Scott Foresman Reading Street

Vocabulary Strategy

Use a dictionary or glossary to determine word meaning.

INTRODUCE

Remind students of strategies they can use when they encounter a word used in a new way.

Ask whether the meaning they know for a word makes sense in the context.
Look for new meanings of the word in a dictionary or glossary.
Choose the meaning that makes sense.

TEACH

Discuss the steps on p. 68 for using a dictionary or glossary.
Have students think about words with multiple meanings as they read "Becoming American."
Model looking up meanings of still.

MODEL In the last sentence I
see the word still. I know still
can mean "yet," but that

meaning doesn't fit here. I look up still in a dictionary and find several meanings. The one that fits best in the sentence is "to make calm or quiet." It makes sense to say, "Having a better life did not calm their feelings for their homeland."

then… use Tested Vocabulary Cards.

If… students need more practice with the lesson vocabulary,

Dictionary/Glossary

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

Have students determine the meanings of the remaining words and explain how they used the glossary to determine each meaning.
Ask students which words have more than one definition in the glossary. Ask how they decided which meaning makes the most sense in this context.
Have students work in pairs, asking each other yes/no questions like the ones on
p. 68b about the vocabulary words.
Have students complete Practice Book p. 25.

WRITE Letters should include several

vocabulary words as well as words that describe a newcomer's view of the United States.

Practice Book p. 25

with | without Answers

If it doesn't make sense, look up the word in a dictionary or glossary to see what other meanings the word can have.

As you read “Becoming American,” look for
words that can have more than one meaning.
Use a dictionary or glossary to find meanings
to try in the sentence. Which meaning makes sense?

Choose the one that makes the best sense in
the sentence.

Read all the meanings given for the word. Try
each in the sentence.

Find the entry for the word. The entries are in alphabetical order.

Try the meaning that you know. Does it make
sense in the sentence?

Dictionary/Glossary Sometimes when you are reading, you may see a word whose meaning
you know, but that meaning doesn't make sense
in the sentence. It may be a word that has more than one meaning. You can use a dictionary or glossary to help you.

for Multiple-Meaning Words

Vocabulary Strategy

amazed

longed

still

sculptures

towering

bewildered

homeland

life. Towering buildings called
skyscrapers soared into the sky.
They seemed like sculptures
that symbolized the power and
promise of the new land.
All around the immigrants were energy and growth. They learned
a new language and new customs. They worked tirelessly. They contributed to their new country. Sooner or later, the newcomers were accepted.
The new life did not take away the pain of loss, though. The new Americans longed for the sights and people they had left behind. Having a better life did not still
their feelings for their homeland.

People from around the world
have been moving to the United
States since it began. Full of
hope, they left their homeland.
They spent weeks crossing the
treacherous ocean. Many arrived
in strange cities that did not
welcome them. The English
language and the new mix of
customs in America bewildered
them. Often they could only get
poorly paid jobs that others did
not want.
However, they found much that
amazed them. There was real
freedom for American citizens.
There was a feeling that anyone
could work hard and have a better

Pretend the year is 1900 and you have just come to the United States from another country. Write a letter home describing your new country. Use words from the Words to Know list.



	Close
	Access Content Use ELL Poster 3 to preteach vocabulary. Choose from the following to meet language proficiency levels. Beginning Have students point out any words they are familiar with and say or gesture the meaning of each. Intermediate Complete a vocabulary frame for an unfamiliar word. Predict the meaning and then verify it in a dictionary or glossary. Advanced Teach the lesson on pp. 68–69. Have students ask and answer questions about the vocabulary words similar to the questions on p. 68b. Resources for home-language words may include parents, bilingual staff members, bilingual dictionaries, or online translation sources. Dictionary/Glossary Provide two sentences with the word long: We long for summer. We must wait a long time. Look up long in the student glossary and match each meaning to its context.