Lesson 1:

Teaching Greek and Latin Roots  (TEKS 8th Grade English B2a)

    List 20-25 Greek and Latin roots with their meaning on the board and instruct students to copy the information.

    Engage in a one minute free-for-all with students shouting out words using the copied roots.

    Join in the free-for-all and start chanting. Do jumping jacks, fist pumps, and cartwheels (optional: this part of teaching Greek and Latin roots is more effective after 8 Red Bulls and 17 cups of coffee).

    Tell students to stand up, face a partner, and quiz each other (90 seconds apiece), come up with more words (30 seconds apiece), point at each other, yell "you are a word master," high five each other, and sit down.

    Ask this question: "How many of you had a light bulb go off?" (All but the really cool or really dumb students will raise their hand).

    Now that they're all fired up and excited, nail them with the assignment (detailed below). Before they realize they're actually doing work and using their brains, they'll be nearly finished.

    Collect the assignment (I usually allow two days), assign a grade and give it back. Options include, picking one card at random, checking only one quadrant, or doing a drive by (a nerdy Greek and Latin roots lesson plan drive by, not an actual one involving machine guns).

    Enjoy the silent roar of learning.

    Assign 10 sentences using the roots in regards to a piece of literature or other topic you are studying.

    Give a quiz (two days after assigning the sentences).

    Celebrate the completion of a successful vocabulary lesson by vacationing in the Caribbean.

Main Assignment

    Use one 3 x 5 index card for each root.

    On front side of index card, write the root in the center.

    On the other side write the following: in the upper right hand corner, write the definition; in the upper left hand corner, write two examples; in the lower left hand corner, use a word with the root in a sentence; in the lower right hand corner, draw a picture or symbol that demonstrates the meaning of the root.

Lesson gathered from Brighthubeducation.com.

 

                Lesson 2:

Students will read The Giver by Lois Lowry either together in class or individually at home.  While the students read, they will be given  list of vocabulary from the book.

As the book is read, you will stop and talk about these vocabulary words as they appear in the story.  You talk about roots and affixes and how the words themselves fit into the story. 

Once a week, you will administer a vocabulary test on these words. 

 

                Lesson 3:

Writing

                At the beginning of every day, students will get out their interactive notebooks (or tablets or computers) and write for 6 minutes.  There will be a sentence starter and 5 vocabulary words.  The students will be required to write in their journal of choice a story that begins with the sentence starter and includes AT LEAST 3 of the vocabulary words.  The words will be words that has been taught in the current lessons and will need to be used correctly in the journal. 

                As the school year wears on, the students will be required to write compound and complex sentences with more interesting plots.  Sometimes, the student will be required to write informational text about a topic (i.e. the holocaust) they have learned about recently