Fighting Words: A Military History English Grammar & Vocabulary Builder
A fun way to learn challenging vocabulary words using Military History, terms and concepts. Learn Military English Grammar through many different teacher-led activities.
Keith (M.A. Military History)
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(362)
What's included
1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
Beginner Level
This class is designed to use Military History, military terms and phrases to improve vocabulary as well as improve English grammar. An astonishing number of words and expressions have entered our language through warfare and other hostilities. Some of them, such as "bazooka," and "jeep," are neologisms, pure inventions. Others are words whose original military meaning has been extended to an altogether different enterprise, such as an advertising "campaign," mountain climber's "bivouac," or football team's pep "rally." Still others have so changed that their original military significance has been quite forgotten—"avant-garde," "deadline," "magazine," "pioneer," "wardrobe." Understandably so many of the words associated with a Military Vocabulary deal extensively with Physical Geography - "summit", "terrain", "topography". This on-going, 30 minute class is designed for students who both enjoy Military History and learning new words. Each week our class we will cover between 5 and 10 new "Fighting Words" depending on the amount of discussion we generate sharing what we know about the new words. Each class will have new words, not in alphabetical order nor in any thematic presentation (except the first few weeks), so students may drop in when they wish to interact with the group learning the "Fighting Words of the day". Each "Fighting Word" presented will also have a historical example and/or anecdote to reinforce its meaning. We will form sentences using the word as well as discuss when and how the word might be used in writing or in conversation. Many of the "Fighting Words" will be words associated with Geography, since understanding terrain, topography, weather and climate are such an important part of Military History. Week of 1 May : Most Commonly Used Military History Vocabulary Words Week of 8 May : Ancient Military Vocabulary Words Week of 15 May : Nautical Vocabulary from the Age of Sail Week of 22 May : Sporty Words: Military History Vocabulary used in Sports Week of 29 May : Military History & Geography Words dealing with Terrain (Note: UK Parents - this class supports future GCSE courses such as Physical Geography and History (e.g., Changing Nature of Warfare).
Learning Goals
Students will improve their Military History vocabulary
Students will improve their understanding of Military History and Concepts
Students will learn to use the words appropriately in describing historical events
Other Details
Parental Guidance
All words used will be appropriate to the study of Military History and/or history and geography in general. Great effort has been made to redact any inappropriate slang words, phrases or other situations. This class is mainly meant to build vocabulary in the age ranges of 7-12. Slightly younger/older students are welcome to join.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
MAIN SOURCES USED FOR FIGHTING WORDS CLASS:
Anderson, R. C., & Nagy, W. E. (1991). Word meanings. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 2, pp. 690-724). New York, NY: Longman. Anderson, R. C., & Nagy, W. (1992). The vocabulary conundrum. American Educator, 16(4), 14-18, 44-47. Archer, A., & Hughes, C. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. New York, NY: Guilford. Baumann, J. F., & Kame’ennui, E. (2004). Vocabulary instruction: Research to practice. New York, NY: Guilford. Baumann, J. F., Kame’enui, E. J., & Ash, G. E. (2003). Research on vocabulary instruction: Voltaire redux. In J. Flood, J. M. Jenson, D. Lapp, & J. R. Squire (Eds.), Handbook on research on teaching the language arts (pp. 752-785). New York, NY: Macmillan. Baumann, J. F., Ware, D., & Edwards, E. C. (2007). Bumping into spicy, tasty words that catch your tongue: A formative experiment on vocabulary instruction. The Reading Teacher, 61(2), 108-122. Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2014). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. London, England: Pearson. Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York, NY: Guilford. Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2008). Creating robust vocabulary: Frequently asked questions & extended examples. New York, NY: Guilford. Biemiller, A. (2001). Teaching vocabulary. Early, direct, and sequential. American Educator, 25, 24-28. Blachowicz, C., & Fisher, P. (2005). Teaching vocabulary in all classrooms. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Carlisle, J. F. (2003). Morphology matters in learning to read: A commentary. Reading Psychology, 24(3-4), 291-322. Carlisle, J. F. (2010). Effects of instruction in morphological awareness on literacy achievement: An integrative review. Reading Research Quarterly, 45(4), 464-487. Coyne, M., McCoach, D. B., & Kapp, S. (2007). Vocabulary intervention for kindergarten students: Comparing extended instruction to embedded instruction and incidental exposure. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 30(2), 74-88. Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1997). Early reading acquisition and its relationship to reading experience and ability 10 years later. Developmental Psychology, 33(6), 934-945. Cunningham, A., & Stanovich, K. (1998). What reading does for the mind. American Educator, 22, 8-15. Dale, E. (1965). Vocabulary measurement: Techniques and major findings. Elementary English, 42, 895-901, 948. Ebbers, S. (2003). Vocabulary through morphemes. Longmont, CO: Sopris West. Ebbers, S. A., & Denton, C. A. (2008). A root awakening: Vocabulary instruction for older students with reading difficulties. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 23(2), 90-102. Farstrup, A., & Samuels, S. (Eds.). (2008). What research has to say about vocabulary instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Foorman, B. R., & Schatschneider, C. (2003). Measurement of teaching practices during reading/language arts instruction and its relationship to student achievement. In S. Vaughn & K. L. Briggs (Eds.), Reading in the classroom: Systems for the observation of teaching and learning (pp. 1-30). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. Frayer, D., Frederick, W. C., & Klausmeier, H. J. (1969). A schema for testing the level of cognitive mastery. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Center for Education. Graves, M. F. (2006). The vocabulary book: Learning & instruction. New York, NY: Teacher ’s College Press. Hart, B., & Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore, MD: Brookes. Heimlich, J. E., & Pittelman, S. D. (1986). Semantic mapping: Classroom application. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Hiebert, E., & Kamil, M. (Eds.). (2005). Teaching and learning vocabulary: Bringing scientific research to practice. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Hougen, M., & Ebbers, S. (2012). A comprehensive, interactive approach to vocabulary development. In M. Hougen & S. Smartt (Eds.). Fundamentals of literacy instruction and assessment Pre-K-6 (pp. 150-170). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. Johnston, F., Bear, D., & Invernizzi, M. (2006). Words their way: Word sorts for derivational relations spellers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Lederer, R. (1998). Crazy English. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Lehr, F., Osborn, J., & Hiebert, F. (2004). A focus on vocabulary. Honolulu, HI: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. Marzano, R. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement: Research on what works in schools. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Nagy, W. (1988). Teaching vocabulary to improve reading comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Nagy, W. E. (2005). Why vocabulary instruction needs to be long-term and comprehensive. In E. H. Hiebert & M. L. Kamil (Eds.), Teaching and learning vocabulary: Bringing scientific research to practice (pp. 27-44). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Nagy, W. E. (2007). Metalinguistic awareness and the vocabulary-comprehension connection. In R. K. Wagner, A. E. Muse, & K. R. Tannenbaum (Eds.), Vocabulary acquisition: Implications for reading comprehension (pp. 52-77). New York, NY: Guilford. Nagy, W. E., & Scott, J. A. (2000). Vocabulary processes. In M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 269-284). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Pearson, D. P., Hiebert, E., & Kamil, M. (2007). Vocabulary assessment: What we know and what we need to learn. Reading Research Quarterly, 42(2), 282-295. Robbins, C., & Ehri, L. (1994). Reading storybooks to kindergartners helps them learn new vocabulary words. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 54-64. Scarborough, H. S. (1998). Early identification of children at risk for reading disabilities: Phonological awareness and some other promising predictors. In B. K. Shapiro, P. J. Accardo, & A. J. Capute (Eds.), Specific reading disabilities: A review of the spectrum (pp. 75-119). Timonium, MD: York Press. Schwartz, R. M. (1988). Learning to learn vocabulary in content area textbooks. Journal of Reading, 32(2), 108-118.
Joined September, 2020
5.0
362reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
3 Degrees
Master's Degree in History from American Military University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from University of Maine at Farmington
Bachelor's Degree in History from Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada)
I am a certified (7-12) Social Studies teacher and have taught a variety of honors level courses (AS/A Level, KS3, GCSE, I.B. and A.P.) in both private and public schools over the past 30 years. Historical writing, source analysis, and exam preparation as well as an immersive approach to the study of history has made my classes both meaningful and enjoyable. My tutoring experience has spanned the entire 21st century with ACT, SAT, SSAT, ISEE, A.P. Histories, and Subject Tests. Reviews
Live Group Class
$15
weekly1x per week
45 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 7-12
3-18 learners per class
