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

Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

Vocabulary

CCSS L.7.4.BEngland: KS3 English (vocabulary and etymology)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly 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: Greek roots: bio, geo, graph, phon and more

Leads to: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning; Greek roots: arch, crypt, gen, chrom, derm, tox and more

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 (Greek roots: bio, geo, graph, phon and more). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. What does the Greek root "bio" mean? (as in biodegradable, biome, symbiosis) (light / time / life / water) → lifePrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a Greek root that means "sound"? (microchip / hypothermia / hydrate / symphony) → symphonyPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "sound"?
  3. These words share a Greek root that means "write or draw". Type it. paragraph, calligraphy, graphite → graphPrompt: 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: Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly 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 Greek root "crat / cracy" mean? (as in aristocrat, bureaucracy, autocrat)
  • Step 1: Knowing what a Greek root means helps you work out unfamiliar words that contain it.
  • Step 2: crat / cracy means "rule, power", as in autocrat, bureaucracy, aristocrat.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: rule, power
  • Answer: rule, power
  • 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 Greek root "phil" mean? (as in philharmonic, philosophy, bibliophile) (mind / circle, wheel / star / love) → lovePrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a Greek root that means "feeling, suffering"? (psychic / polygon / demographic / pathetic) → patheticPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "feeling, suffering"?

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 contains a Greek root that means "many"? (polytechnic / bibliophile / arachnophobia / monotone) → polytechnicPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "many"?
  2. What does the Greek root "path" mean? (as in sympathy, pathetic, apathy) (feeling, suffering / human / love / fear) → feeling, sufferingPrompt: What do the example words have in common?

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: Greek roots: bio, geo, graph, phon 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: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning; Greek roots: arch, crypt, gen, chrom, derm, tox and more.
  • 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

Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which word contains a Greek root that means "fear"?

    • A. monologue
    • B. morph
    • C. polyglot
    • D. arachnophobia

  2. Question 2

    What does the Greek root "cycl" mean? (as in encyclopedia, recycle, cyclone)

    • A. feeling, suffering
    • B. circle, wheel
    • C. love
    • D. people

  3. Question 3

    These words share a Greek root that means "rule, power". Type it. autocrat, bureaucracy, aristocrat

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    Which word contains a Greek root that means "rule, power"?

    • A. psychiatrist
    • B. philosophy
    • C. aristocrat
    • D. astronaut

  5. Question 5

    What does the Greek root "crat / cracy" mean? (as in autocrat, aristocrat, bureaucracy)

    • A. one
    • B. mind
    • C. many
    • D. rule, power

  6. Question 6

    These words share a Greek root that means "mind". Type it. psychic, psychiatrist, psychology

    Answer

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Answer key: Greek roots: path, phil, phob, psych, poly and more

  1. 1. D. arachnophobia

  2. 2. B. circle, wheel

  3. 3. crat

  4. 4. C. aristocrat

  5. 5. D. rule, power

  6. 6. psych