The Great Kapok Tree

Word Bank Strategy

Try this brainstorming technique to maximize your word banks. Record the children's
responses on a chart (see sample below). Keep the chart on display for students to refer
to when they do writing activities.
How To
Choose a specific topic, e.g. rain forest animals.
Ask five questions about the topic.
1. What are the names of some rain forest animals?
2. What do the rain forest animals do?
3. Where do the rain forest animals live?
4. What do rain forests animals eat?
5. What sounds do rain forest animals make?
Make a chart with one or two-word headings taken from each question (see sample
chart below). Ask one question at a time and list student responses in the
appropriate column.
Suggested Activities
Direct students to write a story using one word from each column. Challenge your
better writers to use two or three words from each column.
Give students a story frame; let them choose words from the Word Bank to write
in the blanks.
Write some words from the Word Bank on rectangular cards. Use for pocket chart
activities.
Sample Chart

Rain Forest Animals

names do live eat sounds

boa slither in tree tops insects roar
constrictor
collect in tree small animals hoot
three-toed pollen trunks
sloth leaves hiss
climb underground
anteater ants screech
crawl on the sloth

C 1991 Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 39 *272 Thematic Unit - Our Environment