Analyzing Word MeaningsLesson 10RI.8.4

Introduction

• What’s the difference between saying “He doesn’t eat very much” and saying “He eats like a bird”? The two phrases mean the same thing, but the first sentence is literal, and the second sentence is figurative.• Literal meaning refers to the dictionary

definition of a word or phrase.• Words or phrases with a figurative meaning

express ideas in unusual or creative ways.

Magazine Article

• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Circle an example of figurative language• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and

dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Circle an example of figurative language• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and

dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Underline words with strong connotations• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and

dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Underline words with strong connotations• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and

dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Put a box around any technical words or phrases• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and

dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Put a box around any technical words or phrases• Bald eagles are majestic creatures. They sail and

dive through the air like trained acrobats. They also have wingspans of up to 90 inches. That’s more than seven feet long!

Type of Language Example Effect on MeaningConnotative “Majestic” Majestic encourages

readers to think that the birds are more than ordinarily beautiful.

Technical “Wingspan” Wingspan is a specific term used to explain one of the eagle’s characteristics.

Figurative “They sail and dive through the air like trained acrobats.”

The simile They sail and dive through the air like trained acrobats compares an eagle’s movement to an acrobats.

Authors choose words and phrases carefully to convey meaning and feeling. Determining word meanings can help you understand how an author’s specific word choice affects the text.

Type of Language Example Effect on MeaningConnotative “Majestic” Majestic encourages

readers to think that the birds are more than ordinarily beautiful.

Technical “Wingspan” Wingspan is a specific term used to explain one of the eagle’s characteristics.

Figurative “They sail and dive through the air like trained acrobats.”

The simile They sail and dive through the air like trained acrobats compares an eagle’s movement to an acrobats.

Modeled Instruction• Look for examples of figurative language, words with strong connotations, and

technical words.

Did you ever imagine that a tiny snail and a giant octopus might be part of the same family? Most people don’t realize that snails, mussels, squid, and even octopods belong to the same category of creatures known as mollusks. These amazing creatures are invertebrates, which means they do not have spines.

Mollusks share three basic body parts: a foot, a body, and a mantle. The foot is a fleshy part of the mollusk’s body, made up mostly of muscle tissue. In a snail, the foot is the part of the mollusk that meets the ground and gently rolls the body forward. From this slow, measured motion comes the phrase “a snail’s pace.” A mollusk’s soft body is like a fragile bag that holds the heart, the guts, and various internal organs. The mantle, which is often a shell or a tough, sturdy covering, functions like a suit of armor to protect the body.

Modeled InstructionFigurative Language

…In a snail, the foot is the part of the mollusk that meets the ground and gently rolls the body forward. From this slow, measured motion comes the phrase “a snail’s pace.” A mollusk’s soft body is like a fragile bag that holds the heart, the guts, and various internal organs. The mantle, which is often a shell or a tough, sturdy covering, functions like a suit of armor to protect the body.

*In paragraph two, the author compares the function of the mantle to a “suit of armor.” This phrase is figurative language (simile). It helps me understand that the mantle is tough and durable, like a knight’s suit of armor.*“A snail’s pace” is also figurative language (idiom). It is used to describe the “slow, measured motion” of the mollusk, and it is also often used to describe anything that moves at a very slow rate.

*Fill in the figurative language section of your chart.

Modeled InstructionConnotative

• These amazing creatures are invertebrates, which means they do not have spines.

• Now look for words that have a strong connotation. Which words does the author use that have a strong positive, neutral, or negative feeling? One example is the word amazing in the first paragraph. It tells the readers how the author feels about mollusks. He thinks they are amazing, which has a very positive connotation.

• *Fill in the connotative section of your chart.

Modeled InstructionTechnical

• Most people don’t realize that snails, mussels, squid, and even octopods belong to the same category of creatures known as mollusks.

• This account is about mollusks, so we’ll now look for technical terms related to this topic. The word octopods is an example. It is the plural form of octopus, and it is an example of an animal that is a mollusk.• *Fill in the technical section of your chart.

Modeled InstructionType of Language Example Effect on Meaning

Figurative “The mantle functions like a suit of armor.”

“a snail’s pace”

The image “suit of armor” is used to show that mollusk mantles are tough and durable.

The idiom is used to help us visualize how slowly the mollusks move.

Connotative “amazing” The word gives mollusks a positive feeling by showing that the author admires them.

Technical “octopods” a plural form of octopus

Guided Instruction

1. Continue reading the passage. Circle two phrases that help you understand defense mechanisms.

2. Circle the answer to the question using the HINT to help.

3. Respond to the question in “Show Your Thinking”. Remember, words may have a positive, neutral, or negative connotation.

Guided Instruction• Choice A is incorrect. The author is writing to inform readers,

not to warn them.

• Choice B is correct. The author uses these words to heighten the understanding of different types of mollusks and their defense mechanisms.

• Choice C is incorrect. The author is not explaining a mystery.

• Choice D is incorrect. The author is not focusing only on unusual shells grown by the mollusk family. Other defense mechanisms are utilized.