Introduce Vocabulary: Cows Can’t Fly (Milgrim)

From FreeReading

What to Do

Prepare

Select three Tier Two vocabulary words to teach your students. A list of suggested words appears below. Write the vocabulary words on the board or on chart paper.

Model/Instruct

1. Introduce the story.

Today we are going to read a story entitled Cow's Can't Fly.

2. Introduce the three vocabulary words you have chosen.

Before we read the story, I want to introduce some new words that we will come across. Please repeat each word after I say it.

3. Read the story.

Let’s read the story. Make sure to listen for today’s vocabulary words and to think about how they are used in the story. If you hear a vocabulary word while I am reading, raise your hand.

4. Define key vocabulary words. See definitions below.

Let’s think about our vocabulary words. The word ______________ means ____________. Does anyone remember how this word was used in the text?

Call on students to answer the question. Then refer to the text to show how the word was used in context. Repeat this process for each vocabulary word.

Practice

Now let’s practice what we’ve learned.

absurd

Absurd means really silly. What's the word?

A pig wearing a dress is an absurd sight. You might laugh when you see something absurd.

I'm going to describe some animals. If you think the way I describe the animal is really silly, say absurd. Otherwise, just sit quietly. Ready?

• A horse driving a car
• A dog using a computer
• A monkey on a bicycle
• A mouse eating cheese
• A giraffe in the zoo

raving

Raving means to talk in an excited way. What's the word?

The boy was so excited about his birthday, he was raving about it. You might be raving when you tell your friends about your really fun summer.

I'm going to name some events. If you think people will talk in an excited way about the event, say raving. Otherwise, keep quiet. Ready?

• An exciting soccer game
• A birthday party
• Bedtime
• Your favorite movie
• Bath time

unaware

Unaware means to not know something is happening. What's the word?

The student was unaware that she had a math test today. When you don't know what day it is, you are unaware of the day.

I'm going to name some holidays. If you don't know when it happens, say unaware. Otherwise, just sit quietly. Ready?

• President's Day
• The 4th of July
• Memorial Day
• Your birthday
• Thanksgiving

Adjust

For Advanced Students:

If time permits, have students create more examples for the vocabulary words.

For Struggling Students:

If time permits, have students record the words on a Vocabulary Discovery Chart or in a Word Journal.

For ELL Students:

In order to help ELL students learn the words, it may be helpful to use realia and/or to teach cognates.

Related activities

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