Objective:

Students will explore shades of meaning between related words and identify real-life connections to those words through a group activity that uses visual aids and role-playing. By doing this, students will learn how word choice affects meaning and context, integrating computational thinking by organizing and classifying word relationships.

Materials Needed:

• Large paper or whiteboards

• Markers

• Word cards with related words that describe states of mind or certainty (e.g., "knew," "believed," "suspected")

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by explaining that words can have similar meanings, but their "shades of meaning" can convey different levels of certainty or emotion. 

  • Use examples like “knew,” “believed,” and “suspected” to show how each word describes a different degree of certainty. 

  • Explain that students will explore how these words are used in different situations.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of related word cards (e.g., "knew," "believed," "suspected"). 

  • Have them discuss the differences in meaning and when each word might be used. 

  • Each group will create a chart showing how the words vary in terms of certainty, arranging the words from most to least certain.

• Modeling Shades of Meaning:

  • Students will role-play different scenarios that reflect the shades of meaning for each word. 

  • For example, one student might say, “I knew the answer,” while another might say, “I suspected the answer,” and act out the confidence or uncertainty behind the statements. 

  • This hands-on activity helps students visualize how word choice affects meaning.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Groups will present their word charts and role-plays to the class, explaining the real-life connections they made to the words. 

  • Discuss how understanding shades of meaning can improve communication and make language more precise.

Equity and Access:

Provide word cards with visual aids for students who need extra support. For students who need additional help understanding subtle differences between words, offer pre-written scenarios to guide their role-play.

Real-World Application:

Explain how distinguishing shades of meaning is important in daily communication, such as choosing the right words when writing or speaking to express different levels of certainty or emotion. Connect this to decision-making in real-life situations.

CS Practice(s):

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students categorize words by shades of meaning, recognizing subtle differences in meaning and using abstraction to organize them.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students break down the task of distinguishing words into manageable steps, identifying the key differences between words.

Standard(s):

• CA CCSS ELA-Literacy.3.L.5.c

Animating Literal and Non-Literal Meanings 

Pairs of students engage in discussion about the difference between literal and non-literal meanings of phrases. One pair is focused on animating the phrase “break the ice.” They create two scenes in Scratch Jr.—in one, a character literally smashes a block of ice, while in the other, two characters start a conversation to “break the ice.” 

As they test their animations, they discuss how coding helps them understand the context behind words and phrases, reinforcing both their language skills and computational thinking.

Objective:

Students will use Scratch Jr, Scratch,. or another coding platform to create digital scenes that represent both the literal and non-literal meanings of words and phrases. This will help students differentiate between the two and explore how context affects word meanings, while integrating computational thinking by designing animated scenes.

Materials Needed:

• Tablets or computers

• Pre-selected list of words/phrases with both literal and non-literal Meanings (e.g., “take steps” literally vs. figuratively)

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by discussing the difference between literal and non-literal meanings of words. 

  • Use examples like "take steps" to show how a phrase can mean both walking (literal) and making progress toward a goal (non-literal). 

  • Explain that students will be creating two different animations to represent both meanings of a phrase.

• Group Activity:

  • In pairs, students will select a phrase from the list provided. 

  • For example, one pair might choose "take steps." 

  • They will discuss how the phrase can be interpreted both literally (walking) and non-literally (making progress). 

  • Each pair will then design and code two animated scenes that demonstrate both interpretations.

• Creating and Coding:

  • Students will use coding blocks to animate their two scenes. 

  • For example, in one scene, they might show a character walking up stairs (literal meaning), while in another, they show a character accomplishing tasks (non-literal meaning). 

  • This process helps them visualize the nuances of word meanings.

• Testing and Refining:

  • After completing the animations, students will test their projects to ensure that the literal and non-literal meanings are clearly conveyed. 

  • They can refine their scenes by adjusting the timing of animations or adding additional details for clarity.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their two animated scenes to another group of students, explaining how they represented the literal and non-literal meanings of their chosen phrase. 

  • As a class, discuss how understanding these meanings can improve comprehension in reading.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-made templates for students who need extra support. Offer a list of words with both simple and more complex non-literal meanings to accommodate different learning levels.

Real-World Application:

Connect the concept of literal and non-literal meanings to everyday language, such as understanding idiomatic expressions in conversations, emails, and stories. Explain how recognizing non-literal language can help in reading and social interactions.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding platform to design digital scenes that represent both literal and non-literal meanings.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students break down language into visual representations and determine how best to model these meanings.

Standard(s):

• CA CCSS ELA-Literacy.3.L.5.c

• CA CS K-2.AP.12

• CA CS K-2.AP.13