Writing Objective (Vocabulary) 8.L.04

The Highly Proficient student can determine the meaning of unknown words. 

Standard

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Use common, grade- appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). 

b. 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.

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase.

Essential Questions

★ What are context clues? How can you use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words?

★ What are roots and affixes? How can you use roots and affixes to determine the meaning of unknown words?

★  What are reference materials? How can you use reference materials to determine the pronunciation, meaning, or part of speech of unknown words? 

★ What does preliminary mean? How do you verify your preliminary determination of what the word means?