Introduce Vocabulary: Dinosaur Bones (Barner)

From FreeReading

What to Do

Prepare

Select three Tier Two vocabulary words to teach your students. A list of suggested words appears below. Write the vocabulary words on the board or on chart paper.

Model/Instruct

1. Introduce the story.

Today we are going to read a story entitled Dinosaur Bones.

2. Introduce the three vocabulary words you have chosen.

Before we read the story, I want to introduce some new words that we will come across. Please repeat each word after I say it.

3. Read the story.

Let’s read the story. Make sure to listen for today’s vocabulary words and to think about how they are used in the story. If you hear a vocabulary word while I am reading, raise your hand.

4. Define key vocabulary words. See definitions below.

Let’s think about our vocabulary words. The word ______________ means ____________. Does anyone remember how this word was used in the text?

Call on students to answer the question. Then refer to the text to show how the word was used in context. Repeat this process for each vocabulary word.

Practice

Now let’s practice what we’ve learned.

ancient

Ancient means very, very old. What’s the word?

In some parts of the world, there are still ancient buildings standing. Children are not ancient; they are young.

I’m going to name some things. If you think the thing is very old, say ancient. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• A dinosaur bone
• Egyptian ruins
• A kitten
• Rocks
• Your school

climate

Climate means the type of weather a place has over a long period of time. What’s the word?

The climate in the mountains is hard to predict. Do you prefer a warm climate or a cool one?

I’m going to name some words. If you think the word describes a type of weather, say climate. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Dry
• Humid
• Happy
• Silly
• Windy

extinct

Extinct means that a type of animal or plant is gone from earth and will never come back. What’s the word?

Millions of animals have gone extinct since earth began. Some animals that are around today might become extinct in the future.

I’m going to name some animals. If you think the animal is gone from the earth and will never come back, say extinct. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Whales
• Triceratops
• Brontosaurus
• T-rex
• Seals

fossils

Fossils means a piece of a plant or animal, like a bone, that has been saved in a rock. What’s the word?

It must be very exciting to discover a dinosaur fossil. Have you seen a fossil in the museum?

I’m going to name some parts of animals. If you think the part can be saved in a rock, say fossil. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Spit
• Blood
• Tooth
• Bone
• Wing

predators

Predators means animals that hunt other animals for food. What’s the word?

Predators are important to keep animals like mice under control. If you hunt, you could be called a predator.

I’m going to name some animals. If you think the animal hunts other animals for food, say predator. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Grasshopper
• Deer
• Wolf
• Tiger
• Shark

preserve

Preserve means to keep something safe so that it’s still around a long time from now. What’s the word?

It’s important to preserve beautiful old buildings so people can enjoy them 100 years from now. You can preserve food by canning it.

I’m going to name some activities. If you think the activity is going to keep an item safe so it’s still around a long time from now, say preserve. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Treat an item carefully
• Keep an item clean
• Drop an item
• Leave an item lying around in the rain
• Store the item in a safe place

Adjust

For Advanced Students:

If time permits, have students create more examples for the vocabulary words.

For Struggling Students:

If time permits, have students record the words on a Vocabulary Discovery Chart or in a Word Journal.

For ELL Students:

In order to help ELL students learn the words, it may be helpful to use realia and/or to teach cognates.

Related activities

• All Vocabulary Activities