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English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

What prefixes mean: pre-, sub-, inter-, trans- and more

Vocabulary

CCSS L.6.4.BEngland: KS3 English (vocabulary)England: 11+ English

Objective and success criteria

Students will: What prefixes mean: pre-, sub-, inter-, trans- 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: Prefixes and suffixes

Leads to: Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-; Advanced prefixes: ante-, hyper-, hypo-, pseudo-, retro-…

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 (Prefixes and suffixes). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which prefix makes a real word from "possible", meaning "not" or "wrongly"? (impossible / unpossible / dispossible / inpossible) → impossiblePrompt: un-, dis-, mis-, in-, im-, il- and ir- can all mean 'not'.
  2. What does this prefix mean? tri- (as in tricycle, triangle) (two / three / four / ten) → threePrompt: Look at the example words. What do they have in common?
  3. What does this suffix mean? -er / -or (as in teacher, actor) (the state of / more than / not / a person who) → a person whoPrompt: Look at the example words.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
  • Share the objective: What prefixes mean: pre-, sub-, inter-, trans- 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 prefix "semi" mean? (as in semifinal, semicolon, semicircle)
  • Step 1: Knowing what a prefix means helps you work out unfamiliar words that contain it.
  • Step 2: semi means "half", as in semicircle, semifinal, semicolon.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: half
  • Answer: half
  • 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 prefix "trans" mean? (as in transatlantic, transplant, transparent) (half / across / wrongly / between) → acrossPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a prefix that means "together"? (replay / coexist / decode / semifinal) → coexistPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "together"?

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 prefix "semi" mean? (as in semicircle, semifinal, semicolon) (together / against / after / half) → halfPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a prefix that means "before"? (coexist / precaution / exit / subway) → precautionPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "before"?

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: Prefixes and suffixes.
  • 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: Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-; Advanced prefixes: ante-, hyper-, hypo-, pseudo-, retro-….
  • 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

eurekami

What prefixes mean: pre-, sub-, inter-, trans- and more

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    These words share a prefix that means "many". Type it. multimedia, multicoloured, multitask

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Which word contains a prefix that means "wrongly"?

    • A. misunderstand
    • B. postpone
    • C. semicolon
    • D. multitask

  3. Question 3

    What does the prefix "re" mean? (as in rewrite, rebuild, replay)

    • A. many
    • B. again
    • C. under
    • D. above, beyond

  4. Question 4

    These words share a prefix that means "remove or reverse". Type it. defrost, deactivate, decode

    Answer

  5. Question 5

    Which word contains a prefix that means "out"?

    • A. preview
    • B. exhale
    • C. antivirus
    • D. coexist

  6. Question 6

    What does the prefix "trans" mean? (as in transatlantic, transplant, transparent)

    • A. above, beyond
    • B. before
    • C. out
    • D. across

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Answer key: What prefixes mean: pre-, sub-, inter-, trans- and more

  1. 1. multi

  2. 2. A. misunderstand

  3. 3. B. again

  4. 4. de

  5. 5. B. exhale

  6. 6. D. across