Tiered Vocabulary Activity Lesson Plan

Topic: "The Allure of Gold"*
Physical Science, World History
Grade 6

Content Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4a
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Vocabulary Words:
Tier 2 (High Frequency.Multi-Meaning)-
divert, lure, property, condense, extract, displace

Tier 3 (Subject Related)-
pharaoh, tarnish, corrode, acid, conductive, malleable, atomic

Learning Activities:
Guided/Collaborative Practice
Using Context Clues & Graphic Organizer
Students will work together in pairs and identify terms within the passage that are unfamiliar to them, highlighting the words as they read along. Students will discuss with each other and use context clues to determine the meaning of the identified words. Students will use a three-column chart graphic organizer to analyze and reflect on the new words found in the reading passage. Each column will be labeled: "What I Think This Word Means", "What This Word Means", "Why Is This Word Important". Under the first column, students will use context clues and their own background knowledge to write their own definitions. Then using a dictionary and writing under the second column of the chart, students will determine the definition of their highlighted words. For the last column, students will be encouraged to think about the importance of the word--such as, why the author uses that particular word, or how it supports the main theme or topic of the passage.

Independent Practice
Using the same vocabulary terms from the lesson's reading passage, students incorporate them in a other ways to further improve their vocabulary understanding and development.

• "This word is important to me because..." Students will write sentences using the vocabulary terms to make personal connections with the new words. For example: "After I left my bike outside in the right overnight, I noticed that its bold canary-yellow paint had tarnished. This word is important to me because I love bright colors and I care about my bike so taking care of its color and condition is something I make an effort in."
• Tell a story.  Students will write one of the following: 1) a short story, or 2) a comic strip/visual story. They will demonstrate understanding of the new vocabulary terms and practice using the words through story-telling.

*Source:

http://www.readworks.org/passages/allure-gold