CONCEPTS

Reading Services Center

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Semantic Mapping: Concept

1. Write the concept word in the middle of the paper.
2. Have students give characteristics.
3. Write the characteristics around the concept word, connecting with an arrow pointing toward the characteristic.
   
   Example:

Semantic Feature Analysis

1. Identify a category of words such as tools.
2. Identify features of tools.
3. Make a grid with the names of tools at the left and the features across the top.
4. Place a + or - in each cell to show whether that feature is present in that tool.
5. Comparisons can be made and conclusions drawn by looking at the word grid.
   For instance, how many tools are used in the dirt ?

   Example:

Words	pounds	cuts	grips	wood	cloth	in dirt	handle
hammer	+	-	-	+	-	-	+
saw	-	+	-	+	-	-	+
scissors	-	+	-	-	+	-	+
pliers	-	-	+	+	-	-	+
hoe	-	+	-	-	-	+	+

Word Concepts

1. Provide a list of words.
2. Have students group the words according to some relationship that they recognize.

   1. Examples:

      1. car
         boat
         rail
         bicycle
         water
         road
         train
         cable car
         raft

GROUP 1	GROUP 2	GROUP 3
car	train	boat
bicycle	rail	raft
road	cable car	water

Vocabulary Building/Word Concepts

A target word such as mammals is selected to be developed.

1. List examples of mammals.
2. List non-examples of mammals.
3. Give the salient characteristics of mammals.
4. Have students use this information and check their understanding in one of these ways:
   1. Give other examples of mammals.
   2. Give other non-examples of mammals.
   3. One child says the name of an animal and another states whether it is a mammal.
   4. Give the name of an animal and have the children determine whether it is a mammal by deciding whether it has all the salient characteristics.
   5. Draw a circle with the word "mammal" inside. Put names of animals around the circle. Students will mark out the names of animals that are not mammals.
   6. If other kinds of animals have been studied, examples of animals can be classified based on the characteristics already studied.
   7. Create a new kind of mammal and describe it in terms of characteristics.
      
      

Concept Definition

Use this slotting pattern to direct students to define word concepts in terms of category and function.

A _______________is a(n) ____________ that _______________.

Examples:

A bird is an animal that flies.
An apple is a fruit that is red, round, and has seeds.