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English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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 "re" mean? (as in rewrite, replay, reheat) (after / half / before / again) → againPrompt: What do the example words have in common?
  2. Which word contains a prefix that means "wrongly"? (antiseptic / cooperate / postwar / mislead) → misleadPrompt: Split each word into parts. Which part could mean "wrongly"?
  3. These words share a prefix that means "half". Type it. semifinal, semicircle, semicolon → semiPrompt: Look for the letters that appear in every word.

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 12 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 reversible" (or the opposite of "reversible")? (inreversible / unreversible / irreversible / ilreversible) → irreversiblePrompt: 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 "honest". Type the new word. → dishonestPrompt: Look at the first letter of the word. Does it begin with l, m, p or r?

You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Add a prefix to make the opposite of "fair". Type the new word. → unfairPrompt: Look at the first letter of the word. Does it begin with l, m, p or r?
  2. Which word means "not patient" (or the opposite of "patient")? (dispatient / irpatient / impatient / ilpatient) → impatientPrompt: 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/ 8

  1. Question 1

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

    • A. imloyal
    • B. inloyal
    • C. irloyal
    • D. disloyal

  2. Question 2

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

    Answer

  3. Question 3

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

    • A. insense
    • B. dissense
    • C. unsense
    • D. nonsense

  4. Question 4

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

    Answer

  5. Question 5

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

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

  6. Question 6

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

    Answer

  7. Question 7

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

    • A. ilmature
    • B. immature
    • C. irmature
    • D. inmature

  8. Question 8

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

    Answer

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

  1. 1. D. disloyal

  2. 2. nonfiction

  3. 3. D. nonsense

  4. 4. disappear

  5. 5. B. illegal

  6. 6. immoral

  7. 7. B. immature

  8. 8. unusual