Higher Order Thinking through Vocabulary

Today we learned how to connect vocabulary words to our lives and also how this is a higher level of thinking according to Bloom's Taxonomy.

AIM: I will successfully connect three vocabulary words to examples brought in by my classmates.

Standard: 7.LD.V.10 Determine definitions and word spelling using many sources.

DO Now
1) Which vocabulary term means: "the smallest particle of something?"
2) Which vocabulary term means: "dust, or bits of broken rock?"
3) Which vocabulary term means: "landmass of all connected continents?"
4) What is created when gravity collapses on itself?

Lesson Steps:
After going over the Do Now questions for the day we reviewed the song and it is looking better and better!

Then we went right into the vocabulary lesson.

We pulled two vocabulary connection cards out of the stack of cards that was brought in for homework and we put them on the chalkboard. Next we randomly choose one vocabulary word. For example, we had to connect the vocabulary word glacier with football or a student's mother. Groups of students worked hard to connect them and some of the best answers were as follows:
"The Denver Broncos play in the Rocky Mountains where there are many glaciers and football players grind down their opponents much like a glacier grinds down a mountain."
"A glacier is like someones mother because she works hard at trying to form her children just like a glacier helps to form a mountain through pressure and time."

We continued this process by playing a game of POP-UP and students worked in groups to come up with connections to more vocabulary words.
We completed class by going over the homework.

Homework:
Students are to complete 8 vocabulary cards and to use the rubric page that was handed out in class. See below for this rubric.

Vocab Connection Cards - Upload a Document to Scribd