Hexagonal Thinking with Vocabulary

Tara Hess’ 2nd graders have just finished a unit exploring plants and pollinators. They are now beginning a unit where they will learn to write and discuss opinions.

In this video, Tara’s students practice connecting new academic vocabulary to previously learned vocabulary in small groups. This routine draws on EL Education’s Vocabulary Dominoes protocol as well as the concept of hexagonal thinking.

Here’s how it works:

1. Various vocabulary words are printed on hexagons.

2. A student selects a hexagon and reads aloud the word.

3. Then, he comes up with a sentence using the word.

4. The next student selects a new word and places it next to the previous word.

5. She then comes up with a sentence connecting the two words.

6. The process continues until all words are exhausted.

Here’s what it look like:

Here’s why I like this routine:

I like the routine because students are practicing reading, stretching their oral language, retrieving previously taught content, connecting new and old content, and making their own meaning of the content all at the same time.

To be clear, this routine is NOT something I would do everyday (Tara doesn’t!). But I would consider using it to bridge multiple units about seemingly unconnected topics and to get students retrieving and using previously taught academic vocabulary before a larger assessment or writing assignment.