Robust Vocabulary Lesson: Armadillo Rodeo
Writtenand Illustrated by Jan Brett; AR B.L. 3.4
Robust Vocabulary Lesson created by: Faith Dellera, 1st grade Teacher,
Numa Elementary School, Fallon, NV March 2014
As always, make adaptations to the words selected to meet the needs of your diverse students.
Tier 2 Words Selected:*distracted (adj.)
*curious (adj.)
*amble (verb)
*twitch
*douse
Other Tier 2 Words Considered:
*wandering
*commotion
*trundled
Tier 3 Words:
*armadillo
*rodeo
*arena
Planning for instruction/ Resources needed-
A copy of the book:Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett
Vocabulary word strips (Day 3)
Day 1- Read aloud Armadillo Rodeoby Jan Brett. During reading, briefly clarify the following words as needed to aid in comprehension: _
commotion-a lot of disruptive noise,
armadillo- a small animal that has a shell made of hard material, and lives in parts of North and South America.
rodeo- a type of entertainment in which cowboys ride wild horses, catch cattle with ropes and ride in races.
arena-a building with a large flat central area surrounded by seats where sports or entertainments take place.
Day 2- Introduce Tier 2 Vocabulary Words using the following steps:
- Say the word and show the written word on a card or listed on the board.
- Tell the students the word in the context of the story. “In the story…”
- Provide a student-friendly definition
- Talk about the word in an additional context beyond the one used in the story.
- Give students opportunities to interact with the word. (Partners discuss, hand gestures, act out, etc. as appropriate)
Distracted means having a hard time paying attention.
For example, My puppy distracts my son when he is trying to do his homework.
Opportunity for practice
I am going to read you five sentences. If the sentence shows an example of distraction, then look away as if you were distracted. If the sentence does not show an example of distraction, don’t say or do anything. .
- John is working on his math homework quietly in his room.
- Brenda is building her science project carefully with her Mom’s help.
- Eric is doing his homework while he plays video games.
- Juan is texting his brother while the teacher is giving his class directions.
- Kristin is talking on her phone while driving her car.
Curious means wanting to know about something.
For example: The mysterious music at the beginning of the movie increased my curiosity.
Opportunity for practice;
I will give you some examples of curious. If the examples would make you curious put one finger to your chin and say “curious”. If it is not an example of something that would make you curious say “not curious”.
A wrapped present
a secret
An ordinary day
Two people whispering in a corner
uninterested or don’t care
A new student walks into the classroom
A TV show you have seen before
*amble- Show students the page from the book and re-read the following sentences: His friend was nibbling on something green, so Bo ambled over and took a big bite. Amble means to walk slowly in a relaxed way.
For example, the cowboy ambled slowly over to his horse.
What do you think it would look like to amble? Choose five volunteer; give three of them a card with the word amble written on it, one with the word skip, and one with the word hop. Have each of your volunteers take a turn acting out the word on the card. For each demonstration, ask the class to say “amble” if the volunteer demonstrates ambling or to remain quiet if the movement does not demonstrate ambling.
*douse-Show students the page from the book and re-read the following sentences: It was a red-hot, bright green jalapeno pepper. His mouth on fire, Bo ran out and doused his head in lemonade to stop the burn. Doused means to stop a fire from burning by pouring water on it.
For example, the fireman doused the fire.
Opportunity for practice;
I will give some examples of douse. If the example shows something being doused, say douse and cover your head. If the example does not relate to douse, don’t say anything.
Pouring a lot of sauce all over your spaghetti
A piece of dry toast
A sudden heavy rain
A sprinkler gently watering the flowers
*twitch- Show students the page from the book and re-read the following sentences: In the story Back at the creek, his mama twitched an ear. “Is that hollerin’ one of my boys?” she asked. “Armadillos! One, two, three-Oh no, Bo!” Twitchmeans a small sudden movement. For example, If a part of someone’s body twitches it makes a small sudden movement. He twitched his eyebrows.
Opportunity for practice;
I will demonstrate some movements. If you notice a twitch, say “twitch,” and twitch a part of your face. If not, do not say anything.
Teacher will demonstrate the following:
Sleeping peacefully (not moving)
Hearing a distracting noise that makes you jerk
Hitting your knee cap to make it move
Sitting still in your chair
Day 3-Practice with words:
- Students should have an opportunity to write and discuss the words with classmates.
- The most important thing is for students to discuss and use the words in context.
Day 4- Vocabulary Log:
- Depending on your classroom procedures or skill level of your students, provide an opportunity for students to record the Tier 2 words.
- These logs can be pages in which a student writes the vocabulary word, write a student friendly definition, draw a picture of the word, and in 1st grade some can try and write a sentence using the word.
Show pictures (attached) or ones you find to use for each one of the tier two vocabulary words. Mark the pictures with the letters A, B, C, D, E,F , one letter for each of the vocabulary words used.
Using the Armadillo Rodeo Vocabulary Assessment form have students match the picture (by letter only) to the correct vocabulary word.
*For advanced grades or students have them write a paragraph
Other options for instruction:
Jan Brett’s website ( has many academic lessons to use with this book.
Day 3:
having a hard time paying attention
wanting to know about something
to walk slowly in a relaxed way
a small sudden movement
to cover with water or other liquid
distracted
curious
amble
twitch
douse