PLE #6 Ch 7

In order for my students to fully master the content of my lesson, which is Vocabulary, they will need to do more than just memorize the definitions. This will not stay in their long term memory and they won't learn how to use the words in sentences. So, I will need to give the students activities that require them to dig deeper and to see the meanings of the words, how they are used, and when they are used.

I will provide my students with newspapers and magazines that contain these words. They will have to search for the words and will see how the words are used in real life and why they are important to know and recognize. They will cut out what they find, such as the words themselves, picture, synonyms, etc. and glue them on a poster board. This is an example of students individually constructing their ideas. When they are finished, each student will present their poster to the class so everyone can see how the words have been used. The students will also have to use their own words when discussing vocabulary words, and this helps them stay away from rote memorization.

Another activity my students will do is charades. This is a fun, interactive game that will allow me to see if my students really understand the meanings of the words. The students will be entertained and will not even know they are learning what the words mean. This is an example of group construction because they are coming up with their own ways to describe/act out the words and their peers have to guess what the word is.

Making learning active and based on the real world will help the students fully understand the meanings of the vocabulary words. They will come up with their own ways to describe their words, and will be able to remember the words better because of this.


You can explore this website to see more ways to use constructivism in the classroom.