1. Social Studies Vocabulary
Vocabulary Study in an ELL Social Studies Concept Classroom
Systematic/theme focused

2. ELL Social Studies Concept Class
A smaller group of special needs students identified by team social studies teacher
Significantly below grade level readers
Weak written language skills
Small English vocabulary
Little or no homework support

3. Access American History Text: Concept Development and Vocabulary Instruction
Theme
Concepts
A focus on fewer vocabulary words
Introduce words in the context of daily readings
Scaffold to provide support during the introduction of new words
Introduce in a systematic fashion
Use new vocabulary daily in the classroom
Vocabulary words support concepts
Word introduced in a thoughtful systematic manner

4. Day One: Predict and Clarify
Introduce three-five words.
Students predict meanings of words.
Students discover meaning in the context of the text.
Students write their own definitions.
Finally students try their hands at using each word in a sentence.

5. Day One: Predict the meanings of the vocabulary words.

6. Day One: Discover the meaning of each word in the context of the text.
While the kids are reading, they THINK about the vocabulary words as they encounter them to determine their meanings.

7. Day One: Write each word in a sentence.
At this point the students use the words in sentences in the context of social studies concepts.

8. Day Two: Picture Word Match/Definition
Students match words to pictures.
Students match words and pictures to definitions.

9. Student matching pictures to words

10. Logographic Cues
Creating logograph cards help students learn vocabulary.
On one side of the card the student writes the vocabulary word.
On the other side of the card write the definition.
On either side the student creates a picture (logograph) that suggests the meaning of the word.

11. Students creating logographs

12. Day Three:Fill in the Blank Sentences
1. Pioneers moved west because they wanted more __________________________.
2. States were_____________________ before they became states .
3. The pioneers went to town to ___________________ goods.
4. ________________________ powered by steam engines floated down the Mississippi River.
The teacher creates fill in the blank sentences using the vocabulary words.
The students work alone or in pairs to correctly fill in the blanks.

13. Concept Word Sort: The New Nation
exploration
wilderness
expedition
frontier
government
cabinet
advisors
departments

14. Final Activity: Vocabulary Test
1. _____a plan of action that a government makes
2. _____one half of the earth’s surface
3. _____a policy of not getting involved in other countries’ wars; staying away
4. _____James’s Monroe’s idea that Europe should NOT set up new colonies
5. _____ plans a country makes for how it will act toward foreign countries
a. Monroe Doctrine
b. foreign policy
c. isolationism
d. hemisphere
e. policy

15. Final Activity: Vocabulary Test
Write each word in a complete sentence.
1. expedition:
2. wilderness:
3. advisers:
4. political parties:

16. Research that Supports Vocabulary Instruction
Bringing Words to Life
by Isabl L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan
When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do
A Guide for Teachers 6-12 by Kylene Beers