Language Arts
Name:
Date: _______________________
Context Clues
Learning Target:
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Entrance Slip:
Directions: Context clues are the words and sentences surrounding an unfamiliar word. Context clues can come in
many forms, including; definitions, synonyms and antonyms, examples, list/series, inference and cause and effect.
Using your foldable notes Determine which type of context clue is being used in the following examples.
Definition
Example
Synonym
Inference
Antonym
Cause and Effect
List/Series
1. The tables were set up randomly; there was no order to their placement.
Type of context clue:
2. I was mortified when my friend pointed out that my zipper wasn’t zipped.
Type of context clue:
3. Like any famous person, celebrities have to deal with photographers always being around them.
Type of context clue:
4. In science we’re learning about aquatic animals, including dolphins, alligators, and sharks.
Type of context clue:
5. Unlike a cheetah, a sloth is sluggish.
Type of context clue:
6. Walt’s pugnacious behavior made his opponent back down.
Type of context clue:
7. Celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, have fascinated man through the centuries.
Type of context clue:
Part A: Whole Class
Read each sentence and determine the meaning of the word using context clues. Then list the type of clue.
1. Disposition: Unlike his sister Cattie, who had a very calm and mellow disposition, John jumped on Sofas and ran
through the house like an animal kingdom.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
Type: _________________________________
2. Amiable: If you go to the party wearing your best smile, laugh good naturedly, and try your dance steps out (even if
you aren’t the best dancer), you will attract attention with your amiable disposition.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
Type: __________________________________
3. Fastidious: When John saw his report card, he was excited because he had all As and an A- in Biology; but when his
fastidious mother saw his report card, she shook her head in disappointment.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
Type: ___________________________________
4. Provoke: I didn’t want to fight him, but he provoked me by insulting my family and I lost control.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
Type: ____________________________________
Part B: Practice – Partner Work
Review: Synonyms are words that have almost the same meaning. Synonyms are often indicated in readings by the
following words: like, and, so, or. A Thesaurus is a reference book, like a dictionary, that contains synonyms for
words.
Example: Synonyms for the word big are huge, large, gigantic, or massive.
A. Circle the pair of synonyms from the following sets of words.
1.
accept
accomplish
accent
achieve
2.
slowly
readily
easily
leisurely
3.
located
positioned
departed
unsettled
4.
disclose
secret
reveal
obscure
5.
avoid
livid
evade
depressed
B. Write TWO synonyms for each of the following words.
1. neat:
a.
b.
2. interesting:
a.
b.
3. beautiful:
a.
b.
4. smart:
a.
b.
5. fast:
a.
b.
C. Rewrite the following story by replacing the underlined word with a synonym. Write the new word
neatly above the underlined word. Be sure to spell it correctly.
My mother was so tired after work; she decided to take nap on the couch. While she was sleeping, I quietly snuck
into the kitchen to make her an ice cream sundae. I placed it on the table next to the couch, excited about the
fantastic surprise she would have when she woke. However, her supposedly “quick” nap, turned into nearly two hour
long event. When she woke, she was greeted, not with a delicious ice cream sundae, but a puddle of melted ice
cream!
Exit Slip:
Directions: Answer the following multiple choice questions. You will trade and grade your answers.
1. The generous people fed the emaciated lost dog.
A. fierce
B. calm
C. thin
D. tame
2. She invariably leaves her homework at home and must turn it in late.
A. purposefully
B. hated
C. happily
D. always
3. The mother bathed the baby in the tepid water.
A. lukewarm
B. hot
C. muddy
D. cold
4. The car collector bought the vintage Ford Mustang.
A. rose colored
B. broken down
C. real
D. classic
5. The slovenly boy never cleaned his room or washed his hands.
A. proud
B. sloppy
C. careful
D. little
6. The policeman arrested the speeder for flagrantly disobeying the speed limit.
A. joyfully
B. cautiously
C. obviously
D. sadly
7. The city council concurred with the excellent recommendations of the library committee.
A. agreed
B. rejected
C. argued
D. stopped
8. A man of few words, he is known for his brevity.
A. briefness
B. athleticism
C. laughter
D. skills
DAY TWO Learning Target:
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Entrance Slip:
Directions: Give a possible definition for the bolded words.
1. Candor: After weeks of avoiding him, Annie finally found the courage to tell David that she wasn’t interested in
him; and even though David was heartbroken, he appreciated her candor.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
2. Ostentatious: Amy wanted to wear the simple white dress to the dance but her friend Emilia kept pushing her to
buy this big, puffy, golden ballroom gown as ostentatious as it was expensive.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
3. Endeavor: John may have been excited about becoming an artist, but his mother was waiting to see if he’d see
this endeavor through before buying him the expensive paint kit.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
4. Engross: The young child was so engrossed by the flashing lights on the toy train that when his mother asked
him if he wanted a piece of chocolate cake, he didn’t even respond.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
5. Scarce: Due to the scarcity of food in her territory, the mother lioness had to roam far from safe ground to find a
meal for her child.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
Part A: Practice – Partner Work
Review: Antonyms are words that have almost the exact opposite meaning. Antonyms are often indicated in
readings by the following words: but, not, unlike, however, although and in contrast.
Example: Antonyms for the word big are tiny, miniscule, and small.
A. Circle the pair of antonyms from the following sets of words.
1.
scarce
empty
evasive
abundant
2.
calm
partial
anxious
careless
3.
receive
remain
recall
bestow
4.
frigid
temperate
soothing
scalding
5.
energized
elated
serene
livid
B. Write TWO antonyms for the following words.
1. always
a.
b.
2. talkative
a.
b.
3. empty
a.
b.
4. fall
a.
b.
5. eager
a.
b.
C. Match the following antonyms
1.
bleak
A. enslave, shackle
F. commendable, praise-worthy
2.
despicable
B. tidy, orderly
G. improve, strengthen
3.
impair
C. gullible, believing
4.
emancipate
D. soft, delicate
5.
skeptical
Exit Slip:
Directions: What is the meaning of the crazy, make-believe word that is underlined in each sentence? Circle the correct
meaning. Then circle at least two clue words that helped you to figure out the meaning of the word.
1. The apploga bounced really high when Jimmy threw it on the ground. Then, Cathy threw the apploga through
the net and scored two points. We like playing with the apploga during recess.
What is an apploga?
table
ball
orange
2. Mary rode her camonga to school yesterday. She could not ride it today though because it was raining. Her little
sister Alice also has a camonga, but it still has training wheels on it because Alice is not old enough yet to ride
without them.
What is a camonga?
car
boat
bike
3. Tommy likes to eat cheese sneitoo for lunch. His brother prefers his sneitoo to have sausage and pepperoni on
it. For dinner, their mom took a frozen sneitoo out of the freezer and cooked it for dinner. It was yummy! What
is a sneitoo?
milk
pizza
apple
4. My dibek is living with us in the spare bedroom. He just moved back to town. He is my dad’s brother and
sometimes teases him. When my brother is not there, he says that I am his favorite nephew.
What is a dibek?
uncle
grandpa
mom
5. Write your own riddle with a made-up word. Give clues so that your friends can figure it out.
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DAY THREE Learning Target:
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Entrance Slip:
Directions: Define the terms below based on the Brain Pop video. You will need to add one word of your choice.
Part A: Group Work
Directions: Copy the words listed in RED from the PPT. Use the text to define them with your group members.
Word
Definition
Exit Slip:
Directions: Choose 4 words from the list above and write them in a logical sentence. Remember C.O.P.S.
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
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2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
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DAY FOUR Learning Target:
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Entrance Slip:
Directions: Read the introduction below and fill in the definitions.
While some words have more than one dictionary definition, words can also have shades of meaning. A word’s
denotation is its dictionary definition. A word’s connotation is the feeling or idea associated with the word. A word
can have a positive connotation, evoking good feelings, or it can have a negative connotation, evoking bad feelings.
Denotation:
_____
_____
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Connotation:
_____
_____
_____
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Part A: Introduction – Whole Class
Directions: Fill in the chart based on what’s RED in the Power Point.
Denotation
Apple
A fruit you eat
Rose
A flower
Lamb
A young sheep
Connotation
Part B: Practice – Whole Class
Directions: Fill in the following chart with the connotations you associate with the following words.
Word
Denotation
home
to present reasons for or
against
a human habitat
shack
a human habitat
argue
mature
old
elderly
old
Connotation
Part C: Context Clues Jeopardy
Directions: Write down the answer to the questions as teams answer correctly.
Nonsense Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Definition
Details
DAY FIVE Learning Target:
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Entrance Slip:
Directions: Fill in the following chart with synonyms that represent the positive and negative connotations of each
word.
Word
Denotation
Large
of greater than average size,
quantity
Thin
of little thickness or depth
Short
measuring a small distance
from end to end
Tall
Inexpensive
Intelligent
Positive Connotation
Negative Connotation
of great or more than average
height
not costing a great deal
having knowledge and skills
Part A: Whole Class
Directions: Practice choosing the word with the correct connotation. Circle the most appropriate word or phrase for
the blank.
Careful writers choose words for what they mean (their denotation) and for what they suggest (their connotation).
Especially in persuasive writing, it is critical to get the connotations of a word right. For instance, “slim” and
“scrawny” have the same denotative meaning (“thin”), but very different connotative meanings.
1. “You look lovely in that blue dress; it shows off your
slender
thin
figure.”
skinny
2. Everyone in the office respects Jermaine because of his kind but
bossy
domineering
assertive
3. “Some people might have found my comments
insulting
inappropriate
attitude.
,” the Senator said cautiously.
rude
4. “Well,” said Curtis with an embarrassed smile, “I’m looking for
a more economical
a cheaper
car.”
a cut-rate
5. “Here’s a scholarship that you might qualify for,” said Mike’s advisor. “It’s for people who are .”
poor
poverty-stricken
6. William annoys his friends because he’s so
thrifty
less privileged
when it comes to money.
economical
stingy
7. We’re worried about Danielle; she’s lost so much weight that she looks
slender
trim
8. Erika wasn’t hired because she was
self-assured
.
skinny
during the interview.
forceful
assertive
9. The company spokesperson said during the press conference that the president may have
during
his speech.
been lying
been deceitful
given some misinformation
10. “Welcome to the neighborhood. I heard that you have moved here from the
the countryside
the sticks
the boondocks
11. “That’s an interesting answer, Jeremy,” said Professor Smith, “but you’re
clueless
.”
out in left field
.”
inaccurate
PART B: Partner Practice
Directions: For each underlined word, list two synonyms: one with negative connotations (NC) and one with positive
connotations (PC).
1. I recognized the familiar smell of my roommates cooking.
NC:
PC:
2. McDonald’s Dollar Menu is an inexpensive meal.
NC:
PC:
3. Uncle Henry lives in a hut in the woods.
NC:
PC:
4. My old laptop finally died.
NC:
PC:
5. My parents and I had a long discussion about my curfew.
NC:
PC:
Exit Slip
Connotation is used in marketing and advertising to persuade us to buy things, or to influence our behavior or
interests. Often a word’s connotation depends on our own set of beliefs, values, experiences, or interests. In
marketing, companies try to brand (name or label) their products to appeal to a certain consumer. Often this brand
name has the connotation of particular images or feelings the product is designed to appeal to. Discuss some product
brand names that have a specific connotation.
Directions: Here are some car names from the past: Thunderbird, Falcon, Charger, Comet, Mustang, Barracuda, Rabbit,
Pinto, Gremlin, Cricket, Fairlady, and Honey Bee. Choose a car from this list and answer the following questions in
complete sentences.
Car Name:
1. What sort of image do you get from this name?
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2. What sort of function do you think this car serves?
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3. What kind of person would this product target (would be likely to buy this car)?
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B. Create a Car Brand Name
1. Decide what type of product you have (mini-van, SUV, sports car, luxury car, family sedan, truck…):
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2. Now, think of a name for your product (car) that describes its function and performance and that would appeal to
your target audience:
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4. Finally, create a logo, or slogan that might sell this car to the desired consumer:
Context Clues PACKET RUBRIC
10 pts
15 pts
20 pts
Novice
Apprentice
Proficient
25 pts
Distinguished
COMPLETENESS
COPS
DEMONSTRATED
MASTERY OF
CONCEPT
ON-TIME
TOTAL
+25pts.
/100