Introduce Vocabulary: I Hate To Be Sick (Bermiss)

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 I Hate To Be Sick.

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.

dizzy

Dizzy means that you feel a spinning in your head. What’s the word?

Some people feel dizzy if they stand up too fast. You’ll get dizzy if you spin in fast circles.

I’m going to name some emotions. If you think you’d feel the emotion when you have a spinning feeling in your head, say dizzy. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Joy
• Scared
• Confused
• Mad
• Interested

faint

Faint means when your brain stops working for a few seconds and you fall over. What’s the word?

It’s scary to faint, but usually not too dangerous. If you feel dizzy, you should sit down before you faint.

I’m going to name some things that might happen to a person. If you think the thing would cause the person’s brain to quit working for a few seconds, say faint. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• You get plenty of rest
• You have a high fever
• You hold your breath as long as you can
• You have a good lunch
• You feel healthy

fever

Fever means when your body is much hotter than it should be because of illness. What’s the word?

When a person gets pneumonia, he or she usually has a fever. When you have a fever, it’s hard to sleep.

I’m going to name some actions. If you think you should do the action when you are sick and your body is hotter than it should be, say fever. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Sleep
• Play tag
• Drink water
• Go bowling
• Hike up a steep mountain

gag

Gag means to choke on something because it’s icky. What’s the word?

Squash always makes me gag. Even though you don’t like the medicine, try to drink it without gagging.

I’m going to name actions. If you think the action would make you choke because something is icky, say gag. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Smelling flowers
• Vomiting
• Finding a dead mouse
• Chewing bubblegum
• Watching someone pick his nose

sore

Sore means hurting. What’s the word?

The football player was sore all over because he’d been tackled so many times. It’s common to have a sore throat when you’re sick.

I’m going to name some things. If you think the thing could hurt if it got hit, say sore. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• A desk
• A tennis ball
• Your back
• A crayon
• Feet

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.

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