Reading
Lesson Plan

Expedition Vocabulary:
Using Context Clues and Resources

Learning Objective:
Clarify word meaning using context clues and a variety of resources, including dictionaries and thesauruses.

Teacher Directions:
In Ed’s first journal, he describes his journey to Mt. Everest — both his personal journey and actual journey. Ed uses some words that you may or may not be familiar with —acclimatization, utmost, double-amputee, hardship, foundation, venture and prostheses. If you look at the words, phrases or sentences around those words, you might find some clues to help you figure out what those words mean. This is called using "context clues." If you need to find more information, you can go to the Merriam Webster online dictionary or to the Rhymezone online dictionary. You can print out and use the Chart* to write these words in the first column and then write the context clues in the second column. Which words did you need to use a dictionary for? Why?

Resources:
Journal #1: Departing Minneapolis
Merriam Webster Online
Rhymezone

Activity Sheet:
Chart*

Assessment:
Use the Comprehension section of the Reading Assessment* sheet.

* pdf document (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free from Adobe)