Concept of Definition Map

Concept of Definition maps consider words in light of three properties or attributes: 1) Category: What Is It? 2) Properties: What Is It Like? 3) Illustrations: What Are Some Examples?

Vocabulary Word Map

A vocabulary word map is a visual organizer that helps you think about new terms or concepts in several ways. The new term goes in the middle of the map. Fill in the rest of the map with a definition, synonyms, antonyms, and a picture to help illustrate the new concept.

1. Draw 3 columns on a sheet of paper.
2. Draw a picture of a new word at the top of the first column.
3. Write the first letter of the word in the second column.
4. Write the word in the third column.
5. Continue with other new words you want to remember.
6. Test yourself. Cover the second and third column. Can you remember the word from the picture in the first column? Yes? Go on to the next picture. No? Look at the first letter in the second column. Can you remember now? Yes? Check the answer in the third column and go onto the next word. No? Check the answer in the third column and test yourself again later.

1. Begin by writing a paragraph containing what you know about the topic in as much detail as possible.
2. Next, begin a vocabulary tree by writing the main concept at the center of a fresh piece of paper.
3. Place related terms around the central subject to create categories.
4. Write the appropriate vocabulary under each of these categories. Create subcategories if you need to.
5. Now rewrite your paragraph by taking advantage of the new vocabulary learned.
6. To make this vocabulary active, practice reading your writing aloud until you can present it by memory.
7. Ask a friend or fellow classmate to listen to your presentation and ask you questions about the subject.

Semantic maps help you associate an unfamiliar word with familiar related words. They are also called word webs, concept maps and spider webs. To map the word noun, for example, draw a circle and write noun in the center of the paper. Then draw smaller circles around the central circle and fill each with a related key word, such as person, place, and thing. To complete the map, surround each outer circle with a series of sub-circles, each containing an example of the related word, such as the name of a specific person, place, or thing. Then show the relationships by connecting all the circles with lines and writing a sentence on the lines showing how they are related.

Identify categories or themes, and use these to create lists of related terms. This will help you see how the terms are related to each other, which will improve your learning. To create a list of vocabulary themes, include the vocabulary, a definition and an example sentence for each new item. Example: household appliance vocabulary theme sheet

Create an illustrated glossary of the key terms. Draw a picture that represents the significance and write a paragraph explaining it. You will find it easier to remember new words if you associate them with something, and everybody knows that a picture is worth a thousand words!

Keep a notebook for listing, defining, and using new words that you learn during class. Copy the context from the reading in which you first encounter each word. Create opportunities to hear, see, and use the words in context. For example, you might use words in classroom discussions.

Bulletin board displaying new words in sentences or graphic organizers. Generate a list of essential words, concepts, formulas, etc. and begin a word wall. Create charts and place them in a prominent place. Use color and patters to differentiate. Connect new info with the learning walls.

“Splash” 8-10 words from the lesson/unit on a piece of paper, and what you know about the words and speculate on the subject matter to be learned. Categorize the words. Incorporate the words into a narrative summarizing what you have studied.

1. Choosing, Chatting, and Collecting: Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

A vocabuary term is placed on the back of each student. They then circulate around the room asking YES or NO questions of others to "guess" the word on their back.

Students are divided into two teams. A word would be defined. Those that know the answer stand. Those that don't and wish to "bluff" the answer can stand, too. A student is called on to give the definition. If correct, the number of points of students standing is awarded(or deducted if the person called doesn't know the answer).

Like the old game. Small groups are given a list of voc. words and a list of meanings They shuffle the words on a desk face down and then take turns trying to match the word and its definition.

Students use a word, ie: “Open door policy” when studying China and try to illustrate the word with a picture.

The students place words in a grid(ie: Tic Tac Toe) of 9 or 16 and I then say the definition of the posted words. The first student(s) to get the words across, down or diagonally, to stand and say HISTO, would have to state the word and its meaning.

The way pattern puzzles work is this: ideas are mixed up, and students need to sort them out. Or they are arranged one way and we ask them to arrange them another way. This is a thinking activity that combines physical manipulation of pieces with mental manipulation of concepts. It can be an activity undertaken by students individually, in pairs or small groups, or even as a whole-class activity. Imagine small slips of paper on which key ideas on the given topic have been written. They are mixed up and put in an envelope; students sort those ideas into a way that makes sense. Perhaps it is to put them into a hierarchy, by grouping smaller ideas into larger concepts or categories. Or students might instead need to arrange a series of events or steps into a timeline or a process. Or they might be placing individual pieces on a Venn diagram, according to whether they represent similarities or differences. Each of these is a form of organizing; the pattern puzzle activity gives students a way to sort and process the material, and arrive at a logical arrangement of the ideas.

 

1.      Graphic organizers – North Central Regional Educational Library

1. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to learn new words.
2. Don't make random lists of new words. Try to group words in themes. This will help you memorize new words more quickly.
3. Even if you don't think you have the time, add context. Writing a few example sentences using new vocabulary will help you remember the words in context.
4. Get in the habit of looking up words you don't know. If you have a dictionary program on your computer, keep it open and handy. America Online and other internet services have dictionaries and thesauruses on their tool bars. Find them and look up any word you are not absolutely sure of. Use a thesaurus when you write to find the word that fits best.
5. Improve your context skills. Research shows that the vast majority of words are learned from context. To improve your context skills pay close attention to how words are used. Doing a search on a word using dejanews.com (for searching newsgroups) will give you many examples of how that word is used in context. Play our Daily Context Vocabulary Quiz.
6. It's best to learn new words in a context... a sentence, a phrase, a song, a joke, a picture, etc...
7. Make up as many associations and connections as possible. Say the word aloud to activate your auditory memory. Relate the word to words you already know. For example, the word GARGANTUAN (very large) has a similar meaning to the words gigantic, huge, large, etc. You could make a sequence: small, medium, large, very large, GARGANTUAN. List as many things as you can that could be considered GARGANTUAN: Godzilla, the circus fat lady, the zit on your nose, etc. Create pictures of the word's meaning that involve strong emotions. Think "the GARGANTUAN creature was going to rip me apart and then eat me!"
8. Practice, practice, practice. Learning a word won't help very much if you promptly forget it. Research shows that it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions to really make a word part of your vocabulary. It helps to write the word - both the definition and a sentence you make up using the word - perhaps on an index card that can later be reviewed. As soon as you learn a new word, start using it. Review your index cards periodically to see if you have forgotten any of your new words. Also, do a search on a word using dejanews.com (for searching newsgroups) to get many examples of how the word is actually used.
9. Read the entire entry for the word you look up
10. Silently studying a list of vocabulary is probably the least effective way to learn.
11. Study and review regularly
12. Try to always learn vocabulary in groups of words instead of random lists. In this manner, words are related to each other and you are more likely to remember them in the long run.
13. Use a dictionary
14. Vocabulary goes from passive knowledge to active knowledge, meaning that you need to repeat a word often before it becomes an active part of your vocabulary.
15. You probably won't learn a word until it has come out of your own mouth.

1. The Ten Best Vocabulary Learning Tips
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4. How to Improve Your Vocabulary
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