I

Ready-Set-Tech
Lesson Plan

TeachNet
Santa Barbara

Online Vocabulary

Nianne Nickerson
Liberty Elementary School
Santa Maria Bonita School District
Grade 5

Introduction
Vocabulary review is essential for our student population.  This activity gives a fresh and fun approach. As I observe the students while they are working, it is obvious that they are engaged.  Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com are great sites for vocabulary skill building.
Objectives Students will review their vocabulary words by using a website called, Dictionary.com.
On a weekly basis students will complete an 8-step set of directions for building vocabulary skills .

Content Standards

National Standard – Level II (Grade: 3-5)
#7   Understands level appropriate reading vocabulary (e.g , synonyms, antonyms, homophones, multi-meaning words)
Materials The students will be using a website, Dictionary.com/Thesaurus.com, to complete the activity.  They will be working in groups of 2 or 3 at each computer.  Our class has 3 desktop and 6 laptop computers.     
Procedures & Activities

1. Students are introduced to the key vocabulary during whole class direct instruction.

2.  Students complete the following 8 steps using the website, Dictionary.com/Thesaurus.com:

Vocabulary Directions:

A. Write the word.
B.  Separate the word into syllables.
C. Tell whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.
D. Give a synonym for the word.
E.  Give an antonym for the word.
F. Base word and Suffixes
* If the word is a base word, then lists the other words that can be made by adding a suffix to the base word. 
For example:  sign- signs, signing, signed
*If the word already has a suffix, then write the base word.
For example:  stifling- stifle
G. State whether or not it is a multiple meaning word.  If so, write 2 other definitions.
H. Use the word in your own sentence.

3. Work can be handwritten and turned in.
Target Student Age and Grade Level

5th grade, ages 10-11
Can easily be adapted for other levels.

Length of Time Required 1-2 hours spread out through a week.
Weekly vocabulary development throughout the year.
Assessment and Evaluation Completed work will be turned in and evaluated by the teacher for completeness and accuracy.  The students will be formally assessed each Friday when they are given a vocabulary quiz on the words and when our class takes the vocabulary portion of the Reading Lions Test after each Houghton Mifflin theme.  The scores from these quizzes and tests will contribute to their overall vocabulary grade on our standards based report cards.
Resources Needed

1. Typed directions mentioned above that the students will keep in their binder. 
2. Computers - At school or at home
3. Internet access to the website, Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com

Student Work Samples Student work is turned in for teacher evaluation and then placed in students' binders for them to study.
Comments Vocabulary review is essential for our student population.  This activity gives a fresh and fun approach.  As I walk around and observe the students as they are working, it is obvious that they are engaged.  A  vocabulary word this week was "judges", as in people that decide who wins a contest.  One of my students was looking at the synonyms listed on the website and saw the word, "board".  He asked me what a board had to do with judges.  He was thinking of a piece of wood.  I said that they were talking about a school board or a board member.  The light went off immediately and he exclaimed, "Oh, now I get it!" The students are very excited to be using our new laptops in class. They can also work in the lab after school or on their own computers at home.