Rock and Roll Vocabulary
Purpose
Students think deeply about complex vocabulary terms by responding to 6 different prompts in a dice game.
Materials
- Dice or device with a virtual die
- Rock and Roll Vocabulary handout (printed or projected)
- Rock and Roll Vocabulary template (English/Spanish)
- Rock and Roll Vocabulary – Math template (English/Spanish)
Instructions
- Organize students into thinking partners.
- Provide student pairs with a die.
- Present students with a list of 5-6 complex terms.
- Student pairs take turns rolling the die. The number rolled dictates the task.
- Each student secretly selects a word, performs the task, and their partner guesses which word is being described, sketched, acted out, etc.
- Potential tasks:
Reading, Science, Social Studies Tasks Math Tasks 1 = state the meaning in your own words
2 = provide a synonym
3 = provide an antonym
4 = create a quick sketch
5 = connect to real life
6 = act it out1 = state the meaning in your own words
2 = provide an example
3 = provide a non-example
4 = create a quick sketch
5 = connect to a real-world situation
6 = act it out - Students continue until they have analyzed all 5-6 words.
- Observe students’ thinking and clarify/verify as appropriate.
Classroom Management
- Model the strategy using a “fishbowl” where a partner pair demonstrates the strategy while the class observes.
- Allow students to roll the dice ten times to get it “out of their system,” roll dice on a book to avoid noise, or use a virtual die.
- Consider using the activity as a learning station.
Differentiation
- Promote access by previewing words or providing word descriptions.
- Promote access by pairing with a supportive peer or providing visual support for the words.
- Provide response support by offering thinking stems to frame responses.
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:
- Classify/Categorize the words and add other related terms to the list.
- Connect 2-3 terms and explain their relationship.
- Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems (English/Spanish) to frame their responses, if needed.
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