DENOTATION/CONNOTATIONLesson Objective:

Students will interpret and apply the denotative and connotative use of words.

DISCUSS: INTELLIGENT Copy this word down for word #1What does that word mean to you? What do you picture when you see of hear this word?

Write down your answers to these questions. - Pull Cards to share

INTELLIGENT

INTELLIGENT – DICTIONARY DEFINITION Having a good understanding or a high mental capacity, quick to

comprehend.

Displaying or characterized by quickness of understanding, sound thought or good judgment

Having the faculty of reasoning and understanding

What’s different between what you wrote and the dictionary definition?

Turn to your shoulder partner and compare your notes.

Volunteers about what you discussed.

DISCUSS: GENIUSCopy this word down for word #2What does that word mean to you? What do you picture when you see of hear this word?

How is this word different from intelligent?Write down your answers to these questions. - Pull Cards to share

GENIUS

GENIUS – DICTIONARY DEFINITION An exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and

original work in science, art, music etc.

A person who has an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test; has an IQ score in the top 2 percent of the population.

What’s different between what you wrote and the dictionary definition?

Turn to your shoulder partner and compare your notes.

Volunteers about what you discussed.

DISCUSS: ALGEBRA Copy this word down for word #3What does that word mean to you? What do you picture when you see of hear this word?

How does this relate to the words intelligent and genius?

Write down your answers to these questions. - Pull Cards to share

ALGEBRA

ALGEBRA – DICTIONARY DEFINITION The branch of mathematics that deals with general statements of relations,

utilizing letters and other symbols to represent specific sets of numbers, values, vectors, etc. in the description of such relations.

What’s different between what you wrote and the dictionary definition?

Turn to your shoulder partner and compare your notes.

Volunteers about what you discussed.

CONNOTATION

Please write this on the bottom of all your notes.

Connotation definition – what a word makes us think about and picture.

So what is denotation?

DENOTATIONWrite this down under connotation.Denotation definition- the dictionary definition of words.

When authors write, are their word choices controlled mostly by connotation or denotation? Why? - Shoulder partners/Pull cards

LAST ONE DISCUSS: BRAINIACCopy this word down for word #4What does that word mean to you? What do you picture when you see of hear this word?

How does this relate to the words intelligent and genius?

Write down your answers to these questions. - Pull Cards to share

BRAINIAC– DICTIONARY DEFINITION A highly intelligent person.

What’s different between what you wrote and the dictionary definition?

Turn to your shoulder partner and compare your notes.

CONNOTATION

If you had to rank intelligent, genius and brainiac with most positive connotation to most negative, how would they rank and why?

Mr. Bradley’s Ranks – Genius – Positive, Intelligent- Neutral and Brainiac- Negative

CHAMELEON SCHLEMIELEON – PATRIC S. TRAYPay attention to connotation while I read this story.

As you read the story again circle words that you think the author purposely choses in order to make his story especially precise.

Go through again and pick what you think is the author’s five best word choices.

Write them down and tell what kind of picture they help create.

Once we are complete we will share with our shoulder partners and then take volunteers to report out.

SUPER HERO NARRATIVE – REVISION #2Read through your Super Hero NarrativeHighlight at least 5 words that you would like to change.

Write them down on the sheet along with your new words.

Finally, explain WHY you feel these words give the reader a more precise picture.