1. Using the vocabulary pyramid
The aim of the vocabulary triangle is to:
Ensure spelling of keywords is correct;
Ensure that students understand the meaning of keywords;
Ensure that students use keywords effectively in lessons.
Evidence of VCOP must be demonstrated in every lesson and the vocabulary pyramid is the easiest to embed. So, how can we do it?

2. Students add keywords to their pyramid throughout the lessons…
Vocabulary Pyramid

3. …or we provide a triangle for specific topics…

4. …and then can be inserted onto your worksheets…

5. Causes of World War 2 Vocabulary Pyramid
1. modern day Ethiopia, in Africa.
2. an attack against somebody before they have done anything.
3. the joining of Germany and Austria.
4. lightning war – hitting a country hard with tanks and planes to conquer it and control it very quickly.
5. not allowed to have an army there.
6. when people suffer because of a very poor economy.
7. agree not to fight each other.
8. an agreement to work together and support
each other.
9. strip of land cutting of Germany with German East Prussia.
10. increasing the size of your army.
11. organised so that only one side will win.
12. Russian leader.
13. part of Czechoslovakia closest to Germany, with 3 million German people living there.
14. land controlled by a country.
15. Peace Treaty signed after World War One.
16. fighting on two opposite sides of the country.
8. Pact
12. Stalin
11. Rigged War on two fronts
6. Depression Polish Corridor
15. Treaty of Versailles
2. Aggressive 7. Non-aggression Rearmament Territory
…or can be linked to definitions…
1. Abyssinia Anschluss Blitzkrieg Demilitarised Sudetenland
Causes of World War 2 Vocabulary Pyramid

6. Using the vocabulary pyramid
Once the process of completing the triangle is in place, they should then have tasks which can be used to use the vocabulary (and any other elements of the other triangles).

7. Recap What defensive features do you remember from last lesson?
1. Can you describe the castle using three words from the top row of the vocabulary triangle?
2. Can you explain how well the castle could have defended itself using three words from the middle row of the vocabulary triangle?
3. Can you judge how well this castle would have defended itself using three words from the bottom row of the vocabulary triangle using a dictionary to help you find definitions of any words that you do not know?
EXT: Can you use a thesaurus to find synonyms of some of the words that you have used?

8. Was it easy to attack a castle?
V- Weapons
C - because
O – Having decided
P - ?
Was it easy to attack a castle?
Yes No

9. Plenary
Summarise what you have learnt in this lesson using at least one word from each row of the vocabulary triangle.

10. VCOP Dictionary race roll- call barracks sanitation
Who can find the definitions first?
quarantine contagious
concentration camp selection process
condemned registration accommodation

11. Write down the definitions of the 5 hardest words.
Level 4
rain
liquid
drops
What are these words describing?
snow
land
gas
water cycle sea
air
condensation
Level 5
sleet
vapour
rivers
hail
Students use these words to establish what they think the learning objectives and outcomes are.
evaporation
droplets
Students write on their whiteboards the five hardest words they can define, guess the title for todays lesson
hydrological cycle
Level 6
stores
transpiration
percolates
flows
surface water
groundwater
precipitation
transfer