1. How do you know what you don’t know?
Defining Words
How do you know what you don’t know?

2. Jabberwocky And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Jabberwocky
By Lewis Carroll
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

3. Previous Knowledge How to use this strategy:
Do you already know the definition of the word? Have you come across this word before? If so, you might be able to define it already! Go you!
Examples:
Some people are optimists and see the bright side in everything!
“I remember hearing Mrs. Rakowski say that optimists live longer because they are always so positive. That must mean optimists are positive people!”

4. Context Clues How to use this strategy:
The words before and after an unknown word are your context clues. Oftentimes an unknown word is described or defined right in the sentence!
Examples:
The ninja slinks into the room, moving silently so no one would notice.
Deidra was met by a cacophony of cheers and whistles when she walked into her surprise party.
Helena finds Timothy loathsome. She hates everything about him!

5. Word Parts How to use this strategy:
All words are created from word parts which you might remember from elementary school (root words, prefixes, suffixes, etc.). Look for a part of the word that is familiar and use that to help you to define the word as a whole!
Examples:
Bicycle = bi + cycle (bi- means two, cycle means wheels)
Biology = bio + logy (bio- means life, -logy discussion of)
Inconsiderate = in + consider + ate
(in- means not, consider means think of, -ate means the state of)

6. Dictionary How to use this strategy:
Do you have a dictionary near by? If not, your phone or a computer should have access to an online dictionary or a dictionary app! Use it!
Examples:
esurient: e·su·ri·ent (adj) feeling hungry
oxter: ox·ter (noun) a person’s armpit
thewy: the·wy (adj) muscled, strong, or brawny