Critical Thinking Goals Template
Course Title:
Etymology
Department:
Languages
Teachers:
James Murphy
Critical Thinking Goals:
1) Compare/contrast the meanings of various prefixes and suffixes in the English
language.
2) Identify synonyms and antonyms for words based on their roots.
3) Discern meanings of words based on understanding meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and
roots.
Instructional Plan:
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1) a. Students will learn, in addition to a word’s definition, the meaning of the word according to its prefixes,
suffixes, and/or roots, and from what language/culture the word originated.
b. Students will analyze how one prefix or suffix can have multiple meanings (e.g. positive vs. negative
connotation of the prefix “in-“
c. Students will be quizzed on the meanings of the words they learn according to their roots, prefixes, and
suffixes, as opposed to simply knowing its “dictionary” definition.
2) a. Students will be asked to consider any synonyms or antonyms of words presented in class, as prompted
by the instructor. Special attention will be given to words with synonyms/antonyms with similar prefixes,
suffixes, or roots.
b. Students will demonstrate their comprehension of synonyms and antonyms by being asked to provide
one or both for various words on unit quizzes.
3) a. Students will keep a running list of words they come across in reading (for assignments in other subjects,
for example), and will create a slide show of these words in which they analyze the word’s meaning(s)
according to its prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
b. Students will present their slide show to the class, explaining the meaning of each word, any synonyms or
antonyms for the word, and why they chose the word for their presentation.
Assessment Plan:
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1) Students will take a test that will be evaluated with a common rubric. The test will examine their
understanding of the most common prefixes and suffixes used in the English language, and will be multiple
choice (matching) in format. The test will be administered both at the beginning and end of the semester,
to show the students how much they have learned throughout the semester (percent of improvement from
pre-test to post-test as the indicator).
2) Students will be asked to provide a proper synonym or antonym for select words on each test. There will be
no concrete rubric for this portion of the assessment, as many words have multiple synonyms and
antonyms. This portion of the test will be “fill in the blank” in format, and will assess the students’
understanding of the word itself, as well as words with similar or opposite meanings.
3) Students will create and present a slide show of 25 words of their own choosing, chosen from a list that they
have been compiling throughout the semester. The slide show and presentation will be evaluated with a
common rubric that will measure their understanding of the purpose of the project, the creativity
demonstrated by the project itself, and the validity of the information contained within the slide show.