Correct Response: D. Using realia, or real objects, is an effective teacher strategy for promoting comprehension of new vocabulary and concepts. By associating new content with concrete realia (e.g., artificial tropical trees, safari attire, rain-forest sounds) the teacher provides context for new concepts and thus makes learning more meaningful for the students in the class. A is incorrect because the use of realia does not necessarily reduce a student's affective filter, but is rather a strategy for making learning more context embedded. B is incorrect because the students in the class may or may not have had personal experiences related to a tropical rain forest. C is incorrect because scaffolding is an instructional technique that provides students with additional support to develop a new skill or understand a new concept that is just beyond their ability to learn independently. As the students progress in their learning, the teacher gradually releases responsibility to them. In this scenario, the teacher provides additional context but does not provide scaffolded instruction to promote understanding of content-area concepts.
