EXPLORER'S WORD PACK - FUN! 3D Graphic Organizer

EXPLORER'S WORD PACK!

Instructions on HOW TO MAKE  below!

An Explorer's Word Pack can be used over and over again!  Inside there are pre-made mini-sheets working with the teacher-selected vocabulary words from a text.  By working with vocabulary words in a tactile way, students expand their knowledge of the text and the experience encourages successful learning of new content in the future!

As students read the text, they will place the vocabulary
words on the appropriate lines in respect to their definitions.

By doing this, the students are rehearsing the vocabulary
words for recognition and their definitions.

By using the vocabulary cards, they can also fill
in the missing letters and then check off the words
 after they have read the text.

For example... today I have created mini-sheets and vocabulary cards based from the text, A Walk with Mom, written by Harriet Rosenbloom and illustrated by Olivia Mueller.  And on those created materials, I have chosen tier 2 words that I believe my 3 students reading the book will have difficulty with.  As stated before, by providing new experiences (modes) for the brain to attach new information to, recall of that information later becomes easier; for there are more ways of access to that said information.

A little bit of further insight... Particularly, I chose A Walk with Mom because it is a Fountas & Pinnel level E, and I chose a level E because on the DRA scale, this is a level 7.  And as to WHY I chose a DRA level 7 as the mentor text can be explained by the metacognitive thoughts I had as I was trying to make a decision.  They were, "My first and second students are reading level 6 at an independent level and my third student is reading a level 8 at an instructional level.  The first and second students are ready to encounter a slightly more difficult book and the third student has flexibility to also have an instructional reading from a level 7."

HOW TO MAKE AN EXPLORER'S WORD PACK:

Materials:

• Paper bags (1 per student)
• Tape
• Scissors
• Markers
• Stapler
• Pre-made strips of paper for pack "straps"
• Pre-made mini-sheets & vocabulary cards

Procedure:

1.  FOLD THE BOTTOM HALF UP AND ON TOP.

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2.  TAPE 3 SIDES (LEFT, BOTTOM, & RIGHT).

3.  CUT AN OPENING AT THE TOP OF THE PACK.

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4.  TAPE TOGETHER THE INNER LAYERS SO THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE SLOT IN THE PACK.

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5.  STAPLE PRE-MADE PACK "STRAPS" ONTO BACK OF PACK.

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6.  DECORATE WITH DESIGN & NAME.

7.  INSERT MINI-SHEETS & VOCABULARY CARDS.

Share Your Thoughts:  What else can you think of that could be included on a mini-sheet that would help students learn and rehearse new vocabulary words?