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Language Vocabulary Skill Mini-lessons Language/Vocabulary Skill Mini-lessons

Grade 4

The vocabulary/language mini-lessons support students and teachers with vocabulary knowledge and skills. The mini-lessons are written for specific texts, which teachers need to access for instruction. Teachers can also adapt them to other texts or even other grades. The mini-lessons cover language standards L.4 and L.5, which are the standards with greatest focus on vocabulary as it applies to reading.

Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5

LV Grade 4 Language Standard

 
LANGUAGE STANDARDASSOCIATED WHEATLEY TEXTSASSOCIATED WHEATLEY READING LESSONS
M1M2M3M4M5
L.4.4Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.4.4.AUse context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Hatchet

19

The Lightning Thief

16
L.4.4.BUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).

Snowflake Bentley

1

“Orpheus and Eurydice” from Greek Myth Plays

28
L.4.4.CConsult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

“Massacre in King Street”

17

Arthur of Albion

1
1
L.4.5Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Quotations about the Heart
L.4.5.AExplain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

The Lightning Thief

14, 24
L.4.5.BRecognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak

10
L.4.5.CDemonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Extreme Weather

13

Hatchet

20

Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?

3

“Massacre In King Street”

18

Barbarians!

14

Traveling Man

23

GRADE 4: MODULE 1

GRADE 4: MODULE 1

 
Quotations About the Heart

L.4.5

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE:SWBAT use sentence-level context clues to differentiate between the literal and figurative meaning of the word heart.

  2. Write literal and figurative on the board.

  3. Say: Literal meanings are exactly what the text says. Figurative meanings are those that use a nonliteral or creative interpretation of the words.

  4. Say: I haven’t eaten all day. I am so hungry I could eat a horse. Let’s look at the saying “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.” What might this mean literally? (A person wants to eat a huge animal.)

  5. Say: I don’t think this is what the writer actually meant. Let’s look for clues in the sentences to help us. The first sentence tells us that the subject hasn’t eaten all day. If I don’t eat, I begin to feel really hungry. When I’m hungry, I sometimes think I could eat anything, even something I don’t like. What is the figurative meaning? (Figuratively, it means a person is so hungry he or she could eat anything.)

  6. Ask students: Which sentence includes a literal meaning? A. My heart is beating fast. B. John showed heart in the race today. Have students do a quick vote to determine the answer.

  7. Refer to the displayed quotations about the heart. Read the quotations aloud. Ask: Which quotation uses the word heart in a literal sense? Which quotation uses heart in a figurative sense? Explain.

  8. Model analyzing the first quotation. Say: In the Barnard quotation, I think the word heart means the organ that pumps blood through the body. Barnard says it is better for people to give their heart to someone else when they die instead of it wasting away in the ground. This is the literal meaning of heart. He is referring to the actual heart.

  9. Organize pairs. Have pairs discuss how the word heart is used in the Confucius quotation.

  10. After pairs discuss, elicit responses from students:

    Sample Student Response:



    • In the Confucius quotation, I think the meaning of the word heart is figurative. I don’t think Confucius means to take the actual heart organ with you wherever you go. Instead, I think heart means feelings or emotions.



  11. Tell students that in today’s lesson, they will apply their understanding of literal and figurative meanings to understand different ways that people talk about the heart.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students revisit their sentence strip from the lesson opener. Students should independently determine whether they developed a literal or figurative definition of the word heart and think about which sentence-level context clues support a literal or figurative meaning. Then, have students write two sentences—one that uses heart in a literal sense and another that uses heart in a figurative sense. Students should include context clues in their sentences.


Reteach



  • Give quick example sentences and have the class decide whether they use figurative language or literal language (I am really tired. I haven’t slept in days. It’s raining really hard. It’s raining cats and dogs!)

GRADE 4: MODULE 2

GRADE 4: MODULE 2

 
Snowflake Bentley
L.K.4.A

Advance Preparation



  • Prepare to display the following sentence frame for use in the EXIT TICKET.


A speck of baking powder weighs only a microgram. A microgram is a unit of measurement to weigh things that are ________.


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT identify common root words and their meanings.

  2. Read the following sentences from Snowflake Bentley (p. 10):

    • “When he was sixteen, Willie read of a camera with its own microscope.”

    • “’If I had that camera, I could photograph snowflakes,’” he told his mother.” (p. 10)



  3. Write the word microscope on the board. Encourage students to use what they know about the two parts of the word (micro and scope), as well as context from the book, to determine what the word means.

  4. Ask questions to build student understanding:

    • What do you think the word part micro means? (Micro means “small.”)

    • What do you think the word part scope means? (Scope means “instrument for viewing.”)



  5. Explain that defining roots, or word parts inside a longer word, helps readers decide what the longer word means. Say: A microscope is “an instrument used for viewing something very small.”


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Direct students to the sidebar text on page 12, which contains the sentence “Its microscope could magnify a tiny crystal from sixty-four to 3,600 times its actual size.” Ask: What does this sentence mean? How does understanding the word microscope help you understand the sentence? (Understanding the word microscope helps me know that Bentley was looking at something very tiny.)


Reteach



  • Tell students that they will see the root micro in other words. Knowing that micro means “very small” will help them figure out the meaning of the word.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Display the sentence frame from ADVANCE PREPARATION, and Instruct students to use what they know about the root micro to complete it. Students may respond orally or on paper.


Sample Student Response:



  • A speck of baking powder weighs only a microgram. A microgram is a unit of measurement to weigh things that are very tiny/less than a gram.


Reteach



  • Restate the prompt as: Think about what you know already about a microscope. Can you apply that understanding to a new word that also includes the root micro?

Extreme Weather L.4.5.C


NOTE: This Language/Vocabulary mini-lesson originally accompanied Hurricanes by Seymour Simon, a text no longer used in Wheatley. The topic of hurricanes is still studied with a new text Extreme Weather, so the mini-lesson here remains useful.

Advance Preparation


1. Prepare to display this excerpt from p. 17 of Hurricanes by Seymour Simon:


CATEGORY 4: Winds of 131 to 155 miles per hour. Extreme damage. Complete destruction of mobile homes and damage to other buildings. Hurricane Andrew raged across the Bahamas and southern Florida in August 1992 with winds of more than 140 miles per house. It caused $26 billion in damages, the most property damage of any hurricane in history behind [Hurricane] Katrina in 2005. Andrew was classified as a category 4 hurricane but was reanalyzed in 2004 and upgraded to a category 5.


 


2. Create a two-column chart with the headings Synonyms and Related Words. Make enough copies to distribute one to each student.


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT analyze relationships between synonyms for the word destruction.

  2. Display the excerpt from Hurricanes. (See ADVANCE PREPARATION.) Direct students’ attention to the word destruction. Ask: Based on the other words and sentences nearby, what does destruction mean? (when something is completely broken, damaged beyond repair)

  3. Tell students that Hurricanes talks a lot about destruction. The author uses some synonyms, or words that mean nearly the same as destruction, as well as many related words that don’t quite mean the same thing.

  4. To clarify the distinction between synonyms and related words, read aloud this sentence from p. 5 of Hurricanes: Coastal areas and islands are in the most danger during a hurricane, but even inland areas are at risk. Ask: Is danger a synonym for destruction? (No.) Why not? (Danger means that destruction could happen, but it hasn’t yet.)

  5. Tell students that analyzing which words are synonyms and which are related words can help them better understand words such as destruction.

  6. Write the following words on the board: damage, risk, catastrophe, aftermath emergency, disaster. Ask: Which of these words are synonyms for destruction? Which of these words are related to destruction?

  7. Distribute the chart from ADVANCE PREPARATION, and have students write each word in the correct column on the chart.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Circulate as students complete their charts to monitor their ability to categorize the words. Students may write some of the related words (risk, aftermath, emergency) in the Synonyms column or some of the synonyms (damage, catastrophe, disaster) in the Related Words column.


Reteach



  • If students are having difficulty categorizing the synonyms and related words, have them write a sentence for destruction and then attempt to replace the term with each of the supplied words. If the sentence still makes sense, the new word is a synonym. If it doesn’t, the word is related to destruction, but not a synonym.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have pairs submit completed charts.


Sample Student Responses:


Synonyms: damage, catastrophe, disaster; Related Words: risk, aftermath, emergency


Reteach



  1. If students have trouble distinguishing between synonyms for the noun destruction (damage, catastrophe, disaster) and related words (risk, aftermath, emergency), encourage them to look up the words in a dictionary.

  2. Review the definition of destruction (broken beyond repair) and model how to compare definitions of other words to it.

Hatchet
L.4.4.A

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective




  1. Learning Objective: SWBAT draw on specific details from the text to describe Brian’s thoughts.



  2. Ask: Which helps you understand someone’s feelings about what happened: “feel good,” proud, or excited? (Most students will say that proud and excited help them understand how people feel.) Point out that feel bad is also vague, but words like nervous or anxious are precise.

  3. Ask: How would I decide which precise word to use in place of “feel good” or “feel bad”? Clarify that the context of the situation helps speakers and writers choose the best word. Earning good grades fits with feeling proud. Watching a fireworks display fits with feeling excited.

  4. Tell students that they can use a reverse process and figure out the meaning of a word a writer uses from its context.

  5. Direct students to p. 32 of Hatchet and call their attention to paragraph 2. Ask: How does this paragraph help readers understand the word panic? Point out that even if readers don’t know the definition, other clues in the paragraph help define.

  6. Challenge students to explain how one other sentence in paragraph 2 helps define the word panic. (The sentences “To see, he thought. To see is everything. And he could not see” help define panic. When Brian couldn’t see, he felt so scared, he could hardly think of anything else.)

  7. TURN AND TALK: Have partners orally define the word panic.


Check Vocabulary Skills




  • Monitor pairs as they discuss the meaning of panic.




Reteach



  1. If students struggle to define panic, have them turn to p. 34 in Hatchet and read paragraph 2 (starting with “It was not possibly believable.”)

  2. Ask: Are the mosquitoes making Brian panic? Guide students to realize that this is another example of panicking and to analyze the elements of Brian’s reaction that are panicked. (“It was not possibly believable” suggests that Brian was too scared to think while the mosquitoes were attacking.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Instruct students to write one sentence that uses the word panic correctly and with the right context.


Sample Student Responses:


Kyle tried not to panic when the big storm knocked out all the lights.


Reteach



  1. Have students think about a time when they felt panicked. Ask: What were your thoughts? How did you move?

  2. Point out that a strong sentence will capture both the physical and mental aspects of the word. 

Hatchet
L.4.5.C

Advance Preperation 



  1. Create a T-chart with the headings Antonyms for Exposed and Synonyms for Exposed. Make enough copies to distribute one to each student.

  2. Post the following words: visible, open, veiled, unknown, secret, covered, unseen, shown, protected, unprotected.


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective




  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT demonstrate understandings of words by relating them to their opposites.




  2. Explain that context, such as illustrations or other words in a sentence, can provide clues to the meaning of unknown words.




  3. Point out that thinking about related words can also help students understand the meaning of words. Words may be related because they have similar meanings or because they have opposite meanings.




  4. Explain that students will now use context to determine the meaning of a word, and then decide how that word relates to other words.




  5. Read aloud this sentence: When a mountainside with nothing growing on it is exposed, you can see the stacked-up layers of rock. Have students discuss possible meanings based on context clues.



  6. Refer to the displayed list of words from ADVANCE PREPARATION. Say: Now that you have used context to define the word, you will now sort other words as similar or opposite to that word. Refer to the T-chart from ADVANCE PREPARATION and have students tell you on which side of the chart each word belongs.

    • visible (synonym)

    • open (synonym)

    • veiled (antonym)

    • unknown (antonym)

    • secret (antonym)

    • covered (antonym)

    • unseen (antonym)

    • Shown (synonym)

    • protected (antonym)

    • Unprotected (synonym)



  7. Ask: Which word or words from the list can we use to replace exposed in this sentence about the character Brian from Hatchet: Brian feels exposed to animals that live in the forest. (Accept all valid answers, such as Brian feels unprotected from animals that live in the forest.)

  8. Have students write a sentence about Brian, using one of the words that means the opposite of exposed.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Circulate as students write their sentences to monitor their understanding of exposed and its antonyms. Students may have difficulty understanding which words have opposite meanings from exposed, or they may struggle to find an appropriate topic for a sentence.


Reteach



  •  If students try to use a word that has the same meaning as exposed:

    1. Show them these sentences: My ears were cold and exposed without a hat. They warmed up when they were revealed by my hat.

    2. Ask: Does the second sentence make sense? (No.) Why not? (The sentence should mean the opposite of the first one, but it doesn’t, because revealed means the same as exposed.)

    3. Remind students to look at the list of words they classified as “Synonyms for Exposed” or “Antonyms for Exposed.” Ask: Which word would work better in the second sentence? (concealed, covered, protected)

    4. Tell students that their sentence also needs a word that means the opposite of exposed.




 


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students submit their sentence about Brian that uses a word meaning the opposite of exposed.

    Sample Student Responses:



    • Brian built a shelter so he would be concealed from wild animals at night.

    • Brian thought he would find berries hidden in the bushes.




Reteach



  • If students struggle to think of a topic related to Hatchet to write a sentence about, briefly remind them of ways Brian feels exposed: He is outside all day long, where wild animals live and mosquitoes constantly swarm.


 

GRADE 4: MODULE 3

GRADE 4: MODULE 3

 
Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak

L.4.5.B

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT explain the meaning of idioms by analyzing the idiom trouble was brewing.

  2. Explain that an idiom is a saying for which the definition must be inferred because the words themselves do not make the definition clear. Typically, idioms use words to convey meanings beyond or different from the dictionary definition of the words.

  3. Share some common idioms: raining cats and dogs, slept like a log, so hungry I could eat a horse. Ask students if they could draw these phrases. (No, because the words do not convey their literal meaning.)

  4. Explain that good readers use knowledge of the individual words in the idiom and their prior knowledge of similar situations to guess the meaning of idioms. They also use clues from context—the surrounding words, sentences, and text. Model with the idiom trouble’s brewing.

    • Individual words: Ask students to define brewing. Write some accurate responses on the board and provide your own definition. (Brewing means that something is stirring, bubbling, or growing.)

    • Similar situations: Ask: How do people feel when they know a storm is coming but has not yet arrived? (People might feel uneasy and restless, like they have to prepare.)

    • Clues from context: Say: The tension between colonists and King George that is described in the text makes me think there might be trouble coming.



  5. THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Have partners use the steps to build meaning for the underlined part of this sentence from Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak: “I keep my eyes and ears alert, and trouble’s brewing.” Elicit pairs’ responses. (The word brewing means growing. When a storm is coming, we feel uneasy and worried. I think that trouble’s brewing means that the Errand Boy is worried because trouble is growing.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have the students write a sentence using the idiom trouble’s brewing. (When I saw the funnel cloud and the dark skies, I told my mom that trouble’s brewing. We quickly found shelter in the cellar.)


Reteach



  • Restate the prompt as: What is another way that trouble’s brewing could be used in a sentence?


 

Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?

L.4.5.C

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT demonstrate understanding of related words by explaining the difference between a traitor and a revolutionist.

  2. Read aloud this sentence from p. 34 of Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?: “I wish nothing but good,” he once said, “therefore everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor or a scoundrel.”

  3. TURN AND TALK: Ask partners to discuss what King George means. (Anyone who disagrees with him is a bad person, not to be trusted.)

  4. Explain that the American colonists considered themselves revolutionists, not traitors. They saw themselves as people willing to fight for a cause they believed in. Ask: How is a revolutionist different from a traitor? (A revolutionist is someone fighting for a just cause. A traitor is someone betraying his or her country. The difference comes from perspective, or one’s role relative to events. Colonists were in the position of having little power to change their lives and feeling poorly treated, so believed they were justified in rebelling to overturn their government. King George was in the position of ruler who believes he has treated the colonists fairly and therefore feels justified in expecting their loyalty.)

  5. Ask: In your opinion, was it right for King George to say that anyone who didn’t agree with him was a traitor? (No, he was not considering other people’s viewpoints. The people were not trying to betray him. They just wanted things to be fair in America.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students respond in writing to this prompt: Were the American colonists traitors or revolutionists? (The American colonists were revolutionists because their motivation for rebelling against England was a good reason. They were not out for personal gain but the good of the country.)


Reteach



  • Restate the prompt as: Review the meanings of the words traitors and revolutionists. In your opinion, which of those words would better describe the American colonists who rebelled against King George?

“Massacre in King Street”

L.4.5.C

Advance Preparation



  1. Prepare to display this sentence from “Massacre in King Street” by Mark Clemens: “John Adams, Samuel Adams’ cousin, believed that Britain’s actions in the Colonies were unjust.”

  2. Prepare to display this related words chart:



LV Grade 4 Mod 3 subtable

 
equitableevenhandedunbiaseddeserved
inequitableone-sidedbiasedunjustified


Materials



  • Thesauri (one per student)


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective




  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT identify words related to just and unjust.




  2. Read the displayed sentence from “Massacre in King Street” aloud: “John Adams, Samuel Adams’ cousin, believed that Britain’s actions in the Colonies were unjust.”




  3. Ask: What do you think the word unjust means? (It means “unfair.”)




  4. Have the students take out their thesauruses. Say: The word unjust is an antonym, or has the opposite meaning, of just, which means “fair” or “accepted as right.” Share and model the steps for locating related words in a reference source.




    • First, look up the target word in the thesaurus. A thesaurus is organized like a dictionary, so the words are alphabetized according to the first letter. The word unjust will be in the U section.




    • Next, read the entry for the word. Point out key features that appear in the students’ thesauruses, such as the part of speech, different contexts for usage, synonyms for each of those contexts, and antonyms for each of those contexts.




    • Next, find a synonym that matches the context in which the word was used in the text. (If you are not sure, check the meaning of the possible synonym in a dictionary.)




    • Test your ideas by plugging each possible synonym into the original sentence to see if it is a good substitute. Say: Let’s try this with our displayed sentence: “John Adams, Samuel Adams’ cousin, believed that Britain’s action in the Colonies were unfair.”






  5. Refer student to the displayed Related Words Chart. Say: The opposite of unjust is just. These are other words that are related to just and unjust. Some are synonyms and antonyms for just, while others are closely related but not synonyms or antonyms.




Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Write a sentence using one of the words from the Related Words Chart. (The decision to let Kaley attend the science fair was equitable since she had contributed the most to the project.)


Reteach



  • Restate the prompt as: Use one of the words from the related words chart in a sentence.

GRADE 4: MODULE 4

GRADE 4: MODULE 4

 
The Lightning Thief

L.4.4.A

Advance Preparation



  • When directed, display the specified content from The Lightning Thief:

    • Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine. But if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking . . . transparent. I could see right through their bodies. (p. 284)

    • “They don’t have souls like you or me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you’re lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re-form.” (p. 86)




Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT determine the meaning of unknown words in the text using context clues.

  2. Ask: What do you do when you don’t know a word in the text? (You can read past it and see if you still understand the overall meaning. You can use nearby clues to try to figure it out. You can look it up in a dictionary.)

  3. Guide students to the response, “Try to figure it out.” Say: Sometimes you can figure out the meaning of a word using context clues.

  4. Refer students to the last full paragraph on p. 73. Say: I want to know the meaning of the word mused in the first sentence of this paragraph.

  5. Review and model the steps for using context clues:

    • Read the sentences that include and are near the unknown word: “Who are you?” he mused. “Well, that’s the question we all want answered, isn’t it?”

    • Look for clues to the word’s meaning in the sentence or nearby sentences. Say: Notice that Chiron is asking questions. He also says, “that’s the question.” These clues tell me that musing is like asking a question or wondering and that Chiron is not asking anyone in particular.

    • Determine a possible definition or synonym of the word. Ask: What is a possible meaning of mused based on context clues? (asked oneself or thought about)\

    • Plug the definition or synonym into the sentence and see if it makes sense. 

      • Reread the sentence with the possible definition: “Who are you?” he asked himself. “Well that’s the question we all want answered, isn’t it?

      • Ask: Does this definition make sense in the sentence? (yes) So, we can assume that mused means “asked oneself.”






Check Vocabulary Skills



  1. Display the sentences from p. 284 of The Lightning Thief. Recall that Percy is describing the people he sees in the Underworld.

  2. Have partners use context clues to figure out the meaning of the word transparent in the first sentence. (something that you can see through)


Reteach



  • Review that you can sometimes find clues to the meaning of an unknown word in the sentences around it. Ask: What words in the second sentence help define transparent? (see through their bodies)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  1. Display the paragraph from p. 86 of The Lightning Thief. Recall that Annabeth is talking about monsters.

  2. Have students determine the meaning of the word dispel in the paragraph and tell the context clues they used to figure out the meaning.


Sample Student Response:


Dispel means to “to drive something off or banish.” Context clues such as “they don’t die” and “eventually they re-form” show that dispel means to temporarily get rid of something.


Reteach



  • Review the steps for using context clues:

    • Read the sentences that include and are nearby the unknown word.

    • Look for clues to the word’s meaning in the sentence or nearby sentences.

    • Determine a possible definition or synonym of the word.

    • Plug the definition or synonym into the sentence and see if it makes sense.



“Orpheus and Eurydice” from Greek Myth Plays

L.4.4.B

Advance Preparation



  1. Prepare to display these sentences about and from the play.


    2. Set 1: Orpheus was impatient to see Eurydice and turned back to look.


    Set 2: Eurydice was brought to Orpheus. The two could not contain their joy at seeing each other. (“Orpheus and Eurydice,” p. 45)


    Set 3: Orpheus wanted to retain Eurydice in the land of the living, but she had to go back to the Underworld.



  2. Prepare to display the EXIT TICKET prompt: What is the meaning of the word transport in Charon’s line, “You know I transport only the dead to the other side,” on p. 43? How did you find the meaning?


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT determine the meaning of words using Greek and Latin word parts.

  2. Review that affixes are word parts that are added to root words to make different words. Affixes that come at the beginning of a word are prefixes, and those that come at the end are suffixes:

  3. Display Set 1 and read the sentence: Orpheus was impatient to see Eurydice and turned back to look. Say: I want to know the meaning of the word impatient in this sentence.

  4. Share and model the steps for determining the meanings of words using Greek and Latin word parts: 

    • Separate the word into parts. Say: Look at the word impatient. We can separate it into two parts: im- and patient. 

    • Determine the meaning of known parts of the word. Say: The root word is We know what patient means “able to wait.” So, we need to find the meaning of the prefix im-, which comes from Latin.

    • Determine the meaning of the unknown word parts by thinking of related words. Ask: What are some other words you know that use the prefix im-? (impossible) How does this tell you the meaning of the prefix im-? (Im- means “not.” Impossible means “not possible.”)

    • Combine the meanings of the word parts to determine the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Say: If im- means “not” and patient means “able to wait,” then impatient means “not able to wait” or “not patient.”



  5. Display Set 2 and read the sentences: Eurydice was brought to Orpheus. The two could not contain their joy at seeing each other. Explain that the word contain combines the Latin prefix con- meaning “within” or “together” and the Latin root tain, meaning “hold.” Ask: What does the word contain mean? (“hold within”) Point out that the joy of Eurydice and Orpheus was so great that they couldn’t hold it all inside. It was bursting out of them.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Display Set 3 and read the sentence: Orpheus wanted to retain Eurydice in the land of the living, but she had to go back to the Underworld. Ask: What does the word retain mean in the first sentence? (to hold back or keep)


Reteach



  • Work with students to use the two parts of retain (re- meaning “back” and tain meaning “hold”) to figure out the meaning of (to hold back or keep)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Display the prompt and have students write a two- to three-sentence response: What is the meaning of the word transport in Charon’s line, “You know I transport only the dead to the other side,” on p. 43 of the play “Orpheus and Eurydice”? How did you find the meaning?


Sample Student Response:


Transport means “to carry or move from one place to another.” I combined the meaning of the word parts trans-, which means “across,” and port, which means “carry.”


Reteach



  • Work with students to identify the two word parts in transport. Explain that both word parts come from Latin. If students are unfamiliar with either part of the word, help them recall familiar words that use the prefix trans- and the root port.

The Lightning Thief

L.4.5.A

Advance Preparation



  1. Prepare to display these sentences from p. 50 of The Lightning Thief: He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other ‘ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin.

  2. Prepare to display the EXIT TICKET prompt: Look at the phrase “The bull-man stormed past like a freight train . . .” from p. 52 of The Lightning Thief. What kind of figurative language is this? What does it mean?


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT demonstrate an understanding of figurative language by analyzing the description of the Minotaur.

  2. Display and read aloud the description of the Minotaur on p. 50 of The Lightning Thief: He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other ‘ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin.

  3. Repeat the phrase “stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin” and ask: What does this description make you think about the Minotaur? (He is very muscular and therefore very strong and powerful.)

  4. Explain that the phrase “stuffed like baseballs” is a type of figurative language called a simile. A simile compares two different things, in this case, the Minotaur’s muscles to baseballs, using the words like or as. Another type of figurative language is a metaphor, which compares two things without like or For example: The Minotaur’s biceps were baseballs under its skin.

  5. Explain that students can understand similes and metaphors by thinking about how the two things that are being compared are related. In this case, the muscles are like baseballs because they are hard and round.

  6. THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Read aloud this sentence: Tim was a cheetah on the racetrack. Have partners answer these questions: Is this sentence a simile or a metaphor? (metaphor) What does the sentence mean, and how do you know? (The sentence means that Tim was fast. The metaphor compares him to a cheetah, which is also fast.)


Check Vocabulary Skills



  1. Ask students if this sentence is a simile or a metaphor: “it feels like the inside of a freezer outside today.” (simile)

  2. Ask students what the sentence means and how they know. (The sentence means that it is cold outside. We know because the sentence compares outside to a freezer, which is cold.)


Reteach



  • If students struggle to identify the sentence as a simile, review that similes use the words like or as to compare things. If they struggle to understand the sentence, ask them what is being compared. (outside with freezer) Ask them what freezers feel like.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Display the prompt: Look at the phrase “The bull-man stormed past like a freight train . . .” from p. 52 of The Lightning Thief. What kind of figurative language is this? What does it mean?


Sample Student Response:


This is a simile because it makes a comparison using the word like. By comparing him to a train, Percy is saying that the Minotaur is not only big, but also very fast. He is also not likely to allow anything to get in his way.


Reteach



  • Tell students to remember that similes use the words like or as, while metaphors make direct comparisons.

The Lightning Thief

L.4.5.A

Advance Preparation



  1. Display this sentence from paragraph 4 on p. 166 of The Lighting Thief: My hand felt like it was wrapped in molten lead.

  2. Display paragraph 6 from p. 166 for the EXIT TICKET: The Fury I had hit came at me again, talons ready, but I swung Riptide and she broke open like a piñata.


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT demonstrate an understanding of similes in The Lightning Thief.

  2. Ask: What is a simile? (It is a comparison between two unlike things using the word like or as.)

  3. Explain that good readers determine the meaning of similes to be sure that they understand the events and descriptions in a text.

  4. Review and model the steps for determining the meaning of similes, using paragraph 6 on p. 164 where Percy says “cars plowed aside like bowling pins”:

    • Read the sentence containing the simile to understand its context: It seems that Percy has replaced the bus driver and is driving the bus rather recklessly. The simile describes what is happening to the cars that are in the bus’s path on the road.

    • Try to picture the comparison that is being made. Say: When someone goes bowling, what happens to the bowling pins? (The pins are knocked down by the bowling ball.)

    • Decide what this comparison says about what is being compared. Ask: How does comparing the cars to bowling pins, and the bus to a bowling ball, illustrate the scene? (The bus is knocking all the cars aside, or the cars are quickly moving out of the way to avoid the bus. It resembles a bowling ball hitting bowling pins.)




Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Refer student to the first displayed sentence: My hand felt like it was wrapped in molten lead. Have pairs determine the meaning of the simile.
    Sample Student Response:

    • The simile means that Percy’s hand felt extremely hot, as if it were going to burn.




Reteach



  • Ask: Was Percy’s hand wrapped in molten lead? (no) Would molten lead be hot or cold? (very hot) If students do not know the meaning of molten, point out that molten is related to the word melt and that lead would need to be very hot in order to melt. Elicit from students that the simile means that Percy’s hand felt extremely hot as if it were going to burn.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  1. Refer students to the second displayed sentence: The Fury I had hit came at me again, talons ready, but I swung Riptide and she broke open like a piñata.

  2. In a two- or three-sentence response, have students explain the meaning of the simile broke open like a piñata.


Sample Student Response:


When a piñata is broken open, it explodes into pieces and the candy and toys inside go everywhere. Likewise, when the Fury that Percy attacks is hit with his sword, she explodes into many pieces.


Reteach



  • Remind students to think about the two things that are being compared. Ask: What does a piñata do when it is broken open? (It explodes into pieces, and the candy and toys inside go everywhere. ) How does this help you picture what the Fury looks like when Percy strikes her? (When the Fury that Percy attacks is hit with his sword, she explodes into many pieces.)

GRADE 4: MODULE 5

GRADE 4: MODULE 5

 
Barbarians!
L.4.4.B

Materials



  • Barbarians!, pp. 14, 31, displayed


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT determine meanings of words based on common Greek and Latin affixes.

  2. Review that an affix is an additional word part placed at the beginning or end of a root, stem, or word, or in the body of a word to change its meaning.

  3. Share and model the steps for using Greek and Latin affixes for determining the meanings of words, using the word payment (para. 2 on p. 14 of Barbarians!) as an example.

    • Divide the word into parts and examine the meanings of the parts: Say: The word payment can be divided into two parts: the root word pay and the suffix –ment. The root word pay means “to give money to.” It is a verb, but the addition of the affix –ment turns this word into a noun in this sentence.

    • Think of other words that use the same affix: Say: The word judgment also ends with –ment. It means “the act of judging something or someone else.” The word movement refers to the act of someone or something moving. In both cases, the affix –ment refers to the act of something happening.

    • Determine how an affix changes the meaning of the word and determine the word’s meaning. Say: Adding –ment to the end of pay changes the word from a verb to a noun. We can conclude that –ment means “the act of doing something.” So, payment means “the act of paying.”




Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Discuss the possible meaning of the word banishment (p. 31, second paragraph). Direct students to write the definition in their writing journals or another word list.


Reteach



  • Remind students to first examine the context in which the word is used. Suggest this example: Say: The first paragraph on p. 31 explains that Erik the Red was first thrown out of Norway and then banished from Iceland for three years. This means that he could not return for that amount of time. Remember that –ment makes a verb into a noun.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students write a two- to three-sentence response to this prompt: What is the meaning of the word settlement as it is used in the last paragraph on p. 30? How did you determine the meaning?


Sample Student Response:


The root word settle means to stop moving and stay in one place. The affix –ment means “the act of.” Therefore, settlement means the act of staying in one place. In this sentence, a settlement is a place where people settle permanently.


Reteach



  • Remind students to think of other words that use the same affix, such as payment and banishment.

Arthur of Albion
L.4.4.C

Materials



  • Dictionaries (one per student or shared as available); Alternatively, use a digital dictionary such as http://www.wordsmyth.net/

  • Arthur of Albion, pp. 7 (displayed); pp. 12–13 (one per student)


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use a dictionary to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in Arthur of Albion.

  2. Explain that today students will practice using a dictionary to determine the meanings of unknown words.

  3. Ask: If you cannot define an unfamiliar word from context, what can you do? (Look for a definition in the dictionary.) With students’ input, recall that dictionaries are reference sources that list words and their definitions. Explain that sometimes dictionaries list several meanings for the same word. Good readers must then use context to determine which definition fits the text.

  4. Use p. 7 of Arthur of Albion to share and model the steps for determining the meaning of unknown words with a dictionary:

    • Identify the unknown word in the text. Say: Let’s use this part of the last sentence in the first paragraph: “. . .  the people could not rest easy in their beds at night for fear that battle and war might overtake them and destroy their lives.” I am not sure what overtake means.

    • Locate a dictionary definition. Say: We can find definitions in print or digital dictionaries. As needed, review how to use a digital dictionary such as http://www.wordsmyth.net/ and how to use guide words to locate words in your classroom print dictionary.

    • Read all the listed definitions for the target word. Say: I see three definitions for overtake in the dictionary entry. Display the entries and read them aloud: “to come even with,” “to pass by after catching up with,” and “to befall suddenly or unexpectedly.” We will have to decide which definition applies to the context of the sentence on p. 7.

    • Replace the word with each possible definition to determine which is correct. Say: The best way to choose the correct definition is to try each definition in the sentence and see which one makes the most sense. Restate the sentence with each definition in place of overtake. Say:

      • “People could not rest easy in their beds at night for fear that battle and war might come even with them and destroy their lives.” That does not make sense.

      • “People could not rest easy in their beds at night for fear that battle and war might pass by after catching up with them and destroy their lives.” That does not make sense either.

      • “People could not rest easy in their beds at night for fear that battle and war might befall them suddenly and destroy their lives.” This sentence makes sense, so this last definition is the correct one for this context.






Check Vocabulary Skills



  1. Refer students to these sentences from p. 12, para. 4: “Next day it all began again, but still no one could move the sword. The knights and lords began to get restless.”

  2. Have students use a dictionary to determine the meaning of the word restless in the second sentence.


Sample Student Response:


The word restless means “upset.”


Reteach



  • Students may struggle to determine the correct definition. Guide them to eliminate incorrect definitions. Say: One definition is “in constant motion.” Does this fit in the sentence? Is there any evidence that the knights and lords are in constant motion? (no) We can eliminate this definition.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students use a dictionary to determine the meaning of fetch in this sentence from p. 13: “Arthur, go back and fetch my sword.”


Sample Student Response:


Fetch means “to go get something and bring it back.” 


Reteach



  1. Recall that when readers find several dictionary definitions for a word, they must use context to choose the correct one. Provide two possible definitions of fetch:

    • “to go get something and bring it back”

    • “to be sold for”



  2. Encourage students to replace the word with each definition to determine which makes sense.

Barbarians!
L.4.5.C

Advance Preparation



  • Display the words and sentence, and reference when directed:

    • tactic

    • “The Romans knew that in some cases it was easier to ‘buy peace’ with gold, an especially useful tactic since the Huns would spend the gold on Roman goods.” (p. 17)




Materials



  • Barbarians!, pp. 14–19 (one per student)


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their synonyms.

  2. Reference the displayed word tactic and tell students that a tactic is a strategy.

  3. Reference the displayed sentence from p. 17: The Romans knew that in some cases it was easier to ‘buy peace’ with gold, an especially useful tactic since the Huns would spend the gold on Roman goods.

  4. TURN AND TALK: Have students paraphrase the sentence using a substitute word for tactic, and then discuss some examples of the types of tactics people use, for example, in martial arts or team sports.


    5. Sample Student Responses:



    • “The Roman strategy of giving money to their opponents to keep them peaceful was especially useful since the Huns would use that gold for Roman goods.”

    • There are many fighting tactics in martial arts, such as ducking, using your opponent’s weight against him or her, and striking first.



  5. Have partners brainstorm a list of synonyms for tactic and then test whether these work as synonyms by replacing them in the sample sentence from the text.


    6. Sample Student Responses:



    • strategy

    • tricky idea

    • pla


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Ask small groups to scan “The Huns” chapter (pp. 14–19) for words that relate to the tactics the Huns used to conquer their enemies.


Reteach



  • If students struggle to identify words that relate to tactics, suggest they look for words associated with war or battle. Review p. 17, para. 1 of the “Warriors and Deal Makers” section. Ask: What words in this paragraph are “fighting words” related to war and battle? (attacked, savage skills, swords and bows, conquered)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket




  • Have students list words from pp. 14–15 of Barbarians! that relate to tactics and battle. Then ask them describe how the words could be grouped.

    Sample Student Responses:



    • demand, payment, negotiate, seize, power, robbed, destroyed, panic, fear, slashed, swords, frightening, ragged, survive, fighting, battles, power

    • The words can be grouped by violent acts or results (such as destroyed and conquered), weapons (reflex bow), and tactics (fire behind them; spreading panic and fear).



Reteach



  • Clarify that putting words into categories helps us see how they are related to words with similar meanings.

Traveling Man
L.4.5.C

Advance Preparation



  1. Draw a line on the board and write VOID on the left and ABUNDANT on the right.

  2. Display these words, and reference when directed: a few, ample, enough, several, much, nothing, plenty, scarce.


Materials



  1. Traveling Man, p. 7 (one per student)

  2. Whiteboards (one per student)


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT relate the word abundant to its antonyms and synonyms to gain greater understanding of the word.

  2. Read this quotation from p. 7 of Traveling Man: “As I entered Egypt I saw the wealth that the river Nile had brought to the people—gold, incense, and abundant”

  3. Ask: What do you think abundant means in this quotation? (It probably means “a lot of.”)

  4. Discuss the meaning of abundant: “overflowing” or “abounding.” Direct students to write the definition of abundant in their writing journal or another word list.

  5. Ask: What are some words that have the same meaning as abundant? What words have the opposite meaning?

    Sample Student Responses:



    • Same meaning: rich, plenty, a lot, much, overflowing

    • Opposite meaning: empty, zero, none, not much



      • Reference the displayed line with VOID on the left and ABUNDANT on the right. Have students copy the line onto their whiteboards or on a sheet of paper.

      • Reference the displayed words: a few, ample, enough, several, much, nothing, plenty, scarce.

      • Say: Place the rest of the words along the line according to how similar their meanings are to VOID or ABUNDANT. If a word means “just enough,” it would go in the middle.

  6. Have students independently place the words along the spectrum line.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Circulate as students complete their spectrum lines. Students may struggle to determine how to differentiate certain synonyms. 


Reteach



  • Explain that some synonyms and antonyms have different degrees of difference from each other. Share this example: If you had only “a few” apples, then the number of apples you had could not be described as abundant. However, while the two terms may not be antonyms, “a few” is closer to meaning of the word nothing than abundant would be.



Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students submit their spectrum line showing antonyms and synonyms for abundant.


    • Sample Student Responses:



    • void, nothing, scarce, a few, several, enough, much, plenty, ample, abundant 



Reteach



  • Explain that students’ answers may vary, and that some words are similar enough in meaning that they could be arranged in several possible orders. However, students should make sure that words that are closer in meaning to void are toward the left side of the line and words that are closer in meaning to abundant are toward the right side.