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

Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-

Vocabulary

CCSS L.6.4.BCCSS L.6.2.BEngland: KS3 English (vocabulary and spelling)England: Y5/6 Spelling (prefixes)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-.

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

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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 (What prefixes mean: pre-, sub-, inter-, trans- and more). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What does the prefix "post" mean? (as in postpone, postwar, postscript) (wrongly / after / between / again) → afterPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a prefix that means "many"? (defrost / postscript / multicoloured / intercept) → multicolouredPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "many"?
  3. These words share a prefix that means "remove or reverse". Type it. defrost, deactivate, decode → dePrompt: 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: Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-. 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: Which word means "not obey" (or the opposite of "obey")?
  • Step 1: dis- often reverses an action or quality: agree → disagree.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: disobey
  • Answer: disobey
  • 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. Which word means "not legal" (or the opposite of "legal")? (illegal / unlegal / dislegal / inlegal) → illegalPrompt: Look at the first letter of the word. Does it begin with l, m, p or r?
  2. Add a prefix to make the opposite of "fiction". Type the new word. → nonfictionPrompt: Look at the first letter of the word. Does it begin with l, m, p or r?

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. Add a prefix to make the opposite of "relevant". Type the new word. → irrelevantPrompt: Look at the first letter of the word. Does it begin with l, m, p or r?
  2. Which word means "not logical" (or the opposite of "logical")? (unlogical / illogical / inlogical / dislogical) → illogicalPrompt: Look at the first letter of the word. Does it begin with l, m, p or r?

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

  • 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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Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Add a prefix to make the opposite of "logical". Type the new word.

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Which word means "not visible" (or the opposite of "visible")?

    • A. invisible
    • B. unvisible
    • C. disvisible
    • D. ilvisible

  3. Question 3

    Add a prefix to make the opposite of "mature". Type the new word.

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    Which word means "not fiction" (or the opposite of "fiction")?

    • A. nonfiction
    • B. ilfiction
    • C. unfiction
    • D. irfiction

  5. Question 5

    Add a prefix to make the opposite of "polite". Type the new word.

    Answer

  6. Question 6

    Which word means "not literate" (or the opposite of "literate")?

    • A. inliterate
    • B. unliterate
    • C. illiterate
    • D. imliterate

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Answer key: Making opposites with un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis- and non-

  1. 1. illogical

  2. 2. A. invisible

  3. 3. immature

  4. 4. A. nonfiction

  5. 5. impolite

  6. 6. C. illiterate