What's the Buzz? Getting Ready for Level Three Bee (Advanced) Words (Grades 6-8)
In this class, older students will learn about competing in spelling bees and the Scripps National Spelling Bee program. They will also learn to spell 60 Level Three Bee (advanced) spelling bee words and will learn the basics of etymology.
Pamela Howell
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(83)
What's included
6 live meetings
5 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
I will ask an ice breaker question of the students and encourage them to interact with me and other students for a few minutes at the start of each class. Then, for each class, I will follow this format as we learn Level Three Bee (advanced) words. 1. Introduce my background and experience as a county spelling bee coordinator associated with the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 2. Explain what spelling bees are all about and how students might consider competing in one in their local communities. 3. Learn to spell 10 words commonly found on spelling bee competition lists. We will practice 10 new words every class. We will learn the definitions of these words along with their country of origin, part of speech, as well as the etymology of the words. Words will come from school study lists provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee program. 4. Practice the spelling words in creative ways. (See below for examples.) 5. Wrap up and question and answer session. Class #1: This week's words are lacrosse, McIntosh, ignoble, diaphoresis, kurta, Hyperion, Geiger, thermohaline, gannet, and palladium. We will discuss what etymology (the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history) is, and play the "Country of Origin" game (Etymology Games, Study.com). Class #2: This week's words are brevet, pamphlet, palindrome, visite, satsuma, stirrups, Connemara, abundance, calamitous, and dropsonde. We will discuss how words evolve over time, and we will play the Word Evolution game (Etymology Games, Study.com). Class #3: This week's words are proclamation, hokum, colossal, coltan, squadron, marinate, anagrams, verandas (or verandahs), Himalayan, and aspersions. We will discuss using affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and roots to find the meaning of words. (Using Affixes and Roots to Find the Meaning of Words, Study.com). Class #4: This week's words are culminate, helium, steeplechasing, Teflon, bantam, apprentice, reluctant, heritage, sojourner, and derogatory. Watch a brief Study.com video on cognates (words that comes from the same origin as a word from a different language. Cognates between languages usually have similarities in spelling, pronunciation, and meaning). (What Are Cognates? - Definition & Examples, Study.com). Class #5: This week's words are palsy, Lascaux, synethesia (or synaesthesia), nefarious, halogens, gallium, smelters, hymnal, tartaric, and bindi. We will discuss common, general English spelling rules and their exceptions. Class #6: This week's words are Haitian, divan, badminton, bayonet, currycomb, haughty, hesitate, opportunity, Apollo, and accordance. Students will participate in a mock spelling bee using the words they've learned in this six-week class. Bibliography: "Etymology Games." Study.com, 20 September 2016,study.com/academy/lesson/etymology-games.html "Using Affixes and Roots to Find the Meaning of Words." Study.com, 14 December 2014,study.com/academy/lesson/using-affixes-and-roots-to-find-the-meaning-of-words.html "What Are Cognates? - Definition & Examples." Study.com, 23 September 2017,study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-cognates-definition-examples.html
Learning Goals
Students will learn what spelling bees are and how they might participate in one in their local communities. (While I can't guarantee every community will offer a spelling bee, I will try to help your student find one in which they can compete.)
Students will learn about the Scripps National Spelling Bee. (Although most of its participants are from the U.S., students from countries such as The Bahamas, Canada, the People's Republic of China, India, Ghana, Japan, Jamaica, Mexico, and New Zealand have also competed in recent years. Historically, the competition has been open to, and remains open to, the winners of sponsored regional spelling bees in the U.S. (including territories such as Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Navajo Nation, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with overseas military bases in Germany and South Korea). Participants from countries other than the U.S. must be regional spelling-bee winners as well.
The engaging spelling activities will come from various sources like ThoughtCo.com and Study.com. (I have a subscription to Study.com) and the activities on ThoughtCo.com are free to use. Some websites I will use are listed below.
Other Details
Supply List
A journal. A pen or pencil. Colored pencils. (At least six, different colors.) I will supply the words for the students to learn each week. Students will need to download the free Word Club app through the Scripps National Spelling Bee. We will use this app frequently. It has a variety of games and spelling bee words to help students learn. Students will also need to download the free Quizlet app on their phones.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined January, 2020
4.9
83reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am offering this class in particular because of my experience coordinating the Tom Green County (Texas) Spelling Bee when I was special editions editor of the San Angelo Standard-Times in San Angelo, Texas. I ran the county bee and chaperoned the county winners and their families at the Scripps National Bee in Washington. D.C. for three years. I have also always enjoyed spelling and sharing my love of words with my students. I believe that learning to spell can be fun and I would love to help students succeed in spelling bees.Reviews
Live Group Class
$90
for 6 classes1x per week, 6 weeks
55 min
Completed by 11 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-13
1-12 learners per class
