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Vocabulary pre-teaching selection for a text with heavy jargon
I'm assigning the text below to grade_level students and I know some vocabulary will block comprehension if I don't pre-teach it. Help me choose wisely, not just list every unfamiliar word.
Text: text_excerpt
Do this:
1. Identify words/terms likely to block comprehension for this grade level, then split them into two groups: words essential to understanding the text's MAIN idea (must pre-teach) versus words that appear but aren't load-bearing for the core meaning (students can infer from context or skip without losing the thread, don't pre-teach these, it wastes instructional time and over-scaffolds).
2. For each essential word, write a brief, grade-appropriate definition, plus one example sentence using it in a context DIFFERENT from the assigned text, so students learn the concept, not just recognize it in this one sentence.
3. For 2-3 of the non-essential words, briefly note what context clue in the text a student could actually use to infer meaning, so I can point students toward using that skill rather than assuming they need it defined.
4. Suggest a quick pre-teaching format that takes under 5 minutes total (not a full vocabulary lesson) appropriate for the number of essential words identified.
5. Flag if any single word is so central that misunderstanding it would cause a student to misread the text's main argument entirely, that one deserves extra emphasis beyond just a quick definition.