Vocabulary with movement
Classroom activity- 1 day
Materials: notecards with prewritten vocabulary from the book on one side, and the phrase it is used in on the other side (see list below for Anne Frank/ Night)
Post- it notes
Dictionaries, other resources for definitions
Large (ha,ha) open space for walking around. Move desks if necessary.
Have notecards spread out on a table, word side up. When ready to begin, send groups up to the table to choose a word. They might choose a word they know or don’t know- there should be a mix of difficult/ easy vocabulary.
When each student has a word, they should read the word and the phrase and become familiar with it. Instruct students to walk around the room saying their word, and saying the phrase that is on the back of the card. After 1-2 minutes, teacher will call out; “find a partner, make eye contact, and say your word and phrase, and listen to your partner’s word and phrase.” Do this 2-3 times, having students wander and saying their word in between.- in between each time, vary the ‘walking around the room’ by telling them to walk quickly, slowly, or sideways(?) or play rhythmic music.
Now direct students to the dictionaries/ sticky notes. Tell them to find a definition and write it on the post-it and stick it to the back of their card. The definition should be short and understandable.
When each student has a definition, they should walk around the room again, repeating the word and defintion. During this time, they should prepare an action that represents their word. Tell them to begin saying the word, definition, and ‘do’ the action as they walk. When you see that each student has developed an action that represents their word, tell them to stop, find a partner and say the word, and do the action. Do this 2-3 times- in between each time, vary the ‘walking around the room’ by telling them to walk quickly, slowly, or sideways(?) or play rhythmic music.
Now instruct the students to form a group of 4- one does the action and says the word, the other three repeat it back- go around the group. Do this 2-3 times
Finally, form an entire classroom circle. Students will go around the circle, saying their word and showing the action, and the class will all repeat the word and the action together.
The end.
Vocabulary list for Anne Frank (from the first 21 pages of The Diary of a Young Girl):
Brooch: for my birthday I was given a brooch.
Capitulation: first the war, then the capitulation
Decrees: anti-Jewish decrees began
Succession: they followed each other in quick succession
Placard: the store must have the placard “Jewish Shop”
Prohibited: sports grounds are prohibited to them
Ardent: I don’t notice ardent looks
Blithely: I pedal blithely on.
Composition: so I had to write another composition
Shank’s mare: ?? shanks mare is good enough for us
Frock: I changed into another frock
Zionists: my grandparents are against the Zionists
Fanatic: I’m not a fanatic
Cross: Daddy was very cross
Cheeky: as long as I’m not too cheeky
Superfluous: it must be bad to feel so superfluous
Veranda: on the veranda in the sunshine
Vital: our most vital belongings
Sole: the sole reason
Stifled: I was nearly stifled, but no one cared
Satchel: Margot filled her satchel
Sympathetic: we got sympathetic looks
Gaudy: gaudy yellow stars
Wardrobe: a small room with a wardrobe
Linoleum: linoleum and carpets on the floor
W.C.: next door is the W.C.
Scullery: the living room, dining room, and scullery
Dwelling: description of our dwelling
Rubbish: chock full of rubbish
Loathe: I loathe it here
Emerge: until we emerge from here
Oppressive: I can’t tell you how oppressive it is to never go outside
Vocabulary list for Night: