#3875. Vocabulary for "Tar Beach"

Reading/Writing, level: Kindergarten
Posted Wed Jan 10 21:49:45 PST 2007 by Meghan Cross (meghan.cross@verizon.net).
Village View, Huntington Beach, CA USA
Materials Required: see lesson plan
Activity Time: varies
Concepts Taught: vocabulary development

ELD Vocabulary & Concept Development

Title: Eating Chicken Ice Cream at Tar Beach

Level: Kindergarten - beginning language level according to the ELD Standards.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to teach six vocabulary words that are used in the story Tar Beach. The six words are peanut, chicken, watermelon, ice cream, factory, beach and bridge. By the end of the lesson students will know the meaning of these words and will be able to sort them into two categories: food and places.

State Content Standard: Vocabulary and Concept Development: 1.17 Identify and sort common words in basic categories (e.g., colors, shapes, foods).

Materials and Resources:
„Ï the book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
„Ï Scholastic Children¡¦s Dictionary ¡V used by the teacher to find the most simple definition of the vocabulary words for young English Language Learners
„Ï the website www.puzzlemaker.com to create the crossword puzzle
„Ï two visual examples for each word; a picture card and the real thing or a different picture of the word
„Ï a word card and a definition card for each vocabulary word
„Ï pocket chart
„Ï crossword puzzle

Key Vocabulary:
1. peanut ¡V a nutlike seed that grows in underground pods
2. chicken ¡V the meat from the bird by the same name, used as food
3. watermelon ¡V A large, juicy fruit that grows on vines. It usually has a thick, green rind, many seeds, and sweet, red, watery pulp.
4. ice cream ¡V a sweet, frozen dessert made from milk products, various flavors, and sweeteners
5. factory ¡V a building where products, such as cars or chemicals, are made in large numbers, often using machines
6. bridge ¡V a structure built over a river, railway, etc., so that people or vehicles can get to the other side
7. beach ¡V a strip of sand or pebbles where land meets water

Background Knowledge:
Read Tar Beach if you have not already. Let the students talk about their favorite foods, something almost anyone can relate to. Talk about the different places the students would want to fly over if they could fly. Use this class discussion to introduce the vocabulary from the story that relates to food and what places the girl in the story flew over.

Teaching Sequence:
Developing Meaning: To develop the meaning of the vocabulary words, first use visuals. The first six rows of the pocket chart will contain one of the words in each row. Leave a space in the middle of each row and put up the definition card for each vocabulary word at the end of the row. Finally put the picture card of each item in the middle of the word and the definition.
Next use models and/or real objects to further the students¡¦ understanding of each word. While discussing the words and passing around the objects to the students, ask for any ¡§real life¡¨ situations the students can remember when they came in contact with or saw any of the vocabulary words. Finally, turn to the different parts in the book where the words are from. Re-read that part of the story aloud to the students. Also show them the author¡¦s illustrations of the vocabulary words.
Developing Fluency: To develop fluency, play a memory game with the picture and word cards that were used earlier in the lesson. Lay the cards face down. The students are to turn over two cards. If the two cards do not match, have the students turn both of them back over in the original spot they found them. If the two cards do match, the student is to put them back in the pocket chart next to the definition card they belong with. The students are to then read aloud the definition of the word. The game continues until all the cards are back in the pocket chart. Once a student has found a match, give the next student a turn so that all of the students are able to find a match. Also have the students identify if the word they found the match for is a food or a place. It is important for kindergarteners to be able to sort common words into categories.

Outcome Criteria: To demonstrate their learning, have the students play memory again, but with different rules. The student must first turn over a word card. Before they can turn over a picture card, they must say the word and give the definition of that word. At this point the definition cards have been removed from the pocket chart. Encourage the students to say the definition in their own words or even just one characteristic of that word. If the student is able to say the definition in their own words or personalize it to their life, you know they really understood what the word meant. Finally, do a crossword puzzle as a class on the overhead or chalk board. In this activity the students must figure out the words based solely on the written definition.

Evaluation: During the game and the crossword puzzle, be observing the students. Record, in anecdotal record form, if each student has met the criteria or if they still need practice with some of the words. If the group you are working with seems to large to really get an idea of who is understanding, break up the class into groups and then play the memory game and fill out the crossword puzzle.

Extensions: The students can now begin to do other activities using these new vocabulary words. Have the students use the words in their journal writing. As a science lesson, have the students build a bridge out of popsicle sticks and learn more about structures like bridges or buildings(factories). Extend this lesson into a social studies lesson and teach them about the Golden Gate Bridge in California. You can also take the class on a field trip to the tide pools where they can learn more about ocean life and the beach.