Context Clue Activity

Which of these four types of context clues is each of the following, and what does the underlined word in each mean?  Write the appropriate letter in the space, then write a guessinition (a guessed definition).   Make it the best guess you can make based on the context clues!

A.     Definition or synonym                       

B.     Example

C.     Contrast or antonym

D.    General sense of the passage

1. Mr. Medbourne, in the vigor of his age, had been a prosperous merchant, but had lost all by a frantic speculation, and was now little better than a mendicant.

Which type of context clue is this?  _______________

What do you think mendicant means? __________________________________________________________

Note: Speculation is like gambling.

2. The lizard was so lethargic that I wasn’t even sure if it was alive or dead.  It didn’t even blink. 

Which type of context clue is this?  _______________

What do you think lethargic means? __________________________________________________________

3. But Wolf Larson seemed voluble, prone to speech as I had never seen him before.

Which type of context clue is this?  _______________

What do you think voluble means? __________________________________________________________

4.  The adverse effects of this drug, including dizziness, nausea, and headaches, have caused to be withdrawn from the market.

Which type of context clue is this?  _______________

What do you think adverse means? __________________________________________________________ 

5.  “I’ve caught several students surreptitiously checking answer sheets during my exams,” said the teacher.  “However, until today I never saw one openly lay out a cheat sheet on his desk.”

Which type of context clue is this?  _______________

What do you think surreptitiously means? _________________________________________________________ 

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Self-Starter:  

1. Context Clue Activity

2. Fluency partners (Yes, Hunter, I didn't forget.)
(SRI for those who haven't taken it.)  Thanks! 


3. Remember: Multimodal Texts
4. Hugo Cabret is one of them.
We read today through page 133 to chapter 6. 




5. Individual Reading Time -- Don't forget to watch for unfamiliar words and for context clues you could use.

Interesting Article -- 8th grader and wildlife

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/national/weird-news-deer-crashes-into-school-knocks-over-student/article_b99b9fa0-4867-11e1-900d-0019bb2963f4.html

and a middle school student stuck in a vending machine
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/national/weird-news-mass-firefighters-rescue-girl-stuck-in-vending-machine/article_62f87792-4932-11e1-b574-0019bb2963f4.html

Friday, February 27, 2012

Self-Starter:  Words in Context
More on figuring out words in context.
We used pages 666  (ominous, huh?) through page 672 to learn about seven types of context clues:
1. Definitions or Synonyms  Context Clues 1. Definitions or Synonyms
2. Concrete Examples  Context Clues 2. Concrete Examples
3.  Contrast Clues   Context Clues 3. Contrast Clues
4.  Description Clues 
5.  Words or Phrases that Modify
6.  Conjunctions Showing Relationships
7.  Unstated or Implied Meanings -- What is the general meaning of the passage?
  Context Clues 7. Unstated or Implied Meanings, General Meaning

The four most used  (or at least most important to learn for school) types of context clues are

1. Definitions or Synonyms
2. Concrete Examples
3.  Contrast Clues
and 
7.  Unstated or Implied Meanings -- What is the general meaning of the passage?

The students identified which type of context clue each of these passages uses.
Use this document to make-up the assignment. 
Context Clues for Small version.docx 




Hugo Cabret and Vocabulary


http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2781978137/


Find Box: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi771923481/




Individual reading -- in your independent growth range
Don't forget to fill in any unfamiliar words and to fill out your reading log.  If you were absent, pick up a pink make-up sheet, or download one here:  Reading Log Make-Up Log.doc

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

1. Pick up a dictionary and look up the words we found in Hugo Cabret, and any words you found in the reading you did during individual reading time. 


2.  Fluency Partner Practice


3. Reading Strategies -  overall with highlighters


4. Hugo Cabret with vocabulary


5. Individual reading -- noticing vocabulary

Monday, January 23, 2012

For those "Thinking About Your Own Thinking" papers that you handed in, "Good job!"


1. Self-Starter: Pick up your folders.  Context quiz.


Hand in Disclosure Documents.




2. Receive Individual Reading Strategy Charts (with Fix-Up Strategies)  -- Highlighters!
3. Reading Strategy:  
    1) Use Metacognition to Notice When You Don't Know a Word.
    2) Decide if you need to know it. (Is it getting in the way of understanding? -- Is it a name or is it something else?) 
    3) Use Context Clues (and other clues)  to figure out unfamiliar words
          a. What's in the word?
          b.  What does it look like? (Is the word or part of it      familiar?      But there's no butter in a butterfly.)
          c. What about its surroundings?  What comes before and after it? 


4. Begin Reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret. 820L


Use context and other clues to figure out words in your own individual reading.
5. Individual reading time.
   5a. If you were absent last time, take the SRI.


If we have extra time, we will do a Fluency practice.

Here is an online quiz on using examples context clues:
http://scc.losrios.edu/~langlit/reading/contextclues/intro1.htm
and another
http://www.english-zone.com/vocab/vic02.html
and another
http://wps.ablongman.com/long_licklider_vocabulary_2/6/1626/416421.cw/index.html
and another 
http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/samoset/ccdirect.htm

Thursday, January 19, 2012

1.  SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) in computer lab.
2. Finish interest inventories and pre-assessment. 
3. Stategies:  metacognition Noticing what's going on in your brain as you read.
4. Individual reading time, using metacognition.  
5. Summarize newspaper article? (If extra time.)   

 Julian Smith -- "I'm Readin' a Book!"   

Metacognition: Noticing your own thinking.