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Semantic Maps (vocabulary)

Page history last edited by Matthew Streit 15 years, 9 months ago

Contributed by Caitlin B

Rationale

As students learn new concepts, they are often only thinking about them on a surface level, particularly when going from Alvermann et al's definition of "known" word  to "unknown" concept.  Research studies have shown that deep understanding of vocabulary and key concepts comes from associative learning.  Semantic mapping of vocabulary works primarily with associative learning of new concepts.

 

Procedure

i.  Activities: Concept examination for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 

--Write the words "Pride" and "Prejudice" on the board.  Prompt students to list what they know about these words.  Add them as subordinates onto the words Separately.  Asks students to defend why they came up with each thought,

 

--Next, show a visual of the blank semantic map () and ask them to put each word in the center of the map.  Students should get two maps to map out the two words. 

 

--Together, organize the ideas you brainstormed on the board into one of the categories on the map.  Inform students that you will revisit the map throughout reading and post-reading.

 

--Students will continue to add illustrations from the reading and put the properties into their own words.  After reading, you can come up with different categories and decide on the associations that you will keep on the class semantic map together.

Example Semantic Map:  semantic map example.doc

 

ii.  Resources: Austen, Jane. (2005). Pride and Prejudice.  Penguin Books: NY.

 

iii.  Alvermann, Donna, Stephen Phelps, & Victoria Ridgeway.  (2007). Content Area Reading and Literacy: Succeeding in Today's Diverse Classrooms.  Boston: Pearson, p. 239.

 

 

 

Procedure Contributed by Others

 

I think semantic maps would work great in a Math classroom, too.  Vocabulary comprehension is a critical part of all math classrooms.  Math could be called a "different language" and one needs to understand the vocabulary and context to understand most math concepts.  Semantic maps are a great way for math students to understand math vocabulary on multiple levels.  Semantic maps are also a great way to review math vocabulary, and a way for the teacher to assess vocabulary comprehension.

 

Algebra vocabulary would be one area of math that could lead itself well to semantic mapping.  Equations and expressions could each be semantically mapped after students have had a chance to work with each concept for a few days.  The teacher can lead the class through brainstorming everything the students have learned about equations and expressions.  The teacher could also guide the students in making connections between the ideas and the vocabulary term.  After semantic maps have been created for each term, similarities and differences could be analyzed.  For example, a difference would be that equations have equal signs but expressions do not.  A similarity would be that either expressions or equations could have a variable.  This exercise could also lead to the students taking their semantic maps and creating a Venn diagram from the information on the maps (illustrating the overlap between the two terms).

 

** Contributed by Matthew Streit

 

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