Mini-Lesson

Building Vocabulary

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will define election-related words and terms.

1. Build background. List the following words and terms on the board: nomination process, primary contests, delegates, race, nominee, candidate, Democratic Party, Republican. Ask: What do these words have in common? (They all have to do with elections.) Call on volunteers to define the words and terms. Write the definitions on the board. Tell students that they'll come across all of these words in the timeforkids.com news story Battling On and On.

2. After reading paragraph 1 of the story, note that the writer defines the word delegate within the paragraph. Compare this definition with the one that was provided by the students. Point out that other words might not be defined within the story. In these cases, readers use prior knowledge to define the words, or they consult a dictionary.

3. After reading, leave time for discussion. Talk about any questions that students have about the article and the election. Then, review the definitions provided by the students at the start of the lesson. Define any words that students were unsure of in the beginning. Make notes next to each word: For example, next to Democrats write Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards. Next to Republicans write John McCain, President Bush.

4. Extend Learning: Have students add the words, terms and their definitions to their own election glossaries.