I love to discuss the content, tell stories, watch videos, and talk about big picture things. The problem is that without understanding of the key terms, only half of that information is getting effectively conveyed to my students. Since I lost my voice, today I decided to get some serious vocabulary practice in.
Frayer model time!
You all know what I'm talking about. Word in the center, 4 boxes. Definition, significance, cause, and a picture. I know I modified the formula a bit, but you get the gist. When I first started, a veteran teacher told me "if they can draw it, then they know it." We'll see if this bears fruit.