Procedure Guide: IMPROBABLE SENTENCES

Purpose: To encourage students to recognize the nuances of word meaning through word combinations that requires higher order thinking.

Preparation

• Pre-select up to 20 words from the text to be read.
• Write the words on the chalkboard with colored chalk and in haphazard positions.
• For the after-reading portion of the activity, pair and choose a non-related topic for each pair.

Before

• Facilitate a class discussion about:
• Any words or parts of words students recognized.
• How the words can be used in sentences (parts of speech).
• How students will remember the meaning of each word (Memory Key).

After

• Using a pair of words and their corresponding topic, demonstrate completing one of the sentences by means of a think-aloud.

Example: revolution and subterfuge about rabbits

The rabbits' seeming revolution was a subterfuge to get nearer the carrots.

Have each student write sentences for the remaining word pairs using the topic provided for each.

Assessment

Student's ability to demonstrate in the sentences their newly acquired word knowledge