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Introduce vocabulary: I Love You the Purplest (Joosse, 1996)

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Activity Type: Introduce
Activity Form: Standard
Grade: K, 1
Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class
Length: 30 minutes
Materials: I Love You the Purplest, Barbara Joosse
Goal: Given a word, the student can say its meaning
Items: bountiful, flung, hoist, prowl, shimmer, sturdy, twirl



What to do

  1. If more than three words are listed below, choose three. (It's tough for students to take in more than three new words in one go.) Write the three words on sentence strips (so they can easily be displayed after the lesson).
  2. I'm going to read a new book to you today. It's called I Love You the Purplest. It uses some words you might not know, so I'm going to tell you the words now. Then, when I read the story, I want you to raise your hand when you hear the word. Okay?
  3. Tell students the three words and their meanings. Have them repeat the words back to you.
  4. Remember, when you hear any of our three words, raise your hand. Ready?
  5. Read the story. Praise students who correctly identify the words as you read. Repeat each word's meaning as you encounter it.
  6. When you finish reading, go through the three words giving the complete sequence below for each word. You can give the examples/non-examples either to the whole group or to individual students. Feel free to add your own examples and non-examples, particularly if students seem unclear.
  7. Optionally, read the story again.
  8. Students need to encounter a word multiple times before learning it. So:
    • Try to find opportunities to use the three words during other activities in the next 24 hours.
    • Ask students to use the word themselves and praise them strongly when they do.
    • Be particularly excited about usage in contexts different from that in the book you read, since students often have difficulty dissociating a word and the specific context in which they first came across it.

bountiful

  • Bountiful means there's lots of something. What's the word?
  • In the springtime, flowers are bountiful. You might enjoy Thanksgiving because food is bountiful that day.
  • I'm going to name some things. If you want there to be lots of the thing, say bountiful. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
    • Wildlife
    • Flowers
    • Cookies
    • Bee stings
    • Dirty clothes

flung

  • Flung means to throw something without being careful. What's the word?
  • He flung the newspaper and it ended up in the water. If you didn't care where the ball landed, you could say you flung it.
  • I'm going to name some items. If you have ever thrown the item, say flung. Otherwise, just stay quiet. Ready?
    • A frisbee
    • A backpack
    • A refrigerator
    • A desk
    • A rock

hoist

  • Hoist means to pick something up. What's the word?
  • The man had to hoist the heavy rocks using a machine. If you lift something and it takes a lot of effort, you hoist it.
  • I'm going to name some items. If the item would be hard to pick up, say hoist. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
    • A pebble
    • Your dad
    • A big bag of potatoes
    • A pencil
    • a big dog

prowl

  • Prowl means to quietly move around. What's the word?
  • A cat might prowl when looking for mice. If you were sneaking through the house at night, you'd be prowling.
  • I'm going to name some things that move. If you think the thing would move quietly, say prowl. Otherwise, just keep quiet. Ready?
    • A band marching in a parade
    • A child playing hide and seek
    • A robber trying to steal something
    • Someone trying to catch a fly
    • A child learning to ride bike

shimmer

  • Shimmer means to shine. What's the word?
  • The gold shimmered in the sunlight. When you wear a sparkly outfit, you shimmer.
  • I'm going to name some items. If you think the item is shiny, say shimmer. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
    • Glitter
    • Glass
    • The lead in your pencil
    • The floor
    • A lake on a sunny day

sturdy

  • Sturdy means very strong. What's the word?
  • The man built the sturdy desk so it would not break. If you have strong legs, you are said to be sturdy.
  • I'm going to list some animals. If you think they have strong legs, say sturdy. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
    • A grasshopper
    • A horse
    • A puppy
    • A bull
    • A dinosaur

twirl

  • Twirl means to spin around in circles. What's the word?
  • The gymnast twirled as part of her routine. Sometimes if you twirl you become dizzy and fall over.
  • I'm going to name some rides at the fair. If the ride goes around in circles, say twirl. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
    • A slide
    • A rollercoaster
    • A merry go round
    • A big swing
    • A ferris wheel