Introduce vocabulary: Julius, the Baby of the World (Henkes, 1995)
From FreeReading
| Activity Type: Introduce |
| Activity Form: Standard |
| Grade: K, 1 |
| Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class |
| Length: 30 minutes |
| Materials: Julius, the Baby of the World, Kevin Henkes |
| Goal: Given a word, the student can say its meaning |
| Items: constantly, disguise, disgusting, extraordinary, quiver, restrain, speechless |
What to do
- If more than three words are listed below, choose three. (It's tough for students to take in more than three new words in one go.) Write the three words on sentence strips (so they can easily be displayed after the lesson).
- I'm going to read a new book to you today. It's called Julius, the Baby of the World. It uses some words you might not know, so I'm going to tell you the words now. Then, when I read the story, I want you to raise your hand when you hear the word. Okay?
- Tell students the three words and their meanings. Have them repeat the words back to you.
- Remember, when you hear any of our three words, raise your hand. Ready?
- Read the story. Praise students who correctly identify the words as you read. Repeat each word's meaning as you encounter it.
- When you finish reading, go through the three words giving the complete sequence below for each word. You can give the examples/non-examples either to the whole group or to individual students. Feel free to add your own examples and non-examples, particularly if students seem unclear.
- Optionally, read the story again.
- Students need to encounter a word multiple times before learning it. So:
- Try to find opportunities to use the three words during other activities in the next 24 hours.
- Ask students to use the word themselves and praise them strongly when they do.
- Be particularly excited about usage in contexts different from that in the book you read, since students often have difficulty dissociating a word and the specific context in which they first came across it.
constantly
- Constantly means when something keeps happening without stopping. What's the word?
- When we went camping, we had to stay in the tent because it rained constantly. If you're reading a book every time your teacher sees you, she might say you read constantly.
- I'm going to name some things that happen. If you think the thing keeps happening without stopping, say constantly. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- Waves crashing onto the beach
- A clock ticking
- You having a birthday
- You visiting Disneyland
- Your heart beating
disguise
- Disguise means something you wear that covers up who you are. What's the word?
- The child wore such a good disguise that even her best friend didn't know who she was. On Halloween, you probably wear a mask or a costume for a disguise.
- I'm going to name some things you could wear. If you think you'd wear the thing to cover up who you are, say disguise. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- Shoes
- A fake nose
- A big hat that covers your face
- Socks
- A wig
disgusting
- Disgusting means something that is very icky. What's the word?
- Most people think rats are disgusting. Finding a fly in your spaghetti would be disgusting.
- I'm going to name some things. If you think the thing is really icky, say disgusting. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- A bug in your food
- Dirty dishes
- Fresh strawberries
- A springtime rainstorm
- Rotten milk
extraordinary
- Extraordinary means something is really special. What's the word?
- The first man to walk on the moon said it was an extraordinary experience. If your day was perfect, you might say it was extraordinary.
- I'm going to name some things that might happen. If you think the thing is really special, say extraordinary. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- You find $100 and get to keep it
- You go to school.
- You brush your teeth.
- You and your family go to Disney World.
- Your family and friends surprise you on your birthday.
quiver
- Quiver means to shake, like when you're cold or scared. What's the word?
- The little mouse quivered when he was hiding from the cat. If your shoes get wet during recess, you might quiver the rest of the day because you're cold.
- I'm going to name some things. If you think the thing might shake like it's cold or scared, say quiver. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- A train
- A wet puppy
- A person singing in front of a big audience
- A house
- Leaves in the breeze
restrain
- Restrain means to hold back from doing something. What's the word?
- Even though the boy was so excited about his birthday party, he tried to restrain himself during school. If you can't wait to run and jump during recess, your teacher might have to ask you to restrain yourself in class.
- I'm going to name some items. If you think you'd have to hold someone back from using the item, say restrain. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- A vacuum cleaner
- An oven
- An exciting new toy
- A fancy bike
- A fun video game
speechless
- Speechless means being surprised and unable to say anything. What's the word?
- The woman was speechless when she saw a giraffe in her back yard. If you were so surprised with a party on your birthday, you might be speechless.
- I'm going to name some things you could see in your playground. If you'd be so surprised you couldn't talk, say speechless. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
- A swingset
- A bird
- A basketball
- A ship
- A flying monkey