Lesson 4: Cluster 2 - Survival Skills Vocabulary
Duration of Days: 2
Lesson Objective
Determine the meaning of words and phrases
Use new words in writing
What does it mean to survive?
What are some choices that you make everyday?
Have you ever experienced a disaster?
Who is your favorite neighbor?
What obstacles do you face on a daily basis?
What do safety measures do you take when you get in a car?
Have you ever saved an animal or a person from harm?
When have you felt like a stranger?
What should you do if you are a victim of a crime?
Choice
Disaster
Neighbor
Obstacle
Safety
Save
Stranger
Victim
9.12.8 determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.
Reading for comprehension
Writing for comprehension
Understanding and applying vocabulary
To move students past literal translations and build semantic flexibility with academic and colloquial English.
DOK Level: DOK 1 (Recall/Identification) to DOK 2 (Context Clues/Application).
Indigenous and Regional Survival Tactics: Many ESOL students come from cultures or regions with rich histories of utilizing natural landscapes, traditional navigation, or rural resourcefulness. This text allows them to bridge classroom learning with ancestral or regional knowledge of how to use environment-specific elements (jungle, desert, mountains) to survive.
Resourcefulness and "Making Do": Students from developing nations or immigrant backgrounds often have firsthand, highly valued experience with "upcycling" or repurposing everyday items (e.g., using plastic bottles, bags, or scraps for everyday tools). Validating this as "lateral thinking" elevates their lived experiences to academic genius.
The Role of Elders: Challenge 2 highlights an elderly passenger saving the day. Many cultures deeply revere elders for their wisdom and survival through hardships. This can spark conversations about the respect and roles of grandparents/elders in different societies.
Literal Meaning of "Credit These Guys with Genius": Students may think the text is implying the men purchased something with their credit card or used a digital ATM to get rescued, rather than understanding the idiom "credit someone with [trait]" (giving them recognition).
The Concept of "Lateral Thinking": Because "lateral" is a technical direction (side-to-side), students might think it means looking sideways or thinking physically to the left or right, rather than thinking creatively outside the box.
"Wisdom Teeth" Heading vs. Content: Students who know the anatomical term "wisdom teeth" will likely expect a story about dentistry or mouth pain. They may confuse wisdom teeth with "dentures" (false teeth) or miss the wordplay that the passenger's advanced age/wisdom is what provided the solution.
Mathematical/Physical Distance: The text mentions a pilot seeing a signal from "100 miles away." ESOL students from countries using the metric system may struggle to conceptualize the distance of a mile versus a kilometer, or misunderstand the hypothetical nature of the question ("If the plane were 200 miles away...").
The Word "Gross": Students might confuse "gross" with its alternative definitions (e.g., total amount of money, a gross of items/144) instead of the slang/informal meaning of "disgusting.
Sentence starters
Visual aids
Small group instruction
Classwork
Exit ticket