Acrostic Poems- Acrostic poems help students learn about adjectives to help them with their

phrasing. We presented the material by connecting it to their names and making it more personal
to the students themselves.
Targeted Literacy Strategy or Skill: Learning new vocabulary through the use of acrostic
poems and giving special meaning to students names.
Grade level: 2nd
Objective: To use students names to learn about new vocabulary while personalizing it with
words that describe them. This activity unifies the students and helps them to feel that their
name is important and not overlooked by first spelling out their names, writing a word for each
letter and drawing something that is important to them. This will help them to feel accepted
among their peers and give them a sense of self as well as expanding their vocabulary in a fun
and unique way in order to make it easier for them to remember. This lesson is also great to
promote integrated use because it applies something the student uses every day (their name) to
something they are currently learning.
Common Core State Standard/ PASS Standard: L.2.4 Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Prior knowledge: (What students already know) Students are able to write their names and
know how to spell. They are provided with a wide vocabulary to pull from and know how to
use a thesaurus.
Observations/Rationale: (Before Lesson) What did you notice in your students work that
let you know this lesson was necessary? (This will be an approximation this semester.)
The students were having a difficult time with using adjectives to describe their nouns. Some
students also felt uncomfortable with their names after coming from other countries. These
students were constantly picked on by others and they appeared not to be interacting with their
peers. These were the students with unusual names or culturally diverse names who seem to
have a difficult time participating in these discussions.
Materials Needed: Paper, pencils, crayons, white board (smart board)
Lesson from (Name your source including page number): Honoring Childrens Names and,
Therefore, Their Identities.
Mentor Text: The Art of Teaching Reading (Calkins, 2001) 171
Materials: Book
Student Groups (whole/small group/partners): Small groups (3-4 students)
Mini Lesson Format:
Connect (AKA~ Anticipatory Set, Engagement/Pre-reading): Good morning class! I
hope you all are having a fantastic morning! I have an exciting activity for us to do
today! We are going to be making what is called an acrostic poem with our names.
Teach (Model/Explain): An acrostic poem is where we take one word and for each
letter write another word that would describe the original word. Model this as you are
saying it. Write the words Acrostic Poem down on the board as you are describing it.

Explain what it is by writing an example on the board from your own name. Model two
of the letters in your own name. Explain to them that they should try to use words from
a current vocabulary bank and previous vocabulary banks. If they cannot find a word
that they would like to use from this, they are able to use a thesaurus (the word they pick
has to be on the same grade level as the others. Next write your name on the board and
show the students how you come up with the words that represent each letter. Model
how to use the thesaurus in the class as well. Make it fun by showing them different
ways you can write it and drawing pictures beside the words. Use some larger
vocabulary words that you have been studying or that they may be familiar with but are
not completely sure of the meaning.
Active Engagement (AKA~ Check for Understanding: students try it out, teacher
observes): Ask the students on the third letter what they think would be a good word to
write down and why they chose that word. Keep asking the students about different
words that they could use, give different examples and see if they can come up with
more challenging words. When you think they understand it let them create their own
poem with their names. Allow them to share their own poem with their table when they
are finished with it.
Link (AKA~ Closing the Lesson [with accountability for the skill/process]): You all
have done an excellent job showing me all the clever words you can come up with! Now
that I know you can discover new words, you can use them in your acrostic poems that
we are going to make! You can show your elbow partners some of the words that you
used so you can learn new words from them too! Hang the papers and the drawings up
in the classroom or out in the hall to make them feel proud of their work and also feel
proud of their names. These words can even be used in your future writing as well! Try
to find places where you can use these words. I would love it if you shared with the
class where you can find uses for them in writing as well in spoken language.

Targeted Literacy Strategy or Skill: Learn new vocabulary words and their contexts by
creating jingles. This will help the students remember the materials quickly and easily.
Grade level: 2nd
Objective: The student will be able to learn new vocabulary words and their meanings through
simple jingles that have the word, definition and, if necessary, the spelling. Each day during the
week the students will create a jingle from a word on the board after guessing its meaning. The
students will then put it into context throughout the day and later, during a read aloud, there will
be another connection to this lesson. This links back to integrated use and repetition in
meaningful contexts because the students create the song themselves, and use it in context
throughout the day or the week.
Common Core State Standard/ PASS Standard: L.2.6. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use. Use
words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe.
Prior knowledge: (What students already know) Need to know certain tunes such as nursery
rhymes or popular songs at the time. Need to be able to spell and know basic words and
vocabulary.
Observations/Rationale: (Before Lesson) What did you notice in your students work that
let you know this lesson was necessary? (This will be an approximation this semester.)
Students are having a difficult time learning vocabulary words or remembering their meanings.
They do not retain the information that we go over in class.
Materials Needed: White board (smart board), Dry erase markers, story book (from previous
lesson)
Lesson from (Name your source including page number): Middleweb. Ten Minute
Vocabulary Lesson by Marilee Sprenger
Mentor Text: Middle Web website: The 10 Minute Vocabulary Lesson
Materials: Website: http://www.middleweb.com/15903/ten-minute-vocabulary-lesson/
Student Groups (whole/small group/partners): As a class.
Mini Lesson Format:
Connect (AKA~ Anticipatory Set, Engagement/Pre-reading): Start by having the
word written on the board with a picture beside it (either drawn or from the internet).
When the students come in for class ask them to write down the word and to draw the
picture associated with the word.
Teach (Model/Explain): Begin the lesson by saying the word and asking the students if
they can guess the definition by the picture provided. If they cannot guess the first few
times, give them another picture or two. When the students find out what it is, tell them
your specific definition and have them write it down next to the word and the picture.
As a class, come up with a rhyming sentence for that word. After the rhyme is created
add a melody to it. One example would be Clarify and shed some light, explain with
details and say it right! Sing it to them and show them the lyrics on the board.
Active Engagement (AKA~ Check for Understanding: students try it out, teacher

observes): Have them sing the song along with you a few times. After you think they
have it down, have them sing it by themselves. Repeat this once or twice a day
throughout the week.
Link (AKA~ Closing the Lesson [with accountability for the skill/process]): Tell
them what context the word can be used in and how it can apply to them throughout the
day. Ask the students to see how many times it is used throughout the day. Also
challenge them to see if there are any words they use throughout the day that can be
replaced with this word. Later in the day read a story that has the word of the day in it
and make that connection for the students.

This practice promotes integrated use because it allows the class as a whole to interact with each other
and encourages them to help each other integrate new words into their everyday lives in meaningful
contexts. It integrates repetition in meaningful contexts into the lesson which helps students remember the
materials. It also encourages language development.