Student Vocabulary Activities: Colonialism

These vocabulary activities will help students develop a deep understanding of the word “colonialism.” They may be used together or separately. 

FRAYER MODEL VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

• Activity Preparation
  • Supplies:
    • Frayer Model (one per student)
  • Set-Up:
    • As desired, project or display the definition of “colonialism.” 

• This activity will take approximately 20 minutes.

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• Learning Sequence
  1. Have a student read aloud the definition of “colonialism.”
     • Colonialism (n): the subjugation of one nation by another, especially for the purpose of exploitation, control, and cultural domination. 
  2. Ask:
     • Based on the definition above, what do you think “subjugation” means? What does the prefix “sub” mean? 
     • In what other contexts have you heard the word “colonialism”, “colonial”, or “colonization”? 
     • As needed, clarify for students the meaning of “subjugation“: the act of defeating a people or person to rule them without freedom. Invite students to share out ideas related to “colonialism”, “colonial”, or “colonization.” (~5 minutes) 
  3. Distribute copies of the Frayer Model to students and consider pairing students to work with a partner. Prompt them to record the definition of “colonialism” in their own words in the top left hand corner of the organizer. Invite a few students to share their definitions aloud. (~5 minutes) 
  4. As needed, have students recall the meaning of “synonym” and “antonym”. Then, have students record synonyms and antonyms of “colonialism” in their organizer. Finally, prompt students to draw an image that will help them remember the meaning of the word. Consider inviting students to share aloud their ideas for these remaining parts of the Frayer Model. (~10 minutes) 

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• This activity aligns with the following standards:
  • Illinois Arts Learning Standards 
    • Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
    • Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
  • Common Core State Standards 
    • CCSS.ELA.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings

LIST, GROUP, LABEL VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

• Activity Preparation
  • Supplies:
    • Sticky notes or notecards (several per student) or a blank sheets of paper (1-2 per group) 
  • Set-Up:
    • As desired, project or display the definition of “colonialism”. 

• This activity will take approximately 20 minutes.

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• Learning Sequence
  1. Read or review the definition of “colonialism” with students.
     • Colonialism (n): the subjugation of one nation by another, especially for the purpose of exploitation, control, and cultural domination. 
  2. Have students work with a partner to brainstorm words or phrases that come to mind when they hear the word “colonialism.” Give students a few minutes to come up with as many words as they can. (~5 minutes) 
  3. Direct pairs to sort their vocabulary words into groups based on words that seem similar. They should aim to have at least three groups of words. If students come up with additional associated words, they should add them to their list. (~10 minutes) 
  4. Once students have grouped their words, ask them to examine these new groups and label each. Each word group’s label should capture or explain the similarities between the words. (~5 minutes)

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• This activity aligns with the following standards:
  • Illinois Arts Learning Standards 
    • Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
    • Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
  • Common Core State Standards 
    • CCSS.ELA.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings

Posted on October 28, 2022 in Learning Guides, Productions