Context Clues

1
Context Clues

• These are hints that will help you find the
  meaning of a word you do not already know.

2
Day 1 Target

• Students will define context clues, and use words
  in the sentence to find the meaning of an unknown
  word.

3
Where can I find a context clue?

• One place to find the meaning of an unknown word
  is the other words in the same sentence.

4
From the book Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James
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migratory

• You may not know that whales are migratory, which
  means they travel great distances each day.

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From the book A Sweet, Sweet Basket by Margie
Willis Clary
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Incline

• She looked both ways and walked carefully down
  the incline to the path that led to the white
  house in the pines.

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Tote

• He made work baskets, ones big enough to tote
  vegetables.

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From The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
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zenith

• He knew that a few hours from now, with the sun
  at its zenith, the heat would be so great he
  would not be able to lead his flock of sheep
  across the fields.

11
Now its your turn!

• Take out a sheet of paper.
• Put todays date
• Title it Context Clues
• Number it 1-4. Skip 3 lines between each number.
• I will flash sentences on the screen. Guess the
  meaning of the underlined word. Then write down
  which words from the sentence helped you guess
  the meaning.

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epidemic

• If an entire community gets sick, hospitals work
  to control the epidemic.

13
debark

• The passengers plan to debark when the cruise
  ship reaches Hawaii.

14
advent

• The advent of the spring planting season was
  celebrated by everyone on the farm, after a cold,
  hard winter.

15
Lets Review Day 1

• What do we know about context clues that we
  didnt know when we first walked through the
  door?
• How can it help you in your other classes?

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Day 2 Target

• Students will use words in the sentence to find
  the meanings of unknown words in The Golden
  Goblet or The Egypt Game.

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Lets Review

• What is a context clue?
• Where can we find the meaning of an unknown word?

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Lets Practice
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Lets Review Day 2

• How can using context clues help us better
  understand our novels?
• How do strategic readers use context clues?
• Why do strategic readers use context clues?

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Day 3 Target

• Students will use sentences before and after the
  unknown word to reveal meaning.

21
Lets Review

• what we already know about context clues

22
A new context clue

• Sometimes, we can find the meaning of an unknown
  word by reading the SENTENCES that come before
  and after the sentence containing the unknown
  word.

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From the book The Babe and I by David A. Adler
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midst
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midst

• For my birthday, I was hoping my parents would
  give me a bicycle. They only gave me a dime. I
  was disappointed, but not surprised. It was 1932,
  in the midst of the Great Depression, and
  millions of people were out of work.

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newsie
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newsie

• My dad is out of work, too, Jacob said as he
  got in line. Thats why Im a newsie. Sell
  newspapers with me. Its fun.
• I didnt feel like going home, so I stayed with
  Jacob. We collected our papers, and he said, Now
  Ill teach you how to really sell.

28
From the book CLICK, CLACK, MOO Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin
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Neutral, ultimatum
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Neutral, Ultimatum

• Cows that type. Hens on strike! Whoever heard of
  such a thing? How can I run a farm with no milk
  and no eggs! Farmer Brown was furious.
• Farmer Brown got out his own typewriter.
• Dear Cows and Hens
• There will be no electric blankets. You are cows
  and hens. I demand milk and eggs.
• Sincerely, Farmer Brown
• Duck was a neutral party, so he brought the
  ultimatum to the cows.
• The cows held an emergency meeting. All the
  animals gathered around the barn to snoop, but
  none of them could understand Moo.
• All night long, Farmer Brown waited for an
  answer.

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From the book A Sweet, Sweet Basket by Margie
Willis Clary
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haggle
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haggle

• Without missing a weave, Grandma answered, Why,
  yes, child. I sold two baskets before noon.
• Who bought them?
• A woman from Pittsburgh. She had seen the
  baskets in the city, and wanted a basket for
  herself and one for a friend. I sold her a fruit
  basket and a sewing basket. She didnt even try
  to haggle on the price.

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Lets review day 3

• What did we learn today that we didnt know when
  we first walked in the room?
• How can this new knowledge help us in our other
  classes?
• How can you begin using these skills in your very
  next class period?

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Day 4 Target

• Students will use sentences before and after the
  sentence containing an unknown word in The Golden
  Goblet and The Egypt Game.

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Lets Review

• what we know about context clues.

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Your Turn
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Review of Day 4

• 3 things you now know about context clues
• 2 times you have used context clues in the past
  24 hours (not counting this class)
• 1 thing you are still confused about

39
Day 5 Target

• Students will know how using word parts and
  background knowledge can help us find the
  meanings of unknown words.

40
Word Parts

• Sometimes, all we need to do to find the meaning
  of an unfamiliar word is to look inside of the
  word itself.
• For example restless
• rest means to relax, to become untired
• less means without
• So, restless means to be without relaxing
• The restless police officer searched for clues to
  the crime all night long.

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Background Knowledge

• Perhaps you already knew the word restless. When
  you know a word, or at least have heard of it
  before, you have some background knowledge.
• Knowing where you have heard of a word before can
  help you find its meaning.
• For example
• Marsh
• Weathered
• Crudely
• Rafters
• Do you know these words? Have you heard of them
  before? Do you have any guesses as to what they
  mean?

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Lets practice

• monotonous
• Have you heard of this word before? Where?
• Do you know this word? Can you use it in a
  sentence?

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• The monotonous speech given by the politician
  almost put me to sleep.

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• equidistant
• Have you heard of this word before? Where?
• Do you know this word? Can you use it in a
  sentence?

45

• Since both families were equidistant from Grandma
  and Grandpas house, they decided it would be a
  fair car ride if they all just had Thanksgiving
  dinner over there.

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Lets Look at Our Novels...First use word parts
and background knowledge to figure out the words,
then you may find them in your books to see if
you were right.
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Remember these words?

• Marsh
• Weathered
• Crudely
• Rafters
• We guessed what they mean using word parts and
  background knowledge. Now, lets check our work

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From the book A Sweet, Sweet Basket by Margie
Willis Clary
49

• Keisha walked up the path beside the busy
  highway. She jumped over a limb of yellow jasmine
  that grew along the path. She tiptoed past the
  marsh grass where a covey of quail nested.
  Continuing on, she came to the place where
  Grandma sat, weaving a basket. Behind Grandma was
  the basket stand. The stand was made of weathered
  wooden boards, crudely nailed together. Sheets of
  tin covered the rafters, making a roof. There
  were baskets of every size and shape hanging from
  hooks of long nails. Almost out of breath, Keisha
  asked, Grandma, any customers today?

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Time to review what we know about context clues.