English lesson plan · 7th grade (Year 8 in England) · 45 minutes
Latin roots: bene, mal, cred, sequ, vert and more
Vocabulary
CCSS L.7.4.BEngland: KS3 English (vocabulary and etymology)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Latin roots: bene, mal, cred, sequ, vert 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: Latin roots: port, dict, rupt, spect and more
Leads to: Using roots to work out a whole word's meaning; Latin roots: vit, mort, corp, nov, ann, fid 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 · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Latin roots: port, dict, rupt, spect and more). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What does the Latin root "scrib / script" mean? (as in scribble, inscription, manuscript) (write / throw / pull / shape) → writePrompt: What do the example words have in common?
- Which word contains a Latin root that means "break"? (dismiss / uniform / rupture / structure) → rupturePrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "break"?
- These words share a Latin root that means "hear". Type it. auditorium, audio, audible → audPrompt: Look for the letters that appear in every word.
Hook · 5 min
- Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
- Share the objective: Latin roots: bene, mal, cred, sequ, vert and more. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: What does the Latin root "capt / cept" mean? (as in accept, capture, captive)
- Step 1: Knowing what a Latin root means helps you work out unfamiliar words that contain it.
- Step 2: capt / cept means "take, seize", as in capture, captive, accept, intercept.
- Step 3: So the answer is: take, seize
- Answer: take, seize
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- What does the Latin root "mal" mean? (as in malnourished, malfunction, malicious) (good, well / take, seize / follow / bad, badly) → bad, badlyPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
- Which word contains a Latin root that means "good, well"? (prevent / malicious / benevolent / perfect) → benevolentPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "good, well"?
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- What does the Latin root "ten / tain" mean? (as in retain, tenant, contain) (bad, badly / hold / follow / join) → holdPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
- These words share a Latin root that means "come". Type it. prevent, convention, venue → venPrompt: Look for the letters that appear in every word.
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: port, dict, rupt, spect 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; Latin roots: vit, mort, corp, nov, ann, fid 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