Activities

1. Identify at least 5 unfamiliar words from a text.
   
   
2. Label the parts of speech for each of these words, paying attention to how the word was used in the original sentence.
   
   
3. Cover up the word in the original sentence and underline any context clues that help define the word.
   
   
4. Write out a working definition of the word’s meaning.
   
   
5. Use this strategy to determine the meaning of five other ambiguous words.
   
   
6. Compare your definitions to another student’s definitions of the same ambiguous words.
   
   

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Students select at least 5 grade level vocabulary words from a text. These 5 should cover a range of parts of speech and should come from sentences that help to illustrate their definition.
   
   
2. By examining how the word was used in the original sentence, students are able to correctly identify the word’s part of speech.
   
   
3. Students are able to identify key context clues to help determine a word’s meaning. These context clues may be in the original sentence, or in the sentence just before or after the original. Students may underline the context clues to identify them.
   
   
4. Students are able to write out a working definition of an ambiguous or unfamiliar word. This definition does not necessarily need to be a complete sentence, but should not be an exact copy of the context clues. Students are able to put the context clues into their own words.
   
   
5. Students are able to apply this strategy to other unfamiliar, ambiguous and multiple-meaning word.
   
   
6. Students are able to compare their definitions with other students’ definitions for clarity, offering feedback or to assess their own work.

Suggested Rubric:  This rubric may be used to assess a student’s overall mastery of the standard or eligible content.