Technology Standards

1T-E2. Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated operation of technology components.
4T-E2. Use technology tools for individual writing activities to create curricular related products for audiences inside the classroom.
5T-E1. Locate information from electronic resources.

R-E1. Use structural analysis skills such as identifying root words, prefixes, suffixes and word origins.
W-E1. Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and usage, along with varied sentence structure.
W-E8. Demonstrate research skills using reference materials such as a dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks.
LS-E2. Prepare and deliver an oral report in a content area and effectively convey the information through verbal and nonverbal communications with a specific audience.
VP-E2. Plan, develop and produce a visual presentation, using computer images.

Academic

• Students will collect information about a vocabulary word; design a diagram that analyzes and visually presents the morphology and semantics of the word; and create a mini-lesson for his/her peers.

• Students will use an “Inspiration” diagram, in order to categorize the data collected with the help of Internet search engines.  When presenting the mini-lesson on their findings, students will use the classroom computer connected through Averkey to the monitor.

Materials
A computer with Internet access, “Inspiration”, a list of vocabulary words, dictionaries and thesauruses.

Accommodations for Special Needs
ESL Beginners need a hard-copy demonstration of the activity first.

Procedures
1. Students choose a word from the list of vocabulary words being studied.

2. Students pick their favorite dictionaries and thesauruses.  Students are encouraged to use both on-line-resources and regular hard-copy reference sources, such as:
 http://www.dictionary.com
 http//:www.Britannica.com
 http//:Encyclopedia.com
 http//:Encarta(r) Online Home
 http//:WordCentral.Com
 

Children’s Dictionary
Troll Student Thesaurus
English-Spanish and Spanish-English Larousse Dictionary

3. Students open “Inspiration”àFileàTemplateàVocabulary Word diagram.

4. Students fill in the boxes offered in the template and add new links and symbols suggested by the teacher or their own, for example:

     The meanings of the word, with examples;
     Synonyms and antonyms;
     Etymology;
     Words of the same family;
     “Those who do it or are it”;
     Possible forms (tenses, degrees of comparison, plurals, other cases, etc.);
     Part(s) of speech.

In doing so, students can make predictions on the basis of their schemata, before they resort to a dictionary.  They make a
choice of what reference sources to use.  They compare the information they get from different sources, summarize dictionary entries, simplify definitions in order to fit them into the diagram and make them easily understood by the potential audience.  Thus, they compose an inventory of the word that is supposed to include the most important data about the word, separated by the student from redundant information.

5. Students present a mini-lesson to the class, demonstrating their diagram on the classroom monitor through the Averkey
connector.  They make sure their classmates memorize the presented information by giving numerous examples, allowing their
peers to take notes and ask questions for additional information.  They may arrange for a short test.  The class critiques the
presented information, as well as the presentation itself.

Assessment
The student is evaluated on the basis of the following rubrics:

     Is the information complete? (20% of the grade)
     Is the information accurate? (20% of the grade)
     Is the information presented clearly? (20% of the grade)
     Are the examples original? (20% of the grade)
     Has every student learned at least 3 new facts about the vocabulary word? (20% of the grade)

The teacher performs the assessment after the class assesses the presentation and demonstrates the acquisition of the presented
vocabulary word.  The student has the right to debate the teacher’s evaluation by offering proof of his/her opinion.

Teacher Name: Katherine Engel
Site: Amphi Middle School
Date Submitted: October 20, 2001