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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 "regular", meaning "not" or "wrongly"? (irregular / disregular / inregular / unregular) → irregularPrompt: un-, dis-, mis-, in-, im-, il- and ir- can all mean 'not'.
  2. What does this prefix mean? super- (as in superstar, supermarket) (not / again / under / above or bigger) → above or biggerPrompt: Look at the example words. What do they have in common?
  3. What does this suffix mean? -ness (as in kindness, sadness) (in a way / full of / the state of being / a person who) → the state of beingPrompt: 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 "anti" mean? (as in antisocial, antivirus, antiseptic) (against / wrongly / after / out) → againstPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a prefix that means "remove or reverse"? (semifinal / translate / interact / defrost) → defrostPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "remove or reverse"?

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 "co" mean? (as in cooperate, coauthor, coexist) (after / together / between / before) → togetherPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. These words share a prefix that means "out". Type it. exclude, exhale, exit → exPrompt: 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: 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

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

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    These words share a prefix that means "above, beyond". Type it. superhuman, superstar, supersonic

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Which word contains a prefix that means "across"?

    • A. transplant
    • B. subtitle
    • C. postwar
    • D. cooperate

  3. Question 3

    What does the prefix "semi" mean? (as in semicolon, semifinal, semicircle)

    • A. half
    • B. remove or reverse
    • C. wrongly
    • D. under

  4. Question 4

    These words share a prefix that means "again". Type it. replay, rebuild, rewrite

    Answer

  5. Question 5

    Which word contains a prefix that means "under"?

    • A. submerge
    • B. semicolon
    • C. defrost
    • D. prehistoric

  6. Question 6

    What does the prefix "inter" mean? (as in interact, intercept, international)

    • A. above, beyond
    • B. between
    • C. after
    • D. wrongly

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

  1. 1. super

  2. 2. A. transplant

  3. 3. A. half

  4. 4. re

  5. 5. A. submerge

  6. 6. B. between