$4.99
The Vocabulary Puzzle is a simple but effective tool. It’s a matching exercise in which students use their prior knowledge to match up Latin words with their English meanings.
25 downloadable/printable puzzles & keys
The Vocabulary Puzzle helps students not only to remember but to understand the vocabulary better. Not only that, it helps them build up their analytical skills at the same time. It works, and the students actually look forward to doing the puzzle at the beginning of each chapter.
Included: 1 instruction sheet and downloadable/printable puzzles & keys for chapters 1-12 of Latin for the New Millennium chapters 1-12.
Description
What is the Vocabulary Puzzle?
The Vocabulary Puzzle is intended to be students’ first encounter with the Vocabulary to Learn in a given chapter of Latin for the New Millennium Level I. It consists of two tables. One table has the Latin words from the Vocabulary to Learn list for a given chapter. The second table has the English meanings of the words, in random order. The students write each Latin word into the box containing the correct English equivalent.
25 downloadable/printable sheets
I give them the puzzle before they’ve looked at the reading passage or the vocabulary list. They are supposed to try to use their prior knowledge to match up Latin words with their English meanings. Also, I do not allow them to look in their books or at any other resources at this stage of the process.
How does it help students?
After they seem to have reached the limit of what they can do on their own (which is more than most of them think – don’t quit too early!) we go over the results together. I ask the students to share their answers and to explain their reasoning for each answer. This last step is very important, because it makes them examine how the process of learning works in their own minds. It helps them understand the words more deeply, as opposed to simply remembering a definition. At the same time, it also helps them develop analytical thinking skills.
The Vocabulary Puzzle is a very simple tool, but I’ve found it to be quite effective. It works, and the students actually look forward to doing the puzzle at the beginning of each chapter.
What’s in the Package?
This package contains an information sheet on the use of the Vocabulary Puzzle, along with a downloadable/printable puzzle and key for each of the first 12 chapters of Latin for the New Millennium Level I.
Puzzles for chapters 13-21 are available HERE.
