2010 Diocesan Institute
Activities for World Language Classes
A. Lukes
Paul VI Catholic High School
Derivative Tree
Wordlist Due Date _________________
Tree Due Date ____________________
1. The fate will select ONE of the following LATIN words for you:
moveo
mitto
lego (lex)
juro (jus)
fero
facio
duco
porto
cedo
capio
ago
voco (vox)
video
verto
venio
pono
traho
teneo
sto
specio/specto
sentio
scribo
rego
plecto
2. Look up the Latin principal parts of your word and the English meanings of your Latin word.
3. Review Latin prepositions which may be prefixes to English words.
4. Identify ENGLISH WORDS which get their base and oftentimes their meaning etymologically
from the Latin word. Principal parts and Latin prepositions will assist you.
5. Compile a list of the English words from your Latin base word AND the English word meanings
which you have found in English dictionaries. YOUR GRADE ON THIS PROJECT WILL BE
PROPORTIONAL TO THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU GIVE THE PROJECT. Original list is
worth 60 points (1 point for each correctly spelled word, 1 point for each correct meaning).
Definition must reflect correct part of speech. MINIMUM CORRECT WORDS = MINIMUM
GRADE
6. Turn in original wordlist and meanings by wordlist due date.
7. After your list is returned to you, construct or draw leaves with the derivatives printed on them.
SPELLING, LEGIBILITY, AND NEATNESS COUNT! Put the leaves on the treetop and the
Latin base word (with principal parts) on the trunk or roots of your tree.
8. Place your tree on POSTERBOARD (Approx. 22" x 28").
9. Turn in your tree and ORIGINAL list on due date. Original list must accompany tree.
(25 points taken off for missing list.)
(over)
2010 Diocesan Institute
Activities for World Language Classes
A. Lukes
Paul VI Catholic High School
Grading Rubric:
Original Wordlist
60
Spelling of words
Meaning of words
Tree
40
Spelling of words
Ability to follow directions
Extra
+1 for each class day early (maximum of +5)
additional effort as determined by teacher
Minus
-5 for every class day late
lack of effort as determined by teacher
Total
2010 Diocesan Institute
Activities for World Language Classes
A. Lukes
Paul VI Catholic High School
Notes
Derivative Tree
works well with most levels of Latin
best to schedule this for a specific standardized testing time
sophomores/juniors
PSAT (early fall)
juniors
SAT/ACT (early spring)
seniors
SAT/ACT (early fall)
I like to have students do this in September. Then these are put up around room or (better yet) in
hallway for all to look at. If you have them up before parents’ back to school night, be sure to have
a title with the display—“Latin students prepare for PSAT/SAT/ACT” “Look at the words Latin
students are learning for life” or some such title.
use English dictionaries with word etymologies for verification of stems
ask librarian to come to classroom and show students the proper dictionaries to use
take class to library to use dictionaries
25 points off for missing original wordlist may seem harsh. It oftentimes is necessary to verify
whether or not a word was pre-approved for use on the tree. Why do double research on
questionable items?
2010 Diocesan Institute
Activities for World Language Classes
A. Lukes
Paul VI Catholic High School
Suggestions for Adaptation by Other Target Languages
and
Suggestions for Interdisciplinary Activity
works well with Romance languages—Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan
have students do this in September. Then these are put up around room or (better yet) in hallway
for all to look at. If you have them up before parents’ back to school night, be sure to have a title
with the display—“World Language Students know where words come from” “Look at the words
World Language students are learning for life” or some such title.
use English dictionaries with word etymologies for verification of stems/base words
ask librarian to come to classroom and show students the proper dictionaries to use or the correct
way to interpret word etymologies
take class to library to use dictionaries
25 points off for missing original wordlist may seem harsh. It oftentimes is necessary to verify
whether or not a word was pre-approved for use on the tree. Why do double research on
questionable items?
use leaf handout for target language vocabulary coming from Latin base words