Introduce vocabulary: Make Way for Ducklings (McCloskey, 2001)

From FreeReading

Activity Type: Introduce

Activity Form: Standard

Grade: K, 1

Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class

Length: 30 minutes

Materials: Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey

Goal: Given a word, the student can say its meaning

Items: responsibility, satisfied

What to do

1. 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).
2. I'm going to read a new book to you today. It's called Make Way for Ducklings. 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?
3. Tell students the three words and their meanings. Have them repeat the words back to you.
4. Remember, when you hear any of our three words, raise your hand. Ready?
5. Read the story. Praise students who correctly identify the words as you read. Repeat each word's meaning as you encounter it.
6. 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.
7. Optionally, read the story again.
8. 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.

responsibility

• Responsibility means a chore or activity that you must do because it's your job or because no one else can do it. What's the word?
• It's fun to have a puppy, but taking care of it is a big responsibility. One of your responsibilities is to work as hard as you can in school.
• I'm going to name some chores. If you think the chore is something a child must do, say responsibility. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
  • Finish your homework.
  • Make your bed.
  • Fix the car when it breaks down.
  • Put away clean laundry.
  • Drive the school bus.

satisfied

• Satisfied means to be very happy with the way things turned out. What's the word?
• The man said he was satisfied with the meal he got at the restaurant. When your mom says you can watch your favorite show, you feel satisfied.
• I'm going to name some things. If you think you'd be happy with the way the thing turned out, say satisfied. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just sit quietly. Ready?
  • The team you like won the game.
  • The lunch at school was your least favorite thing.
  • There was beautiful weather on the day of the field trip.
  • You got tickets to see a fun new movie.
  • Your big balloon floated away.