Word Discovery Strategies
What are different types of word discovery strategies?
Looking at context clues or looking up the definition
How can writing down information help with your memory?
The act of writing it down can help engrain the information into your memory. If you forget something, you can look back at what you wrote down to remember
What is chunking?
Chunking - breaking down a written passage into smaller pieces to make it less overwhelming and easily understood
What is the definition of visualizing?
Creating a mental image of something! A written passage or a story being told to you
When would you use a word discovery strategy?
When you do not know the definition of the word
How can repetition help with your memory?
When you are studying for a test or learning new material, practicing that topic many times can help engrain it in your long term memory
When would you use chunking?
When you have to read a longer or more difficult passage and you are having a harder time understanding it
How can visualizing help you with comprehension?
Making a mental image of a topic will create a stronger memory of that topic and when you think about the topic, you will automatically picture it which helps understand it!
What is the definition of the word "cautious" and can you use it in a sentence?
Cautious - careful to avoid potential problems or dangers
"I need to be extra cautious when driving in the city"
How can associating or making connections between two things help with your memory and learning?
When you make a connection between something new and something old, you will understand the new topic better and have a stronger memory for it.
How would you chunk this paragraph into two different parts?
On Earth, gravity pulls everything toward the ground. Gravity keeps people, water, and objects from floating away.
Astronauts travel far above Earth in spacecraft and space stations. Even though gravity still exists in space, astronauts are constantly falling around Earth as they orbit the planet.
Because the astronauts and spacecraft are falling together at the same speed, the astronauts appear to float. This is called microgravity. Floating in space changes how astronauts eat, sleep, and move.
1st chunk: What is gravity
2nd chunk: Astronauts in space
What do you picture in this story?
Maya forgot her science homework, and her teacher announced that everyone had to demonstrate a simple experiment the next day. After school, Maya searched her kitchen and found baking soda, vinegar, and a sandwich bag. She decided to test whether mixing the two ingredients could really create enough gas to pop a bag.
The next afternoon, Maya carefully poured vinegar into the bag and wrapped baking soda inside a small piece of tissue paper. She dropped the packet into the bag, zipped it shut, and stepped back. The bag slowly puffed up like a balloon. Her little brother counted down loudly from ten while they watched.
Suddenly—POP! The bag burst open, spraying drops of vinegar onto the grass. Maya laughed as her brother cheered. The experiment worked because the baking soda and vinegar created carbon dioxide gas, which filled the bag until it could not stretch anymore.
I see a girl that is searching in her kitchen and having to get a step ladder to the reach the higher cabinets to find her different supplies. I see Maya pouring the ingredients in a bag and then running far back right after she finished making it. I see Maya's mouth open in surprise and start laughing once the experiment worked.
What does the italicized word mean in this sentence? Use context clues to help.
My hypothesis is that the eggs will break in the egg drop competition.
Hypothesis - an educated guess
How can picturing (or visualizing) something help with your memory and comprehension?
When you create a mental image of a topic, you will have a stronger memory of it.
Visualizing something you are reading benefits your comprehension because it can help bring what you are reading to life.
How would you chunk this passage into two different parts?
Millions of years ago, plants and animals lived on Earth. When some of them died, their remains settled into mud or sand.
Over time, layers of dirt and rock covered the remains. Minerals slowly replaced parts of the bones or shells, turning them into rock. This process took thousands or even millions of years.
Wind, rain, and erosion sometimes uncover fossils near Earth’s surface. Scientists called paleontologists study fossils to learn about ancient life and Earth’s history.
Chunk 1: Animals dying and remains settling into the ground
Chunk 2: Formation of minerals
Chunk 3: Why scientists study fossils
What do you picture in this story?
Ethan noticed that one plant in his bedroom looked healthy and green, while another plant near the closet was drooping and turning yellow. Both plants got the same amount of water, so Ethan wondered why one was dying.
Over the next week, Ethan observed both plants carefully. The healthy plant sat beside the sunny window, while the weak plant stayed in the dark corner of the room. Ethan moved the dying plant into the sunlight and kept checking it every day.
A few days later, the yellow leaves began turning greener, and the plant stood taller again. Ethan realized the plant needed sunlight to make food through photosynthesis. Without enough light, it could not stay healthy.
I see two plants next to each other. One looks really healthy and the other one looks really withered and dead. I see Ethan looking at the flowers with his hand up to his head, confused because he had been treating them the same. I see that one plant is getting a lot of light and the other one is in a dark corner.
What does the italicized word mean in the sentence below? Use context clues to help.
I was reluctant to go to the party, but I happy that I ended up going because it was fun!
Reluctant - unsure or unwilling
WRAP strategies can help with your memory and strengthen your understanding of topics. We talked about each part of W.R.A.P, do you remember what each letter stands for?
W - write it down!
R - repeat it!
A - association (connections)!
P - picture it!
How could you chunk this passage into two parts?
On hot days, warm and moist air near the ground begins to rise into the sky. As the air rises higher, it cools down.
The cooling air causes water vapor to turn into tiny water droplets, forming large storm clouds called cumulonimbus clouds. Inside the clouds, strong winds move water droplets and ice particles around very quickly.
As the particles crash together, they create electrical charges. Eventually, the electricity is released as lightning. The heat from lightning causes the air to expand rapidly, creating the sound of thunder.
Chunk 1: Warm air rises
Chunk 2: Storm Clouds Form
Chunk 3: Thunder and Lightening
What do you picture in this story?
Sofia’s science class held an egg drop competition. Students had to build something that would keep an egg from breaking when dropped from the school bleachers. Sofia used cotton balls, straws, tape, and a small cardboard box to protect her egg.
Outside, students gathered around as the teacher climbed the bleachers with each project. One by one, the containers crashed onto the pavement below. Some eggs cracked immediately. Sofia nervously watched as her box tumbled through the air and bounced once on the ground.
When the teacher opened Sofia’s container, the egg was completely unbroken. Sofia explained that the soft materials inside absorbed some of the force from the fall, protecting the egg from cracking.
I see a bunch of eggs falling from the bleachers. Some are making really loud cracking noises and others land softly. Once they open up all the egg containers, I heard cheering for the unbroken eggs.