Activity Objectives: 
In this activity, students develop a group glossary over the course of the semester for the books they are reading. The purpose of the activity is to learn vocabulary items and their contextualized uses. In addition, the activity can build class rapport and encourage independent learning.

The activity addresses the following ACTFL standards:

1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
4.1:Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.
5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

Description:
This project involves the ongoing development of an online class dictionary/glossary in wiki form, to accompany class readings. A wiki is an ideal format for an online dictionary, and as such can serve as a useful class vocabulary resource. Because students have chosen the words, they are more invested in researching and explaining them.

Teacher Instructions:

1. Set up the wiki and make sure students are familiar with how to use it.
2. Explain to the students that the wiki will serve as a group dictionary specifically for the book(s) they are reading.
3. With each reading assignment, tell students to post a word to the GlossaWiki a word or phrase they were unfamiliar with, and to write a definition for it. You should set the parameters for the definition, e.g. to be in the target language and/or in English, with or without a contextualized example, etc.
4. Assess students' contributions to the GlossaWiki by giving quizzes (or having students create and give them), and/or by assessing number and content

Student Instructions: 
You will be creating an online glossary of vocabulary from the text/class over the course of the unit/semester.

1. For each reading assignment, you should choose a word or phrase whose meaning you are unsure of.
2. As soon as you have chosen them, go to the GlossWiki index page and add your word to the list. If someone else has already done an entry for the word, choose another word.
3. Then, link it to a blank page on which you will write the definition. Write definitions of the words, including first your guess based on context and second the dictionary definition of the word. You may want to include pronunciation, structural, derivational, synonym/antonym, or other information with each definition.

see the student version of this activity