Vocabulary Activity: Gesture Like You Mean It!

I don't know about you, but vocabulary is one of the most difficult lessons to make "fun".  Sure, my students have done Marzanno's drawings and the perfunctory exercises, but I always struggle finding ways to make vocabulary lessons enjoyable for both my students and myself.  One of the best strategies that I've used in my classroom with my 7th grade students is to do hand motions with the words. 

Credit for this activity goes to my high school Spanish teacher, Mrs. Smoker, who always required gestures when learning new words.  Kudos to you, Sra. Smoker.  The Spanish may not have stuck, but I DID get something out of those classes.

After introducing, pronouncing, and defining vocabulary words, we create gestures that go with each word's meaning.  I must be honest, some students who are "too cool for school" roll their eyes, but eventually, peer pressure takes over and they are emphatically waving their arms like the rest of the class.

Throughout the week, whenever there is a moment of free time, I will announce a word, and expect that my students will immediately do the motions (and, for the most part, they do).  Not only does this break up the worksheets, it REALLY HELPS them learn their words.  I even witness a student or two each week performing their gestures discretely under their desks as they take their weekly quiz.

Note:
We use Word Up Flocabulary in a very abbreviated form.  My colleagues and I call this "Frankensteining" (which we know isn't a real word).  The entire workbook is too daunting to complete for every unit, so a smaller portion with different exercises is used instead.  We really like their word lists (words that they can actually use in their writing) and the students enjoy the raps.  If you subscribe to their online version, they have videos as well.  Fun!