While students read, chances are they'll encounter unfamiliar vocabulary. A great way to engage students with the new words in "The Lady or the Tiger" is to have them create visual vocabulary boards. In the vocabulary board, students can choose between coming up with their own use of the vocabulary word, finding the specific example from the text, or depicting the definition without words.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the vocabulary words in “The Lady or the Tiger” by creating visualizations.
Introduce the visual vocabulary boards to ELA students and explain the objectives of the activity to them. Tell the students that they will be picking some complex words or that teachers will be providing them with a list of complex words from a future lesson plan so they can familiarize themselves with the complex terms beforehand. Using those words they will create vocabulary boards with the meaning of the word and a sample picture.
Students will learn better if they are able to see some sample vocabulary boards and how they can be created. Teachers can either help the students practice some examples in class or show some samples of already made vocabulary boards for enhanced understanding.
Help the students select a platform to create their visual vocabulary boards. Students can use Storyboard That and choose their own templates, descriptions, and visuals. If students want to make this activity more fun they can make these boards using chart papers or by hand. They can also make scrapbook style boards to make the process more engaging.
Encourage the students to share their boards with the rest of the class. This enhances comprehension and promotes a collaborative learning atmosphere. Guide the students to start conversations about the terms, their definitions, and how the images aided with understanding.
Encourage your students to review their visual vocabulary boards during their study sessions. They can review and reinforce what they know about the terms with the help of these. Students can also make vocabulary boards for future lessons beforehand.
If the vocabulary terms in the lessons are a bit more complex such as from another time period or culture, they will need some additional context for students to understand. Teachers can create a list of vocabulary terms while making the lesson plans and identify what sort of context each term needs. Before starting the lessons, teachers can then use that context and give a brief explanation of the context, and how it will help the students understand the vocabulary as well as the story.
A description, a passage from the story utilizing the word for context (optional), and a picture that explains its significance should all be included on each vocabulary board. Students can add more elements depending on their understanding to make their boards more interesting and comprehensive.