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Goals:

Students will match context clues with unknown words to aid in comprehension.

Students will write sentences containing context clues to meanings of nonsense words.

Students will write sentences containing context clues to meanings of real words.

Students will locate and use context clues to aid comprehension and vocabulary development.

Materials:

White board, eraser, markers

Context Clues worksheet for each student

Pencil for each student

Writing paper for each student

Preparation:

Print out the example worksheet or create one of your own.

Duplicate worksheet for each student.

Procedure:

Write the word FLEEGLE on the board. Ask volunteers to define it. When no one is able to state the meaning, discuss strategies for discovering the definition.

Tell the students that one way to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to use context clues. Sometimes, clues to the meanings of words are hidden in other near-by words or phrases.

Write the following sentence on the board: Our family wouldn’t all fit in the FLEEGLE because the ten-passenger van was already filled with presents. Point out the word FLEEGLE in the sentence.

Ask the group to guess the meaning of FLEEGLE now that they’ve seen it used in a sentence. When a student responds with 10-PASSENGER VAN, ask him or her to come forward and underline the clue from the sentence.

Try another! Write TWIP on the board. Speculate about the meaning.

Write this sentence on the board: I don’t like to drink TWIP because of its bitter taste. Speculate again about the meaning, based on the clues in the sentence. Sometimes sentences contain clues to unknown words even if the meaning is not stated directly.

Write SMING on the board. Have each student make up a sentence that shows its meaning. Remind them to avoid sentences like A sming is ___. That state the meaning directly.

Have students turn in their sentences containing context clues to the word SMING. Critique the sentences anonymously. Which ones actually contain context clues?

Evaluation

Use the context clue worksheets. Students should be able to underline context clues in each sentence and use that information to match words with definitions in the second part of the activity.

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