1. Mini-Lesson #06: Roots and Affixes
Wildcat Worksheets
Mini-Lesson #06:
Roots and Affixes

2. Roots and Affixes Root – the core form of a word
Heavily influenced by ancient Greek / Latin
Recognizable everywhere we look
Affix – an additional element combined with a root
Modifies its meaning
Prefix – an affix at the beginning of a root
Suffix – an affix at the end of a root

3. Mentions the root meaning in the word definition
Roots and Affixes
Example: pol or polis (Greek)
Means “city” or “state”
Sample words: politics, metropolis
Definitions based on root meaning:
Politics – the activities associated with governing a city
Metropolis – the capital or chief city of an area
Mentions the root meaning in the word definition

4. Mentions the root meaning in the word definition
Roots and Affixes
Example: ante— (Greek)
Means “before”
Sample word: antebellum
Definition based on root meaning:
Antebellum – before the war, usually referring to the Civil War
Mentions the root meaning in the word definition

5. Roots and Affixes Activity: Read each root / affix and its meaning
Complete the table:
Provide a sample word containing the root / affix
Use the meaning of the root / affix to determine the definition of the sample word you’ve chosen