Oops! A girl is walking down the hall at
school. She spots a boy she’s been dying to
meet coming toward her. They are almost
right next to each other when she slips, loses
her balance, and falls to the floor in a clumsy
heap. How could a moment like this possibly
have a positive outcome?
Quick-write: In your journal, jot down your
response to the question above.
illustrationsource.com
Pre-reading FYI
• Christmas is not celebrated by all cultures.
• Other cultures do not eat the sorts of
traditional foods that Americans tend to eat
for celebrations.
• Chinese Family Meal
Pre-reading FYI
• Chinese New Year is the Chinese version of
Christmas in China, but many Chinese get in
the holiday spirit at Christmas. Christmas is
not an official holiday in China, so most
offices, schools and shops remain open. All
the trappings of a Western Christmas can be
found in China, Hong Kong, Macau and
Taiwan.
Fish Cheeks
by Amy Tan
The Meanings of Words
Denotation and Connotation
Denotation
The strict
dictionary
meaning of a
word
Connotation
The emotional
and imaginative
association
surrounding a
word
Denotation vs. Connotation

• Denotation is the dictionary or literal
meaning of a word.
Connotative words imply emotions.
Plump = a full, round.
Fat = While similar in meaning to plump,
it has a very harsh and mean tone.
Word Choice
You may live in a
house, but we live
in a home.
The connotation in
this sentence is that
a “home” is much
more than merely
the structure of a
house.
The connotation of a word is
often either positive or negative
Positive
We bought
inexpensive
souvenirs at the
amusement park.
Negative
We bought
cheap souvenirs
at the amusement
park.
Which word has a positive connotation
and which has a negative one?
 Everyone
had a
smirk on his/her
face on the ride
home.
 Everyone had a
smile on his/her
face on the way
home.
Connotation: Negative
I ate a soggy
sandwich.
Another example…
 You
look a little odd
today.
 You look really
weird today.
Which one do think
has a stronger, more
negative feel to it?
Which word has a positive
connotation? You Decide!
average
mediocre
childish
childlike
spit
saliva
antique
old-fashioned
Connotation
• Opposite of
Denotation
• Implied
Meaning
• May be
Favorable or
unfavorable
Which words have negative
connotations? You Decide!
1. The (odor, fragrance) of apple
blossoms filled the entire valley.
2. A (swarm, bunch) of bees filled the
air near the hive.
Tone = Emotion
 The
tone of the
words is what
evokes a certain
emotion.
Let’s Play...
Word Choice
Word Choice
Positive
Viewpoint
Negative
Viewpoint
100
100
200
200
300
300
Positive Connotation
 immature
 youthful

Back to Game
Positive Connotation
 limit
 restrict

Back to Game
Negative Connotation
 stingy
 thrifty

Back to Game
Negative Connotation
 cluttered
 messy

Back to Game
Negative Connotation
 unusual
 weird

Back to Game
Fish Cheeks
Reread the story and highlight the connotations.
Identify if it is a positive (+) or negative (-)
connotation.
-
The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds
of raw food…