Mad Hatter's Vocabulary Bonnet

There is a method to the madness of creating fun ways to help our students learn vocabulary words. The authors of this article describe how they introduced a ‘hat parade’ to their fifth gra... See More

There is a method to the madness of creating fun ways to help our students learn vocabulary words. The authors of this article describe how they introduced a ‘hat parade’ to their fifth graders to help them learn science terms. Emphasizing visual literacy and providing chances to give clear, concise speeches are two of the skills students get to practice as a result of this series of activities. The photos of the students’ work is worth a peak. There are some very fashionable vocabulary hats on display!

Hats off to science

This engaging activity involves students in the creation of vocabulary hats worn during a science vocabulary parade. Many literacy connections are evident in the article; students researche... See More

This engaging activity involves students in the creation of vocabulary hats worn during a science vocabulary parade. Many literacy connections are evident in the article; students researched their words; recorded their ideas on a planning template, made oral presentations, and took notes during presentations. The promise of a parade no doubt acted as a motivator for all students to do their best job learning and depicting science vocabulary. The activities described in this article develop visual literacy and vocabulary and represent creative ways to address Common Core standards. Although students are not engaged in science inquiry, a modification to this activity could involve students creating hats that represent experimental findings.