For Word Up Levels: Green, Yellow and Blue
Fix the Mistake
In the first exercise, students must replace an incorrectly used vocabulary word with the correct word from the unit. By rewriting the sentence, students gain experience using each word correctly. You may find it preferable, however, to tell students to simply write the correct word on the line below. This saves time, and, while it won't give them as much experience writing with the word in context, it may be adequate.If students feel that the amount of space provided is not enough to rewrite the sentence, instruct them to write their answers above and below the line in the workbook or on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Before the students complete this exercise, encourage them to use context clues to help determine which word will be the best fit. Have students look at the overall meaning of the sentence without looking at the bold vocabulary word. Tell them to ask themselves which words in the sentence act as clues to the meaning of the sentence. Once they determine what the missing word should mean, they can then look for the word that fits from the unit list. Note that each word should be used only once, so that the later questions will be easier to complete than the earlier ones.
This exercise can be particularly challenging, so we recommend that you pair it with the Word Up baseball game in our Mini Games.
Pick the Winner
In this section, students determine which of the two provided words fits the meaning of the sentence and circle their answer. They then use the alternate word to create their own meaningful sentences. This exercise builds on the skills developed in "Section D: Fix the Mistake," while giving students an opportunity to use words in their own creative sentences.
Draw the Relationship
In a group of words, students connect synonyms using straight lines and antonyms using squiggly lines. This exercise develops synonym and antonym identification skills, and provides additional exposure to the words. Every word will have at least one connection, and some words may have more than one.
Understanding What You Read
Developed explicitly to mimic the type of tasks students must complete on high-stakes state assessments, this exercise asks students to read a passage and answer reading comprehension questions. Passages are primarily nonfiction and feature seven or eight of the unit's vocabulary words used organically throughout. Only rarely do the questions test students' knowledge of vocabulary directly, but instead test their reading comprehension, which ultimately reflects their knowledge of vocabulary used in the passages. These types of questions appear on standardized assessments in nearly every state in the U.S.
You can have students complete the questions by themselves and then compare answers with a partner to discuss which answers they think are correct before you go over the answers as a class.
Thinking Creatively
This section asks students to apply the words they've learned in creative ways. The questions do not necessarily have right or wrong answers (though students may demonstrate that they don't understand a word's correct meaning) but instead allow the students to apply the words in a meaningful way to their own lives. This section develops creative writing and critical thinking skills. An optional assignment is to have students choose one of these creative prompts and write a short essay on the topic using some vocabulary words from that unit.
Word Breakdown
Finally, each unit ends with a Word Breakdown section in which we analyze the origins, roots and uses of a word or two from the unit. You may wish to have students write their own Word Breakdown for an additional word in the unit. Word etymologies can be found at www.etymonline.com.