Yolanda U. Trapp
Act the word (adapted from Chapman, 1993, p. 143):
Targeted Intelligence: Verbal/Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal
Supporting Intelligences: Synthesis
Social Skills: Accountability, communication
Goal: to develop Vocabulary
Materials: Words whose meaning can be acted out
Task Focus: This activity allows teachers to review vocabulary words by using body motions and movements while saying the words and the meaning.
Time: one week - 45 min. period
Product: definition of new words
Objective: To learn vocabulary words through movement
Activity:
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1. Assign cooperative groups of three.
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2. Assign the roles.
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Actors: Each member of the group.
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Coach: makes sure that all group members know the words
Director: Distributes the words assigned and decides the orders of the words to be introduced.
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3. Begin the activity by having the director distribute the words.
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4. Each member learn the words assigned and decides on the best action to teach the word to the group.
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5. Each team member teaches his or her words. As a word is taught, all members should do the motion while saying the word and the meaning over and over.
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6. The coach has each member review all of the words for a final check.
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7. Have the class stand in a circle. The teacher calls out a word and the students do the learned action while saying the word and the meaning.
Reflections
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1. which words did you learn most easily?
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2. How did this strategy help you learn the words?
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3. How else might you use this strategy?
The Rubric
The Standard Mastery of vocabulary
The Criteria
High performance: 93% average on vocabulary test
Sound performance: 85% average on vocabulary tests
Adequate performance: 78% average on vocabulary tests
Not Yet: Less than 70 average on vocabulary tests