1. ELA Look-Fors: Weekly Vocabulary Lesson Plan
1
Tier II Academic Vocabulary Instruction
Day 1
Introduction of words
Word/Meaning:
Terrible – terrible means
something unpleasant or
very bad. For example, a
bad storm that destroys
many trees and homes is
terrible. A rotten fish smells
terrible. When we have a
lot of snow and cold
weather during the winter,
some people say that the
winter was terrible.
Word/Meaning:
Word/Meaning:
Day 2
Cloze, Acting, and Think
Pair Share
Day 3
Read Aloud or Invitation
to Collect
Cloze Procedure:
Read Aloud:
After reviewing the words
Engage students in a read
introduced yesterday, make
aloud where students
several statements where
students fill in the blank using the identify the vocabulary
words as they are read.
vocabulary term.
(i.e. When something smells
bad, we might say that it smells
_______________(terrible).)
Act it Out:
Have students act out the term.
(i.e. Make a face that shows me
what you would look like if we
smelled something terrible, like
rotten eggs.)
Think – Pair – Share:
Points to Emphasize:
Choose good tier II
words (3-5 words)
Explicitly pronounce
and explain the
meaning
Have students repeat
the word(s) several
times with you
Use illustrations or
videos when possible
to introduce the words
Have students think of an
example of the term. Have
students share their example
with a partner. Use a sentence
starter such as “____________
was terrible because
__________.” Select several
partners to share with the entire
class.
(i.e. “My dog made a terrible
mess on the floor.” “My room
looks terrible.”)
J. Evans St. Clair County RESA
Day 4
Graphic Organizer / Menu
Graphic Organizer:
Have students fill out a
graphic organizer on the
vocabulary terms, such as a
concept wheel.
Or
Invitation to Collect:
Have the students find
multiple examples of the
specific vocabulary terms
in text.
Have the students share
with a partner.
Top left corner is the term.
Top right corner is the
meaning.
Bottom right corner are
examples.
Bottom left corner use the
term in a sentence.
Non-examples may be used
on the outside of the circle, if
desired.
Day 5
Invitation to Write
(Assessment)
Exit Ticket:
Write a short passage
sharing what you
learned.

2. ELA Look-Fors: Weekly Vocabulary Lesson Plan
2
In addition to the graphic organizer on day 4, teachers may wish to set up centers or a menu of choices to extend the learning.
For example:
Anchor Charts or Posters - Have students created their own anchor charts based on the academic vocabulary learned during the
week.
Examples vs. Non-examples
Questioning – Have students answer questions such as “Would you prefer to have terrible day or an ordinary day?” or have
students create examples from a question such as “What is something terrible that someone might do?”
Real Life Experiences – Have students experience real life examples of the terms and respond accordingly in writing. For example,
if you are studying “more than” and “less than” in math, set up a center with student weight items on a scale and respond,
“_______________ weighs more than _________________.” Etc.
Pantomime – Have students show how the vocabulary terms would be acted out such as “How an eagle soars.”
Storytelling – have students tell stories including the vocabulary terms.
Synonyms and Antonyms – Have students find synonyms and antonyms for the academic vocabulary terms they are studying.
Illustration – Have students illustrate the academic vocabulary terms.
Word Search – Have students look through books to find the terms.
Substitution – Have students find places in their own writing or in other literature where they could substitute the new term for one
that is already there.
Hands-on Activities – provide opportunities for students to discover new understandings with hands-on activities.
Real World – Have students find real world examples of the terms.
Problem Solving – Provide students with a real world problem involving the academic vocabulary term, and have them work with a
partner to solve it.
Transfer/Multiple Meanings – Provide students with opportunities for them to transfer their learning of the new word so they
understand what the same term may mean in math, science, social studies, reading or writing.
Commercial – Have students create a commercial or a pamphlet of the term.
Technology – Have students use technology to create a visual representation of the vocabulary terms.
Be sure to select relevant activities for students to do. As Charlotte Danielson states, “When I walk into a classroom, of course I care about what
the teacher is doing, but in some ways I care even more about what the students are doing. What’s the nature of the task? Are students being
invited, or even required, to think? Naturally, that has implications for what the teacher is doing and what the teacher has already done. That is,
has the teacher designed learning experiences for kids that engage them in thinking or formulating and testing hypothesizes or challenging one
another respectfully or developing an understanding of a concept? You really only know what a teacher is doing when you look at what the
students are doing. I also listen carefully to how teachers question students – if they ask kids to explain their thinking, for instance. That’s very
different from just saying that’s the right or wrong answer. It’s a very different mindset about wanting to understand the students’ thinking and their
degree and level of understanding.”
J. Evans St. Clair County RESA