Determining meaning through context
I can use the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph to determine the...
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General
Students learn to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases by understanding the context in which the word is used.
Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4a
Learning objective
Students will be able to decipher the meanings of words and phrases by using context.
Introduction
Discuss strategies learned prior to this lesson on how to discover the meaning of unknown words, specifically using root words as well as using prefixes and suffixes. Explain to students that learning how to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases makes you a stronger reader and means you won't get stuck as you read. Explain to students that they can use context, or the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph to help determine the meaning of unknown words. Further define context to the students as the larger setting, situation, or set of circumstances in a text.
Instruction
As a class, read the given text and see if you can determine the context of the passage- what is happening? Then read the shorter passage with the bold word and see if students can determine the context, and then use the context to help determine the meaning of the word in bold. As a class, read the passage and see if you can determine the context, as well as the likely meaning of the word in bold. Have students work individually to write a short paragraph that includes a word that their classmates might not know. Set a time limit for the writing, and when complete, have students exchange papers and see if they can determine the meaning of the word. You can ask students if they want to share as a class. As a class, see if you can determine the meaning of the words from the context of the sentences.
Quiz
Students are given a set of true/false questions to check understanding of key concepts in the lesson. They are then given multiple-choice questions in which they must determine the meaning of the bold word in the sentence.
Closing
Discuss with students why it is important to be able to use the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph to determine the meaning of an unknown word or phrase. This means that they won't get stuck in their reading and that they become stronger readers. Close with a game in which students must scramble a word that they have recently learned and use it in a short paragraph. They must give enough hints that their classmate can determine which word the scrambled word is!
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Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.