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English lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 30 minutes

Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

Vocabulary

CCSS L.7.4.BEngland: KS3 English (vocabulary and etymology)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Greek roots: bio, geo, graph, phon and more

Leads to: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning; Greek roots: arch, crypt, gen, chrom, derm, tox and more

Materials: Word cards, A thesaurus or dictionary, A short text with the target words, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Greek roots: bio, geo, graph, phon and more). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What does the Greek root "chron" mean? (as in anachronism, chronicle, chronic) (heat / time / look at, examine / earth) → timePrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a Greek root that means "heat"? (geocentric / kaleidoscope / antibiotic / hypothermia) → hypothermiaPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "heat"?
  3. These words share a Greek root that means "life". Type it. biome, symbiosis, antibiotic → bioPrompt: Look for the letters that appear in every word.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
  • Share the objective: Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: What does the Greek root "crat / cracy" mean? (as in aristocrat, bureaucracy, autocrat)
  • Step 1: Knowing what a Greek root means helps you work out unfamiliar words that contain it.
  • Step 2: crat / cracy means "rule, power", as in autocrat, bureaucracy, aristocrat.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: rule, power
  • Answer: rule, power
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. What does the Greek root "dem" mean? (as in demographic, pandemic, epidemic) (one / people / fear / feeling, suffering) → peoplePrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a Greek root that means "love"? (cyclone / philosophy / phobia / asterisk) → philosophyPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "love"?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. What does the Greek root "path" mean? (as in pathetic, apathy, sympathy) (feeling, suffering / shape, form / circle, wheel / people) → feeling, sufferingPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. These words share a Greek root that means "people". Type it. epidemic, pandemic, demographic → demPrompt: Look for the letters that appear in every word.

Watch out for

  • Picking a "bigger" synonym that doesn't fit the meaning.
  • Ignoring the clues in the rest of the sentence.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Greek roots: bio, geo, graph, phon and more.
  • Use concrete materials: word cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning; Greek roots: arch, crypt, gen, chrom, derm, tox and more.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-7.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    What does the Greek root "morph" mean? (as in metamorphosis, amorphous, morph)

    • A. people
    • B. fear
    • C. rule, power
    • D. shape, form

  2. Question 2

    These words share a Greek root that means "love". Type it. bibliophile, philharmonic, philosophy

    Answer

  3. Question 3

    Which word contains a Greek root that means "one"?

    • A. cyclone
    • B. astronomy
    • C. monologue
    • D. apathy

  4. Question 4

    What does the Greek root "psych" mean? (as in psychology, psychic, psychiatrist)

    • A. mind
    • B. shape, form
    • C. one
    • D. circle, wheel

  5. Question 5

    These words share a Greek root that means "mind". Type it. psychology, psychic, psychiatrist

    Answer

  6. Question 6

    Which word contains a Greek root that means "rule, power"?

    • A. empathy
    • B. monorail
    • C. aristocrat
    • D. disaster

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Answer key: Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

  1. 1. D. shape, form

  2. 2. phil

  3. 3. C. monologue

  4. 4. A. mind

  5. 5. psych

  6. 6. C. aristocrat