A-Z Scavenger Hunt

Building academic language

Word

• Display the objects or images that start with A sounds.
• Explain that every letter makes a sound and words start with those sounds.
• Point to the letter B (write it up on the board for reference) and ask students if they can think of any other words that start with that letter. Have them give a thumbs up if they can think of another B word.

Sentence

• Display the objects or images that start with B. Say each word aloud and emphasize the /bb/ sound at the beginning.
• Ask students to turn and talk to share another thing that starts with the same sound.
• Repeat with C and D words.

Discourse

• Explain that students will now get to search for even more words that begin with the same letter.
• Ask students if they know what a scavenger hunt is and explain how the hunt will work.
• Tell students that they will be assigned one letter of the alphabet and given a blank piece of paper. They should look all around the classroom and try to find as many things as they can that begin with that same letter. They should record their objects as pictures using their paper.
• Pass out a letter card to each student (index card with the letter and corresponding image) and a blank piece of paper attached to a clipboard and send students off to search.