English · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Defining New Terms

Active learning helps Year 6 students grasp how real writers define complex terms in non-fiction texts. By spotting strategies in real examples, they see how definitions work beyond dictionary-style copying, making vocabulary learning purposeful and memorable.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: English - Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation
• KS2: English - Non-Fiction Writing

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 30 min · Pairs

Text Hunt: Strategy Spotting

Provide excerpts from science articles with embedded definitions. In pairs, students highlight apposition, examples, analogies, or etymologies, then discuss why each works. Groups share one example on a class chart.

Explain strategies a writer can use to define new terms for a general audience.

Facilitation Tip

During Text Hunt, circulate to prompt students to notice how punctuation marks like commas signal appositive definitions.

What to look for

Provide students with a short passage containing a made-up scientific term. Ask them to highlight the sentence(s) that define the term and identify the specific strategy used (e.g., apposition, example).

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Rewrite Relay: Simplifying Terms

Divide a technical paragraph among small groups. Each subgroup rewrites one sentence using a different definition strategy, passes it on, then the group polishes the full text. Present to class for votes on clearest version.

Compare different methods of defining technical terms within a text.

Facilitation Tip

For Rewrite Relay, assign pairs to read each other’s simplified terms aloud to test clarity and engagement.

What to look for

Present students with two different definitions for the same complex term, one using analogy and the other using a series of examples. Ask: 'Which definition do you find clearer and why? For what type of reader might the other definition be more effective?'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 35 min · Individual

Glossary Challenge: Original Creations

Assign a new concept like 'photosynthesis' or 'democracy.' Individually, students define it three ways using varied strategies, then select the best for a class glossary. Vote on most effective entries.

Design a short explanatory text that introduces and defines a new concept clearly.

Facilitation Tip

In Glossary Challenge, provide a word bank of terms to ensure students focus on definition strategies rather than word difficulty.

What to look for

Students draft a paragraph defining a new concept for their peers. After drafting, they swap with a partner. Each partner checks: 'Is the new term clearly defined? Are at least two definition strategies used? Is the language accessible?' Partners provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Jigsaw
• 40 min · Whole Class

Role-Play Readers: Audience Testing

Whole class reads student-drafted texts aloud to pretend audiences (peers acting confused). Writers revise based on feedback to improve definitions. Repeat with improved versions.

Explain strategies a writer can use to define new terms for a general audience.

What to look for

Provide students with a short passage containing a made-up scientific term. Ask them to highlight the sentence(s) that define the term and identify the specific strategy used (e.g., apposition, example).

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling how writers blend formal and informal strategies to engage readers. Avoid teaching definitions in isolation; instead, show how authors use repetition, analogies, and examples to build understanding over paragraphs. Research shows students retain complex terms better when they see layered explanations that match their prior knowledge.

Students will confidently identify and apply definition strategies like apposition, examples, and analogies in texts and their own writing. They will explain why certain strategies clarify meaning for different readers and adjust their writing accordingly.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Rewrite Relay, watch for students simplifying terms into overly casual or vague language.

  Use the relay’s paired reading to have peers gently challenge vague language. Ask, ‘Does this still explain the term accurately? How can we keep it clear but engaging?’ Guide students to test their definitions with the question, ‘Would a stranger understand this?’

• During Text Hunt, students may assume definitions must always follow a strict formula.

  Highlight varied examples in the texts, such as a term defined through a series of examples rather than just one. Ask, ‘Which parts help you picture the term? How does this strategy make the definition stick?’

• During Glossary Challenge, students might believe complex terms need simplification to the point of losing their meaning.

  Use the glossary drafts to compare original definitions with student versions. Ask, ‘Did simplifying change the term’s meaning? Which parts still sound precise?’ Let peers decide which version preserves nuance while staying clear.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw