Root Word Investigations

1. Word Part Investigation Root Word Investigations A Vocabulary Building Strategy

2. Today’s Learning Objectives Students will: • Recognize the differences between prefixes, suffixes, root words, and base words. • Identify different parts of speech. • Practice dictionary skills. • Discover the meaning of selected prefixes and root words using a part-to-whole graphic organizer.

3. Word Parts Affixesare added to a word part to change its meaning. Prefixesare word parts attached to the beginning of a word or word part. Suffixesare word parts attached to the ends of a word or word part. prefixes -ment pre- suffixes

4. Word Parts Base Wordscontain meaning and can stand on their own. Root Wordsare word parts that do not typically form a stand alone word. -JUDGE- -JECT-

5. Word Parts Base Word Prefix Suffix pre = before ment = the act of; the state of judge (verb) = to form an opinion about someone or something pre judge judge ment the act of forming an opinion to form an opinion beforehand verb noun

6. Word Parts Root Word Prefix Root Wordscontain meaning but cannot stand on their own. Suffix scrip/scrib -tion pre-

7. Root Word Investigation Set Up Your Graphic Organizer • Draw a circle in the center of the page. • Write the root word “scrip/scrib” inside.

8. Root Word Investigation Create a Word List • In your group, make a list of words with the root word “scrip” or “scrib” in them. • Write each word in a circle that’s connected to your target word. • Leave plenty of blank space inside the circles.

9. Root Word Investigation • Use the classroom dictionaries to look up the meaning of each word. • Each group member must look up one of the words. • Write the exact dictionary definition in the circle that matches your word. Add the Definitions

10. Root Word Investigation • Take turns sharing each of your definitions with the whole group. • As other group members share their definitions, copy them onto your graphic organizer. Share the Definitions

11. Root Word Investigation • Read all of the definitions. What do they have in common? • Find a common word or idea among the definitions. • One at a time, share your findings with the group.

12. Root Word Investigation • Decidetogether what most have in common and highlight the common word or idea. • In the center circle, INFER and write what you think that root word means. What do they have in common? writing

13. Root Word Investigation Congratulations, word detectives. You just conducted your first root word investigation and created a part-to-whole graphic organizer. We will practice this all year.

14. What does somnambulist mean? • If you divided the word into a prefix, a root, and a suffix, where would you separate the word? • Do you recognize a common suffix? • What do you think the root could be? • What about the prefix? • Somn|ambul|ist • What other words can you think of that have somn in them? • Insomnia, insomniac, Unisom Group Practice

15. What does somnambulist mean? Group Practice Prefix somn- = sleep Root word ambul = walk Suffix -ist = one who

16. Now, You Try It Dyarchy: a government with two rulers Anarchist: one who rebels against governmental authority