BUILDING VOCABULARY
A Compendium of Ideas From Many Sources
Table of Contents
Lesson 1: Root Words
1. Animal Drawing Cards
2. Crossword
3. Matching, Memory, Fish
Lesson 2: Word Concept Mapping
1. Word Concept Definition Mapping
2. ABC Word/ Concept Map
3. Don’t Double Up
4. Word Association
5. Word Meaning Checklist
Lesson 3: Synonyms and Homonyms
1. Roundabout
2. Synonym Partners
3. Synonym Password
4. What’s In The Bag
5. What I Didn’t Do On The Weekend
Lesson 4: Homophones and Homonyms
1. Homophone (Homonym) Memory
2. Homophone (Homonym) Snap
3. Homonym Quiz
4. Homonym Crossword
5. Homophone Quiz
6. Homophone Worksheet
7. Homophone and Homonym Stories
LESSON 1: ROOT WORDS1
Introduction
The words in the English language were not just made up by throwing sounds together. Most of the words in the English language were borrowed from other languages, in particular German, French and Latin. However, it is important to note that not all words were borrowed. There are numerous words have developed as an extension of a root word from the English language.
A root word is a word that has nothing added at the beginning or the end of it. A root word stands on its own as a word, and has meaning. New words can be made from root words by adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
For example:
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Derma- means ‘skin’. A prefix or a suffix can be added to this to make a complete word such as ‘epidermis’ or ‘dermatitis’.
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Script- means ‘writing’. A prefix or a suffix can be added to this to make a complete word such as prescription; scripture
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Employ- means ‘to utilise’. A prefix or a suffix can be added to this to make a complete word such as employment, unemployment, employer, employee, employing
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Beauty- means ‘attractive’ A suffix can be added to this to make a complete word such as beautiful, beautifully, beautician
These words have grown from their root word. They share parts of the same spelling and they are linked in terms of meaning.
Aim
To increase a student’s awareness that a word can be broken down into different parts (prefix + root + suffix). The root word gives a clue as to the meaning of the word. The aim is for the students to recognise the root word within an extended word to identify meaning and consequently increase vocabulary.
British Broadcasting Centre (2006) ‘Skillwise Factsheet’. Viewed 21st August, 2006, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/
skillswise/words/spelling/wordbuilding/rootwords/factsheet.shtml
Drawing activity
Materials -
Root word cards
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Blank paper
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Pencils
Method -
Hand out the root word cards to each child and instruct them to underline the root word they see in the nonsensical word. Choose the level of difficulty - easy, medium or hard.
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Instruct the class to draw what they think the nonsensical animal or thing should look like, remembering to place focus on the root word in their picture. Give the student a few minutes to do so.
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When everyone has finished drawing their picture, ask 5 students to present their picture to the class. Get the remaining students to guess what the nonsensical word was.
Drawing activity
(EASY)
Origin Meaning Example
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Bi Two
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Tri Three
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Milli Thousand 1000
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Centi Hundred 
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Deca Ten 10
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Semi Half
Drawing activity
(MEDIUM)
Origin Meaning Example
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Bi Two
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Tri Three
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Super Above
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Astro Star
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Tele Far
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Poly Many
___________________________________________________________________________________
Micro Little
Drawing activity
(HARD)
Origin Meaning Example
____________________________________________________________________________
Mania Crazy
____________________________________________________________________________
Poly Many
_____________________________________________________________________________
Ortho Straight
______________________________________________________________________________
Cycle Repeated pattern
______________________________________________________________________________
Micro Little
______________________________________________________________________________
Pre Before
______________________________________________________________________________
Post After
______________________________________________________________________________
WORD ROOT ANIMAL CARDS
EASY
Biheaded Cat
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Trilegged Boy
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Millitailed Pig
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Centieyed Fly
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Decatoothed Fish
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Semielephant
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Bitailed Leopard
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Triheaded Lion
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Millistriped Dragon
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Centispotted Frog
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Decacoloured Whale
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Semieyed Unicorn
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WORD ROOT ANIMAL CARDS
MEDIUM
Catsuperwater
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Tritailed Dog
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Biheaded Dog
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Polycoloured fish
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Bimicro house
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Blueastro flag
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Tritrunked elephant
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Polyeyed girl
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Tricoloured Whale
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Astroeyed Unicorn
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Polystriped Monkey
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Microlegged Dog
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WORD ROOT ANIMAL CARDS
HARD
Polylegged Fish
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Polyeyed Girl
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Orthostriped Monkey
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Monkeysubwater
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Microeared Mouse
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Microheaded Boy
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Maniac Cow
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Prebedtime Girl
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Postchristmas Morning
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Orthotailed Pig
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Microlegged Dog
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Polytoed Horse
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ROOT WORD CROSSWORD (EASY)
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Clues
This word means…
Across
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Ten
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Two
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Thousand
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Three
Down
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Hundred
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Half
Please note: to make this activity easier provide students with reference sheet.
ROOT WORD CROSSWORD (MEDIUM)
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CLUES
This word means…
Across
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Two
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Above
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Far
6. Small
Down
3. Three
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Many
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Star
Please note: to make this activity easier provide students with reference sheet.
ROOT WORD CROSSWORD (HARD)
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CLUES
This word means…
Across
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Crazy
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After
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Straight
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Many
Down
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Small
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Before
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Repeated Pattern
Please note: to make this activity easier provide students with reference sheet.
ROOT WORD CROSSWORD (EASY)
(ANSWERS)
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1.
D
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E
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5.
C
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A
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E
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6.
S
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N
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E
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T
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M
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4.
T
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R
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I
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2.
B
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I
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3.
M
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I
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L
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L
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I
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Clues
This word means…
Across
-
Ten
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Two
-
Thousand
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Three
Down
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Hundred
-
Half
Please note: to make this activity easier provide students with reference sheet.
ROOT WORD CROSSWORD (MEDIUM)
(ANSWERS)
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3.
T
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E
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L
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E
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5.
A
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R
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S
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1.
B
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I
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T
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2.
S
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U
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4.
P
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E
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R
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O
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O
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6.
M
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I
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C
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R
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O
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L
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Y
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CLUES
This word means…
Across
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Far
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Above
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Far
6. Small
Down
3. Three
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Many
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Star
Please note: to make this activity easier provide students with reference sheet.
ROOT WORD CROSSWORD (HARD)
(ANSWERS)
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1.
M
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A
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N
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I
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A
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I
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5.
C
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C
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4.
P
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O
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L
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Y
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R
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C
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3.
O
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R
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T
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H
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O
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L
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E
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2.
P
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O
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S
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T
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R
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E
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CLUES
This word means…
Across
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Crazy
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After
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Straight
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Many
Down
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Small
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Before
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Repeated Pattern
Please note: to make this activity easier provide students with reference sheet.
Root Word Matching, Memory, or Fish
Materials
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Root word and Suffix cards (see below)
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Pencil and paper
Method
1. Introduce the class to the concept of root words.
2. Provide each student with a set of cards, or one set per group. Instruct the students to match the root words with the appropriate suffix card. Some cards can go with more than one suffix. Eg. Bi-cycle and Tri-cycle. This matching of pairs could also be played as a game of Memory or Fish.
Memory- Place all cards face down. Instruct the students to take turns turning over two cards. When a root word and a matching suffix are turned over, the child collects the cards as a matching pair. For example: Tri and cycle would be a pair.
Fish- Each student picks up five cards from the face down pile. The aim is to collect pairs (root word + suffix). Each student takes a turn to ask the other players if they have a card that is the pair to one of their own cards. For example they might ask “Do you have a card that would be the suffix for Tri?”. Students need to recognise the possible suffixes that could match the root words. If a student has the requested suffix card, they give it to the asking student. If no-one has the requested suffix card the student needs to pick up a card off the pile of remaining cards. This game may be more suitable for older students.
3. Once the students have collected their word pairs they can write a list of other words using the root word. For example, they could write tricycle, triceratops, tripod etc. If the students have trouble thinking of more words using the root word they can use a dictionary to find more. Following the activity instruct the students to identify the meaning of the root word. For example, Tri means Three.
4. Randomly choose 5 students to present their list of words to the class. The class need to listen carefully to the words, and come up with any more, and guess the meaning of the root word.
tri
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cycle
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tri
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ceratops
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tri
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pod
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bi
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annual
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bi
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cycle
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cent
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ipede
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cent
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ury
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cent
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imetre
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tele
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phone
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tele
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vision
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astro
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logy
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astro
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naut
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milli
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metre
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milli
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pede
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Pairs
Materials
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Root word and suffix/ prefix cards
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Root word reference sheet
Method
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Hand out a card and reference sheet to each student according to the level of difficulty.
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Explain what each root word meaning on the reference sheet.
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Get the students out of their seats and clear a space in the classroom.
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Ask the students to walk around the class and find the person with their matching card. For example ‘Poly’ and ‘Many’ are a pair.
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Following the activity instruct the students to share their pairs with the class.
Pairs
(Easy)
Bi
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Two
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Tri
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Three
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Milli
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Thousand
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Centi
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Hundred
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Deca
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Ten
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Semi
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Half
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Bi
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Two
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Tri
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Three
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Milli
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Thousand
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Centi
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Hundred
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Deca
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Ten
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Semi
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Half
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Bi
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Two
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Pairs
(Medium)
Bi
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Two
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Tri
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Three
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Super
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Above
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Poly
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Many
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Micro
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Small
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Tele
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Far
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Astro
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Star
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Super
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Above
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Poly
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Many
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Micro
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Small
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Tele
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Far
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Astro
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Star
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Super
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Above
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Pairs
(Hard)
Poly
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Many
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Ortho
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Straight
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Cycle
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Repeated pattern
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Micro
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Small
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Mania
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Crazy
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Pre
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Before
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Post
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After
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Poly
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Many
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Ortho
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Straight
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Cycle
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Repeated pattern
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Micro
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Small
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Mania
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Crazy
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Pre
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Before
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WORD/CONCEPT MAPPING
LESSON 2
Introduction
When a student comes across a word/concept that they don’t understand during reading or conversation most children would look the word up in a dictionary in an attempt to give meaning to the word. However, looking up a definition of a word/concept is not as effective as analysing the word/concept2. An in-depth analysis of a word/concept can be done through a vocabulary building strategy known as concept mapping.
What is a word/concept map?
Word/Concept mapping is a strategy for teaching students the meaning of key concepts, independently. The word/concept map is a graphic organiser that allows student to3:
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Identify the word/concept that they are learning,
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Expand the word/concept meaning
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Identify a general category the word might be placed in,
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Identify its relationships to other words,
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Identify its essential attributes, qualities or characteristics of the word
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Develop examples of the word/concept, and
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Create extended definitions of the word/concept for themselves
Aim
To increase the student’s vocabulary by:
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Providing students with an independent and effective way to explore unknown concepts.
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Stimulating the students thinking outside the square (word).
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Teaching students to use a word/concept maps.
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To develop a student’s ability to recall associated words surrounding a concept, quickly.
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