Subject: ELA (English Language Arts)
Lesson Length: 45 mins
Topic: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Grade Level: 6, 7, 8
Standards / Framework:
Brief Description: Understanding the difference between denotation, the strict meaning of a word, and connotation, the feeling the word conjures, can be challenging to wrap one’s head around. Visually demonstrate the difference for readers and writers.
Know Before You Start: It is helpful for students to be familiar with denotation and connotation.
Hook:
- Write the words skinny and slim on the board and explain that each is defined as thin in size (denotation.)
- Add these words to the list: wiry, delicate, lean, lanky, slight, and svelte.
- Ask students to rank the list from positive to negative (connotation.)
Activity:
- Have students create a coherent and informative comic demonstrating both the denotation and connotation of a particular word.
- Which is the literal meaning and which is the figurative meaning?
- Does the word have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation?
- How can this word be used uniquely in two different sentences?
Closure:
- Have students share and discuss their comics with a peer.
Differentiation:
- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Provide a list of words from which to choose that can be used in creating the comic.
Resources:
- Comic to print or display: Comic.
Suggested Content Packs:
Starter Pack
Beach
Castles
Middle School
