Introduce Vocabulary: Sorting (Pluckrose)

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 Sorting.

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.

collect

Collect means to gather together things that are alike and keep them. What’s the word?

I like to collect toy cars from the 1950s. Is there any type of toy that you love to collect?

I’m going to name some items. If you think people sometimes gather the things together and keep them, say collect. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Whales
• Leaves
• Shiny rocks
• Bottles
• Planets

common

Common means the same. What’s the word?

Cats and dogs have at least two things in common: they have fur and tails. You and I have friends in common.

I’m going to name some pairs of animals. If the animals are the same because they both lay eggs, say common. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Snakes and chickens
• Horses and kangaroos
• Turtles and fish
• Spiders and ants
• Weasels and rhinoceroses

different

Different means not the same. What’s the word?

Even though eagles and sparrows look different, they are both birds. How are you different from your brother or sister?

I’m going to name some pairs of words. If you think the words do not mean the same thing, say different. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Thin and slim
• Broad and wide
• Happy and sad
• Black and white
• Up and down

identical

Identical means exactly the same, with no differences. What’s the word?

I saw a woman wearing a coat that was identical to mine. Did you order a meal identical to the one you ate last time?

I’m going to name some things. If you think the things are sometimes exactly the same, say identical. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Twins
• Copies
• Fingerprints
• Snowflakes
• Clones

sort

Sort means to arrange items so that similar items are together. What’s the word?

Part of the dishwasher’s job was to sort the good silverware from the old silverware. Sort through your pencils, keep the good ones, and throw away the ones that are broken.

I’m going to name some items. If you think it’s possible to arrange the items so that similar ones are together, say sort. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Rocks
• Snowflakes
• Water drops
• Clouds
• Marbles

Adjust

For Advanced Students:

If time permits, have students create more examples of 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 to help students learn the words.

Related activities

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