Grade Level: 6-12
Concept: Increase comprehension by the use of context clues
Estimated Duration: 50 minutes
Objectives
Students will be able to:
Materials
List of vocabulary words
Multiple transparencies of Types of Context Clues graphic organizer
Transparency markers
Overhead projector
Differentiated Strategies
These strategies are used to meet the varied needs of all learners:
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Varying academic levels: uses mixed-ability groups to allow students to learn from one another, small-group and whole-group participation
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Visual learners: incorporates a graphic organizer and student-generated transparencies to allow students to view various levels of student work
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Auditory learners: encourages class discussions of examples and small-group discovery
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Kinesthetic learners: engages students in creating transparencies, working in groups and presenting to the class
Key Vocabulary
context clues
Procedures
Warm Up
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On the board, write two sentences that each include an unknown vocabulary word and a context clue. Underline the unknown words.
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Ask students to give predictions to the meaning of the words.
Direct Instruction
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Explain that these predictions were made based on the use of context clues.
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Distribute the Types of Context Cluesgraphic organizer to each student and place a transparency of the same graphic organizer on the overhead. Explain that there are four main types of context clues and write an example of each, modeling how to create context clues. Students copy examples on to their graphic organizers.
Practice
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Place students in groups of 2-3 with varying levels of ability in each group. Assign each group a set of four different vocabulary words from a recently discussed piece of literature from their textbook.
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Give each group a transparency of the Types of Context Cluesgraphic organizer and a transparency marker. Using the glossary in the textbook, groups locate the definition for each word and then create sentences on the graphic organizer. Each word should be used in a sentence and each of the four types of context clues should be attempted.
Assessment
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Each group places its transparency on the overhead and reads each sentence to the class, allowing the other students to raise their hands and make predictions of the words’ definitions based on the student-generated context clues. (With each group having a list of four different words, the class will easily be able to generate definitions for an entire list of words, used in context.)
Closure
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Inform students that determining the meaning of a word through a context clue is an easy way to help with comprehension. If a student is able to create context clues in his or her writing, identifying context clues in an author’s writing will be simple. This skill can be especially helpful while reading science and social studies texts.