On the first day of school, my students figured out what kind of learner they are. The vast majority of them turned out to be kinesthetic learners. It seems like every year that number grows.
We started our first vocabulary unit in 6th grade, and with kinesthetic learners in mind, these are a few of the activities that have been a hit.
We started our first vocabulary unit in 6th grade, and with kinesthetic learners in mind, these are a few of the activities that have been a hit.
Word Bags
These are quick and easy, and keep the students engaged. The students cut up index cards and write vocabulary words on strips. They just write the words, not the definitions. They keep these little words in a ziplock bag and we call them word bags. Clever title, I know. I wish I came up with it.
Every day we get these words out for about ten minutes and act them out. For instance, I'll say, "take the word that means something that represents something else, and stand up with it and act like the statue of liberty." They hold up the word "symbol" in their best statue of liberty pose and we can talk about how that is a symbol and how it relates to our word.
Every day we get these words out for about ten minutes and act them out. For instance, I'll say, "take the word that means something that represents something else, and stand up with it and act like the statue of liberty." They hold up the word "symbol" in their best statue of liberty pose and we can talk about how that is a symbol and how it relates to our word.
Snowball Fight
Have students choose a word and write it on the top of a scratch sheet of paper. On the first line, they are to give an example (or non-example) of the word. They all wad their papers up and throw them across the room. When they pick up the next sheet, they add to that list. You can then review the papers and talk about each word. My students go nuts over this activity. Maybe it's because we don't get much snow in Texas.
Manic Miner
This has always been a class favorite. Go to www.classtools.net and upload your vocabulary words and definitions. It will give you a link to give to your students. The class favorite is always Manic Miner. You play as a knock off Mario character who has to get the right words, find the key, and jump down a toilet into the next level. There is a nice gaseous sound effect that goes with it.
Zondle
Zondle is another class favorite. You can sign all of your students up at zondle.com. It's a lot like classtools, in that you upload your vocabulary and the students play games. The students can earn Zollars by playing and can redeem them in your class for different things.