Building Academic Vocabulary © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Academic Vocabulary and the Common Core Level of Examination Analysis Common Core Learning Framework Craft and Structure Identifying and defining key terms © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Framing the Session Why are history texts often difficult for students to comprehend? What skills and strategies do students need to become expert readers of history? What can history teachers do to help struggling readers in their classrooms? © 2012 CICERO Systems™

What factors affect the readability of history texts? Lack of prior knowledge Unfamiliar text structure or schema Difficulty identifying important material from less important material Academic vocabulary and abstract concepts (“isms”) Level of analysis and synthesis Role of visuals, such as maps, graphs and charts, as sources of information © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Our Focus Building Academic Vocabulary Carving is appropriate for most green and blue slopes and even some black slopes. However, if you try to carve through moguls, especially in packed powder or corn snow, you’re going to face-plant. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

What is this passage describing? How did you know? Based on this passage, why is knowledge of subject-specific vocabulary critical to understanding? © 2012 CICERO Systems™

How does a knowledge of academic vocabulary support document analysis? is the vocabulary critical to understanding concepts in history. is an essential component of building prior or background knowledge. The more terms a student knows about a given topic, the easier it is to understand and learn new information. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Not all terms, however, are equal in importance. Some terms are: Critically important Useful but not critical Interesting but not useful Teachers need to determine which academic vocabulary to explicitly teach. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

There are 4 categories of vocabulary in history: Terms associated with instructional or directional tools (“north”, “below”). Concrete terms (“Stamp Act”) Functional terms (“sequencing”) Conceptual terms (“democracy”, “taxation”) © 2012 CICERO Systems™

How does teaching vocabulary differ from teaching concepts? Janet Allen in Reading History: “Teaching vocabulary occurs when you provide new labels for words connected to a familiar concept. For example, if your students know the concept of intolerance, you are teaching vocabulary by labeling and connecting bias and prejudice to the concept of intolerance. If, on the other hand, students had no understanding of the concept, then you would have to offer several experiences with the concept before you could add other vocabulary words to that concept”. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

What strategies do teachers use to teach academic vocabulary? Popular strategies for teaching academic vocabulary are: Frayer Model Semantic Mapping Word Sorts Words in Context Matrix Alike But Different © 2012 CICERO Systems™

What is the Alike but Different strategy? Supports students in understanding the distinctions between words that are similar in meaning, but that fall under a broader concept. Moves students beyond the dictionary definition of a word to a deeper understanding of how that word relates to a broader concept. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

What is the criteria for selecting words for Alike But Different? In Alike But Different, teachers identify words that are often used interchangeably by students. These words share common elements, but have important distinctions. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

What are the steps in Alike But Different? Using the graphic organizer, students: List the words in the boxes on the top List what the words have in common List what makes each word unique List how they will remember the distinctions between the words. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Modeling the Strategy © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Modeling the Strategy: Tolerance and Civil Rights Using the Alike But Different graphic organizer, list the following three vocabulary words in the top boxes: Racism Prejudice Anti-Semitism Make a list of what these three vocabulary words have in common. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Then list what makes each work unique. Finally, list how you will remember the distinctions between and among the words. Share your responses in small groups. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Specific reason for dislike What we have in common: Hate Negative Dislike Specific reason for dislike Decision usually made without getting to know the person (pre-judging) © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Anti-Semitism: anti-Semitism is dislike of people of the Jewish faith. What makes us unique: Racism: racism is based on not liking someone because of his or her race (Hispanic, African American) Prejudice: prejudice is not liking someone because we pre-judge them based on certain characteristics (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation). Anti-Semitism: anti-Semitism is dislike of people of the Jewish faith. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

How I’ll remember: The guy at the store is prejudiced. He doesn’t like kids no matter what color they are. That’s different from what happened in Alabama where a group of white people didn’t like African-Americans. That’s racism. I’ll remember anti-Semitism because we studied the Holocaust and what Hitler did to the Jews in Europe. © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Adapting Alike But Different to Your Classroom How might you use Alike But Different in your social studies classroom? What adaptations might you make? What are other pairs or trios of academic vocabulary words can you think of? © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Possible Pairs for Alike But Different Monarchy – Oligarchy – Dictatorship Democracy – Republic Communism – Socialism Right - Privilege Prejudice – Discrimination Slavery – Indentured Servitude Culture – Civilization Freedom- Equality © 2012 CICERO Systems™

Final Thoughts Academic vocabulary: is critical to understanding concepts in history. is an essential component of building prior or background knowledge. Students need explicit instruction in critical academic vocabulary. When students understand this vocabulary, they will have a better understanding of concepts in history. © 2012 CICERO Systems™