Video Recordings from WordGen Weekly Classrooms (retired)

Teacher: Liz Fierst
Class: 7th Grade English

Topic: Rating Systems for Movies and Games
Day 1: Monday
This Week's Issue & Use the Focus Words
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Ms. Fierst asks students to list movies or games they have played and to write down its rating (if they know it).
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Ms. Fierst asks students to define and to think of additional other forms of the Word Generation focus words rating, banned, occur, interact, and complex.
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Ms. Fierst and students read and discuss the weekly passage. She then asks students to circle certain target words within the passage. Then Ms. Fierst shares the discussion questions for the weekly passage.
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Ms. Fierst asks the students to think and speak to each other about the questions posted about the weekly passage. Students then share their thoughts about the question with the class. Finally, Ms. Fierst asks questions based on the students' comments.

Teacher: Amanda Peterson
Class: 7th Grade Math

Topic: Rating Systems for Movies and Games
Day 2: Tuesday
Do the Math
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Ms. Peterson introduces the Word Generation topic for the week and reviews a portion of the weekly passage. She then asks students to come up with synonyms for the target words in the sentences to help form definitions.
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Next, Ms. Peterson asks students to look at the title of the table to better understand the data. She asks students questions about what the data express and explores what the word "average" means in the context of the table.
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Finally, Ms. Peterson reads the multiple choice question and asks students which test taking strategies might help them to better understand the data in the table and be able to find the correct answer. A student suggests trying first to estimate an answer. Another student suggests applying the process of elimination.

Teacher: Andrew Hayes
Class: 8th Grade Science

Topic: Pet Rental
Day 3: Wednesday
Thinking Scientifically
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Teacher introduces and discusses the target words for the lesson - including notion, whereas, and compatible. Students begin the Science Activity reading.
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Students work on the questions in the Science Activity.
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Teacher and students discuss the students' work.

Teacher: Liz Berges
Class: 8th Grade Social Studies

Topic: Doctor-assisted Suicide
Day 4: Thursday
Debate the Issue
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Ms. Berges asks students to choose a position on the debate topic. Students stand along a spectrum to orient themselves to a more in-depth discussion.
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Half of the class discusses their positions while the other half observes and takes notes. Observing group then comments about how the debate was carried out: Was there reasoning and evidence? Were the target words used?
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The two groups of students switch roles so that the observers get a chance to discuss the issue (fishbowl technique). The observing group then critiques the debate.
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The two groups switch roles again. Teacher asks students to try to apply counter arguments to the positions of the other students.
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The two groups once again switch roles. Teacher asks students to try to apply counter arguments to the positions of the other students. Teacher comments on the group's use of critical thinking, argumentation, and use of the focus words.
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A writing assignment followed the discussion this week in Ms. Berges' class.

Teacher: Sophia Hibbs
Class: 8th Grade English

Topic: Children's Health
Day 5: Friday
Taking a Stand
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Clip shows a detailed introduction and discussion of a rubric for Taking a Stand essay-writing assignments. Areas of emphasis include the following: Use of New Vocabulary; Thesis Sentence; Body Paragraph; Conclusion Sentence; Conventions of Writing (spelling, capitalization, punctuation, indented paragraphs, etc.)
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Students begin writing Taking a Stand essays. Student-teacher writing conferences begin. Ms. Hibbs reads student work aloud, which prompts student to identify errors. Teacher frequently refers to the rubric when conferring with students.
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Ms Hibbs assists a student as he composes.
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Student shares essay draft. Student briefly discusses topic. Student meets with teacher for writing conference. Ms. Hibbs uses rubric to evaluate the progress of the draft.

Development of Word Generation was led by Catherine Snow (Harvard University) and Suzanne Donovan (SERP). Major SERP contributors to program development include: Claire White, Alyse Krantz, Halley Wheeless, Matt Ellinger, David Dudley, and Patrick Hurley. Boston Public Schools and other districts in Massachusetts and Maryland collaborated with SERP to develop Word Generation.


Support for Word Generation was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Noyce Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Leon Lowenstein Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education through grant numbers R305A090555 and R305F100026. The information provided does not represent views of the funders.

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