Classroom Resource

Blast Off! Vocabulary Instruction Using a Virtual Moon Trip

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

K, 1, 2

Overview

This unit is designed to help first and second-grade students learn new vocabulary by taking them on virtual adventures that replicate field trips. Students begin by accessing prior knowledge through an initial writing activity. Ensuing discussions, read-alouds, and the creation of a picture dictionary "take students to the moon," while further building their vocabulary. Students use an online Alphabet Organizer to complete a final writing activity, which they compare to the writing they did during the first session. Although this lesson focuses on the moon, its activities can be used with any content area topic.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.R3

Expand background knowledge and build vocabulary through discussion, reading, and writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.R3

Vocabulary

  • Background knowledge
  • Vocabulary
  • Discussion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Relating experiences through discussions, reading, and writing will help build background knowledge and improve vocabulary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Connect new concepts to prior experiences to increase background knowledge through discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Construct the meaning of words through discussions, reading, and writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Background knowledge can increase by relating experiences to new ideas, topics, and words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Vocabulary will increase by constructing the meaning of words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.2

Actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge needed to be successful as they learn to read and, later, read to learn.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.2

Vocabulary

  • Actively engage
  • Teacher-led reading experiences
  • Collaborative discussions
  • Background knowledge
  • Peers

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How to engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Build background knowledge by actively engaging in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They need to build background knowledge to be successful as they learn to read and read to learn.
  • They need to actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and discussions with peers to build their background knowledge.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.21

Use new and previously-taught vocabulary to produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.21

Vocabulary

  • New vocabulary
  • Previously-taught vocabulary
  • Produce
  • Expand
  • Complete sentences
  • Shared language activities

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Components of a complete sentence.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use new and previously-taught vocabulary in complete sentences in shared language activities.
  • Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They can use new and previously-taught vocabulary to produce and expand complete sentences.
  • Using vocabulary words in complete sentences can help them convey meaning in speaking and writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.22

Use content knowledge built during read-alouds of informational texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through drawing or writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.22

Vocabulary

  • Content knowledge
  • Read-alouds
  • Informational text
  • Participating
  • Content-specific discussions
  • Peers
  • Drawing
  • Writing

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Content knowledge gained from read-alouds of informational texts.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use content knowledge built during read-alouds of informational texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through drawing or writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Their understanding of and appreciation for informational text grows through discussions and active collaboration with others.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.R3

Expand background knowledge and build vocabulary through discussion, reading, and writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.R3

Vocabulary

  • Background knowledge
  • Vocabulary
  • Discussion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Relating experiences through discussions, writing, and reading will help build background knowledge and improve vocabulary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Connect new concepts to prior experiences to increase background knowledge through discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Construct the meaning of words through discussions, reading, and writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Background knowledge can increase by relating experiences to new ideas, topics, and words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Vocabulary will increase by constructing the meaning of words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.2

Actively participate in shared reading experiences and collaborative discussions to build background knowledge and learn how oral reading should sound.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.2

Vocabulary

  • Participate
  • Shared reading
  • Background knowledge
  • Oral reading

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The process of shared reading experiences and collaborative discussions.
  • Shared reading and collaborative discussions can increase their background knowledge.
  • How fluent oral reading sounds.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Participate in shared reading and discussions to build background knowledge and learn new information.
  • Describe how oral reading should sound.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Actively participating in shared reading experiences and collaborative discussions can build their background knowledge.
  • Listening to others read aloud can help improve their oral reading skills.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.11

Utilize new academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary, make connections to previously learned words, and relate new words to background knowledge.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.11

Vocabulary

  • Utilize
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Content-specific vocabulary
  • Grade-level vocabulary
  • Connections
  • Relate
  • Background knowledge

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary words.
  • Content-specific vocabulary refers to words used in different subjects learned in school such as reading, math, social studies, science.
  • New vocabulary words can be learned by relating them to previously learned words and background knowledge.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Utilize grade-appropriate vocabulary.
  • Make connections to previous learned vocabulary words.
  • Relate new vocabulary words to background knowledge.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Their current vocabulary and background knowledge can help them determine the meaning of new vocabulary words.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.17

Use content knowledge built during read-alouds of informational and literary texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through drawing and writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.17

Vocabulary

  • Content knowledge
  • Read-alouds
  • Informational text
  • Literary text
  • Participating
  • Content-specific discussions
  • Peers
  • Drawing
  • Writing

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Content knowledge can be learned from read-alouds of informational and literary texts.
  • Content knowledge can be shared with others through discussions, drawing, or writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gain new content knowledge by engaging in read-alouds of informational and literary texts.
  • Participate in discussions with their peers demonstrating their knowledge of content-specific topics.
  • Produce drawings or writing that displays content knowledge learned through read-alouds.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They can learn new information by engaging in read-alouds of informational and literary texts.
  • They can demonstrate their understanding of content-specific knowledge through discussions, drawing, or writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.R3

Expand background knowledge and build vocabulary through discussion, reading, and writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.R3

Vocabulary

  • Background knowledge
  • Vocabulary
  • Discussion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Relating experiences through discussions, writing, and reading will help build background knowledge and improve vocabulary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Connect new concepts to prior experiences to increase background knowledge through discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Construct the meaning of words through discussions, reading, and writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Background knowledge can increase by relating experiences to new ideas, topics, and words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Vocabulary will increase by constructing the meaning of words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.15

Utilize new academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary, making connections to previously learned words and relating new words to background knowledge.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.15

Vocabulary

  • Utilize
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Content-specific vocabulary
  • Grade-level vocabulary
  • Connections
  • Relating
  • Background knowledge

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary words.
  • Content-specific vocabulary refers to words used in different subjects learned in school such as reading, math, social studies, science.
  • New vocabulary words can be learned by relating them to previously learned words and background knowledge.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use new academic, content-specific vocabulary by making connections to previously learned words.
  • Use new academic, content-specific vocabulary by relating new words to background knowledge.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Academic, content-specific vocabulary words are used in different school subjects, like reading, math, social studies, and science.
  • They can learn new vocabulary words by making connections to previously learned words or their background knowledge.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.22

Use content knowledge built during read-alouds and independent reading of informational and literary texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.22

Vocabulary

  • Content knowledge
  • Read-alouds
  • Independent reading
  • Informational text
  • Literary Text
  • Content-specific discussions
  • Writing

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Content knowledge is information learned about a specific subject.
  • Content knowledge can be learned by listening to read-alouds or independently reading.
  • Informational text is nonfiction text, and literary text is fictional.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Build content knowledge from listening to text read aloud and from independently reading.
  • Use content knowledge learned from read-alouds and independent reading in content-specific discussions with peers.
  • Use content knowledge learned from read-alouds and independent reading in writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Content-specific discussions with peers can demonstrate the content knowledge they learned through read-alouds or independent reading.
  • They can produce writings that demonstrate knowledge of content-specific information.
Link to Resource
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/blast-vocabulary-ins…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html
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