Field Observation 2: Domain 4: Vocabulary, Academic Language and Background Knowledge

TC NAME: Lacey Bridges

RICA Domain: Vocabulary, Academic Language and Background knowledge

RICA Competency: Role in Reading Development and Factors That Affect their Knowledge

Grade Level: 5th

INSTRUCTION:

            I observed Mrs. X give a lesson on vocabulary and background knowledge.  The class was about to read the story Volcanoes by Seymore Simon.  The teacher began by building the students’ background knowledge.  First she showed the students a short video about volcanoes.  Through the video, students were able to refresh their memory on what they knew about volcanoes, and they were able to build on their previous knowledge, and learn some new things that would help them with their reading comprehension.  They were also getting good visuals of volcanoes.  After the video, Mrs. X showed the students different volcano books and magazines she had brought in for them.  As she did this she mostly focused on the pictures and covers of the books and magazines.  During her discussion of the literature she had brought in, the teacher was talking about some of the different volcanoes around the world, both from the past and present.  When she was talking about Mt. St. Helens, Mrs. X showed the students realia.  She had brought in a jar full of ash from the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and she also had the Time magazine issue about the eruption. 

            Following the discussion about volcanoes, Mrs. X led the students in a vocabulary lesson, which would help them with their meaning vocabulary  and thus their reading comprehension as they read the story Volcanoes.  The teacher had already written the vocabulary words on the board.  As she got to each word she asked the class what the word was.  The students would raise their hands, and Mrs. X would call on one or two students for their answers.  She would then write down the definition they had come up with as a class on the white board.  For many of the words she would provide the students with visuals, give them examples, or have the students draw upon their prior knowledge on the subject.  Once the vocabulary lesson was done, the class began reading the text.  They entered the reading process with a stronger foundation for the story than they would have had fifteen minutes earlier.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING:

            The classroom setting was well prepared for this lesson on building background knowledge and meaning vocabulary for the story Volcanoes.  The video she showed provided both audio and visual support.  Mrs. X had at least fifteen books and magazines about volcanoes, which were placed on the tables and up on the board.  There was a volcano poster placed up on the wall in the room.  The vocabulary was written on the board, in large print, making it visible to all of the students.  These words stayed up on the board for the entire week, so it was easily accessible for the students because they worked with the topic of this story throughout the week.  The students were well supported by their instructional setting.