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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 "pend" mean? (as in depend, pendulum, pendant) (hang / come / make, do / believe) → hangPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. What does the Greek root "crat / cracy" mean? (as in aristocrat, autocrat, bureaucracy) (rule, power / love / fear / people) → rule, powerPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  3. Which word contains a Latin root that means "hang"? (infect / retain / consequence / suspend) → suspendPrompt: 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. benevolent (very wealthy / wishing harm / unable to decide / kind and wishing to do good) → kind and wishing to do goodPrompt: Split the word into prefix, root and suffix.
  2. Which word has this meaning? a weight that hangs and swings (advocate / monotone / pendulum / incredible) → pendulumPrompt: 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. pendulum (a weight that hangs and swings / a tool for writing / a rolling wheel / a type of pen) → a weight that hangs and swingsPrompt: Split the word into prefix, root and suffix.
  2. Which word has this meaning? a weight that hangs and swings (empathy / malnourished / benevolent / pendulum) → pendulumPrompt: 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? fear of small, enclosed spaces

    • A. sequel
    • B. claustrophobia
    • C. benevolent
    • D. intercept

  2. Question 2

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

    • A. a weight that hangs and swings
    • B. a type of pen
    • C. a tool for writing
    • D. a rolling wheel

  3. Question 3

    Which word has this meaning? catch something on its way between two places

    • A. advocate
    • B. incredible
    • C. claustrophobia
    • D. intercept

  4. Question 4

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

    • A. a summary
    • B. a large meeting where people come together
    • C. a new invention
    • D. a type of prison

  5. Question 5

    Which word has this meaning? a weight that hangs and swings

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

  6. Question 6

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

    • A. a musical instrument
    • B. many different sounds
    • C. a loud shout
    • D. a single, unchanging tone of voice

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

  1. 1. B. claustrophobia

  2. 2. A. a weight that hangs and swings

  3. 3. D. intercept

  4. 4. B. a large meeting where people come together

  5. 5. D. pendulum

  6. 6. D. a single, unchanging tone of voice