Procedure Guide: CONTEXT SCAVENGER HUNT

Purpose: To assist students in identifying context clues.

Preparation

• Prepare a transparency and student handout of the types of context clues with an example of each.

Synonyms: The dogwood, a lovely flowering tree, grows in the South.

What a word is or is not like: The peahen is not beautiful like the peacock.

Something about location or setting: The mariner looked out over the sea.

Something about what a word is used for: He drove the stake into the ground to mark the stop.

What kind of thing or action it is: The water swirled like an eddy as it went down the drain.

How something is done: The situation was exacerbated when they brought the angry residents into the meeting.

A general topic or idea related to the words: Rain, snow, and sleet during the month, exceeded the expected precipitation level.

• Prepare a transparency and student handout for a passage that provides context clues for words with which the students are familiar. Underline the familiar words.

Before

• Explain the purpose of this activity, introduce and discuss the types of context clues.
• Model identifying context clues for the first underlined words. (Remind students that at times there are no clues as to a word's meaning.)
• Think-pair-share context clues for the next underlined word.
• Have students identify context clues for the remainder of the underlined words.

During

• As the students read the passage, and allow them to revise context clues if needed.

After

• After students have read the passage, have them compare their context clues with a partner and then with the entire group.

Assessment

Accuracy of chosen context clues