Vocabulary Activity
Strategy: Graphic Organizer
Content Area and ELA Standards:
9-10.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words and phrases
based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of
speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
b. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or
function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise
meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase.
Objective: In a graphic organizer, SWBAT define the terms ethos, pathos, and logos, identify the Greek
roots used in the prefixes of those terms, and list at least three other words using each of those
prefixes.
Supplementary Links to Resources (if any):
List of Greek and Latin Roots in English (Creative Commons):
https://www.oakton.edu/user/3/gherrera/Greek%20and%20Latin%20Roots%20in%20English/greek_a
nd_latin_roots.pdf
Vocabulary Strategy Awareness & Explanation (Purpose for selecting the strategy)
How will this provide students with a clear picture of the why and how?
This activity will help students understand how to identify Greek and Latin roots as well as why this is a
useful skill to have. Since the teacher begins by modeling the process of defining a word using roots,
students will have a clear idea of how the activity should be approached. Most of them will also realize
that this can be replicated with many words they already know, and that they either know or can guess
what a lot of roots mean. Modeling the process on a widely-known word and then applying it to a
harder one shows students that the process can help them puzzle out words they haven’t seen before.
As they practice doing this with the three rhetorical appeals, they will understand how this process can
help them remember terms for class, predict what words might mean, and make connections between
words that share roots. The graphic organizer helps them organize their thoughts during practice and
can be used as a study material later.
Vocabulary Strategy Procedure-the “how-to”
Detail how you will introduce the vocabulary concept rooted in Latin/Greek roots, how you will propel
understanding of the generative use of these roots, and finally, how you will establish the proficiency of
the objective through an effective closing that can be assessed.
● Introduce the concept of Greek/Latin roots. Provide an example by breaking down the word
“contradict.” Then repeat using the word “contravene.” (5-7 min)
● Direct students to the list of Greek and Latin roots from Creative Commons; give them a couple
of minutes to look through and make comments or ask questions.
● Hand out the graphic organizer for ethos, pathos, and logos.
● Instruct students to fill out the organizer, which has spaces for Greek roots, root meanings,
word meanings, and examples of other words using the roots. They may do this individually or
work together. They should look for the roots and root meanings in the linked list, but they
should not search for definitions of ethos, pathos, or logos--instead, they should write down
their best guess in the “word meaning” section. (15 min)
● After students have finished their organizers, pull up a blank copy on the board. Ask for
volunteers to share what they put in each section. Use the socratic method to discuss whether
these answers are correct, why or why not, and how students came to their conclusions. Fill out
the organizer on the board. Prompt students to edit or add to their organizers during this whole
class discussion. (10 min)
● Introduce the concept of rhetorical appeals, identifying ethos, pathos, and logos as persuasive
tools. Give examples of each. Make references to the meanings of the Greek roots for each
term to ensure that students remember what they mean and how the words are constructed.
Briefly discuss what these appeals are used for and where they can be found. Preview the next
unit/lesson/assignment, which will be about recognizing rhetorical appeals in a text. (10 min)
● At the end of class, ask students to hand in their graphic organizers. They will be assessed for
completion, accurate identification of roots and their meanings, addition of correct word
definitions after class discussion (along with their best guesses from before), and at least 3
other words using each root.