Grade: 3-5
Subject: other

#4295. Meaning Circulation in Context

other, level: 3-5
Posted Tue Dec 9 17:45:39 PST 2008 by Yulia Novikova (Yulia Novikova).
Virginia Beach Public, Virginia Beach, USA
Materials Required: projector, computer, internet access, copies of text highlighters, blank paper, pencils
Activity Time: 1 hour
Concepts Taught: context word definition

Lesson Plan Title: Meaning Circulation in Context

Concept / Topic To Teach: Realizing that in order to understand the meaning of the word is not necessary to look it up in the dictionary. The context might help. Students will watch an example of the meaning search in the context and apply the same strategy in finding meaning of unfamiliar words in a passage.
Standards Addressed: LEP 3.7
The student will expand vocabulary and concept development.
a. Use context to read unfamiliar words.
b. Use knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, antonyms, and synonyms, to read unfamiliar words.
General Goal(s): ESL -- Meaning clarification through the context.
The students will be able to identify the meaning of unfamiliar words by understanding the context. They will also learn how to form and decode the words by knowing the meanings of suffixes and prefixes.

Specific Objectives:
• The student will investigate the topic "Ocean Currents" and the possible ways of using context clues. Key concepts include:
a) looking for synonyms
b) applying the knowledge of the suffix and prefix meanings
Required Materials:
• Technology: projector, Internet access, and access to the Discovery Streaming website
• Copies of the text for the reading
• Highlighter
• Pencils
• Blank sheets of paper
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):
• Watch the video: Context Clues. Ocean Currents.
• Ask students questions to spark their interest such as:
1) What would you do if you meet in a story an unfamiliar word?
2) What do you usually do if somebody in the conversation uses the word or expression you have never heard before?
3) Is there a way to guess its meaning without looking it up in the dictionary?
4) Can the context help in figuring out the meaning of a word? If yes, how?
Step-By-Step Procedures:
1. The students will complete watching the movie Context Clues. Ocean Currents as a whole group activity. They will discuss the strategy the author of the movie suggests for the word meaning clarification.
2. The teacher will give the students one-paragraph passage with several unfamiliar words.
3. The students will read it out loud using "pop corn" reading technique. The teacher will work as a facilitator in practicing the strategy of the meaning clarification by the context clues.
4. The teacher will explain another way of the word meaning identification by knowing the meaning of prefixes and suffixes.
5. 6 most frequently used prefixes and suffixes will be displayed on the white board. Their meaning will be explained.
6. The teacher will divide the class into 4 teams and will ask them to come up with their own list of words with the meaningful prefixes and suffixes. This task will be timed.
7. The game will be played after 4 teams have their lists of words. The team that has the most amount of words wins.
Plan For Independent Practice: Each student will have to find in their textbook a sentence with the unfamiliar word the meaning of which the are able to understand from the context.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):

• Watch video Meaningful Parts of Words.
• Is it necessary to carry with you a dictionary to understand everything you are reading and everything you are hearing?

Assessment Based On Objectives:
• The group work will be assessed by the results of the game.
• The ability to explain the example of the context clues application in the sentence will be considered as an individual assessment.

Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities):
• The auditory impaired children will be provided with headphones to watch the video.
• The students with kinesthetic disabilities will be allowed to do the written work on the computers.

Extensions (For Gifted Students): The students will be given passages with the advanced vocabulary that correlate one or two grades higher than theirs.

Possible Connections To Other Subjects: Science (the students will learn what the ocean currents are); Language Arts (writing and using the word formation rules).