Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Lesson Plan

Name: Kylie Boruszewski Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Target Content/Lesson Topic: ELA – Vocabulary Instruction (Fiction text) Date: 10/08/20

Planning
Essential Question How can using context clues help you make sense of a tricky word?
What is the essential question that this
lesson addresses? What is the core
purpose of the lesson that includes the
strategies and skills necessary to
accomplish the deeper learning in the
standard? How does this lesson fit into
the larger unit of study?
State Learning Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.A
Identify relevant grade level standards Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
and Learning Outcomes from the State
Content Learning Standards, Common
Core Standards, and school learning
outcomes.
Learning Targets/Objectives Students should be able to…
What should the students know or be - Use context clues to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
able to do after the instruction? Use a - Find the meaning of an unfamiliar word using the four steps in the vocabulary comprehension
common format with a measurable verb strategy.
that matches the cognitive domain
standard. This should be a small piece of
the standard stated in measurable
terms.
Grouping Grouping
Describe how and why students will be
divided into groups, if applicable During the introduction of this lesson, students will be working as a whole group and in partners during think-
(homogeneous, heterogenous, random / pair-share (table/desk neighbors). During the lesson progression, they will be working independently on the
based on ability, interest, social graphic organizer.
purposes, etc.)
Co-Teaching Strategy
How did you collaborate with your co-
teacher to plan, instruct, and assess Co-Teaching Strategy
learning? What Co-Teaching Model will
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 you employ?
-One Teach, One Observe
-One Teach, One Assist
-Station Teaching
-Parallel Teaching
-Supplemental
-Alternative (Differentiated)
-Team Teaching
Differentiation
Respond to your students’ needs and
adjust the content, process, product,
and/or environment to reach individual
learners based on their readiness,
interests, and learning preferences
(Tomlinson, 2014). Discuss planned
supports here.
Formative Assessment
How will you monitor student learning
throughout the lesson? Be specific
about how your chosen assessments
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N/A
Content:
- Content could be provided to the students depending on their needs – if they need a digital copy of the
text, rather than print, that can be provided for them.
- The text could also be read to the student via the audible version of the text through headphones.
- For ELLs, the text should be transferred to their L1 if needed OR should be provided in a bilingual
version if available.
Process/Product:
- The teacher could provide the graphic organizer in a digital form for a student(s) to complete on a
computer if they need to (rather than writing).
- If a student is not able to write, the teacher should set it up so that the student is able to speak-to-text
their thoughts so that the computer “writes” for them on the digital version of the graphic organizer
OR sit with the student to help write their thoughts.
- The teacher could also allow for a student(s) to draw through the steps, rather than writing their
thoughts.
- The teacher could also modify the amount of tricky words the student(s) must use on the graphic
organizer (from the passage), three would be too difficult.
Environment:
- For students who need audible accommodations, the text passage features an audible reading which
could be provided as well as headphones so that the student is able to focus on the text. For students
who need visual accommodations, the teacher could try to provide pictures to go along with the
passage so that the student is able to picture the story better.
- The teacher should also allow for the students to sit where they’re most comfortable in the classroom
(flexible seating) for better focus during work time.
Assessment
- After reading the passage and reviewing the tricky/unfamiliar words, the students will go off on their own
and work on their graphic organizers to figure out the meaning of the tricky words in the passage. They will
use the vocabulary comprehension strategy taught (to use context clues) by using the graphic organizer to
think through the process – the four steps in the strategy. If understanding and using the strategy
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 connect with the objectives above.
Does your formative assessment
have/need evaluation criteria? If so,
attach a copy of your evaluation criteria.
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appropriately, the student should be first identifying the tricky word, then determine what’s happening in the
story around the tricky word (details), then determine how the word is being used (Is it describing
something? An action? A place/person/thing?), then combine what they’ve figured out about the word to try
to produce a definition for the word. The teacher should monitor student learning by checking in with each
student during independent work time, observing their thinking through the different steps, and talking with
the student about one of the tricky words and their clues to determine the meaning. The teacher should then
get an idea if each student is meeting the learning goals of the lesson. At the end of the lesson, the students will
be given a self-evaluation rubric to determine their level of understanding. The rubric is student-friendly and
gives visuals to help determine how they’re feeling after the lesson. I want them to be able to understand and
explain where they’re at in the learning process, while also being able to show the teacher (me) – rather than
determining their level of understanding for them (for this lesson).
 Summative Assessment
How will students demonstrate mastery
of the standard? Note: This assessment
does not have to occur during/after this
lesson but in upcoming lessons.
Evaluation Criteria
What material(s) will you use to
evaluate learning? Please attach a copy
of your checklist, rubric, observation
criteria, or other measure.
Describe the presentation of the overall
lesson.
Introduction and Connection to
Previous Learning
● Anticipatory Activity (Hook)
● Activate prior knowledge.
● Be sure students understand
procedures and instructions for
lesson.
● Establish clear expectations.
● Model concept
The Introduction, During, and Wrap-up
groupings/ instruction/ lesson
progression might look different!
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- In upcoming lessons, the students should continue to practice this strategy – in theory, the upcoming lessons
should feature the use of this strategy to keep practicing and have the students self-evaluate until almost all of
the students have an understanding of the strategy and can do it without any support. The long-term goal is
for the students to continue to use this strategy in their reading practices when they come across a word they
don’t know, as good readers do, ideally with being slowly introduced to more tricky words per text. This will,
as a result, grow their vocab comprehension skills. This strategy should be another tool in their
comprehension toolbox.
Procedures (Teacher[s] will…, Students will…)
- To begin the lesson, the teacher will have the students gather and sit on the carpet  reminding them
of the carpet time expectations:
o Eyes should be looking, ears listening, face forward, criss-cross applesauce, hands in your lap,
and staying in your own square/on your letter/space.
- Then the teacher will introduce the lesson by explaining that they will be learning a new strategy they
can use while reading in order to figure out words that don’t make sense.
- The teacher will begin to activate prior knowledge:
o The teacher will ask the students if they know what context means and listen to a few
volunteers.
o Then, the teacher will elaborate on their interpretations of what context means. Explaining that
context is the setting or background of how a word is meant within a sentence of a story. Then,
the teacher will ask the students what a clue would mean in the story when it comes to a tricky
word – what do they think. The teacher should listen to a few students, and then explain that
clues are important details surrounding the tricky word – using the background of the text and
the important details surrounding the tricky word together, they can determine what they
think the word might mean.
- The teacher should give an example of a context clue in a short few sentences of a passage, with a
tricky word. Then the teacher should have the students identify the tricky word (step 1), have the
students pick out what’s happening in the sentences (step 2), determine how the word is being used in
the story (step 3 - ask: is it describing? Is it an action, is someone doing something? Or is it a person,
place, or thing?) Then, step 4, use both the context and clue to try to figure out what it means. The
teacher should be writing everything, per step, on an easel pad/big piece of paper – to give a visual

During (Lesson Progression)
In this portion of the lesson, you will be
letting go and letting students engage in
productive struggle; engaging in gradual
release, inquiry, or other learning
methods. Please write what you are
looking for in terms of:
● Students’ thinking and how they
will start the lesson
● Provide appropriate support
(not explaining how to do it)
● Provide worthwhile extensions.
● Provide opportunities for
students to engage in using the
academic language.
This is where you will be suggesting or
modeling specific strategies and
helping students choose which strategy
makes sense to them. However, you
must make sure ideas come from
students.
Wrap-Up and Extension
This is where you have students talk
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representation of the thinking process.
- Once the teacher feels that the students understand the process of the strategy, practicing one more
example if they don’t, they will move on to quickly go over the graphic organizer. The teacher should
explain and show how the graphic organizer they will be completing for the tricky words is very close
to the way they just practiced the strategy. The teacher should elaborate on each “box” and what’s
expected in each.
- The teacher will then release the students to go back to their seats to read the story (the audio will be
played, reading as a whole class)
- Before the class begins reading, the teacher should point out that the tricky words are highlighted in
the story – they should pay extra attention to what’s happening around those words.
o The teacher should have the students write down the words on the graphic organizer before
starting.
o The teacher should also tell the students to reread the passage once the audio is done, and start
to work on the graphic organizer, raising their hands if they need any help. Remind them that
they should highlight (with a highlighter) important details surrounding the tricky words,
looking for clues.
o The teacher should tell the students that if they finish early, they should go back through the
story and look for any other words they may find tricky, circling them.
- The teacher will then begin the audio, making sure all ears are listening and all eyes are on the
passage. After the audio is finished, the teacher will go through the first tricky word on the graphic
organizer (uncomfortable), going through each box. After this, the teacher will let the students silently
begin their graphic organizer individually for the next two words (relief & bathed), practicing their
strategy.
- If a student(s) is struggling to understand how to pick out context and clues, the teacher should go
through a word with them, encouraging them to go back through the story and determine context and
important details that may be important to the meaning of the word.
- The teacher should prompt struggling students with questions such as:
o What’s going on in the story right now?
o What have you learned so far in the text?
o From what you told me, what do you think is a clue to the meaning?
o What details from the text do you think go with the word?
o How is the word used?
o Try a definition.
- The teacher will give the students a 2/3/5 minute warning to wrap up so that they can talk about the
passage and the tricky words. The teacher should go through each word with the students (if time
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 about their thinking and share strategies allows) and have them explain their context, clues, and meanings of the words.
with the whole class. It’s important to - The teacher will have the students turn in their graphic organizer, and then will pass out the self-
name strategies and use academic evaluation rubric – explaining to them that they will use this rubric as a way to show the teacher (me)
vocabulary here, extending the lesson to how they feel about the strategy they just practiced, and how well they think they understand.
broader ideas.
- Once done, the students will turn in the rubric and the lesson will be over.
● Promote a community of
learners
● Listen actively and probe
thinking without evaluating or
telling them how you would do
it.
Summarize main ideas and identify
future problems that they would be able
to solve using the thinking you have
discussed.
Instructional Materials, - Text passage
Equipment and Technology - Graphic Organizer
Attach a copy of ALL materials the - Self-evaluation rubric
teacher and students will use during the
lesson; e.g., handouts, questions to
answer, overheads, PowerPoint slides,
worksheets. List equipment or
technology that needs to be available.

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