English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes
Positive, neutral or negative connotation?
Vocabulary
CCSS L.6.5.CEngland: KS3 English (language analysis)England: GCSE English Language Paper 1 Q2
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Positive, neutral or negative connotation?.
- 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: Connotation and denotation
Leads to: Choosing words to create a tone or mood
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 (Connotation and denotation). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Read the question and choose. Which word has the most POSITIVE connotation for a strong smell? (fragrant / smelly / reeking / pungent) → fragrantPrompt: Denotation is the dictionary meaning; connotation is the feeling a word carries.
- Read the question and choose. Which word has the most POSITIVE connotation for a small house? (cramped / cosy / poky / tiny) → cosyPrompt: Denotation is the dictionary meaning; connotation is the feeling a word carries.
- Read the question and choose. Which word has the most NEGATIVE connotation for someone who is confident? (bold / arrogant / self-assured / assertive) → arrogantPrompt: Denotation is the dictionary meaning; connotation is the feeling a word carries.
Hook · 3 min
- Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
- Share the objective: Positive, neutral or negative connotation?. 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: Does the word in capitals have a positive, neutral or negative connotation here? Our coach is DETERMINED to win the league.
- Step 1: Words with similar meanings can feel positive (slender), neutral (thin) or negative (scrawny).
- Step 2: So the answer is: positive
- Answer: positive
- 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.
- Does the word in capitals have a positive, neutral or negative connotation here? The bins STANK in the summer heat. (positive / neutral / negative) → negativePrompt: Denotation is the dictionary meaning; connotation is the feeling the word carries.
- Which word should the writer choose? A brochure wants a small flat to sound ATTRACTIVE. (pokey / compact / cramped / tiny) → compactPrompt: All the choices have similar dictionary meanings. Focus on the feeling.
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.
- Which word should the writer choose? A brochure wants a small flat to sound ATTRACTIVE. (cramped / tiny / pokey / compact) → compactPrompt: All the choices have similar dictionary meanings. Focus on the feeling.
- Does the word in capitals have a positive, neutral or negative connotation here? He was too PIG-HEADED to admit he was lost. (positive / neutral / negative) → negativePrompt: Denotation is the dictionary meaning; connotation is the feeling the word carries.
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: Connotation and denotation.
- 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: Choosing words to create a tone or mood.
- 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-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder