Grade 6 Unit 1: Understanding the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words

Grade 6 Unit 1: Understanding the Meaning of

Unfamiliar Words

Table of Contents Introduction 2

Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Inferring the Meaning of a Word Using Context Clues 3 Warm-up! 3 Learn About It! 4 Check Your Understanding 11 Let’s Step Up! 13

Lesson 2: Inferring the Meaning of Idiomatic Expressions 14 Warm-up! 14 Learn About It! 15 Check Your Understanding 18 Let’s Step Up! 19

Lesson 3: Inferring the Meaning of Words Using Affixes and Roots 20 Warm-up! 20 Learn About It! 21 Check Your Understanding 25 Let’s Step Up! 26

Performance Task 27

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 29

Wrap Up 30

Bibliography 31

GRADE 6 |English

UNIT 1

Understanding the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words

There are instances when we read a book or watch a movie,we come across words that may possibly confuse us. These words seem new to us and we would usually look for a dictionary to look for the meaning of these words. But what if there are no dictionaries or other means for us to locate the meaning of these words? In this unit, you will learn strategies on how to understand meanings of words without the help of tools such as a dictionary.

Objectives

In this unit, you should be able to: ● infer meaning of idiomatic expressions using context clues; ● infer meaning of idiomatic expressions using affixes and roots; and ● Infer meaning of figurative language using context clues, affixes and roots, and

other strategies.

Copyright © 2018 Quipper Limited 2

Lesson 1: Inferring the Meaning of a Word Using Context Clues

We always encounter unfamiliar words as we go through our everyday life. Like puzzles or riddles, these unfamiliar words hold clues that help us understand their meaning. The clues appear either within the same sentence of the unfamiliar word, or the sentence before or after.

Warm-up!

Sherlock’s Mystery With a pair, your teacher will give you an envelope with clues in solving a mystery involving a treasure. You have to solve the meaning of the message using the items inside the envelope. The first pair to solve the mystery wins. How did you solve the mystery? Discuss your experience in class.


Learn About It!

In the warm up activity, you have encountered words that are not familiar to you such as the word ‘gnerky’ and ‘condilou’. Although these are not really words found in the English dictionary, you were able to define and identify what these words are through the clues given to you. These clues are called context clues. Context clues are often found before or after the unfamiliar word to be defined within the sentence or paragraph. Here are some types of context clues which can help. 1. Example

There are times when an unfamiliar word is provided with words or ideas serving as an example, which may help the reader in defining it. These are words which may give hints to an example as a context clue.

for example for instance

like including such as

We use our organs such as the lungs, stomach, and kidneys to function.

In this example, the underlined word “organs” can be defined by looking at words that are examples of organs in the body. These are lungs, stomach, and kidneys. From the examples, we can say that an organ is a part of the body that has a particular use.


I hope maidens like Ms. Jones and Ms. Carson meet their matches soon.

This example shows that Ms. Jones and Ms. Carson are women who are categorized as maidens. This means that a maiden is a woman who has not yet married.

Elderly people like Mr. and Mrs. Scamander must be treated with respect.

In this example, Mr. and Mrs. Scamander are examples of elderly people. This means that elderly is someone who is old or aging. 2.


Restatement There are also instances in a sentence or paragraph where an unfamiliar word is restated in another term, which makes the word easier to understand. This can be identified by looking at commas, dashes, and restatement cues. These cues include the following:

or that is

in other words

My sister is a pediatrician, or a children’s doctor.

In this example, the word “pediatrician” is restated in a more understandable term “children’s doctor.” Notice that after the given example is a comma followed by the restatement cue or.

I was infuriated. I snapped at him because of anger.

In the example given, there may not be any restatement cues present. However, the restatement of the word “infuriated” is present in the next sentence, which is the word “anger.”

He was one mischievous boy. In other words, he was naughty.

In the example, “mischievous” is restated in a more simple word, which is “naughty.” It is also hinted by the restatement cue in other words.


3. Definition

Unfamiliar words are also found when a direct definition of the word is found within the sentence. This context clue is called definition. Key words that hint definition include the following:

is means

are refer to

A carnivore is an animal that eats only meat.

In the example given, “carnivore” is directly defined in the sentence. This is hinted by the keyword is.

I want you to estimate, meaning to calculate, the number of goodie bags here.


In this example, the word “estimate” is directly defined as to calculate in the sentence. This will help the reader to understand what the unfamiliar word is.

We all want a legendary comeback. It is something that will be famous.

In this example, “legendary” is defined as famous. It is defined in the sentence following the unfamiliar word. 4. Synonym Synonyms are words that have similar meanings. A context clue that uses synonyms would use a word that is similar to the meaning of the unfamiliar word to define its meaning. Keywords for synonyms are as follows:

also as same similar

like too likewise


I want to color my hair periwinkle. Martha’s hair is the same purple color, too.

Periwinkle is a color in the purple spectrum. In this example, the color purple served as a more familiar synonym of periwinkle.

She thinks the idea is ridiculous. We think it’s silly as well.

“Ridiculous” and “silly” are synonymous to each other. Given this example, the synonyms are used to point how the unfamiliar word is defined in the sentence.

Because Helga helped the neighbors in moving out, we assisted them in riding their vehicle.

In this example, the word “assist” is synonymous to the word “help.” 5. Antonyms


If synonyms are words that have similar meanings, antonyms are words that are opposite in meaning. Helpful keywords in identifying antonyms include:

however though on the other hand

in contrast instead of but unlike

Jaren was anxious about her test results; on the other hand Karen was not worried at all.

In this example, the word “anxious” is the antonym of “not worried.” This means that anxious means worried.

I do not have access in the restricted section unlike the free section of the online library.

In the example given, “restricted” and “free” are antonyms. This means that restricted means closed or blocked.

He was depressed with the way it turned out; however he chose to be cheerful about it.

In this example, “depressed” is the antonym of the word “cheerful.” This means that depressed means unhappy.


Check Your Understanding

Identify the meaning of the underlined word in each sentence. Write the meaning on the first column and write the type of context clue used on

the second column.

Sentence Meaning Context clue type

1. My sister is an erudite student. On the other

hand, my brother usually lacks knowledge in his

lessons..

2. Jorge is the current proprietor of this shop. His mother was the

owner before him.

3. Our museum owns cutlery like spoons and knives from

famous people.


4. My groupmate is unreliable -- irresponsible-- that she left our

project at home.

5. He was a frequent visitor in the hospital that the staff knows

him very well.

Choose the letter of the meaning that best defines the underlined word.

1. Endangered species such as whale sharks a. build and polar bears need to be protected. b. at risk

2. The thief needs to be detained or jailed for c. arrested at least a night. d. view

3. I need to catch the train but I missed my stop. e. go after 4. She has an eye for beauty which makes me f. save

appreciate art more. 5. She gave him a Lego set to assemble which took

him several hours to set up.

Choose the letter of the word that best defines the underlined word.

1. I had a small business of using dyes to color plain t-shirts.

a. dry b. color c. texture 2. My brother learned to climb trees by climbing from boughs of trees. He snapped a branch one time.

a. trunk b. roots c. branch 3. When working inside the laboratory, observe safety precaution such as wearing a lab gown, safety goggles, and gloves.

a. injury b. care c. neglect 4. I have a strong urge, or appetite for strawberry cheesecake.

a. craving b. satisfaction c. disgust 5. He was thrilled to join the camp however his mother was terrified.

a. excited b. angry c. afraid


Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 2: Inferring the Meaning of Idiomatic Expressions

Some expressions in the English language are not to be taken in its literal sense. These expressions may sound a bit weird for those who are unfamiliar with their meanings but it makes writing and reading more colorful.

Warm-up!

Act it out! The class will be grouped to three. Each group will be given an idiomatic expression to act out in front of their classmates. The class, in turn, will guess what these idioms are.

1. It takes two to tango. 2. Crying over spilled milk. 3. Break a leg. 4. Rub salt in your wound.

After the activity, discuss how the figurative meaning of these expressions differ from their literal meaning.


Learn About It!

When you take this in a literal sense, you might end up looking outside the window waiting for cats and dogs to fall from the sky. However, this expression should not be taken in its literal sense but in a different way. These expressions are known as

idiomatic expressions.

The idiom “it’s raining cats and dogs” does not mean that there are animals falling from the sky. This expression means that the rain is falling heavily. Idioms are often used in writing to make expressions more colorful. In order for you to understand and use them properly, you should be familiar with idioms. Here are some idiomatic expressions and their meanings.

Idiomatic expressions Meaning cream of the crop the best

cool as a cucumber calm use your noodle think

fit as a fiddle in good health once in a blue moon rarely

break the ice make people more comfortable it takes two to tango both parties involved are responsible

for a situation let the cat out of the bag reveal a secret or the truth

break a leg good luck under the weather sick


You may use context clues to find the meaning of a particular idiomatic expression. Take a look at the following examples:

She asked the performers to break the ice so that people will get more engaged in the party.

In this example, the performers need to make the audience more comfortable in the party so they need to do a performance for them.

I cannot go to school today because I have been under the weather since yesterday.

Based on the sentence, the subject was not feeling well since the day before. That is why, s/he cannot go to school.


The director told his actors to break a leg and do well on their opening night.

In this example, the director wants to boost his actors’ confidence and wished them good luck.



Match the idioms on the left column to its meaning on the right column.

1. cold shoulder a. Escape responsibility 2. crocodile tears b. income 3. bread and butter c. enjoy oneself 4. have a blast d. Showing distance 5. Off the hook e. fake

Write the meaning of the idiomatic expression used in the sentence.

1. Rise and shine! It’s a beautiful day! ___________________________________________________________________________________

2. Aron was just pulling your leg. Don’t be mad at him. ___________________________________________________________________________________

3. I am pretty sure she will clean her room when pigs fly. Better do it than wait. __________________________________________________________________________________

4. I am afraid to approach him because his temper is a loose cannon. __________________________________________________________________________________

5. Marga believes that all of us are on the same boat in this project. ___________________________________________________________________________________

Write a sentence using the following idiomatic expressions.

1. cold shoulder

_____________________________________________________________________________ 2. crocodile tears

_____________________________________________________________________________ 3. bread and butter


____________________________________________________________________________

4. have a blast ____________________________________________________________________________

5. Off the hook ____________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Step Up!

.


Lesson 3: Inferring the Meaning of Words Using Affixes and Roots

The English language is made up of short words that may be joined together to form new words with different meanings. Other words may be broken apart and merged with other words to create more meanings.

Warm-up!

Where is my partner? Students will be given a placard with a word or letter written on it. The teacher will mention a word definition and the class will have to look around the room to join a classmate who has a placard that is needed to form the word the teacher needs. The first pair or group to form the word will shout “We’ve found our partners!”. (note: there may be instances where no partners are necessary.)

After the activity, the class will discuss their observations as they did the activity.


Learn About It!

In the previous activity, there are instances where a word can stand on its own and would not require other words to complete its meaning. These words are called base words. These words do not have the capacity to be broken down into smaller parts. Some words may need the help of two or more words in order to make a new word. This word is called root; and the words that are attached to a root is called an affix. Affixes can be a prefix or a suffix. The following are some examples of common roots and their meanings.

Root Meaning Example

alter other alternate

ami love amiable

ann year annual

anthrop human or man anthropology

aqua water aquatic

biblio book bibliography

bio life biography

chrom color chromatic

demo people democracy


derm skin dermatology

equ equal equate

geo earth geography

hydr water dehydrate

mar sea marine

mater mother maternal

min small minority

nov new innovation

The following are common prefixes:

Prefixes Meaning Example

a-, an- without amoral

anti- against antisocial

com- with communal

in- not invisible

inter- between intervene

intra- within intrastate

pre- before predict

re- again, back repeat

sub- under submarine

tele- distant, far off telegram


trans- across transport

The following are common suffixes:

Suffixes Meaning Example

-able, -ible able to be amiable

-agogue leader demagogue

-ful full of careful

-ia, -y act or state mania, anarchy

-ism the belief in socialism

-ist one who believes in socialist

-logy study of biology

-oid resembling spheroid

-phobia exaggerated fear claustrophobia

-sis act, state, condition of analysis

To identify the meaning of an unfamiliar word, you may break the word down into its parts (its root and affixes) and analyze the meaning of each part. Let us look at the following examples:

transport

transport prefix root

“trans” means “across”

“port” means “carry”


In this example, the word “transport” is divided into the prefix trans (across) and the root port (carry). As the meanings suggest, to transport is to carry across or to move.

hydrophobia

hydr(o) -phobia

root suffix “Hydr” means

“water” “Phobia” means

“exaggerated fear” In this example, the word “hydrophobia” is composed of the root hydr (water) and the suffix phobia (exaggerated fear). This means that a person who has hydrophobia has an extreme fear of water.

microbiology

micro- bio -logy prefix root suffix

“Micro” means “small”

“Bio” means “life” “Logy” means “study of”

In this example, “microbiology” is broken down into the prefix micro (small), the root bio (life), and the suffix logy (study of). Looking at the breakdown of the word and its meanings, we can define the word microbiology as “the study of small lifeforms”.



Using the affixes in the word bank, make a new word by combining the root to one prefix or one suffix.

im y re ist dis sis pre ion

1. Possible → ___________________ 2. Test → __________________ 3. Science → ___________________ 4. Analyze → ____________________ 5. Sun → _____________________

Define the meaning of the following words through roots and affixes.

1. antipathy 2. impossible 3. incredible 4. Zoology 5. monotonous

Supply the appropriate affix to complete the sentence.

1. We think that his story is _____________ (believe). He would often lie about his adventures.

2. I am really tired but my brain seems ______________(rest). 3. Hunter taught the kids to treat each other with _______________(kind).


4. I can’t believe my eyes! The bunny ______________(appeared) out of

nowhere! 5. I hope the children did not ______________ (behave) today. I am

worried that the teacher did not have a great time.

Let’s Step Up!


Performance Task

Election Campaign

GOAL: Your goal is to write and deliver a speech as a candidate for Mayor of your city. ROLE: You are an aspiring politician who would like to be elected as the new Mayor of your city. You are tasked to write a speech to introduce yourself and why you should be voted by your constituents. AUDIENCE: The target audience are people who are eligible to vote for you in the coming elections. SITUATION: The challenge is you are new in politics and most of the audience are not yet convinced of your credibility as a future leader of their city. PRODUCT/PERFORMANCE AND PURPOSE:

You will write and deliver a speech as a candidate for Mayor.

1. Your speech should include the following: a. A short description of who you are and what you do. b. What are your plans as Mayor of your city once you are elected? c. Why should the people vote for you?

2. Include at least 5 words with context clues, 5 idiomatic expressions, and 5 words with affixes and roots in your speech. Highlight these words in the manuscript.

3. Your speech must be 3 minutes long. You are allowed to look at your manuscript. 4. Observe the following in the speech delivery:

a. Vocal clarity b. Proper stress and intonation c. Stage presence

5. Observe the following in the written output: a. Organization of ideas b. Use of vocabulary words (context clues, idioms, affixes, and roots) c. Language use

6. Print a copy of your manuscript on a short bond paper.


STANDARDS AND CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS: You will be rated according to the following rubric:

Criteria Beginning (0-12 points)

Developing (13-16 points)

Accomplished (17-20 points)

Score

Content (Focus on details/events are clearly evident; it is clearly related to the topic.)

Organization (Logical progression of details/events; clear transitions between ideas.)

Language (spelling, mechanics, grammar and usage)

Use of context clues, idioms, and affixes and roots

1-5 words 6-10 words

11-15 words

Voice Voice is unclear and inaudible

Voice is clear and audible

Stress and intonation Words are not enunciated properly. No emphasis was evident

Some words are enunciated properly. Emphasis on some words were evident.

Words were enunciated properly. Has proper emphasis.

Stage Presence Has low confidence on stage

Has a commanding


presence on stage

TOTAL SCORE:

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?

Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the appropriate box.

Skills I think I need more

practice and assistance

I am familiar and can perform well

with minimal assistance

I am confident that I can perform this on

my own

I can infer meaning of idiomatic expressions using context clues.

I can infer meaning of idiomatic expressions using affixes and roots.

I can infer meaning of figurative language using context clues, affixes and roots, and other strategies.


Wrap Up

Context clues are hints found within a sentence or paragraph that a reader can use to figure out the meaning of new and unfamiliar words.

Idiomatic expressions are words, phrases, or expressions that are not taken literally.

Some words are made up of roots and affixes to create new words.


Bibliography

Bean, Roseann. n.d. Context Clues. Accessed January 23, 2018. http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=63379. McEwan, Elaine K. n.d. Root Words, Roots, and Affixes. Accessed January 23, 2018. http://www.readingrockets.org/article/root-words-roots-and-affixes. Smart Words. n.d. Famous Idioms | Meaning. Accessed January 23, 2018. http://www.smart-words.org/quotes-sayings/idioms-meaning.html. Writing for Success. n.d. Using Context Clues. Accessed January 23, 2018. http://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/4-6-using-context-clues/. Recommended Links for This Unit: Glass, Kathy. n.d. Seven Strategies for Using Context Clues in Reading. Accessed January 22, 2018. https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/7-strategies-using-context-clues-reading/. O'Brien, Elizabeth. n.d. Idiomatic Expressions. Accessed January 23, 2018. https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/idiomatic-expressions.html. Live Abilities. n.d. Root words, prefixes, suffixes. Accessed January 23, 2019. http://www.betterendings.org/homeschool/words/root%20words.htm.


http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=63379

http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=63379

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/root-words-roots-and-affixes

http://www.smart-words.org/quotes-sayings/idioms-meaning.html

http://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/4-6-using-context-clues/

https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/7-strategies-using-context-clues-reading/

https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/idiomatic-expressions.html

http://www.betterendings.org/homeschool/words/root%20words.htm

Grade 6 Unit 1: Understanding the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words

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