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Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  1. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  2. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
  3. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.
  4. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Standard #: LAFS.910.L.3.4Archived Standard
Standard Information
General Information
Subject Area: English Language Arts
Grade: 910
Strand: Language Standards
Cluster: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Date Adopted or Revised: 12/10
Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 02/14
Status: State Board Approved - Archived
Assessed: Yes
Related Courses
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
  • Wear Sunscreen: A Satirical Take on the Time-Honored Graduation Speech # This close reading lesson focuses on Mary Schmich's comical commencement speech essay, "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young." Students will take an in-depth analysis to discover her powerful satirical style, as well as the power of social nuances. Students will focus on academic vocabulary and answer high-level text-dependent questions as a guide for their comprehension of the essay, evaluating if her choice of words and wisdom remain valid, relative, and sufficient for the youth of today.
  • Answer a Research Question with Close Reading and Research # In this lesson, students will conduct research to answer the research question: How are current trends in education affecting higher education and/or the workforce?
  • You've Just Won "The Lottery"! # In this lesson, students will analyze Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery." Students will then read the short story, work to determine the meaning of selected vocabulary words from the text, and answer guided reading questions. In the summative assessment, students will become newspaper reporters and write an article to describe the events of the lottery, as if they were present on the day the lottery took place.
  • Someone is Always Watching You # This is the third lesson in a three-part unit examining privacy, surveillance, and technology. In this lesson, students will create a digital presentation and present their information to the class discussing a current privacy concern related to technology.
  • Writing an Argument # In this lesson, students will conduct close readings of a teacher-selected news article that introduces a claim and two sides. As they read, they will implement vocabulary strategies, analyze the article’s claims and their validity. After they read, they will participate in a whole class discussion before choosing a side and writing a three-paragraph argument in the form of a letter.
  • Close Reading Exemplar: 1984 # Students often have difficulty envisioning and making sense of a story that is set in a markedly different time or circumstance than their own. This two-day activity introduces students to the dystopian society of 1984 by George Orwell. By analyzing Orwell's carefully chosen words, details, repetitions, and characterizations in these first few pages, students can construct a strong understanding of some of the key features of this society that will give them a solid framework for comprehending the rest of the novel. Doing this kind of close reading work also reinforces to students that authors do not randomly select the details they include in a text; they choose words carefully to create a mood or construct a particular image of a character or place in a reader's mind. The overriding question that students should be able to answer at the end of this exercise is: What can we understand about Winston Smith and the society he lives in based on the descriptive details George Orwell includes in the first few pages of 1984?
  • Creating Suspense Lesson 1: Analyzing Literary Devices in Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" # In this lesson, students will examine the figurative language and literary devices used in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." They will read the first part of the story with support and modeling from the teacher, the next part with a partner or in small groups, and the final section on their own. Students will also use various strategies to determine the meaning of selected vocabulary within the context of the story and identify which of those words and phrases create the suspenseful mood in the story. In the summative assessment, students will share their analysis and provide textual examples of how Poe creates suspense in his story.
  • Analyzing Diction # In this lesson, students will review the key terms: diction, denotation, and connotation. Working in groups, they will determine denotative and connotative meanings of various words and discuss how this choice of diction relates to the tone and author's attitude. The lesson culminates with a short creative writing activity in which students use connotative diction to convey a particular tone.
  • Author's Style: “My Watch: An Instructive Little Tale” by Mark Twain # In this lesson, students will read "My Watch: An Instructive Little Tale," by Mark Twain. Students will analyze how Twain’s use of figurative language creates style. Students will present their analysis in an oral presentation.
  • The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty - Lesson on Conflict and Suspense # This lesson teaches students to identify and analyze conflict, suspense, and sequence within a text using the short story "The Sniper" by Liam O' Flaherty. Students will engage in class discussion and will complete short responses to questions to analyze conflict and suspense.
  • Context Clues in Context: The Gift of the Magi--Lesson 1 of 3 # This is lesson one in a three-part series on “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. In lesson one, students will read "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. As they read, they will complete a context clues activity to solidify their understanding of how to use context clues to determine meanings of unknown vocabulary words.
  • Ambush by Tim O'Brien: Excerpt from The Things They Carried # This lesson provides secondary students with opportunities to analyze a character's motivation in an excerpt from a work of literary nonfiction.
  • Who Are My Relatives? # This lesson will help students develop a cladogram to demonstrate the evolutionary relationships of diverse organisms.
  • An Introduction with Death: A Close Reading of the Prologue from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak # In this lesson, students will read an excerpt from the prologue of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. They will focus on how the word choices impact the mood of the excerpt. The summative assessment is a two-paragraph writing assignment which will require students to discuss how Zusak's use of figurative language creates mood in the prologue.
  • Character Analysis of “Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen” # In this lesson, students will read the O. Henry short story "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen." and analyze the two main characters and their interactions throughout the story. Students will also analyze the author's word choice, including his use of figurative language, and its impact on the tone of the story.
Original Student Tutorials
  • Vocabulary Unleashed # Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.
  • The Bermuda Triangle: Full of Mysterious Words! (Part Two) # Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in an informational text about the Bermuda Triangle in this three-part interactive tutorial. In Part 2, you'll practice determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary using context clues and dictionary skills. Click below to complete all three parts!
  • The Bermuda Triangle: Full of Mysterious Words! (Part Three) # Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in an informational text about the Bermuda Triangle in this three-part interactive tutorial. In Part 3, you'll practice determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary using context clues and dictionary skills. Click below to open the first two parts.
  • The Bermuda Triangle: Full of Mysterious Words! (Part One) # Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in an informational text about the Bermuda Triangle in this three-part interactive tutorial. In Part 1, you'll practice determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary using context clues and dictionary skills. Click below to complete all three parts!
  • Playing with Words: Changing Word Forms # Learn how to transform words into other words, including nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, adjectives into adverbs, and much more with this interactive tutorial.
  • Vocabulary Mastery # Acquire new vocabulary through this interactive tutorial. You'll learn definitions for 15 new words, as well as their parts of speech, their synonyms and antonyms, and you'll practice using them in context.
  • Vocabulary in Action # Acquire new vocabulary through this interactive tutorial. You'll learn definitions for 15 new words, as well as their parts of speech, their synonyms and antonyms, and you'll practice using them in context. 
  • Vocabulary Power # Review strategies for acquiring new vocabulary and then learn fifteen new words in this interactive tutorial. You'll also practice using the words in a variety of ways to help you add them to your vocabulary.
  • Exploring and Gathering Vocabulary # Learn several ways to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, including context clues, word parts, and dictionary skills. In this interactive tutorial, you'll apply these strategies to text passages from John Muir's book A Thousand-mile Walk to the Gulf, which includes vivid descriptions of Florida in the late 1800s.
  • Analyzing Words and Phrases with the Gettysburg Address # Read and examine Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in this interactive tutorial. First, you'll practice using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in the famous text. Next, you'll analyze Lincoln's specific word choice throughout the speech and examine how it conveys his tone or attitude.
  • Understanding and Using Context Clues with the Help of Patrick Henry # Learn how to identify context clues in a nonfiction text to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read excerpts from Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention." You'll learn strategies for applying context clues to make predictions about the meanings of unfamiliar words. Finally, you'll practice using dictionary entries to confirm your predictions of unfamiliar word meanings.
  • Word Sleuth: Using Context Clues # Learn to use context clues, including synonyms, antonyms, and inferences, to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in this interactive tutorial.
Teaching Idea
  • Student Centered Comprehension Strategies: Night by Elie Wiesel # Students will use teaching strategies as they read and discuss Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's memoir Night. Everyone in the classroom takes a turn assuming the "teacher" role in a reciprocal teaching activity, as the class works with four comprehension strategies: predicting, question generating, summarizing, and clarifying.
Unit/Lesson Sequences
  • Sample English 2 Curriculum Plan Using CMAP #
    This sample English II CMAP is a fully customizable resource and curriculum-planning tool that provides a framework for the English II course. This CMAP is divided into 14 English Language Arts units and includes every standard from Florida's official course description for English II. The units and standards are customizable, and the CMAP allows instructors to add lessons, class notes, homework sheets, and other resources as needed. This CMAP also includes a row that automatically filters and displays e-learning Original Student Tutorials that are aligned to the standards and available on CPALMS. Learn more about the sample English II CMAP, its features, and its customizability by watching this video:

    Using this CMAP

    To view an introduction on the CMAP tool, please . To view the CMAP, click on the "Open Resource Page" button above; be sure you are logged in to your iCPALMS account.To use this CMAP, click on the "Clone" button once the CMAP opens in the "Open Resource Page." Once the CMAP is cloned, you will be able to see it as a class inside your iCPALMS My Planner (CMAPs) app. To access your My Planner App and the cloned CMAP, click on the iCPALMS tab in the top menu.All CMAP tutorials can be found within the iCPALMS Planner App or at the following URL: http://www.cpalms.org/support/tutorials_and_informational_videos.aspx
  • Close Reading Exemplar: The Gettysburg Address # This unit exemplar from Student Achievement Partner web resources has been developed to guide students and instructors in a close reading of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The activities and actions follow a carefully developed set of steps that assist students in increasing their familiarity and understanding of Lincoln's speech through a series of text dependent tasks and questions that ultimately develop college and career ready skills identified in the Florida State Standards. This unit can be broken down into three sections of instruction and reflection on the part of students and their teachers, which is followed by additional activities, some designed for history/social studies and some for ELA classrooms.
Video/Audio/Animation
  • Insults by Skakespeare # This video (6:24) illustrates how the language of Shakespeare, particularly his use of insults, created mood, atmosphere, and relationships. The ancillary quiz and extension activities enhance the lesson.
Original Student Tutorials for Language Arts - Grades 6-12
  • Analyzing Words and Phrases with the Gettysburg Address # Read and examine Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in this interactive tutorial. First, you'll practice using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in the famous text. Next, you'll analyze Lincoln's specific word choice throughout the speech and examine how it conveys his tone or attitude.
  • Exploring and Gathering Vocabulary # Learn several ways to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, including context clues, word parts, and dictionary skills. In this interactive tutorial, you'll apply these strategies to text passages from John Muir's book A Thousand-mile Walk to the Gulf, which includes vivid descriptions of Florida in the late 1800s.
  • Playing with Words: Changing Word Forms # Learn how to transform words into other words, including nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, adjectives into adverbs, and much more with this interactive tutorial.
  • The Bermuda Triangle: Full of Mysterious Words! (Part One) # Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in an informational text about the Bermuda Triangle in this three-part interactive tutorial. In Part 1, you'll practice determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary using context clues and dictionary skills. Click below to complete all three parts!
  • The Bermuda Triangle: Full of Mysterious Words! (Part Three) # Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in an informational text about the Bermuda Triangle in this three-part interactive tutorial. In Part 3, you'll practice determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary using context clues and dictionary skills. Click below to open the first two parts.
  • The Bermuda Triangle: Full of Mysterious Words! (Part Two) # Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in an informational text about the Bermuda Triangle in this three-part interactive tutorial. In Part 2, you'll practice determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary using context clues and dictionary skills. Click below to complete all three parts!
  • Understanding and Using Context Clues with the Help of Patrick Henry # Learn how to identify context clues in a nonfiction text to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read excerpts from Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention." You'll learn strategies for applying context clues to make predictions about the meanings of unfamiliar words. Finally, you'll practice using dictionary entries to confirm your predictions of unfamiliar word meanings.
  • Vocabulary in Action # Acquire new vocabulary through this interactive tutorial. You'll learn definitions for 15 new words, as well as their parts of speech, their synonyms and antonyms, and you'll practice using them in context. 
  • Vocabulary Mastery # Acquire new vocabulary through this interactive tutorial. You'll learn definitions for 15 new words, as well as their parts of speech, their synonyms and antonyms, and you'll practice using them in context.
  • Vocabulary Power # Review strategies for acquiring new vocabulary and then learn fifteen new words in this interactive tutorial. You'll also practice using the words in a variety of ways to help you add them to your vocabulary.
  • Vocabulary Unleashed # Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.
  • Word Sleuth: Using Context Clues # Learn to use context clues, including synonyms, antonyms, and inferences, to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in this interactive tutorial.
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