ELL Vocabulary Power Packs Tips

Why Use ELL Vocabulary Power Packs

Each ELL Vocabulary Power Pack aligns to WIDA and TESOL language proficiency standards and contains multiple opportunities for students to practice academic reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

How to Use ELL Vocabulary Power Packs

Getting Started

Preparation

• Select an ELL Vocabulary Power Pack based on content area and topic.
• Make note of the Focus Question, which sets the purpose for reading and encourages application of academic and content vocabulary.
• Make note of the two academic Power Words, which indicate language functions students will use as they answer discussion and extension questions.
• Review one level of the pack along with the Teacher Reference Vocabulary Chart and Lesson Plan.

Instruction

• Determine which of the three levels of cards and vocabulary quizzes to use with individual students on the basis of their language proficiency and reading levels.
• Use the Tips for Differentiating Instruction to scaffold instruction.
• Distribute the Word Journal as a student resource for recording important vocabulary during instruction.

Assessment

• Use the leveled Vocabulary Quizzes to assess vocabulary knowledge after completing each subtopic.
• Use the Listening and Speaking Rubric to assess student discussion performance.
• Use the Writing Rubric to assess student written responses to the Show What You Know writing prompt.
• Have students track their individual progress and understanding with the Evaluation Checklist.

ELL Vocabulary Power Pack Contents

Student Resources

• Graphic Organizer
• Three levels of two-sided Introduction and Conclusion Cards
• Three levels of four two-sided subtopic cards
• Three levels of Vocabulary Quizzes

Teacher Resources

• Lesson Plan and Tips for Differentiating Instruction
• Teacher Reference Vocabulary Chart

Common Resources for All Packs

• Word Journal
• Listening and Speaking Rubric
• Writing Rubric
• Student Evaluation Checklist

Guided and Differentiated Instruction

The ELL Vocabulary Power Packs are designed for guided and differentiated instruction. The two-page lesson plan provides a sequence for supporting and guiding instruction along with text-dependent and critical thinking questions.

The Tips for Differentiating Instruction includes a description of language proficiency levels, examples of leveled dialogue frames to support student discussions, and additional leveled language objectives for each lesson.

Leveled Vocabulary Quizzes are included as an assessment tool for each subtopic within the pack. Additionally, the accompanying Listening and Speaking Rubric and Writing Rubric provide teachers with leveled scoring guidelines for performance in these language domains.

Instructional Sequence

Lesson 1: Introduction Card

• Step 1: Building Background
  Introduce the Focus Question and have student pairs discuss the picture and title.
• Step 2: Power Words
  Introduce and explain the Power Words. Students should be encouraged to use these two academic vocabulary terms when answering the Focus Question, Think About It, and Power Links questions in each pack. Model using the Word Journal as a tool for building an understanding of new vocabulary.
• Step 3: Focus Question
  Have student pairs read the Get Started text and discuss possible answers to the Focus Question using prior knowledge and text evidence.

Lesson 2: First Subtopic Card

• Step 1: Build Background
  Discuss the subtopic definition and main picture as a class. Have students predict how these connect to the Focus Question.
• Step 2: Introduce Vocabulary
  Model reading the text and using context clues and information from the text to build understanding of academic and content-area vocabulary. Model adding these vocabulary terms to the Word Journal and have student pairs continue the task.
• Step 3: Paired Reading and Discussion
  Have student pairs reread the text together and answer discussion questions and the Think About It question using text evidence and their Word Journals as support.
• Step 4: Vocabulary Practice
  Have students use the labeled pictures to add vocabulary words to their Word Journal. Have student pairs discuss the Power Links questions using the subtopic card as support.
• Step 5: Check for Understanding
  Assess student understanding with the leveled Vocabulary Quizzes.

Lesson 3, 4, and 5:

Repeat the process outlined in Lesson 2 with the other three subtopic cards.

Lesson 6: Conclusion Card

• Step 1: Make Connections
  Have student pairs answer the Power Up! question using the main picture as support.
• Step 2: Review and Discussion
  Read the Wrap It Up text as a class. Have student groups answer the Focus Question. Discuss answers to the Focus Question as a class.
• Step 3: Application
  Have student pairs demonstrate new learning by answering the reading, speaking and listening, and writing prompts in the Show What You Know section. Have students use the Graphic Organizer to plan their answer to the writing prompt.