thumb.” Would you think that Tom’s thumb really is green? Why or why not? Does anyone know the “hidden meaning” for green thumb? (Special talent for growing plants and flowers.) Where do you think that expression came from? (The green color in plants comes from chlorophyll in the plant. People who work with plants often get this green pigment on their hands.) Conclude by telling the glass that expressions like “raining cats and dogs” or “green thumb” are called idioms. These are phrases in English that don’t mean exactly what the individual words might suggest. The phrases have “hidden meanings.”

Activity
Write three idioms on the chalkboard, e.g., climb the walls, hit the hay, eat humble pie. (You might select your idioms from the WordTeasers: Idioms game box.) Have students suggest other idioms to add to the list. Discuss the meaning of each idiom with the class. Then challenge the class to select one of the idioms and write a short paragraph explaining where this expression came from or how it got started. Have students read their “origin” of the idioms to the class. Then, read the actual origin for each idiom from the back of the WordTeasers: Idioms challenge cards.

Extension
Divide the class into small groups. Give each group of a copy of the worksheet below. Allow time for students to complete the worksheet. Then call on one student in each group to read one of the sentences aloud. Do students think the answer is correct? Why or why not?

Directions: Fill in the missing word to these popular idioms.

1. Jack is so clumsy; he’s like a __________ in a china shop.
(a) squirrel
(b) deer
(c) bull

2. Before a big test, Jose always acts cool as a ________________.
(a) cucumber
(b) banana
(c) tomato

3. Hillary says that her new video game is so bad it’s for the __________.
(a) canaries
(b) birds
(c) bats

4. Maria is being very quiet about the birthday party because she doesn’t wan to spill the ________________.
(a) beans
(b) cabbage
(c) soup

5. Shannon says that the test was a piece of _____________. She knows she got an A.
(a) pie
(b) cake
(c) candy

Extension
As time permits, tell students they’re going to take the WordTeaser Challenge. Let each student draw out a WordTeaser challenge card from the game box and read the question or statement to another student. See if that student can (a) give the meaning of the idiom in the challenge card and (b) answer the challenge.

Next Week: Get Ready for the SATs with WordTeasers: College Prep

Source: WordTeasers: Idioms — an educational game designed to get kids talking, laughing, thinking, writing…and improving language arts skills. Ages 9+ . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Population Explosion

Subject: Geography; World Culture
Grade(s): 4-6

Overview
Students become junior demographers as they research and report on the population density of countries and continents around the world, charting their research on the a world map and on a bar chart in Microsoft Excel.

Objectives
Students will:
· Understand and define population and population density
· Understand the relationship between population and area
· Compare the population density of the six inhabited continents and draw conclusions

National Geography Standards
Standard 1: "How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective"
Standard 9: The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth's surface.

Materials Needed
· Outline map of the world (copies for every two students)
· Crayons or colored pencils
· (Optional): WorldTeasers: World Culture & Geography

Getting Started
Ask the class if anyone knows what the word demographer means? Explain that a demographer is someone who studies human populations. A demographer can be thought of as a population expert. Demographers help us understand our world…or even our classroom. To illustrate, ask the class if they agree or disagree with this statement: “Our classroom has a lot of students.” What do they think “a lot’ means? What if the class had 60 students? Would that be “a lot”? Why or why not? Tell students that the average classroom size in elementary schools in the United States is 25. Then say: Compared to the national average, does our classroom have a lot of students? Why or why not? Say: By knowing the average population of an elementary school classroom in the U.S., we can better understand the population of our classroom. Explain that in this lesson students will become demographers as they study the populations of the world.

Development
Tell students that demographers study many different aspects or characteristics of a population. One characteristic that they study is called population density. Tell students that population density can be thought of as the number of people within a certain area as compared to the size of that area. It is calculated by dividing the total population of an area by the size of that area (usually in square miles or square kilometers). Write the formula for population density on the chalkboard.

Population density = Population/Land Area

Ask students how they think could calculate the density of their classroom. (Measure the size of the classroom in square feet; then divide the population of the classroom by the area of the classroom.) Next, write the following data on the chalkboard. Have students calculate the population density of the following three countries: United States, Monaco, and Mongolia.
Population Land Area Density
(square miles)

United States 303,320,000 3,794,066
Mongolia 2,951,786 603,909
Monaco 32,671 .76

Which of these countries is the most densely populated? (Monaco, the most densely populated country in the world.) Which is the least densely populated? (Mongolia, the least dense populated country in the world.)

Activity
Divide the class into six groups to research the area and population of each of the six inhabited continents of the world (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa). Have each group calculate the population density of their continent. Then, write the results in a chart on the chalkboard. Next, distribute an outline map of the world to each group. Have students use a dark crayon color to color in the continents that have a population density greater than 100 people per square mile; a medium crayon color to indicate continents that have a population density between 50 and100 per square mile; and a light crayon color to indicate continents with a population density less than 50 people per square mile. When done, ask students what conclusions they can draw from the map about populations of the world.

Extension
Have students create a Microsoft Excel bar chart, comparing the population density of the 10 Most Populous Countries of the World (China, India, United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan Bangladesh, Russia, Nigeria, and Japan). Or let students select their own population density data to analyze, such as the Population Density of the Largest City on Each of the Six Continents of the World. (See the six Population Explosion Challenge Cards in the WorldTeasers game box.) You may want to print out the following instructions for creating a bar chart in Excel.

Instructions for Creating a Bar Chart in Microsoft Excel
1. Open a Microsoft Excel worksheet (or spreadsheet).
2. In Cell A1, type the word Countries.
3. In Cell A2 through A11, type the names of the 10 countries to compare.
4. In Cell B1, type the word Density.
5. Enter the population density for each country (Cells B2 through B11)
6. Highlight the data.
7. Click Chart on the Insert menu.
8. Under Chart Type, highlight Column. Click a Chart sub-type, then click Next.
9. Click Data Range Tab.
10. Next to Series in: click Columns. Click Next.
11. Fill in Titles, Axes, Gridlines, Legend, Data Labels, and Data Table, as desired.
12. Click Finish.

Next Week: The “Bottom Line” on Idioms

Source: WorldTeasers: World Culture and Geography — An educational game designed to help upper elementary grade students supersize their global knowledge with fascinating, intriguing, and amusing trivia about countries and their culture. Grades 4 +. Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Don’t Be Succinct; Bloviate About Context Clues

Subject: English/Vocabulary
Grade(s): 7 and up

Overview
No matter what a student’s reading or vocabulary level is, context clues are a great way to help decipher and understand the meaning of new or unusual words. Here are four types of context clues that can help your students comprehend new vocabulary with aplomb.
Objectives
Students will:
Recognize different types of context clues for determining the meaning of an unknown word
Write sentences using context clues as a means to clarify the meaning of an unknown word

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Materials Needed
· WordTeasers: College Prep

Getting Started: Ask students if they know what the word prevaricate means? Acknowledge those students who indicate that they know the definition. Then say, “For those of you who don’t know what the word means, I’m going to use it in a sentence.” Ask: “Is there ever a good reason to prevaricate?” Then say, “How many of you now think you know the meaning of prevaricate?” Acknowledge those students. Finally, tell students that you are going to use the word in a different sentence that may give students a clue to the definition of prevaricate. Ask: “Is there ever a good reason to prevaricate rather than to tell the truth?” Ask how many think they now know the definition of prevaricate. Why? Discuss with students why this last question helped them understand the definition of prevaricate. (They were able to infer from the context of the sentence that to prevaricate is the opposite of to tell the truth.)

Development: Tell students that one way to understand new words in a sentence or a passage in their reading is to look for context clues. Explain that there are many different types of context clues. Write the following four types of context clues on the board along with the pair of sentences that illustrates each context clue. Discuss each pair of sentences with the class.

· Linked Synonyms—an unknown word is linked with similar words or synonyms in a series.
Sentence Sample: Name a food you abhor.
Linked Synonyms: Name a food you hate, detest, and abhor.
· Appositive — a phrase that provides additional information or a definition about a preceding noun.
Sentence Sample: Argue for or against a meritocracy.
Appositive: Argue for or against a meritocracy, a system in which people are rewarded based on talent or

ability.
· Compare/Contrast — an antonym or phrase with an opposite meaning to an unknown word that is used to

define that unknown word.
Sentence Sample: Name something that makes you feel timorous.
Appositive: Name something that makes you feel timorous, rather than confident.
· Cause/Effect — the cause for or result of an unknown word enables the meaning of the unknown word to be

inferred
Sentence Sample: Who would you like to emulate?
Cause/Effect: Because the student admired her coach, she wanted to emulate her.

Activity: Prepare the following handout, which includes five statements and questions adapted from the WordTeasers: College Prep Challenge Cards. Each statement or question includes a context clue to the meaning of the word in bold. Have students write a definition for each word in bold. Then, have them identify which of the four types of context clues is used to help clarify the word’s meaning.

1. If you could give up an onerous or difficult task, what would it be? (Type of Context Clue: Linked Synonyms)
2. Name someone in your class who is so frugal they won’t even spend a nickel for a soda.
(Type of Context Clue: Cause/Effect)
3. What time of day are you most lethargic as opposed to energetic? (Type of Context Clue: Compare/Contrast)
4. Name your biggest proponent, such as a parent, older sibling, or teacher. (Type of Context Clue: Apposition)
5. Show how you would act in a gregarious, friendly, and outgoing manner to a new student. (Context Clue: Linked Synonyms)

Extension 1: Have each student select a WordTeaser Challenge Card from the box. Allow time for students to revise or rewrite the challenge question or statement on the card, using one of the four types of context clues to help clarify the meaning of the word in bold. Then allow time for students to read aloud their original and their revised WordTeaser question or statement. Discuss how the context clue helps clarify the meaning of the word.

Extension 2: Challenge students to write a sentence with a nonsense word, but with enough context clues to reveal the meaning of the nonsense word. Allow time for students to read their sentences aloud and challenge other students to guess the meaning of their nonsense words. For example: Jose was synerambulent about a 9:00 pm. curfew for teenagers, rather than firm in his opinion. (Meaning: ambivalent; indecisive; having two opposing opinions; Context Clue: Compare/contrast.)

Next Week: Population Explosion: A Geography Lesson Plan with WorldTeasers: World Culture & Geography

Source: WordTeasers: College Prep — An educational game designed to help high school students improve vocabulary and have fun at the same time. Grades 7 + . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

On the Fence with Idioms

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: 4-6

Overview
Don’t leave your students “on the fence” over idioms. Help students understand idiomatic expressions with this game of charades.

Objectives
Students will:
· Demonstrate their understanding of idiomatic expressions.

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· WordTeasers: Idioms
· (Optional) Index cards to make your own Idiom Charades cards

Preparation
Select 30 to 40 Idiom Challenge cards from the WordTeasers: Idioms box. Be sure to select those cards with idioms that can easily be acted out. Put those selected cards in the box and set the other cards aside.

Getting Started
Write these two sentences on the chalkboard.

Alice is sitting on the fence about who to vote for in the school election.

Pete is sitting on a fence thinking about his favorite candidate, Bill.

Ask students: Where is Alice? (We don’t know.) Where is Pete? (He’s sitting on a fence.) Who is Alice going to vote for? (She hasn’t decided.) Who