Sticker Stackers

Purpose

Students practice describing and sketching important vocabulary words with different partners with the goal of getting as many stickers stacked on your arm as you can (like badges).

Materials

• Garage sale dots or sticky notes (or any type of stickers)
• 4-5 words written on the board and numbered

Instructions

1. Teacher provides students a list of 4-5 vocabulary words aligned to a concept, topic, text, or subcluster (include visual representations of each word as appropriate.)
2. Students are given garage sale dot stickers (or sticky notes) for each word then number their stickers to match the words.
3. Students “ping/pong summarize” the words with a partner.
4. Students stand up with their stickers and dance around the room as music plays. When music stops, students get a partner.
5. Students play “rock, paper, scissors” with their partner – winner selects a word and describes it.
6. If the partner determines the winner’s description was correct, he/she places the appropriate sticker on the winner’s arm.
7. If the description is incorrect, partner can earn the sticker by describing the word correctly.
8. If NEITHER partner can describe a word, they may join another pair and give their stickers to the winner in that group.
9. Repeat steps 4-8 for as many rounds as there are words.
   NOTE: A student cannot earn a second sticker for a word he/she already described correctly.
10. Teacher facilitates the music for each round, makes sure every student gets a partner, listens to descriptions, and clarifies/verifies as appropriate.

Classroom Management

• Role play appropriate and inappropriate sticker “sticking” to clarify behavior expectations.
• Remind students there will be no harm or humiliation for incorrect answers because as they participate in the strategy, they will be growing the brain’s neural networks (getting smarter) when they correct mistakes!

Differentiation

Promote access by allowing use of student/teacher notes or vocabulary cards; and/or previewing the words with a supportive peer/adult.

Think It Up!

Choose a Think It Up question as an exit ticket or a journal entry as evidence of learning.

Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems or Spanish Thinking Stems to frame responses.

• Draw a conclusion about which word was most difficult for you and develop a plan for understanding it better.
• Connect the words by writing 1-2 sentences using as many words from the list as possible.