Task Title
Grade Level
CCSS
Description
Materials
Considerations
for Planning
Greek and Latin Affixes and Roots
6
LACC.6.L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
 LACC.6.L.3.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes
and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory,
audible).
The student will separate words into their Greek and Latin roots and affixes.
The student will define the words based on knowledge of the roots and
affixes. The student will write sentences using the words to demonstrate
understanding of the meanings.
 Greek and Latin Affixes and Roots graphic organizer (one per student
and one to display)
 Pencils (one per student)
 Projector, scanned-image LCD projector, document camera, or overhead
projector
 Students will have prior knowledge of common Greek or Latin affixes and
roots.
 Students will have had direct instruction on separating words into roots
and affixes.
 Students will have had direct instruction on using common Greek or Latin
affixes and roots to determine the meanings of words.
 Students will have had direct instruction on writing sentences to
demonstrate understanding of the meanings of words.
English Language Learner Considerations:
 Probe for understanding thorough questioning about key words or
phrases.
 Brainstorm features of language.
 Provide short passages in native language to analyze the vocabulary and
make connections to vocabulary used in English passages.
 Allow ELLs to use a word-to-word translation dictionary whenever
needed.
Time Allotment
Group Size
40 minutes
English Language Learner Considerations:
ELLs may require extended time to complete the task.
Whole class
Pairs (for ELLs)
English Language Learner Considerations:
If necessary, strategically place ELLs with higher-level ELLs or native
English speakers.
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
1
Task Directions
1. Teacher introduces the activity and states overall purpose, expectations for students, and
explains why this important. Teacher says, “You are going to take a list of words and separate
them into their Greek and Latin roots and affixes. You will use your knowledge of those roots
and affixes to provide definitions for the words. Finally, you will write a sentence for each word
that shows you understand the meaning of the word. Using common Greek or Latin affixes and
roots as clues to determine the meanings of words is an important skill in order to achieve
higher reading levels and to understand the meaning of unknown words.”
2. Teacher distributes the materials and displays the Greek and Latin Affixes and Roots graphic
organizer.
3. Teacher models how to separate a word into its affix(es) and root, using the first word on the
list, “astronomy.” Teacher can elicit student responses or provide the answer. Teacher then
elicits student responses or provides answers for what each component means (“Astro” means
“star” and “-nomy” means “knowledge about”). Teacher models using those meanings to create
a workable definition of the word, saying something like, “Using our knowledge about those
parts of the word, we can conclude that ‘astronomy’ means knowledge about stars or study of
stars.”
4. Teacher models how to write a sentence using “astronomy.” Teacher can elicit student
responses or simply write something like, “Because she showed an interest in astronomy,
Jenny’s parents gave her a telescope to look at the stars.”
5. Students work independently to complete the rest of the graphic organizer.
Note: Teacher may add scaffolding as needed (whole class, small groups, pairs) before
independent work.
6. While students engage in the task, teacher observes, asks questions, and assists students.
Teacher utilizes rubric to determine student performance based on common
misconceptions/errors, identify appropriate questions to ask students to elicit evidence of
student thinking, and determine next steps for instruction.
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
2
Rubric: Greek and Latin Affixes and Roots
Level 1: The student demonstrates a beginning understanding of using common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots to determine the meaning of words.
Misconception/Error
Questions for Eliciting Thinking
Instructional Implications
Student is unable to separate the
“Which other words use the same part Reteach common, grade-appropriate
words into their roots and affixes.
of this word?”
Greek or Latin affixes and roots.
Student is unable to define the
words.
“In your own words, what does this
word mean?”
Model how to use roots and affixes to
determine word meanings.
English Language Learner
Misconceptions:
English Language Learner
Considerations:
English Language Learner
Considerations:
ELLs may be unable to discern the
meaning of Greek or Latin affixes and
roots based on their background
knowledge.
“What are the parts of the word
biology? What does bio- mean? What
does -logy mean? When you put them
together, what do they mean? What
other words do you know that look like
biology? For example, what does
psychology mean? What are the parts
of the word?”
Provide a complete list of whole words
and the words broken apart by affix and
root. Scaffold the task by writing an
example on sentence strips.
Revisit words that are used in
definitions. Ask question to guide
students in separating words.
ELLs may be unable to separate
words into their constituent parts.
“Which of these words have you seen
before? What can you figure out by
looking at the words and their
meanings? What does ____ mean?”
Make a list of the vocabulary words
using common Greek or Latin affixes
and roots with their meanings to use as
a reference page.
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
3
Level 2: The student demonstrates some understanding of using common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes
and roots to determine the meaning of words.
Misconception/Error
Questions for Eliciting Thinking
Instructional Implications
Student is able to separate some
“What do you need to provide in a
Model how to write a sentence using a
words into their roots and affixes and sentence to let readers know what a word that demonstrates its meaning.
provide some definitions but is
word means?”
unable to write sentences that
demonstrate an understanding of
word meanings.
English Language Learner
Misconceptions:
English Language Learner
Considerations:
English Language Learner
Considerations:
ELLs may be unable to define the
words.
“How are the words psychology and
psychiatry (or two other related
words) related to each other? What
is the relationship? What do you
know about the meaning of these
words? What can you lean by
thinking about the meaning of the
affix psych? In what way are the
endings of the words different?
What do you know about the
difference? What will you write as
the definition?”
Provide a complete list of whole words.
Pronounce words for ELLs. (Some
ELLs may recognize the words when
they hear them.) Ask guiding questions
about the words.
ELLs may be unable to write
sentences using the words.
“What does the word mean? What is
an idea of a sentence you might
write? How would that sentence
help a reader know that you really
understand that word?”
Establish that the ELLs understand the
word. Elicit some possible sentences
from ELLs.
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
4
Level 3: The student demonstrates a complete understanding of using common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots to determine the meaning of words.
Misconception/Error
Questions for Eliciting Thinking
Instructional Implications
Student completes the Greek and
“Name another word that has a Greek or
Provide opportunities for students to
Latin Affixes and Roots graphic
Latin affix or root and give its meaning.”
make a list of words with Greek or
organizer with teacher support and
Latin affixes and roots.
self-correction.
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
5
Level 4: The student demonstrates an advanced understanding of using common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots to determine the meaning of words.
Misconception/Error
Questions for Eliciting Thinking
Instructional Implications
Student has no misconceptions or
“What are some other forms of the
Provide opportunities for students to
errors.
words on this list?”
perform the same operations on
different forms of the words on the list
(e.g., astronomer, astronomical).
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
6
Student Name
Q2
Q3
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
Observation notes
Q1
Level 1, Level 2, Level 3,
or Level 4
Q3 Does the student write
sentences using the words?
Writes sentences using
the words
Q2 Does the student define the
words?
Defines the words
Q1 Does the student separate the
roots from the affixes?
Separates the roots from
the affixes
Teacher Checklist for
Greek and Latin Affixes and Roots
7
Name: ______________________________________
Greek and Latin Affixes and Roots
Directions: Draw vertical lines on the words below to separate their roots and affixes.
Then write definitions of the words using your knowledge of the roots and affixes. Finally,
write sentences using each word that demonstrate the meaning.
Word
Meaning of
Word Parts
Definition
Sentence
astronomy
contradict
biology
geography
intersection
megaphone
thermometer
transport
microscope
pentagon
uniform
FL ELFAS Task and Rubric -Pearson Confidential – Original Version
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