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

Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning

Vocabulary

CCSS L.7.4.BCCSS L.7.4.DEngland: KS3 English (vocabulary)England: 11+ English

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning.

  • 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: Latin roots: bene, mal, cred, sequ, vert and more; Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

Leads to: Decoding advanced words from their roots

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 (Latin roots: bene, mal, cred, sequ, vert and more; Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What does the Latin root "mal" mean? (as in malfunction, malnourished, malicious) (hold / bad, badly / good, well / believe) → bad, badlyPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. What does the Greek root "phob" mean? (as in technophobe, claustrophobia, arachnophobia) (people / fear / shape, form / mind) → fearPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  3. Which word contains a Latin root that means "hang"? (depend / malfunction / advocate / accept) → dependPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "hang"?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
  • Share the objective: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning. 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: Use the roots you know to choose the most likely meaning of the word. incredulous
  • Step 1: Combine the meanings of the parts to define a word, then check it makes sense.
  • Step 2: in = not + cred = believe + ulous = tending to.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: unwilling or unable to believe something
  • Answer: unwilling or unable to believe something
  • 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. Use the roots you know to choose the most likely meaning of the word. intercept (hang up / throw away / catch something on its way between two places / build again) → catch something on its way between two placesPrompt: Split the word into prefix, root and suffix.
  2. Which word has this meaning? hard to believe (sequel / advocate / pendulum / incredible) → incrediblePrompt: Which root or prefix matches part of the meaning?

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. Use the roots you know to choose the most likely meaning of the word. incredible (badly made / very loud / hard to believe / easy to see) → hard to believePrompt: Split the word into prefix, root and suffix.
  2. Which word has this meaning? a single, unchanging tone of voice (claustrophobia / polyglot / monotone / sequel) → monotonePrompt: Which root or prefix matches part of the meaning?

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: Latin roots: bene, mal, cred, sequ, vert 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: Decoding advanced words from their roots.
  • 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

eurekami

Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which word has this meaning? a single, unchanging tone of voice

    • A. monotone
    • B. malnourished
    • C. pendulum
    • D. convert

  2. Question 2

    Use the roots you know to choose the most likely meaning of the word. pandemic

    • A. a cure for a disease
    • B. a disease in one animal
    • C. a type of medicine
    • D. a disease spreading among people over a very wide area

  3. Question 3

    Which word has this meaning? fear of small, enclosed spaces

    • A. claustrophobia
    • B. benevolent
    • C. incredible
    • D. empathy

  4. Question 4

    Use the roots you know to choose the most likely meaning of the word. convert

    • A. change from one form to another
    • B. follow behind
    • C. hang down
    • D. stay the same

  5. Question 5

    Which word has this meaning? a ruler with total power

    • A. polyglot
    • B. incredible
    • C. advocate
    • D. autocrat

  6. Question 6

    Use the roots you know to choose the most likely meaning of the word. advocate

    • A. a judge
    • B. a type of fruit
    • C. a person who speaks up for someone or something
    • D. a person who refuses to speak

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Answer key: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning

  1. 1. A. monotone

  2. 2. D. a disease spreading among people over a very wide area

  3. 3. A. claustrophobia

  4. 4. A. change from one form to another

  5. 5. D. autocrat

  6. 6. C. a person who speaks up for someone or something