Take Cover Words project overview

• 
  Starter – students separate words into prefixes and roots. (5 mins)
  

• 
  Development – students look up and write down definitions of at least five of the sample root words. (15 mins)
  
• 
  Students read through passage, changing prefixes from negative to positive. (10 mins)
  

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  Plenary – students write their own positive paragraph about a friend in the lesson or a partner, ensuring they use words that can be made negative by adding a prefix (if they need some ideas for this they can look up the prefixes in a dictionary). They swap books and change the paragraphs about themselves into negative paragraphs by adding the prefixes. (20 mins)
  

1. 
   Teacher gives each student a prefix word from the cloze paragraph (ideally on a piece of card). As the teacher reads the paragraph the first time, students say their word without a prefix, to indicate that they understand what prefixes are and their role.
   

2. 
   With prefixes and sample root words in front of them, in pairs, students have a conversation about themselves with and without negative prefixes.
   

• 
  add prefixes to root words in order to change the meaning of a passage.
  

1. 
   Pick four words that are new to you from the sample root words table (overleaf). For each one, look up the definition in the dictionary and write it down.
   

2. 
   Read through the passage on the student resource sheet, changing the meaning from something positive to something negative by using the prefixes.
   

3. 
   Write your own positive paragraph about your partner, ensuring you use words that can be made negative by adding a prefix. Then, swap books and change the paragraph about yourself into a negative paragraph by adding the ‘correct’ prefixes!
   

In pairs, write prefixes and roots onto pieces of card. On one side put a root and on the other a prefix (see below). Each prefix should be written three times but roots only once. Then, put the cards together in a pack and distribute the cards equally. Now play a card game (like dominoes) in which the goal is to make complete words with a prefix and root. The first to use all cards wins.

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1. 
   Sample root words
   

2. 
   Negative prefixes
   

Read the following story and add the appropriate negative prefix to each word to change the meaning of the story. Use a dictionary if you are unsure which is the correct one to pick!

3. 
   Now the fun bit!
   

Now write a positive, flattering paragraph about your partner, using words that can be changed by adding a negative prefix. If you need help choosing words that have negative prefixes, use the sample root word list. Your partner will write a paragraph about you. Once you have both finished, swap papers and change the paragraph written about you to one that gives a negative impression by changing the prefixes. (No one will believe the negative things you write, of course!)

• 
  Starter – students read the first section about long and short vowels on the student resource sheet. (15 mins)
  

1. 
   Divide students into five groups and allocate each group a different vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
   
2. 
   Ask students to list words that include its short vowel sound on A4 or small whiteboards.
   
3. 
   Repeat with long vowel sounds.
   
4. 
   Ask groups to try and identify what causes a vowel to be long. (It is the appearance of a second vowel following the first.)
   

• 
  Development
  

1. 
   Ask students to read sample sentences under ‘Assonance’ on the resource sheet and tick them if they include assonance. Discuss, particularly teasing out that combinations of vowels can change the rules about short and long vowels and that just because words have the same vowels it doesn’t necessarily mean they sound the same. (15 mins)
   
2. 
   Students write a short poem about something they are particularly fond of. Whatever its name, they must select the main vowel sound and include at least five instances of assonance in the poem. (20 mins)
   

• 
  Plenary – share assonance poem with a partner and identify the assonance in each other’s poems.
  

• 
  pick out long and short vowels and use this understanding to write a poem using assonance.
  

• 
  Read the guidance on long and short vowels on the resource sheet. In groups, you will be assigned one vowel and asked to list words including that vowel’s short sound.
  
• 
  Now list words with the vowel’s long sound.
  
• 
  Discuss what causes a vowel to make a short sound or a long sound. See if you agree with the ideas that the rest of the class suggest!
  

1. 
   Read the sample sentences under ‘Assonance’ on the resource sheet and tick them if they include assonance. While you do this, have a think about assonance and vowel sounds. Do all words with the same vowels in them create assonance? Can you have assonance using more than one type of vowel?
   

2. 
   Write a short poem about an object that you are particularly fond of, using the guidance provided on the student resource sheet. Think about the main vowel sound within that name of your object and try to include at least five instances of assonance in your poem.
   

Now check that your poem contains no rhyme or alliteration, only assonance! It’s not as easy as you’d think!

Every vowel makes two sounds, a short sound and a long sound. The long sound is when the vowel says its own name. Examples of the both types of sound are shown in the words below.

• 
  Make a list of all the words you can think of with the appropriate vowel in them. Aim to list at least ten. (For instance, if you pick your dog, you need to find words that also include the short ‘o’ sound, like ‘mop’, ‘stop’, ‘co-operate’ and ‘option’.)
  

• 
  Some of these words will suit your chosen subject better than others: circle words that you have written that you might be able to use in the poem.
  

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  Now write your poem, remembering to include assonance in at least five places. Remember that just because words have the same vowels, doesn’t mean they make the same sounds (and some sounds can be made using different letters, like ‘high’ and ‘sky’)!
  

• 
  Starter – students look at Latin roots and list as many words as they can think of containing those roots and begin to come up with some ideas about their meanings. N.B. Thinking of the latter part of the word might help here.
  

• 
  Development
  

1. 
   Using the chart overleaf, students match animal to scientific name using a list of Latin to English animal terms. (10 mins)
   
2. 
   On A4, students create a zoo placard for a mythical creature of their making. The placard must include: the animal’s common name, the animal’s Latin name, a paragraph describing the animal’s habitat and behaviour and a picture of the animal. (20 mins)
   

• 
  Plenary – students swap papers and peer assess. The criteria are that the Latin name matches aspects of the animal outlined elsewhere on the placard and that the placard contains the elements listed in the instructions. (10 mins)
  

• 
  shown understanding of the influence of Latin on Modern English.
  

1. 
   Using the chart on the resource sheet, match the picture of the animal to the Latin, scientific name. Notice that some single words in the animals’ names are made up of two or more Latin words.
   

2. 
   On A4, create a zoo placard (that’s a sign next to an animal’s cage) for a mythical creature from your imagination. The placard must contain: the animal’s English name (e.g. Greedy Horner), the animal’s Latin name (e.g. Adephagos Cornutus), a paragraph describing the animal’s habitat and behaviour (e.g. This unusual creature can be found …) and a picture of the animal.
   

• 
  Starter – read sentences with misused homophones and write down the correct versions. Most students will miss at least a few! (10 mins)
  

• 
  Development
  

1. 
   Play the chicken game – see student instructions. (15 mins)
   
2. 
   Students compile a personal list of problem homophones. (10 mins)
   

• 
  Plenary – students create a mnemonic device for each of their problem homophones.
  (15 mins)
  

• 
  identified the homophones that pose difficulties for me and begun to find methods of dealing with them.
  

I maid my weigh down the rode. Suddenly eye sore a wight hoarse.

”Ware are ewe off two?” aye asked.

“Too sea the see and watch the son go down.”

“Isle come with yew,” I said.

Sew, I court him and wee road together, wile the wind blue in hour hare.

There are 25 homophones in that short passage. Can you find them and say how the words should have been spelt? Rewrite the passage correctly!

1. 
   Play the chicken game!
   

• 
  The whole class will be split into two teams, A and B.
  

• 
  The teacher will select one person from team A to write a sentence on the board and one person from team B to look away while they do.
  

• 
  The person writing the sentence from team A on the board needs to replace a possible homophone word with the word ‘chicken’. For example: ‘Alfred had no idea chicken (where/wear) Dilip was’.
  

• 
  The person that has been looking away (from team B) then needs to come up to the board and replace ‘chicken’ with the correct homophone.
  

• 
  Each correct homophone gains the team one point.
  

• 
  It is then Team B’s turn to make up the sentence and team A’s turn to correct it.
  

2. 
   Have a look at this collection of common homophones. Note that some have more than one alternative!
   

allowed	aloud	so	sew
ate	eight	through	threw
bear	bare	wait	weight
check	cheque	wear	where
hair	hare	weather	whether
here	hear	which	witch
hour	our	who’s	whose
it’s	its	whole	hole
made	maid	write	right
new	knew	you	ewe
piece	peace	you’re	your
road	rode	by	bye	buy
sea	see	their	they're	there
site	sight	two	too	to

3. 
   Circle or highlight five pairs/groups that you think you might get confused. (You could check through your exercise books to see if you have got these confused in your writing.)