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Lesson Topic: Structural Analysis

Grade / Subject: 1^st Grade Language Arts

Rationale: Florida Sunshine State Standards

Strand 2: Identifies words and constructs meaning from text, illustrations, graphics,

and charts using strategies of phonics, word structure, and context clues.

(LA.A.1.1) The student uses the reading process effectively.

Real Life Application: Children must have a good understanding of word and sentence structure, and morphemic knowledge in order to communicate effectively in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Understanding the morphemic content (word and sentence meaning) and the structure of words (root words, compound words, inflectional endings, prefixes and suffixes) is necessary for effective communication at any level.

Objective: For the first grade language arts students to be able to recognize and understand the meaning and contextual use of inflectional endings –s, -es, and –ing, and compound words such as airplane, skateboard, jumprope, dollhouse, rollerblade, underwear, cannonball, as well as the prefixes re- and pre-, and the suffixes –d, and –ed, so that when given illustrations, and cards containing endings, prefixes, suffixes, and root words, they will demonstrate their understanding by placing them in proper structural order, and orally compose sentences using both the root words alone, and with the changes, with 80% accuracy.

Content:

§ Show illustrations of the root words used.

§ Distribute word cards containing the prefixes, suffixes, root words to form compound words, and inflectional endings listed above.

§ Discuss the standard we have been working on and talking about, regarding changing and combining words to give them new or different meaning.

Sources:

§ http://www.firn.edu/doe/curric/prek12/pdf/langartk.pdf

“Vocabulary” (Word Wall) Words:

air, plane, skate, board, jump, rope, doll, house, under, wear, cannon, ball, roller, blade

Material:

§ Illustrations

§ Magnet clips to hold illustrations on white board

§ Dry erase markers

§ Word segment cards (see attached sample)

Procedure:

Hook: Start by telling the children that today they are going to be literary creators! Ask how many of them have ever thought about inventing things. Next, I will tell them they are going to do something similar today. They are going to create new words, using parts of old words. They are going to “invent” compound words, with special meanings, and “tricky” words, with special endings and beginnings. Those are called prefixes, suffixes, and inflectional endings.

Prior Knowledge: Review the standard we have been working on “constructing meaning through words and illustrations.” Review what a prefix is, a suffix, a special, or “inflectional” ending, and introduce the new concept: compound words!

Low-End Questions about Prior Knowledge:

Who can give me an example of a prefix?
Who can give me another prefix?
Who can give me an example of a suffix?
Who can tell me another suffix?
Who can tell me a special ending for a word, like “more than one” of something?
Who can tell me a different ending for a word that happened a while ago, or a long time ago? (-d, ed)

High End Questions:

Looking at our word wall words, and saying them to yourself, can you think of any tricky or harder words you could make from them?
Do you see any words in our word wall that “go together”?
Do you see any words there that you could put together and make a different word?
What happens to those words when you put them together?

Lesson:

I will introduce the lesson with the hook, and low-order and high-order questions cited above.

Next, I will use a pointer, as we say our word wall “root” words together.

Next, I will ask the children to sort their word segment and prefix, suffix, and ending cards, and place them in separate piles: one pile for prefixes, one for suffixes, one for “root words” (word wall words) and one for special endings.

Next, I will ask someone to tell me what their pile of prefixes has in it.

Assuming that child chooses the prefixes correctly, I will then ask if anyone got anything different in their prefix pile?

If they have, we will talk about why they think that/those would be prefixes, and ask if they can give us a word with that prefix. Once they give their example, I will be able to tell where they might have confused the prefix with a suffix or ending, and discuss why it is ACTUALLY the other.

We will do the same with suffixes and endings.

Next, I will place the children in cooperative learning groups of four.

In their groups, they will be asked to place prefixes with word wall words, suffixes and inflectional endings with word wall words, and have one person from each group record on paper the new words with new meanings they have “created.”

The challenge will be to be very “creative” and invent as many words with different meanings, using all of the different parts different ways, as they can. They will be encouraged to use more than 2 types of cards on as many words as possible (ie: a prefix, root word AND suffix/ending, or ALL, in many different variations.)

They will particularly be asked to place two or more root words together, to create something we haven’t done before, a compound word.

They will be told that the group that creates the most REAL words with different meanings will get stickers.

I will circulate the room, providing praise and feedback, proximity control where needed, and scaffolding where needed. However, they will be required to discuss any question they have about a word within their group and try to solve it themselves before asking me for help!

As they are constructing, the illustrations will be up on the white board as well, for them to use as “hints.” This will be especially helpful for E.S.E. and E.L.L.’s.

When all of the groups seem to be finished, I will begin calling on them to come forward and share the words they created, and use them in a sentence.

All students will have to use their listening skills and pay close attention to their classmates. I will frequently ask if the class agrees/ disagrees with the creation of a word, or its use in a sentence.

At the end, we will tally how many words were accurately created by the various groups, and issue the stickers to the winners.

Finally, we will review, as cited below.

Closure/ Review: After all of the students have settled back into their places and the winners have been announced, we will review:

First, we talked about prefixes, suffixes, special endings, and root words.
Next, we gave examples of all of those.
Then we talked about what might happen if we put two or more of our root words, or word wall words, together, and gave examples. Those are called compound words.
Then we created new words with new meanings, using all the pieces of our “structure puzzle.”

Modifications:

Remediation: Two of the children were struggling with mixing up prefixes and suffixes, but did alright with creating compound words. For these children, I will send home the attached worksheet for them to do at home, to get more practice.

Enrichment: Six of the students are very quick learners, and are quite proficient in the use of word structure. Those students are deliberately placed in separate groups, to lead and help scaffold the other members of their groups, and are given the “recording” job, of writing down the group word list. They are the “presumed group leaders.”

Accommodations: Two students are still struggling in their basic reading skills. I will give them illustration cards for their groups to use, in addition to the root word cards, so they can visualize and connect the word with the meaning.

ESOL Accomodations: Javier is still a primarily Spanish-speaking student, although his English is improving slowly. His group will also have illustration cards, and I will spend a little more time scaffolding his group than perhaps some of the other groups.

Assessment: The oral presentation by the groups, and my calling on each individual student in the groups to give examples of using the words they created in sentences will be their assessment. They are expected to complete this assignment with 80% accuracy.