LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Goal 1

The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.

Objective 1.05

Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to identify and comprehend unknown words.

Resources aligned to this objective

Dictionary Guide Words: How do they guide us?
Students have difficulty locating words in a dictionary. This lesson will allow students to learn how to use guide words in a dictionary to locate words.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Anne Campbell and Carol Troutman.
Research Frenzy
Students will use a variety of reference materials to complete a trivia-question scavenger hunt assignment. Within the context of this assignment, students will be exposed to questions in many curriculum areas.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Information Skills and English Language Arts)
By Jan King.
Understanding vocabulary in their "own terms"
This lesson focuses on vocabulary development. Students will work together in small groups to identify at least three to four unknown vocabulary words in a given passage. Vocabulary meanings will be learned through contextual means, previous knowledge and dictionary use. Students will then find a relevant way to illustrate the meaning of the word so that others can understand easily.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
By Christa Schneider.

Lesson plans on the web

Acquiring new vocabulary through book discussion groups
While reading the text Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, students identify words that are unfamiliar to them. Working collaboratively in small groups, they discuss the meaning of these new words using context clues from the text, prior knowledge, and print and online resources. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
Charlotte is wise, patient, and caring: Adjectives and character traits
Students define the purpose of adjectives and find examples in shared reading. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
Delicious, tasty, yummy: Enriching writing with adjectives and synonyms
This lesson for third- and fourth-grade students teaches them what adjectives are and then uses a webbing strategy to help them develop lists of adjectives and their synonyms. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
Figurative language: Teaching idioms
Students explore figurative language with a focus on the literal versus the metaphorical translations of idioms. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
How big are "Martin's Big Words"? Thinking big about the future
Using Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as other resources, students explore diction used by Dr. King and compose a reflective writing piece. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
My family traditions: A class book and a potluck lunch
In this lesson, students read a bilingual children’s book and create a class book, which includes their artwork, information about their ancestral countries, descriptions of their own unique family traditions, and family recipes. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
My world of words: Building vocabulary lists
In this lesson, students select vocabulary words based on their personal interests, research the words, and create word journals to share with the class. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE
Rooting out meaning: Morpheme match-ups in the primary grades
This lesson encourages students to use morphemes to deconstruct and construct words. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provider: IRA/NCTE