[LM_NET] HIT: ELEM: Dictionary Lesson

[Lisa Ralston <lisamralston@YAHOO.COM>]

Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions!  I also
received many requests to post a hit.  Here is what I
received so far.  Please pass along any more
suggestions and I will post another hit.

Original request:
Does anyone have an activity to do with an online
dictionary for 3rd/4th grade?  I am also looking for a
fun way to introduce the dictionary in the first few
minutes of the class, a game or puzzle.  Any
suggestions?

I found great lessons on the Hanover Public Schools
online lesson plan book – 4th grade.
http://hcps2.hanover.k12.va.us/instruction/media/LessonPlanBook.htm

1.  We have a class set of dictionaries, so each
student can use one.  I made a Power Point game based
on the old Balderdash game.  In it, I ask questions
and reveal one possible answer at a time.  For
example, one question is:
              Is QUAHOG a
                       A.  NOUN - As in "We ate a lot
of quahog for lunch"
                       B.  VERB - As in "Elephants
quahog through the jungle"
                       C.  An ADJECTIVE - As in "That
is a really quahog whale!"
The students guess which answer is correct by choosing
from a deck of A, B and C cards at their place.  Once
all have guessed (the fun is in trying to trick
them!), they look the word up in the dictionary.
Along the way, we reinforce guide words, pronunciation
and definitions as well as parts of speech.  It's a
fun way to learn what can be found in the dictionary,
as well as reinforcing alphabetization and guide word
skills.

2.  I only intro
1)why we have dictionary and 2) look up words from a
very short book
that I read.

3.  Try yourdictionary.com; it has great word games,
and a section where you can write your name in
Chinese, Egyptian hieroglyphics, etc.  My students
love it!

4.  Try LittleExplorers.com or
http://www.LittleExplorers.com/classroom/

5.  I always do alphabetizing activities.  Each "team"
of 5 students gets the same group of words to
alphabetize starting with words that have different
initial letters, then getting more difficult and
finishing with a group of words that have the same
first 3 letters.  I have also made "game boards"
where I've glued card pockets to large construction
paper and written guide words on each pocket.  The
students have to not only alphabetize, but also put
each word in the proper pocket.  They really get into
it even though I tell them this isn't a contest.

6.  I always have two lessons with using the
dictionary.  The first lesson,
I review the parts of the dictionary and how it is
organized and tell
the students to use the guide words as I read off a
word one letter at a
time.  If the word is cat, I have them go to any page
with a C word,
then I give them the second letter and they have to
narrow down which
pages they are on and so forth until I given them all
the letters.  The
second lesson involves them putting words in order
according to their
guide words.

7.  But with my third graders, I play what I call
“dictionary hot seat.” We divide the class in half,
and they can choose a team name if they want. There
are two chairs at the front of the room, facing the
class, and I stand behind the chairs. There are two
identical dictionaries on each chair. The team members
take turns sitting in the chair, and then trying to
look up the word faster than their opponent. Once they
find the word, I have them read the definition out
loud. I was then allowing them to try to make a
“basket” if they had found the word first (used a
crate and an eraser) to get an extra point. The next
time, I think I’ll change it and require them to use
the word in a sentence correctly, and if they can do
that, I’ll allow them to make the basket!

Lisa Ralston
Library Media Specialist
Floral Park, NY
lisamralston@yahoo.com






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