Activity

The Old Man and the Sea: Vocabulary Strategy

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Readers read more closely when they think critically about a text. Discuss the words and concepts from Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea with a class activity that asks readers to not only record unfamiliar words they find in the novel, but ideas sparked by the word as well.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use a whiteboard to have the discussion as a whole class, or distribute small whiteboards or tablets for small groups to categorize the vocabulary words
  • Encourage readers to look up any confusing or unfamiliar words in the dictionary
  • Have the discussion about vocabulary words and concepts throughout the novel unit, so you can continuously introduce new words
Classroom Considerations
  • Lesson plan instructions are a little vague
  • Activity uses Post-It notes, but you could use another way to record the words on a board or projector
Pros
  • Encourages readers to look critically at the new concepts they find in the novel
  • Versatile for any book or short story
  • Engages the whole class to work together when discussing words they've found in the text
Cons
  • Lesson does not include an assessment or check for understanding
Common Core