Brief Description
This lesson will assist the students with the ability to take apart words for better understanding with the use of an electronic thesaurus and dictionary. The students will use a vocabulary list from the Stuart Little novel.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

4T-E2. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication and publishing activities to create curricular related products for audiences inside and outside the classroom

• PO 1. Plan, design and present an academic product using technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation software, digital cameras, scanners, projection devices)

5T-E1. Locate information from electronic resources

• PO 1. Identify electronic research resources

• PO 2. Define subject searching and devise a search strategy to locate information using available electronic research resources (i.e., electronic card catalog, online or CD-ROM reference sources, grade level appropriate Internet resources)

GRADE 4

Strand 1: Reading Process

Concept 4: Vocabulary

Acquire and use new vocabulary in relevant contexts.

• PO 1. Use knowledge of root words and affixes to determine the meaning of unknown words.

• PO 2. Use context to determine the relevant meaning of a word.

• PO 3. Determine the difference between figurative language and literal language.

• PO 4. Identify figurative language, including similes, personification, and idioms.

• PO 5. Determine the meanings, pronunciations, syllabication, synonyms, antonyms, and parts of speech of words by using a variety of reference aids, including dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, and CD-ROM and Internet when available.

• PO 6. Identify antonyms, synonyms, and homonyms for given words within text. Italics denotes a repetition of a performance objective (learned in an earlier grade) that is to be applied to more complex reading selections.

Concepts and Generalizations

The students will interpret comprehension of a word by dissecting the term.

Objectives

Academic and Technological:

·Academic:

• The students will be able dissect vocabulary words to gain comprehension.

• The students will be able to construct sentences using their new vocabulary word.

• The students will utilize the electronic thesaurus and dictionary provided for them.

·Technological:

• The students will be able to find words using the electronic dictionary and thesaurus.

• The students will be able to type out their own sentences incorporating the new vocabulary word that they just learned.

• Students will need to know how to find and use the Inspiration program.

• Students will need to know a basic understanding of word processing on the computer.

• Computer with Inspiration program installed.

• A Stuart Little vocabulary list, or any list of vocabulary words of your choice.

• You may receive a list of vocabulary words for most any novel on the Lexile Framework for Reading at www.lexile.com in the Power Vocabulary section.

Lesson Differentiation

            Strategies

·        Whole to part explanations

·        Problem based learning

·        Computer mentors

           This lesson differentiates What?

 This lesson differentiates the various levels of the student in vocabulary. The lesson will permit the students to break down vocabulary for thorough comprehension.

           This lesson differentiates How?

This lesson differentiates the readiness levels for each student to break apart vocabulary words from their novel study to gain extensive comprehension of the text. The lesson allows the students to work independently or with a partner to find the base word, prefix and suffix, and their meaning of the word. The assignment allows the students to check their understanding with an electronic dictionary and thesaurus that is readily available for instant feedback on their opinion on what the word’s meaning is. This activity will assist the students in a fun way to learn the art of increasing vocabulary while mastering a method that will support any future vocabulary words that they will need to learn. The level and quality of the sentence within itself will insure various levels of quality for the students.

Procedures  

1. The students will use the Stuart Little vocabulary list provided. The students will read and look over the list to become familiar with it. You may choose to use any vocabulary list you would like. If you would like a vocabulary list for another novel you may go to the Lexile Framework for reading, www.lexile.com.
2. I will describe and demonstrate the activity on breaking down vocabulary words for better understanding on using a template in Inspiration.
3. When the students have comprehended of the directions, they will type their vocabulary word in the center. They will type the base word of their vocabulary word in the characteristics area, when they are finished they will move on to the prefix and suffix areas. There are 2 suffixes areas because some words have more than one suffix. When they have completed the characteristics of the word they will move down to the box that asks for their personal meaning and fill in what they think the meaning of the word is. They will then use the electronic dictionary to the left find the correct definition to their vocabulary word and list the part of speech for a challenge. The student will move on to the synonyms and use the electronic thesaurus.
4. The final step will require the student to write a sentence using the vocabulary word. The quality and level of the sentences will be individualized depending on the students profile and readiness. For students that would like a challenge they may write more than one sentence using both synonyms and antonyms.
5. If the students would like they may be a computer monitor if they finish early, they may also make their own web if they would prefer to work independently as an extension. The students may partner up if they would feel more comfortable working with someone using separate computers, but collaborating with their partner.

Extension Activity:

The teacher may have the students use their novel to find words that they may want to find the meaning of that are not on the list. The students may make their own web to break the word apart rather than the web that I provided. They can design it anyway that they would like as long as all of the components of the web are there to break the word apart.

The finished product of the students’ web will be their evaluation. The students’ work in general will be their assessment. All students will be at various levels. This activity allows for students to work at these different levels. The quality and level of thinking that the students produce on their work will be unique and individualized depending on your students’ ability.