Knight Dawn Vocabulary SlidesThe Knight at Dawn • Chapters 5 & 6 Grade 3 Vocabulary Quest • Magic Tree House #2 • Words from the Dark Castle Master 5 key story words to unlock Jack and Annie’s daring midnight adventure inside the medieval fortress. The Duke’s Castle at Midnight Grade 3 Word List: gleaming clammy duke armory visor Word 1 of 5 • Grade 3 • Chapters 5 & 6 Adjective • Describing Word Picture: Gleaming Shield gleaming gleam • ing What It Means Shining brightly with clean, polished, reflected light. In The Story (Chapter 5) In the dark castle room, Jack aimed his flashlight beam across an empty suit of armor that was gleaming in the midnight darkness. Grade 3 Context Clue: Look for shiny things like polished steel, clean mirrors, or sparkling water. Turn & Talk: What clean object in our classroom is gleaming right now? Word 2 of 5 • Grade 3 • Chapters 5 & 6 Adjective • Describing Word Picture: Clammy Stone Wall clammy clam • my What It Means Unpleasantly cold, damp, and slightly sticky to touch. In The Story (Chapter 5) As Jack and Annie sneaked down the castle corridor, the thick stone walls felt cold and clammy against their bare hands. Grade 3 Sensory Words: Cold + damp + sticky. Think of foggy basements or sweaty, nervous palms! Act It Out: Make the face you would make if you reached into the dark and touched something clammy! Word 3 of 5 • Grade 3 • Chapters 5 & 6 Noun • Person Picture: The Castle Duke duke duke • /dook/ What It Means A high-ranking medieval nobleman who ruled over a castle and territory. In The Story (Chapter 5) The powerful Duke was throwing a grand midnight feast in the Great Hall, which gave Jack and Annie a chance to slip past his guards. Grade 3 History Connection: In the Middle Ages, a Duke was one of the most powerful leaders, right under the King and Queen. Think & Share: If you were the Duke of this giant castle, what rule would you make for your knights? Word 4 of 5 • Grade 3 • Chapters 5 & 6 Noun • Place Picture: Castle Armory Rack armory ar • mor • y What It Means A secure room or building where armor, shields, and weapons are kept. In The Story (Chapter 5) Jack and Annie opened a thick wooden door and discovered they were standing inside the castle armory, surrounded by rows of iron weapons and armor. Grade 3 Root Word Clue: Notice the root word “armor”! An armory is the place where knight armor is stored. Picture It: What three metal objects would you see if you walked into the Duke’s armory? Word 5 of 5 • Grade 3 • Chapters 5 & 6 Noun • Object Picture: Helmet Visor visor vi • sor • /vye-zer/ What It Means The movable front part of a helmet that slides down over the face and eyes. In The Story (Chapter 6) Jack lifted the heavy iron helmet onto his head, and suddenly—CLANG! The metal visor snapped down and trapped him in complete darkness! Grade 3 Today: Modern baseball hats and motorcycle helmets also have visors to shade or protect your eyes! Turn & Talk: Why was it important for a knight to be able to lift the visor up? Grade 3 Challenge: Which Word Fits? Classroom Shout-Out Game Clue 1 “The dungeon stone wall felt cold, wet, and unpleasant against Jack’s fingertips.” Mystery Word: CLAMMY Clue 2 “Jack opened the heavy wooden door and saw rows of swords, shields, and iron suits.” Mystery Word: ARMORY Clue 3 “CLANG! The metal face-guard slammed shut, covering Jack’s eyes and nose completely.” Mystery Word: VISOR Can you use gleaming and duke together in one single castle sentence? Try It! The Knight’s Word Vault Grade 3 Readers: Look for all 5 words as you read Chapters 5 & 6! Grade 3 Ready gleaming adjective Shining brightly with reflected light clammy adjective Unpleasantly cold, damp, and sticky duke noun A powerful noble lord of a castle armory noun A secure room for armor & weapons visor noun Movable helmet shield over the face Ready to read? Watch for all five words in Chapter 5: Midnight and Chapter 6: Ta-da!
Castle Words Teacher GuideGrade 3 Instructional Guide • Pre-Reading Routine 10–12 Minutes Castle Vocabulary Presentation Guide The Knight at Dawn • Chapters 5 & 6 (“Midnight” & “Ta-da!”) • Target Words: gleaming, clammy, duke, armory, visor The 5-Step Pre-Reading Slide Routine (2 Min per Word) 1 Say & Tap Choral chant syllables (gleam•ing) 2 Picture Clue Spot details in the slide picture 3 Gesture (TPR) Connect body motion to definition 4 Story Hook Tease Jack & Annie’s stealth scene 5 Turn & Talk 30-second peer check prompt Word-by-Word Gestures & Teacher Prompts 1. gleaming (adjective) Slide 2 Gesture (TPR): Flash “jazz hands” open wide from chest, trembling fingers outward like shiny light rays. Teacher Script: “Say it with me: gleaming! What shines in the dark? Jack’s light hits the armor and it gleams like a mirror!” 2. clammy (adjective) Slide 3 Gesture (TPR): Shiver, grimace, and slowly wipe cold, damp palms down your thighs as if touching wet dungeon stone. Teacher Script: “Touch an imaginary dungeon wall: brrr! It is cold, damp, and clammy. How does that make your skin feel?” 3. duke (noun) Slide 4 Gesture (TPR): Place hands on top of head forming crown points, puff out chest, and rest hands firmly on hips. Teacher Script: “The Duke rules the castle right below the King! While he is feasting in the Great Hall, Jack and Annie sneak past.” 4. armory (noun) Slide 5 Gesture (TPR): Cross forearms like clashing swords in an “X”, then sweep arms wide to indicate a big weapons storage room. Teacher Script: “Hear the root word? Armor! The armory is where shields, swords, and suits of iron armor are stored.” 5. visor (noun) Slide 6 Gesture (TPR): Hold flat hand horizontally across forehead, then chop it down over eyes with a loud “CLANG!” Teacher Script: “Jack puts on an iron helmet—and BAM! The visor slams shut. Will he get trapped? Let’s find out in Chapter 6!” Rule of Pre-Reading: Keep pacing brisk! Introduce words as “story mission clues” rather than textbook definitions. Always connect each word directly to Jack and Annie’s stealth adventure. Part 2 • Pre-Reading Game & Reading Mission Chapters 5 & 6 Transition Review Game & During-Reading Word Hunt Slide 7 Facilitation: “Which Word Fits?” (3 Minutes) Engagement Routine: Read each clue aloud. Have students perform the kinesthetic gesture first (e.g., shuttering hands for clammy, forearm cross for armory), then chant the target word together on your signal. Clue 1 (Damp Dungeon) → CLAMMY Clue 2 (Weapons Room) → ARMORY Clue 3 (Helmet Slap) → VISOR Transition to Reading: “Castle Word Detectives” Mission Before opening books to Chapter 5, hand out 3 small sticky flags or a mini bookmark to each student. Keep Slide 8 (“Knight’s Word Vault”) displayed on the front screen as a visual anchor. Sticky Flag Hunt When students spot gleaming, clammy, duke, armory, or visor in the book, they flag the sentence and quietly flash the secret hand gesture. Post-Chapter Debrief At the end of Chapter 6, call on 2 students to read their flagged sentence: “How did knowing ‘visor’ help us picture Jack’s panic?” Grade 3 Differentiation Matrix Support / ELL Rely on the picture cards on Slides 2–6. Have students touch cheek for clammy and eyes for visor. Use sentence stem: “The helmet has a ____.” On-Level Standard Highlight morphology: armor → armory and gleam → gleaming. Ask whether the word is a thing (noun) or describing word (adjective). Extension / Challenge Slide 7 Bonus: write a sentence connecting two target words (e.g., “The Duke kept his gleaming broadsword inside the cold armory.”). Presentation Checklist: Project Slides Teach 5 Gestures Play Clue Game Hand Out Sticky Flags
Castle Words Exit TicketThe Knight at Dawn • Chapters 5 & 6 Castle Words Exit Ticket Name: Date: Score: / 5 Word Bank: gleaming clammy duke armory visor 1. The thick stone dungeon wall felt cold, wet, and slightly sticky. clammy duke visor 2. Jack shone his flashlight on the steel armor that was reflecting bright light. armory gleaming clammy 3. The high noble lord who was eating a midnight banquet in the Great Hall. visor armory duke 4. Jack and Annie tiptoed inside the castle , where rows of shields and swords hung on the wall. 5. When Jack put on the knight’s helmet, the iron slammed down over his eyes! How ready are you to read Chapters 5 & 6? ☆ Need practice ☆☆ Pretty good ☆☆☆ Word Master! Cut Here • 2 Tickets Per Page The Knight at Dawn • Chapters 5 & 6 Castle Words Exit Ticket Name: Date: Score: / 5 Word Bank: gleaming clammy duke armory visor 1. The thick stone dungeon wall felt cold, wet, and slightly sticky. clammy duke visor 2. Jack shone his flashlight on the steel armor that was reflecting bright light. armory gleaming clammy 3. The high noble lord who was eating a midnight banquet in the Great Hall. visor armory duke 4. Jack and Annie tiptoed inside the castle , where rows of shields and swords hung on the wall. 5. When Jack put on the knight’s helmet, the iron slammed down over his eyes! How ready are you to read Chapters 5 & 6? ☆ Need practice ☆☆ Pretty good ☆☆☆ Word Master!
