Context Clues

Leave the page I am passing out upside down

until I give the signal. When the signal is given, you and your partner will fill in the missing blanks on the page. You will have only one minute to complete as many blanks as possible. The group with the most correctly filled in blanks will be the class champions.

Hook

One Minute Timer

How can I use context clues to understand

unknown words?

Essential Question

Skill - Lesson

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

Lesson 1Context Clues to Determine Meanings of Words

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Common Core

An explanation of a word is given in the text.

This is often in an appositive. That is is a signal to the reader that a definition is coming.

Definition Context Clue

The longest line of latitude circling the earth, called the equator, is also the warmest location on the earth.

The American Civil War, the war between the Northern States and the Southern States, lasted for four years.

Parallel lines means that the two lines lie in the same plane and are the same distance apart over their entire length so that they never intersect.

A synonym for the word is given in the text.

Some clue words to show a synonym is given is sometimes, that is, in other words.

Repeated or Synonym

Context Clue

Relocating information from the spherical, or ball-shaped, surface of Earth onto a flat piece of paper is called projection.

Tiffany wanted her frankfurter with chili and mustard, but Dalton said he liked his hotdog with just ketchup.

Words that are mirror images of each other such as ANNA, OTTO, MADAM, NOON and MOM are called palindromes.

An antonym for the word is given in the text.

Words like although, however, and not ____ but may signal contrast clues.

Contrast or Antonym Context

Clue

When a person enters a brightly lit room the pupils of the eyes contract; however when they enter a dark room the pupils dilated.

The twins were as different as night and day. One was outgoing and talkative; the other was shy and a loner.

While on a strict diet the man said he couldn’t each deep-fried chicken; it must be baked.

Information is given to help figure out the

meaning to the word.

Association Context Clue

The dog gave a startled bark when he saw himself in the mirror for the first time.

Logan threw the basketball through the net to score a three pointer.

The humpback whale squirted water from its blow hole located on the top of its head before taking a deep breath and submerging back into the ocean.

Example context clues often use words like

including, such as, and for example to point out an example.

Example Context Clue

Heavenly (Celestial) bodies including the sun, moon, and the stars are fascinating to study.

Imaginary (Made-up, Make-believe, Fictional) creatures, such as unicorns, mermaids, and dragons, are in fantasy stories.Toxic (Deadly, Lethal, Noxious, Contaminated) materials such as pesticides, plastics, detergents, oil, and gasoline pollute the Mississippi River.

An unfamiliar word is included as part of a

series or list of related words to help the reader understand the word’s meaning.

Series Context Clue

Winning members of the Super Bowl received a cash bonus of $88,000 and a ring.

African’s top five big game animals include the rhino, leopard, lion, buffalo, and of course the elephants.

At the birthday party, Stephanie served nuts, candy, ice cream, and cake.

The reader finds a clue based on the general

mood or tone of the passage.

Tone and Setting Context Clue

During the circus the young girl chuckled when she saw the dog act, yet when the clowns came into the ring she let out a large laugh (giggle chortle snicker hoot).

During her grandmother’s funeral the girl’s shoulders shook, tears flowed down her cheeks, and her legs trembled.

The mother tenderly kissed her newborn child on his forehead.

A cause and effect situation is what happened

and why or the result.

Cause and Effect Context Clue

The mountainous road between Mountain City and Abingdon was so full of twists and turns than many students became car sick (queasy, troubled with motion sickness) on the field trip to Barter Theatre.Meg wanted to impress everyone with the southern dish of shrimp and grits that she had learned how to prepare when she went to culinary (cooking) school in Charleston, South Carolina.

Joe picked up the steaming slice of pizza and yowled as he burned the roof of his mouth.

How did you know which words should go in the missing

blanks? What clues did you use to help determine which words

belonged in the blank spaces? Were all the clue words the same type of clue? For

example, in some sentences a definition was stated in the sentence. Was this true for all sentences?

The process you just went through to determine the missing words is the same as when you come to a word that you do not know while reading. You must use context clues in the sentence to determine the meaning of the word. We will study this process in more detail in today’s lesson.

Discussion

Graphic Organizer

Activity 1

Handout InstructionsFor each boldfaced word, underline the clue words and circle any signal words or punctuation marks that you find. Then write a definition of the word.

Activity 2

Page 1 - Occasionally, when supplies were

delivered by cargo planes to the landing field across the river, the children rode their bicycles to the riverbank and watched, intrigued, the unloading and then the takeoff directed to the west, always away from the community.

Intrigued means

Problem #1

children rode their bicycles to the riverbank and watched

fascinated, interested, captivated.

You are able to determine from context clues that the children must me fascinated by the cargo planes if they were willing to ride their bikes just to watch them.

Skill - Lesson

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

Lesson 1Context Clues to Determine Meanings of Words

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Common Core

How can I use context clues to understand

unknown words?

Essential Question