Show-Don't+Tell

**Show-Don't Tell**

**Content** Math Vocabulary This strategy can be used for students to learn and reinforce their knowledge of vocabulary. Further, this strategy allows students to show their knowledge of the vocabulary through use of pictures and movements.

**Grade Level** This strategy can be used for students in grades K-12 due to the fact that vocabulary is used in every grade level. The difficulty in movements may range according to class ability and age. For example, a teacher can instruct their class to either just draw out the vocabulary word or just act out the vocabulary word using a motion rather than having the student create both a picture and movement.

**Curriculum Standards** For seventh grade students, this strategy uses the following CSO's:
 * M.O.7.1.1- compare, order, and differentiate among integers, decimals, fractions, and irrational numbers using multiple representations (e.g., symbols, manipulatives, graphing on a number line).
 * M.O.7.1.4- justify the use of commutative, associative, distributive, identity and inverse properties to simplify numeric expressions
 * M.O.7.3.1- identify and construct angle-pairs, adjacent, complementary, supplementary, vertical, congruent segments and angles, perpendicular bisectors of segments, angle bisectors

**Description of Practices** This vocabulary strategy allows students to practice and enhance their knowledge of vocabulary. Although this strategy is being written up for Math, it can be used in any subject across the curriculum.

The steps for implementing this strategy with all students are
 * 1) Pass out a list of vocabulary words being studied to each student.
 * 2) Pass out an index card or small piece of paper to each student, each with a different vocabulary word written on it. Once every student has a different vocabulary word, pass out a large piece of paper and crayons/markers/colored pencils.
 * 3) Instruct each student to create a picture and corresponding movement to represent their given vocabulary word. Before the students begin to create their picture and movement, they should be told to keep their creations hidden from their classmates.
 * 4) Once every student completes their picture and corresponding movement, have each student come to the front of the room and present their picture and corresponding movement. After the student completes their movement, the rest of the class will be instructed to begin guessing which vocabulary word the student is representing. **This can be completed as a whole group, in small groups, or with partners.**
 * 5) **Once the students guess the vocabulary word being presented, the rest of the class or group will echo the movement.**
 * 6) **Every time a new word is presented and guessed, the participants will review all of the words presented thus far as a review. In order to do so, the students will state the word followed by the word's corresponding movement.**
 * 7) **After completion of this strategy, collect all of the pictures.**
 * 8) **The following day, show the pictures to the students and have them act out the movement representing the picture/vocabulary word as a review.**

Implementation Considerations
 * This strategy can be used in any classroom setting. In order to implement efficiently, the teacher should first start with a small vocabulary list and use whole group instruction. Once the class understands the rules and expectations, the teacher can then implement this strategy with small groups, whole group, or partners. The strategy would be implemented the same regardless of the way that the students are setup.**

Example** **Citation** Hollas, Betty (2005). //Differentiating instruction in a whole-group setting//. New Hampshire: Crystal Springs Books.
 * The example below is discussing vocabulary strategies and how writing a sentence using the given vocabulary word is not effective when reinforcing vocabulary knowledge with students. The video also discusses how paper and pencil exercises are not effective for students when learning vocabulary. Although the video does not show the strategy being used as I explained above, the video shows two students working in partners and showing a picture to represent a vocabulary word. This is how the Show-Don't Tell could be implemented without the corresponding movements to go along with the picture.
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjvQvoqH-Vw