Science is a new language

Have you ever introduced a science vocabulary word and watched your students’ eyes glaze over before you’ve even finished saying it?

Photosynthesis. Microscope. Geothermal. Ecosystem. Biodiversity.

For middle school students, science vocabulary can sometimes feel like learning an entirely new language. And in some ways, it is! The vocab can really bog a middle schooler down – even if they grasp the concept of Punnett squares, for example, words like homozygous and allele make success unachievable. Middle schoolers need engaging, interactive ways to reinforce new terms so they truly stick.

Whether you have five minutes before the bell rings or need a brain break activity, these ideas will help students build confidence with vocabulary in a way that feels more like play than work.

Get to the ROOT of the problem

Practice common prefixes, suffixes, and roots frequently. Write them on the bulletin board, introduce a new one every week, spiral practice throughout the year. You’re not just learning vocab for today – learning roots helps students be better learners next year and beyond.

Try these Boom cards to start.

Create Anchor Charts or Word Walls

A brightly colored and illustrated word wall or anchor chart catches students eyes and reinforces vocab without students even realizing they’re learning. Bonus points if your students create them.

Comic Strips or Memes

Illustrate terms with images to help you remember them.

Mnemonics

We all know “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.” Have students create mnemonics for lists like metric prefixes or characteristics of minerals.

Self Checking Worksheets

Students build grit when they have the option for practice with feedback. Self Checking Worksheets help students practice without risk.

Color by number

Color by number worksheets offer practice and a little brain break while you’re at it. Try one for free by clicking here.

Play a Game

• Charades – write vocab on index cards and have students work in pairs to act out terms for their classmates to guess.
• Pictionary – Let teams draw vocab terms on the white board for their partners to guess.
• Matching – write vocab term on index cards and write definitions on separate cards. After students match the terms, let them check each other’s work for additional reinforcement.
• Digital games like Kahoot, Quizlet Live, Boom Cards, and Blooket are favorites.
• I Have, Who Has is a fun whole class game that reinforces vocab easily.

What’s your favorite way to reinforce vocabulary?