Stick-Stack-Study
Purpose
Students use metacognition to decide which vocabulary words they know and on which they need clarification or review.
Materials
- 4-8 vocabulary words
- Index cards (or notebook paper)
Instructions
- Present 4-8 vocabulary words.
- Students prepare their index cards:
- On the front of each card, students write 1 of the words.
- On the back of each card, students write a description and sketch a visual/example to show they know the word. Allow students to use notes/journals as needed.
- Students stick the cards face up on their desks that are sticking in their minds (words they know).
- Students take the cards they do not know well enough to describe, sketch, or coach and stack those cards in their hands.
- Students who have no stack cards (they know all of the words) select 1 stick card they consider most complex and change it into a stack card.
- Students who have no stick cards partner with a peer to turn at least 1 stack card into a stick card.
- At the teacher’s signal, group 1 (half the students) rise and go “shopping” to find students who have a stick card that matches their stack card.
- Students who know the word help others study the confusing word by explaining it and revealing their descriptions and sketches/examples.
- Repeat steps 5-6 with the other half of the class.
- At the end of the activity, students sign their name on any word card they are still confused about and stack the cards on the teacher’s desk.
- Conduct a whole-class loopback on words the majority of students are still confused about, and use the other cards to inform small group intervention.
OPTION: Allow students to Stick-Stack-Study in partner pairs instead of individually.
Classroom Management
- Conduct a think-aloud, modeling how to divide words into stick and stack categories.
- Select a few students to role-play the Stick-Stack-Study movement and dialog for others to observe.
- Instruct students not to gather around 1 desk but to spread out their “shopping” among all the students who are potential study partners.
- Students who know all the words and have no cards to stack should select the 1 word they think is most confusing and find a study partner to help with that word.
Differentiation
- Promote access by allowing students to partner with a supportive peer or adult to determine which words are stick cards and which are stack cards.
- Promote access by allowing students to use vocabulary journals or visual memory aids during the activity.
- If students do not have any words that are “sticking,” ask them to select only 2-3 words they would like to learn better from the whole stack.
- Allow students to stick and stack, shop, and coach others in the study phase as partner pairs.
- Promote competence and confidence by allowing students needing more support to be in group 1 to “shop” first.
Think It Up!
- Have students think more deeply about the concept by responding to a Think It Up prompt as an exit ticket or journal entry:
- How would you sequence/rank the vocabulary word cards in order of importance?
- How could you classify/categorize the words?
- Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems (English/Spanish) to frame their responses, if needed.
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