Lesson 1

Identifying Unknown Words

Lesson Overview: Students will learn how to identify an unknown word in a text, look up the

definition using an online dictionary, and apply it to their reading. This lesson is based on the

cognitivism model theory. The cognitivism model is necessary for this lesson because the

lessons focus of instruction is to encourage learners to use appropriate learning strategies

(finding the meaning of unknown words in a text). The rationale for choosing the cognitivism

model in this lesson is for students to be guided by a teacher to use appropriate strategies to build

reading comprehension and memory of how to use these strategies moving forward.

Resources or Materials Needed

Grade level text, Chromebook, online dictionary, paper, writing utensil, whiteboard marker,

whiteboard.

Performance Objectives:

Performance Objective 1: When provided with a grade level text and a writing utensil, students

will be able to identify an unknown word in a text, underline or highlight the unknown word.

Performance Objective 2: When given an online dictionary to look up an unknown word,

students will find the word and identify the definition, as measured by matching the unknown

word exactly with in the text with the word in the dictionary.
Performance Objective 3: When given an online dictionary, definition of an unknown word, a

writing utensil, and piece of paper, students will use the definition of the word and apply it to the

sentence used in the text, as measured by mastery of comprehension of the text.

Time 3 hours

Step 1: Pre-Instructional Activities

Motivation: Ask students if they use a dictionary on a daily basis. How do they use it? Does it

help them?

Objective: After identifying an unknown word in a text, I will be able to look up the unknown

word in a dictionary, and apply the definition to comprehend the sentence used in the text.

Relevance: This is important for learners because it will help you comprehend your science

material, and other class material.

Pre entry skills: Students will need to know how to read the English alphabet. They must be

familiar with the sequence of a dictionary. They must be able to access the grade level reading

(i.e. be able to read words in the text).

Delivery: For this lesson, the students will be in a small group. This decision is based on their

learning styles and because it is easier to differentiate during the lesson with a small group. This

will be a teacher to student live lecture.

State Standard relation: RL.9-10.4

Step 2: Content Presentation (30 minutes)

 1. Teacher modeling (I Do). Teacher supplies a grade level text to the student. Teacher

will start reading the text with the students following along. Teacher will model think

aloud strategies. Teacher will come to a word that is unknown and model how to

highlight that word. Then, go to www.dictionary.com, type the word, and search for it.

Once it is found, the teacher will write the word and the definition down on a piece of

paper (aka a personalized word bank). Teacher will then take the definition and apply it

to the sentence used in the text. Teacher asks for clarification, and if a student wants to

see another example. Teacher gives another example if needed.

Step 3: Learner Participation (1.5 hours)

1. Teachers and Students do the activity together (We Do). Teacher asks students to show

them what to do next more often. The students can take turns popcorn reading and

finding unknown words, as guided by the teacher. Students will find the definition of 2-3

unknown words using an online dictionary and apply it to the sentences the words are in.

Then, the teachers and students will re-read the content that have all the unknown words

in it, and discuss what the texts means.

2. Independent Practice (You Do). The students are asked to finish reading the text (3-5

more pages) and independently practice the objective. During this time, students are

individually practicing the objective, adding definitions and words to their word bank,

and re-reading the text with the definitions of the unknown words.

Step 4: Assessment (45 min)

Assessment will entail students to write or verbalize a summary of each paragraph from

the page. Students can choose to write a short summary of what the paragraphs mean, or if they

are not confident in their writing, they can choose to verbalize it to the teacher. The teacher will
use this as an assessment to see if students are applying the objective and using it to help them

build reading comprehension. This will be the students exit ticket.

Step 5: Follow-Through Activities (15 min)

Follow through activities include: giving the students access to their own word bank-

which is what they started making during the lesson. The students will have access to this during

their classes, to help them with reading comprehension. The students will also have access to an

online dictionary in all classes, to ensure that they can use these study skills to help them with

reading comprehension in all of their classes.