Voc. Lesson with Mississippi Bridge

Carrie Podrasky: Vocabulary Lesson: Mississippi Bridge
This text is a prefect example of the opportunity to have a very beneficial lesson centered on vocabulary. With large amount of southern vernacular used by the author through out the entire book, students will probably find at least one word on each page that they are unsure of. As a teacher, I would plan my lesson around exploring the types of words and structure of language used in this story. To begin with, I would make a list of about 20-25 words that as a class we wanted to use for further exploration. I would write the words on the chalkboard or a large piece of paper. Using a dictionary or thesaurus, each student would write the meaning of the word and use it in a sentence or draw it in a picture. The main point of this lesson is to explore words less commonly used in this region but are used in other parts of the country. This could be a whole class activity, individual, or small group. It would depend on the age level and reading level of the class. This lesson could also relate to a social studies lesson.