This document summarizes a faculty meeting at an international school about teaching vocabulary. It discusses the importance of teaching vocabulary within meaningful contexts in various classes and units of study. Specific units being covered are mentioned, along with vocabulary strategies like word walls, word of the week, and vocabulary harvesters. An activity is described where students are put into groups, find definitions for words, act them out without saying the word, and have other groups guess the words. Example words provided for the activity focus on themes of equality, discrimination, and human rights.

1. Lada Martinez Benesova
January 15th, 2014
ES Faculty Meeting, International School Manila

2. • Mastery of unit vocabulary is one of the
essential requirements in understanding the
concepts and terms of units of inquiry
• Vocabulary strategies play a central role in
our teaching
• Vocabulary must be taught within a
meaningful context

3. •
•
•
•
In the ESL enrichment classes
In our Inclusion Lessons
In our Literacy / Unit of Inquiry sections
In Math sections

4. Unit of Inquiry Vocabulary Lists
•
•
•
•
Media Literacy
Migration
Child Rights
Scientific Process

5. Word Walls
Posted in classrooms,
the Grade 4 hallway as
well as the Grade 4 ESL
classroom

6. WOW: The Word of the Week
•
•
•
•
Each week, students study one
word
Students analyze the structure of
the word (prefix, stem, suffix)
Students THRASS the word
Students write a definition in
their writing journals

7. Windowpane

8. ESL
Vocabulary
Harvesters

9. Grade 4 Vocabulary Activity
Description:
»Students are divided into groups of 3-4.
»Each group is asked to find and to write
down definitions of three words.

10. » The words and students' definitions are
projected on the screen.
» Each group comes up with a skit
representing each word (students cannot
use the word or a word that has the same
stem).
» Other groups guess the word.

11. »Exploitation– treating people unfairly and making them a victim; taking advantage of
people in a selfish manner/
»Equality – being equal or being given the same value; being treated equally with
others.
»Peace – when there is security because there is no war or arguments
»Segregation – separating people from each other based on race, class, religion, or
ethnic group
»Violation – the act of breaking rules or laws on purpose or by accident
»Racism – thinking that one race (country/nationality/ethnicity) is better than another
race
»Discriminate – to treat others badly
»Prejudice - a bias that prevents objective consideration of something
»Compassion – having awareness and feeling sympathy for another person’s suffering
»Poverty – state of having little or no money & possessions; being poor & not able to
have the basic human needs like shelter, food and water
»Empathy – when you identify with and understand someone’s situation and feelings
»Injustice – the practice of being unfair; the violation of another's rights or of what is
right; when there is no justice
»Freedom – being free to act, speak, or think without restraint; able to do what you
want
»Stereotype – oversimplified idea or opinion about something or someone

12. Thank you for watching!
benesoval@ismanila.org