Write down a list of the vocabulary words in the chapter of the text that your students are reading. Many texts have important vocabulary terms in bold letters or otherwise highlighted. If not, use your best judgment based on your knowledge of the subject area to pick out terms that are important and may give students trouble if not adequately reviewed.
Use the ruler and pencil to divide the paper into three columns and eight rows of rectangular strips. Write the 12 most important vocabulary terms for the chapter in 12 of the boxes and leave the rest blank. Make as many copies of the paper as there are students in your class, including a few extra should someone makes a mistake.
Hand out the copies to your class and have them look up the definitions of the vocabulary terms listed in the boxes. Have them write a short definition for each word in one of the blank boxes. For example, if one of the vocabulary words was "mitochondria," a student might write, "the cell's power plant." Although the definition isn't exact, it is short and easy-to-understand, which allows the student to memorize it more easily. Have students cut out the boxes.
Review the meaning of each vocabulary word by asking students to place all the words on one side of their desks and all the definitions on the other. Read the vocabulary words one at a time and ask students to pick out the word and the definition from either side and hold them up.
Use the strips regularly to help students review their vocabulary. Students can use them as flash cards, such as pieces in a matching game.