Language Arts: Word Relationships and Context Clues

Context Clues, Synonyms, Antonyms, Homographs

Common Core Standards:

Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

L.5.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

• Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

*Although this is the only place in the fifth grade Language Arts Common Core that synonyms, antonyms, and homographs are specifically mentioned,  there are definitely additional places where they are integral to literacy.

Enduring Understanding: The relationships between words help me understand what I read and improve my writing.

• What are synonyms, antonyms and homographs?
• How can word relationships such as synonyms and antonyms be used as context clues?
• How can I use word relationships to improve my writing?

Vocabulary:

• Synonym – two or more words with the same meaning.
• Antonym – two or more words with opposite meanings.
• Homograph – two or more words that share the same spelling (graph) mean different things and can be pronounced differently.
• Context Clues – Hints found within the text that help the reader understand tricky words or phrases.

Resources:

Synonym Antonym Homonym PDF

Hink Pink Game Board - Use Synonyms to Create Hink Pinks


Synonym Search Group Activity
Free Activities: Synonyms Antonyms Homographs Homophones

Free Activities: Context Clues

Context Clue Chart

Homonym Chart (Cute)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synonym Antonym Homonym Game Board 

CARDS      GAMEBOARD

Books:

Student Riddle Template for Eight Ate

Five Paragraph Essay

This is the Bing Bang Bongo Modified Click Here For PPT

Boring Template :-) PowerPoint

Use www.Timeforkids.com for some background articles to write about.

Science: Matter

Matter Vocabulary Cards for Games

Matter Vocabulary Cards

Matter Vocabulary Notebook Template

Matter Vocabulary Journal

Matter Sciber Text




Physical Property Lab Sheet
Students used this lab sheet while observing a set of 6 different clear substances: hand soap, acetone, vinegar, corn syrup, water, hydrogen peroxide.

Atom Quiz
This quiz was given about a week after my atom lesson.  I use two giant marshmallows smashed together to represent the proton and neutron.  A small marshmallow represents the electron.  Students have to identify each part of the atom, their charges, where they are found and what the do.  Example:  They show me the proton and neutron are found in the nucleus of the atom.  The proton has a positive charge (body language: thumbs up or plus sign. Analogy, it would be positive to be a pro-athlete). The neutron has a neutral or no charge (body langage: hands up showing that they want to stay out of it. Analogy, Switzerland or being stuck between two of your friends fighting). The electron has a negative charge and orbits the nucleus (body language: thumbs down for negative and circular motion for orbiting.  Analogy: electron sounds like electrocute, which would be a negative experience).

Physical Property Specific Graphic Organizer with Density Cube Lab Instruction
The district has a kit with density cubes that is great to reinforce physical properties, observation, and data analysis.  The link above is something I made to help scaffold what I wanted my students to do with the cubes.

Fake Snow Lab Sheet
If you use sodiumpolyacrylate, you can click the link above for a lab sheet to go with it.

Physical Change and Chemical Reaction Rotation Lab
This is a rotation lab, similar to the one done by Reaction Time (if you have Discovery Gateway come to present for your students).  If you are not fortunate enough to have the presentation, you may want to add other rotations using the chemicals they use during the Reaction Time lab which include: cabbage juice, milk, and fertilizer. FYI: If you are wondering about the cute little animals and how they connect, they are simply there so the students have a visual to ensure they are recording the data in the correct spot on their lab sheet.

Constitution Day

Today is a great day to analyze the Preamble!

Have the kids read the Preamble,  watch the School House Rocks Preamble, highlight the difficult vocabulary words, match the vocabulary cards with their definitions, rewrite the Preamble with easier vocab, and finally discuss what the government is supposed to do for us, based on the words of the Preamble.

Preamble to the United States Constitution

Preamble Vocabulary Cards

Science: Heredity

This book "An Interview with Harry the Tarantula" is used to demonstrate a format for students to use after researching the traits of an animal.  Use the author's craft to help students set up their writing.  Use the graphic organizers below as templates for the activity.

Tiffany's Book Template

Erica's Book Template

Tiffany's Graphic Organizer for Gathering Animal Info

The following template goes with a Explorer Article called "Weird and Wonderful" and a National Geographic Book called "Animal Adaptations".  You can create the same scaffold with many texts on animals.  Click here for the document.

Amazing Technology Resources

Technology Resource Presentation - This is a pdf from a powerpoint I made. It highlights things such as iTunesU, Wordle.net, Donorschoose.org, as well as many other amazing resources.

More Great Links:
Pinterest.com

Paperbackswap.com

Teacher Blogs and Teacher Created Materials

Whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com
Theteacherswife.blogspot.com
Teacherspayteachers.com

CLASSROOM TIMERS:

www.online-stopwatch.com
http://www.classtools.net/education-games-php/timer

Language Arts: Vocabulary

Vocabulary

More to come, but here is a template... with the cute bees :-).

Vocabulary Journal Template