Vocabulary Instruction in Science

I observed a high school Biology classroom last semester and I was intrigued to know that they all kept vocabulary books. This was a place that students wrote down definitions and were able to utilize their “dictionary” as much as they needed…even during tests. This instructor knew the importance of teaching the basic vocabulary of each scientific concept before engaging in the lesson. This eased frustrations and allowed for better comprehension of the subject by the students. I absolutely plan on using something like this in my future classroom. As a student and now as a professional, I rely on vocabulary words to comprehend any topic I run into. I realize the importance of words and I feel my students should as well.

--Stacy Mosier, 2010, Saint Joseph's University

When I mentioned to the teacher how they make the memorization of vocabulary a little more interesting, he mentioned a game he calls Biominoes. They are small blocks, the shape and size of Dominoes. One end of the paper has a vocab word that the students are learning, and the other end has a definition of a word. The students are then required to match up the word end to the corresponding definition on another piece. This makes the learning a little more interactive and fun for the students, but still ensures that they are learning the required information.

--Melissa Blotter, SJU

I agree that it's important to implement a range of strategies to support vocabulary learning, some fun and creative and others more traditional, such as vocabulary quizzes. You also mention the importance of defining vocabulary as a pre-reading strategy. The science teacher at my school does a fun project with students where they have to find vocabulary terms in magazines and newspapers and then cut them out. They also find images associated with the word. They create collages on poster board, and these are hung around the room for the trimester. I have walked into the room when students are working on this project, and they are all engrossed in what they are doing.

--Dr. Eileen Erwin, SJU