Whirl-A-Word
From FreeReading
| Lesson Type: | Build Mastery |
| Grade: | 1, 2, 3 |
| Group Size: | Pair |
| Length: | 10 minutes |
| Goal: | Given vocabulary words, students will expand their knowledge of them by defining them, acting them out, giving synonyms for them, and drawing pictures of them. |
Materials: Whirl-A-Word (print here), large paper clip, pencil, index cards
What to Do
Prepare
Print out a copy of the Whirl-A-Word graphic organizer for each pair. Make word cards for the vocabulary words. Provide paper for your students to draw on.
Model/Instruct
1. Review the vocabulary words you have chosen for this lesson.
Today, we will become more familiar with our vocabulary words by playing a game called Whirl-A-Word.
2. Review the parts of the spinner with the students. Your choice allows the students to pick any one of the other four categories to perform.
To play the game, you will need one person to act as Spinner and one as Reader. The Reader picks up a vocabulary word from the pile and reads it out loud. The Spinner spins the paper clip and performs the action. Both students perform the task the spinner lands on.
3. Show students how to place the pencil point in the center of the circle so that it keeps the paper clip in place as it is spun.
4. Invite two students to the front of the room to demonstrate the activity.
Practice
5. Have students play the game.
Now it is your turn to play Whirl-A-Word. Be sure to take turns being Reader and Spinner.
6. Walk around to monitor students’ performance as they play the game.
Adjust
For Advanced Students:
Encourage these students to write down their own definitions of the words. After the activity, you may have them look up the words in a dictionary to compare their definitions with the official ones.
For Struggling Students:
If students have difficulty performing the tasks quickly, using a timer may help.
For ELL Students:
You may have these students play in teams of two.
Related activities
Categories: Activity | Core | Vocabulary