How To: Vocabulary Matching Games The Constitution Vocabulary Term Definition 1787 The Constitution is Written in Philadelphia Alexander Hamilton One of the Authors Of the Federalist Papers Patrick Henry Member of the AntiFederalist Movement James Madison Major contributor and Author of the Constitution Magna Carta First example of The King giving up power in England English Bill of Rights Further limited the powers of the King in England Mayflower Compact Pilgrim Men agreed to have fair laws to protect the people Articles Of Confederation First formal Constitution of The US ®SAISD Social Studies Department Reproduction rights granted only if copyright information remains intact. How To - Vocabulary Matching Games Page 2 When? How? Why? What? How To: Vocabulary Matching Games Vocabulary matching games that commonly use the following or a combination of: • Terms students need to master for learning especially terms associated with the vocabulary of the discipline • Definitions that are associated with the terms • Visual representations associated with the terms • Examples associated/connected to with the terms To help develop a student’s ability to recognize and apply the language of the discipline, they have to practice using the terms in multiple formats. Vocabulary matching games can come in different forms and complexities, but they all have the basic component of having students match a term to a representation of what that term means. When developing a game, try to limit the amount of words used in the game. [Even with the large amount of terms associated with Social Studies, it is important to chunk the information] Come up with variations of the common characteristics of vocabulary matching games. (For an example, a beginner game would be Term-Visual or Term - Definition - Visual variety and an advanced game might include the Term - Example variety) Create the template for the game. Print out and cut out enough sets for your classes. To conduct the game: Divide students into small groups (2-3). Explain the rules of the game to students. Have students work as a team to complete the challenge you set before them. Once teams have completed their challenge, have students apply the vocabulary: Use [Insert Number] of the terms in a paragraph to explain an event / pattern / concept. Pick [Insert Number] of the terms to act out an event / pattern / concept. This strategy can be used at any time during an introductory phase or during the guided practice phase of a lesson cycle. ®SAISD Social Studies Department Reproduction rights granted only if copyright information remains intact. How To - Vocabulary Matching Games Page 1