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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 "de" mean? (as in deactivate, defrost, decode) (remove or reverse / between / wrongly / across) → remove or reversePrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a prefix that means "after"? (semicircle / defrost / postpone / multicoloured) → postponePrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "after"?
  3. These words share a prefix that means "across". Type it. translate, transparent, transatlantic → transPrompt: 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 usual" (or the opposite of "usual")? (imusual / unusual / inusual / disusual) → unusualPrompt: 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 "appear". Type the new word. → disappearPrompt: 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. Which word means "not regular" (or the opposite of "regular")? (imregular / disregular / irregular / inregular) → irregularPrompt: 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 "correct". Type the new word. → incorrectPrompt: 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 "sense". Type the new word.

    Answer

  2. Question 2

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

    • A. unpatient
    • B. impatient
    • C. dispatient
    • D. irpatient

  3. Question 3

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

    Answer

  4. Question 4

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

    • A. impossible
    • B. inpossible
    • C. irpossible
    • D. dispossible

  5. Question 5

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

    Answer

  6. Question 6

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

    • A. dislegal
    • B. illegal
    • C. unlegal
    • D. inlegal

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

  1. 1. nonsense

  2. 2. B. impatient

  3. 3. illiterate

  4. 4. A. impossible

  5. 5. irregular

  6. 6. B. illegal