Reading anything in Biology is technical reading, and it involves technical vocabulary. This terminology is not part of the everyday vernacular, so before students can read and write in biology class, they must be taught the vocabulary.
Most teachers are aware that students soon forget the meanings of these words whether they were taught in elementary or middle school, last year or last week. They must be taught and students must practice repeatedly using these words. Most education strategists suggest that vocabulary should be taught three times…. before, during and after the lesson.
Some of you might remember the practice of giving students a vocabulary list and having them copy the definitions from the glossary. This is a much-maligned method of teaching vocabulary, but I remember using it, and memorizing the terms and definitions. It served me well on vocabulary quizzes and matching on tests. It is not, however, a way to gain a deeper understanding of the words. For that teachers need multiple strategies that ask students to think a little bit more.
These strategies include:
· Use of word parts (prefixes, roots, and suffixes)
· Define, elaborate, explain, give examples
· Word analysis boxes that include the above strategies
· Word maps for particularly difficult or crucial vocabulary words
· Frayer models
· Word webs
· Concept maps (and chains)
· Venn diagrams
You may have learned even more strategies through teacher trainings. Recently I posted a series of lessons called the Essential Vocabulary Series for Biology. These lessons include strategies shown above, but they also utilize simple definitions. While simple definitions alone are not sufficient for deeper learning of vocabulary, they are a place to start. Students write definitions. Writing something down helps you to remember it. Writing by hand increases electrical activity in areas of the brain responsible for memory, vision, movement and sensory processing. It increases connectivity between different areas of the brain, and can be enhanced by personalization by adding colors, shapes, arrows and highlighting.
Teach student vocabulary as a separate activity. They need practice with technical terminology. Here are a few of my vocabulary lessons on TPT. Take a look, see if there is something you can use to supplement your vocabulary instruction. Happy teaching! -Jane
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