ESL5 Section 6 Instructional Plans

Patty Emanuel

Lesson Plans

Put the VT to work in your classroom

Shades of Meaning

November 19, 2007

Lesson Question:

How can the Visual Thesaurus help students distinguish between words with similar definitions but different connotations?

Applicable Grades:

4-12
(Note: this lesson could also work well with ESL students of any grade level.)

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, small groups of students will compete in a "shades of meaning" contest to see which group can use the VT to help them match words with similar definitions but different connotations in the shortest amount of time.

Length of Lesson:

One hour

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

  1. learn the definitions of "connotation" and "denotation"
  2. identify words with similar definitions but different connotations
  3. distinguish between positive (or neutral) and negative connotations of specific words

Materials:

  • student notebooks
  • white board
  • computers with Internet access
  • blank "Connotation Charts" [click here to download]
  • "24 Adjectives" list [click here to download]
  • "Answer Key" [click here to download]

Warm Up:

Writing journal entries about word choice:

  • In their journals or notebooks, have students write in response to the following prompt: If you were writing an advertisement for a brand new product, would you call it "newfangled" or "cutting-edge" to attract potential buyers? Choose one of these words and explain your decision.
  • Elicit student volunteers to read from their journal entries and discuss why most students would choose the word "newfangled" over the word "cutting-edge" to promote a product. What are students' associations with each of these two words?

Instruction:

Analyzing words' denotations and connotations by using the Visual Thesaurus:

  • Display the word webs for "cutting edge" and "newfangled" on the white board and have students examine their definitions in the meaning lists. Then, have students note the other words associated with "cutting edge" and "newfangled" by looking over the words that branch out from each of them.
  • Ask students to point out what the two words' definitions have in common. Students will most likely point out that they are both adjectives that are used to modify something new or fashionable. Explain to students that these two definitions are called "denotations" or literal meanings.
  • Continue the comparison and contrast of "cutting edge" and "newfangled" by asking students which word has more positive words associated with it. Students will recognize that while "newfangled" is only associated with the neutral word "new," "cutting-edge" is associated with other positive words and expressions such as "latest," "up-to-date," and "with-it." Explain that a word's suggested or implied associations are thought of as its "connotations." Students chose "cutting-edge" over "newfangled" based on the positive connotations associated with "cutting-edge" -- not because of the difference between these words' definitions.

Competing in a "shades of meaning" contest:

  • Organize the class into small groups or teams with no more than four students in each group. Then hand each group a blank "Connotations Chart" [click here to download].
  • Explain to groups that you are about to distribute a list of twenty-four adjectives listed in a random order. When you scream "Go!" it will be each group's job to sort the 24 words into a list of 12 pairs of words with similar definitions. Once the group has determined the 12 pairs, students need to accurately complete the "Connotations Chart" by correctly identifying the word in each pair that has a neutral or positive connotation and the word in each pair that has a negative connotation. The first team that approaches your desk with an accurately completed "Connotation Chart" wins the contest (and prizes if you wish).
  • Direct teams to use the Visual Thesaurus to determine definitions and associations for unfamiliar words.
  • Distribute the list of "24 Adjectives" [click here to download] to each group and shout "Go!"
  • When a team approaches your desk with a completed "Connotations Chart," consult the "Answer Key" [click here to download] to see if they matched the 12 pairs of words and correctly identified the words with negative (or neutral) and positive connotations in each of the pairs.

Wrap-up:

Discussing the "winning" combinations:

  • Have a representative of the winning team read aloud the group's entries on its completed "Connotations Chart."
  • If time permits, have students read through all the positive or neutral adjectives and ask students to identify adjectives that would make a person sound appealing. Would they want to meet a person described as "bold" or "energetic"? "Self-confident" or "curious"? Then, have students read through the negative counterparts of those same words and discuss what they suggest. Would students want to meet a person described as "brash" or "hyperactive"? "Smug" or "nosey"?

Extending the Lesson:

  • A fun way you could reinforce this lesson on connotations would be to have half of the students in the class write profiles for an imaginary student's MySpace page (MySpace.com) using adjectives in the positive or neutral column and then the other half of the students could write similar profiles but with the adjectives in the negative column.

Assessment:

  • By the end of the lesson, each team should have an accurately completed "Connotations Chart."
  • Students' mastery of the specific connotation pairs presented in the contest could be easily assessed by giving the class a subsequent quiz featuring the original list of 24 words and a blank connotations chart.

Educational Standards:

Language Arts

Standard 5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

Level II (Grades 3-5)

6. Uses word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to determine the meaning, pronunciation, and derivations of unknown words

7. Understands level-appropriate reading vocabulary (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homophones, multi-meaning words)

Level III (Grades 6-8)

3. Uses a variety of strategies to extend reading vocabulary (e.g., uses analogies, idioms, similes, metaphors to infer the meaning of literal and figurative phrases; uses definition, restatement, example, comparison and contrast to verify word meanings; identifies shades of meaning; knows denotative and connotative meanings; knows vocabulary related to different content areas and current events; uses rhyming dictionaries, classification books, etymological dictionaries)

Standard 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Level II (Grades 3-5)

1. Contributes to group discussions

2. Asks questions in class (e.g., when he or she is confused, to seek others' opinions and comments)

3. Responds to questions and comments (e.g., gives reasons in support of opinions, responds to others' ideas)

4. Listens to classmates and adults (e.g., does not interrupt, faces the speaker, asks questions, summarizes or paraphrases to confirm understanding, gives feedback, eliminates barriers to effective listening)

15. Knows specific ways in which language is used in real-life situations (e.g., buying something from a shopkeeper, requesting something from a parent, arguing with a sibling, talking to a friend)

16. Understands that language reflects different regions and cultures (e.g., sayings; expressions; usage; oral traditions and customs; historical, geographical, and societal influences on language)

Level III (Grades 6-8)

1. Plays a variety of roles in group discussions (e.g., active listener, discussion leader, facilitator)

2. Asks questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas

3. Uses strategies to enhance listening comprehension (e.g., takes notes; organizes, summarizes, and paraphrases spoken ideas and details)

Lesson Plans

Put the VT to work in your classroom

Transition Words and Phrases: Road Signs for the Reader

May 24, 2012

Lesson Question:

How can students use the Visual Thesaurus to learn more about how transition words and phrases play important roles in both the writing and the reading processes?

Applicable Grades:

6-12

Lesson Overview:

This lesson leads students to discover how important choosing the right transition words and phrases can be as they formulate an opinion in writing. Students will use Visual Thesaurus word maps to discover the relationships between particular transition words, and then categorize those words according to meaning and usage. Students will also explore the role transition words play in specific quotations taken from online resources.

Length of Lesson:

One hour

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

  • debate the use of various transition words for a particular context
  • define and sort various transition words and phrases by using the Visual Thesaurus
  • explore the role transition words play in specific quotations

Materials:

  • student notebooks
  • white board
  • computers or iPads with Internet access
  • “Transition Words and Phrases” handouts (one per student) [click here to download]

Warm-up:

Completing a sentence with a transition word:

  • Write the following quotation on the board:

"Once a user has tweeted once, there is a 65% chance that they will tweet again. After that second tweet, ______, the chance of a third tweet goes up to 81%."

—The Guardian’s Technology Blog

  • Have students rewrite the sentence in their notebooks and to complete the sentence by choosing one of the following transition words:

a) therefore b) however c) furthermore

  • Ask student volunteers to reveal how they completed the sentence and to give a rationale for their word choice.

Instruction:

Emphasizing the importance of transition words:

  • Hold a brief discussion about how each of the words would alter the sentence’s message (i.e., therefore would imply a logical conclusion, however would indicate contrast, and furthermore would signal additional information).
  • Reveal to students that the original sentence was taken from a technology blog article and it contained the wordhowever – emphasizing the contrast between the 65% chance of someone using twitter again after their first tweet AND the 81% chance of someone using twitter again after their second tweet.
  • Explain that transition words fulfill a dual purpose in writing: to create flow in a piece of writing by connecting or transitioning between ideas, and also to indicate specific relationships between ideas. Without transition words, writing would be choppy and disconnected.
  • Emphasize that the word options in the warm-up — however, thereforeandfurthermore — might seem like bland connectors that are simply linking different ideas, but they do more than that. They act as signals to the reader, suggesting particular relationships between the different thoughts or points in a text.

Using the Visual Thesaurus to sort transition words by meaning:

  • On the white board, display the word map for therefore and point out that the central meaning that therefore, thence, hence and so share is “used to introduce a logical conclusion.” (Note: If you are on a computer, hover your cursor over the central purple meaning bubble to reveal the meaning. If you are on an iPad, hold your finger on the bubble.)

  • Organize the class into small groups (group size dependent upon iPad or computer availability) and distribute to each group a “Transition Words and Phrases” handout.
  • Explain that most transition words and phrases fulfill a few different purposes in writing. For example, some indicate contrast (e.g., on the other hand) while others signal additional information (e.g., moreover). It will be the students’ task to look up a variety of transition words/phrases and to categorize them according to what role they usually play in a piece of writing.
  • Instruct groups to look up each of the 31 transition words and phrases on the Visual Thesaurus and to then categorize each word or phrase in the appropriate column of the chart. (See the first column below as a model.)

Transition Words and Phrases:

accordingly all the same as a matter of factalso besides consequently especially even so for example for instance
furthermore hence however in addition indeed in fact
in particular likewise moreover nevertheless nonetheless
on the other hand on the contrary particularly so specifically
still thence therefore thus yet
to introduce a logical conclusion or consequence /
to show contrast or “despite anything to the contrary” /
to introduce an additional point /
to introduce an example
therefore
thence
hence
so

Wrap-up:

Sharing completed transition words charts:

  • Ask each small group to share a particular column on the chart, pointing to the specific Visual Thesaurus word maps that showed an array of transition word options to convey the meaning or usage indicated by the column.
  • Using Vocabulary.com dictionary usage examples or a search engine (such as Google or Bing), have students try to find examples of each of the transition words and phrases in the context of articles. Discuss what types of articles usually use many transition words and phrases (e.g., editorials, scientific papers, trial transcripts, etc.).

Extending the Lesson:

  • A fun way to extend this lesson on transition words and phrases would be to have students locate a particular piece of writing that includes at least a few transition words and to present that text to peers as a fill-in-the-blank style exercise with the transition words removed.
  • A great place to look for transition-heavy texts is editorial style writing or trial transcripts. Here is an excerpt from an opinion piece arguing against legalizing assisted suicide, from the “Room for Debate” section of The New York Times website:

"The Oregon and Washington acts apply to “terminal” patients, defined as patients predicted to have no more than six months to live. Doctor prognoses, ______, can be wrong. ______, treatment can lead to recovery."

—Excerpt from “A Recipe for Elder Abuse”

(Note: the missing transition words from the above quote are however and moreover.)

Assessment:

  • Check students’ “Transition Words and Phrases” charts to see if they correctly categorized each transition word and phrase in the appropriate column.
  • Assess students’ mastery of transition words by either having them complete a cloze-style text with transition words and phrases, or to write an original argument using a minimum number of transition words and phrases.

Educational Standards:

Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy:

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

  • Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grades 6-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
  • Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
  • Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
  • Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Text Types and Purposes

  • Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
  • Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
  • Establish and maintain a formal style.
  • Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
  • Establish and maintain a formal style.

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) Standards:

Language Arts

Standard 2. Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
Level III [Grade: 6-8]
4. Uses explicit transitional devices
Level IV [Grade: 9-12]
4. Uses a variety of transitional devices (e.g., phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs) to link sections of text and clarify relationships among complex ideas.

BBC Learning English – Words in the News

Pinochet admission – 29 November 2006

Words in the News © BBC Learning English

Lesson Plan: Teacher's notes Page 2 of 12

bbclearningenglish.com

CONTENTS

1. Level, topic, language, aims, materials

2. Lesson stages

3. Student worksheets 1, 2, 3

4. Answers

Level: Intermediate and above

Topic: Former dictator of Chile admits responsibility for human rights abuses.

Language: Vocabulary of news report

Aims: Reading skills – Understand a short news report

Grammar practice – Practise using direct and indirect speech

Speaking skills – Take part in a role-play

Materials: Worksheet 1 – Comprehension questions

Worksheet 2 – Vocabulary matching task

Worksheet 3 – Grammar/language focus – direct and indirect speech

News story – Available online at:

Preparation: Before the lesson, make enough copies of Worksheet 2 so that there is one

worksheet for every 4 – 5 students. Cut up the vocabulary and explanations,

to make a matching exercise. Students also need one copy each of

Worksheets 1 and 3.

BBC Learning English – Words in the News

Pinochet admission – 29 November 2006

Words in the News © BBC Learning English

Lesson Plan: Teacher's notes Page 3 of 12

bbclearningenglish.com

LESSON STAGES

A Stimulate student interest in the text

Generate interest in today’s topic by writing the word ‘dictator’ on the board and briefly

discussing its meaning. Ask students for examples from world politics. Suggested

questions and tasks for brief pair or small group work:

What do these people (all men?) have in common?