TESL 0130 - Reading and Vocab - Unit 3 Reflection

Unit 3: Which comes first: Reading or Vocabulary? 

I'm going to put it out there that I think vocabulary comes first. 

The reader needs vocabulary for comprehension and if the reader isn't comprehending what they're reading then... what's the point? Written language is a code to be deciphered, a code that communicates meaning. Knowledge and integration of vocabulary into the reader's schema is critical for successful reading. I would argue that reading has been a successful endeavor if the reader has found the text meaningful and comprehends the message that the text was created to communicate. Without a diverse vocabulary that reading goal becomes increasingly more lofty.

This week's final assignment was to create a vocabulary activity for the lesson plan that we created in our groups. I choose to make an activity for the task-based lesson plan on healthy eating and reading nutrition labels. Please see my activity below.  

Making Healthy Choices:

Learning to read food labels

Vocabulary activity developed for

TESL 0130 - Reading and Vocabulary - Unit 3.

Created by Julie Dueck.

Designed to be integrated into the lesson plan that the Task-based group developed using the resource provided by our instructor. Developed for CLB 4.

Part 1: Direct teaching of new vocabulary

Have the students write the new vocabulary into their personal vocabulary journal and paste a picture that they cut out of a grocery store flyer (provide a selection of flyers). Clarify any pronunciation questions.

Note: Bring in an example of a nutrition label on a cereal box along with a sample of different foods to add a visual component to the direct teaching of the vocabulary. The foods can be plastic models.

Vocabulary List:

Nutrition	The process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy
Nutrients	A substance that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow. Eg: Fats, Carbohydrates, Protein
Nutrition Facts Label	The label on food packages that tells you the amount of the different nutrients in the food
Serving	An amount of food or drink that is enough for one person
% Daily Value	This shows you if the serving size has a little or a lot of a nutrient. Bigger percentage equals more of the nutrient. Smaller percentage equals a smaller amount of the nutrient.
Calories	A unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body
Fats	An oily solid or liquid substance in food Food example: butter, oil, deep fried foods
Cholesterol	A fatty substance that is found in the bodies of people and animals Food example: sausage, bacon, eggs
Sodium	A soft silver-white element that is found in salt, baking soda, and other compounds Food example: chips, pizza, ham
Carbohydrates	Any one of various substances found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes) that provide your body with heat and energy Food example: bread, pasta, desserts, candy
Fibre	Plant material that cannot be digested and helps your food to move smoothly through your digestive system Food example: whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruit
Sugars	A sweet substance usually in the form of white or brown crystals or white powder that comes from plants and is used to make foods sweeter Food example: candy, pop drinks, slurpies
Protein	A substance found in food that helps you build muscle and gives you lasting energy. Food example: meat, eggs, beans
Vitamins	A natural substance that is found in food that helps you fight off sickness and keeps your body healthy. Food example: oranges are high is vitamin C, carrots are high in vitamin  A
Minerals	A chemical substance (such as iron or calcium) found in food that your body needs to stay healthy and helps you with things like having strong bones. Food example: beef is high in iron, milk is high in calcium

Part 2: Indirect teaching of vocabulary

Play an interactive game with the students called “Mystery Word”.

Classroom games are a fun way to interact with the new words, commit them to memory, repeat them over and over and add an element of competition. 

The game works like this:

Draw a circle on the board with a question mark in the middle. Draw 4 lines coming off the circle. Write 4 words or phrases associated with the vocab word at the end of those lines. The diagram should like kind of like a bug with 4 legs. For instance: for "Sugars" write, 1. makes things sweet, 2. found in candy, 3. an unhealthy choice if you eat too much, 4. made from plants.

Separate the class into 2 teams. Have the first team send a representative up to the front. Write the clues on the diagram and have the guesser stand back up against the board.  Have their team call out the clues to the guesser. The team with the most correct guesses wins. For an added competitive element, have a timer running on the guesser, if they don’t get it before the timer ends then the other team get their point.

Another form of the game is having a representative from each team come up to the board with their back against the board. On the count of 3 get them to turn around and whoever guesses the clue first gets the point.

Conclusion

Playing vocab games is a fun way to learn vocabulary and make the words more memorable. The more the student hears the new word and interacts with it, the more likely they are to remember it. The competitive element will motive them to pay attention and study the words. Another added benefit is that it will enrich your classroom community and foster positive relationships!

Resources:

Mystery Word ESL Vocabulary game. (2016, January 21). ESL Expat. Retrieved from: http://eslexpat.com/esl-vocabulary-games/mystery-word/?utm_content=buffer0f9af&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

www.learnersdictionary.com