TEACHING CONCEPTS and VOCABULARY Principles and Strategies Jill Kerper Mora San Diego State University

What is a concept?
CONCEPTS are (1) categories into which experiences are organized and (2) the larger network of intellectual relationships brought about through categorization. Understanding a concept requires some level of critical thinking in order to make associations between words and ideas according to certain criteria. Objects or events are sorted into concept categories according to their basic characteristics or critical attributes. The critical attributes must be present in a particular sequence, relationship or patterns to qualify for category placement. These represent the concept criteria. The specific ordering of attributes is known as the concept definition or rule.

Planning inventory for teaching a concept

1. What name is commonly applied to the concept?
Ex. Lake

2. What is the concept's rule or definition?

Ex. A body of water surrounded by land.

3. What are the essential characteristics or critical attributes of the concept?

Ex. land, water, surrounding

4. What are the non-critical attributes typically associated with the concept?
Ex. size, location, depth

5. What are some interesting and learner-relevant examples or cases of the concept which you can use in its explanation?
Ex. local lakes, mountain lakes, desert lakes

6. What are some contrasting non-examples of the concept that will help clarify or illustrate the concept?
Ex. ocean, stream

7. What are some cues, questions or directions that can be employed to call attention to critical and non-critical attributes in the concept examples?
Ex: "Look at all the points where the water meets the land."

8. What is the most efficient, interesting and thought-provoking medium (or media) by which to present examples and non-examples?
Ex. slides, aerial photographs

9. What level of concept mastery do you expect of students and how will you measure it?
Ex. Be able to define "lake" and state the similarities and differences this body of water has with other major bodies of water through a project.

Teaching word meanings related to concepts: How to select and teach vocabulary
1. Word meanings are best learned through conceptual development. This approach stresses in-depth understanding as opposed to surface understanding. Existing concepts can be used as a basis for acquiring new concepts. For example, a student who knows what a horse is can relate the new concept of unicorn to horse in order to understand the new concept. 2. Word meanings should be learned in context. The contextual setting gives student clues to word meanings. The teacher should provide examples in which the new word is used correctly and students should have opportunities to apply the word's meaning. 3. Vocabulary instruction should be based on learner-generated word meanings. Learner involvement increases understanding and memory; thus, when students use their experience and background knowledge to define words, they learn better. The words serve as labels for concepts and students associate words to a larger vocabulary and experiences.

4. Vocabulary should focus on usable words. The use of vocabulary related to a theme or instruction in "word webs" is helpful. Students should be taught how to figure out related words. 5. Students should be taught the use of context clues and structural analysis skills (prefixes, suffixes, root words). 6. Students should learn to use the dictionary, thesaurus and glossary to develop understanding of word meanings when they cannot figure out the meanings from experience, context or structural analysis.

Contextual aids to word meanings Type and examples

The following are ways to define words within a text. These forms of definition of words and terms can also be used to teach students to use context as clues to meaning while reading content-area texts. These are also useful as strategies for defining words in writing without isolating words from their context, thus focusing students on associating words with their related concepts. 1. Definition
A micrometer is an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances.

2. Restatement
A cockroach has two antennae, or feelers, on its head.

3. Example
"The ship plows the sea" is an example of a metaphor.

4. Comparison/contrast
A machete, like a sword, can be very dangerous. In bright light, the pupils of the eyes contract; in the dark, they dilate.

5. Description
A ginkgo is a tree of eastern China that has fan-shaped leaves and provides much shade.

6. Familiar experience

Artificial respiration was applied to the nearly drowned man.

7. Association
He ate as ravenously as a bear.

8. Synonyms/Antonyms
The mercury in the thermometer was dropping--the quicksilver was contracting. The acid, not the base, reddened the litmus paper.

9. Reflection of mood
All alone, Jim heard the creaking sound of the opening door and saw a shadowy figure standing suddenly before him. Jim was literally stupefied.

10. Summary
Even though he was sixty-five years old, he continued to love sports. He played a skillful game of tennis and seldom missed his daily swim. He was very athletic. Sources: Roe, B.D., Stoodt, B.B., & Burns, P.C. (1987). Secondary School Reading Instruction: The Content Areas. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Cooper, J. M. (Ed.). (1986). Classroom Teaching Skills. Boston, MA: D.C. Heath.

This page was last updated on 07/26/02

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