1. Vocabulary Collectors
This activity will teach you how to create a successful list of root-related words based on one of the vocabulary words you have collected for the week.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

2. Vocabulary Collectors
Here’s a vocabulary word you need to know today: etymology
etymology (noun) — the study of words’ origins, often focusing on how Greek and Latin roots contributed to modern words.
adjective form: etymological adverb form: etymologically
root analysis: eteos (Greek root, meaning ‘true’) + ology (Greek root, meaning ‘the study of’)
Related words: geology (the study of earth), astrology (the study of stars), biology (the study of life) ), entomology (the study of insects)
As modern English developed as a language, it based its new words on words that existed in other languages.
Mostly we borrowed from Greek and Latin, and that is why so many of our words share roots…like the list of four related words seen at left.
Anytime you see –ology in an English word, you know it must be a word that means the study of something.
Let’s further analyze these four related words by looking at their other roots.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

3. Vocabulary Collectors
Here are four groups of words that are also “cousins” to each other
More Related Words:
geology (geo = Greek for earth)
astrology (astro= Greek for star)
biology (bio= Greek for life)
entomology (en + tom= Greek for to + cut)
geography
astronomer
biopsy
It’s logical to guess that entom meant “insect”, but Aristotle named this science after the fact that bugs are “cut” into 3 parts.
earth + writing or recording
star + arranger or regulator
life + sight
geometry
astronaut
autobiography
anatomy
earth + measurement
star + ship’s sailor
self + life + writing or recording
up + cut
geothermal
asterisk
amphibious
tracheotomy
earth + heat
star + small
of both sides + life
trachea + cut
Be careful not to pick prefixes and suffixes. We’re looking at root words
It’s fun to have the students look up these words in the dictionary and read aloud the definition, then discuss with them why “biopsy,” for example came from two roots that mean “life” and “sight.” The “entom” doesn’t mean “insect” is always a fun discussion too, and if you challenge kids to think of other operations that have “tomy” in them, they might surprise you with their knowledge.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

4. Vocabulary Collectors
It’s a great skill to be analyze unfamiliar words’ roots.
Let’s say you come across an unfamiliar word to you. Like…
triskaidekaphobia
Analyze the word for roots you may know.
This word means the fear of the number 13.
triangle and tricycle, both share the tri root, which must mean three.
Deka…hmmm. I know decade is ten years and a decathlon has ten events. The Greeks interchanged c’s and k’s
phobia, I know, means fear because I suffer from claustrophobia.
Actually, the Greek root for 13 is triskaideka, but being able to spot the “three” and “ten” root is the skill I want them to learn from this.
My clues are: three + ten + fear
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

5. ROOTS AFFIXES the most basic part of a word or
a word on its own
on its own=change
as a basic part=aud (to hear)
AFFIXES
(prefixes and suffixes)
don’t stand on their own
change the meaning of the root word
unchangeable
audible
they are both important parts of words
they both give us clues to word meanings

6. Vocabulary Collectors
innovative (adjective) — a word to describe something that has new, original features, or someone that shows original ideas or thinking.
Good dictionaries, after providing the definition of a word, also share the word’s etymology, or its language of origin.
This information is usually found in [brackets] right after the definition. Often there are more modern languages cited, but you should focus on the original Latin or Greek root and its meaning.
[from Latin novus, meaning new.]
novice (n) a person who is new to a task or idea. Related or not?
Once you know the meaning of the Latin or the Greek root, your job is to find three other words with the root nov in them that also have something to do with new.
Just because nov is in a word doesn’t guarantee the word is related; you have to look for the connection to the idea of new.
November (n) the eleventh month of the calendar. Related or not?
November and novella are NOT related. Novice and renovate obviously are.
renovate (vt) to improve something so that it seems new again. Related or not?
novella (n) a short novel. Related or not?
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

7. Vocabulary Collectors
innovative (adjective) — a word to describe something that has new, original features, or someone that shows original ideas or thinking.
When you paraphrase your three related words’ definitions, you must highlight the original word’s meaning in the same bright color. Click now!
[from Latin novus, meaning new.]
novice (n) a person who is new to a task or idea.
new
renovate (vt) to improve something so that it seems new again.
new
November and novella are NOT related. Novice and renovate obviously are.
novel (adj) a word describing something that seems strikingly new and unusual or different.
new
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

8. Vocabulary Collectors
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The related word list does two of these:
The related word list does one:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
Click here for a printable version of this rubric for your students.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

9. Vocabulary Collectors
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
malevolent (adjective) — having or showing a wish to do evil or bad to others.
noun form: malevolence
adverb form: malevolently
root analysis: from Latin mal- (meaning bad) and volence (meaning wish)
Related words:
malfunction - malformation - malaria -
If you confirmed these three were relatives of malevolent, how would you define them in your own words?
Work with a partner to create definitions for the 3 related words that use the word bad.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

10. Vocabulary Collectors
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
malevolent (adjective) — having or showing a wish to do evil or bad to others.
noun form: malevolence
adverb form: malevolently
root analysis: from Latin mal- (meaning bad) and volence (meaning wish)
Related words:
malfunction – (n) a bad movement on something’s part.
malformation – (n) an unnatural or bad growth on something.
malaria – (n) a bad sickness. Literally means bad + air.
The related words’ definitions must be written in your own words, and they must contain the root word’s definition.
Work with a partner to create definitions for the 3 related words that use the word bad.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

11. Vocabulary Collectors
Does this entry for malevolent earn a 4 or…?
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
malevolent (adjective) — having or showing a wish to do evil or bad to others.
noun form: malevolence
adverb form: malevolently
root analysis: from Latin mal- (meaning bad) and volence (meaning wish)
Related words:
malfunction – (n) a bad movement on something’s part.
malformation – (n) an unnatural or bad growth on something.
malaria – (n) a bad sickness. Literally means bad + air.
Take a close look at the rubric again.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

12. Vocabulary Collectors
Let’s try another, shall we?
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
peripheral (adjective) — describing something located on or making up the outer boundary.
noun form: periphery
root analysis: from Latin peri- (meaning around) and pherein (meaning carry)
Related words:
periscope –
perimeter–
periapt –
Work with a partner to create definitions for the 3 related words that use the word around.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

13. Vocabulary Collectors
Let’s try another, shall we?
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
peripheral (adjective) — describing something located on or making up the outer boundary.
noun form: periphery
root analysis: from Latin peri- (meaning around) and pherein (meaning carry)
Related words:
periscope – (noun) a special viewer that can look all the way around.
perimeter– (noun) the measured area around something.
periapt – (noun) a necklace or amulet, which fastens around the neck.
Work with a partner to create definitions for the 3 related words that use the word around.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

14. Vocabulary Collectors
Remember…here’s what a four looks like!
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
artificer (noun) — a skilled craftsman or inventor.
root analysis: from Latin arte- (meaning skill) and facere (meaning to do)
Related words:
artisan – (n) a skilled person who specializes with a craft.
artifact – (n) something that showcases a human skill. artificial – (adj) something manmade that required skill to create.
Or you might have gone this direction....
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

15. Vocabulary Collectors
Remember…here’s what a four looks like!
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
artificer (noun) — a skilled craftsman or inventor.
root analysis: from Latin arte- (meaning skill) and facere (meaning to do)
Related words:
benefactor – (n) a person who likes to do good by donating to others.
factual – (adj) describing something true, or something done for certain. facile – (adj) having a simple approach, done in a way that’s easy to do.
Words can contain more than one Greek/Latin root . With artifice, you can analyze either root.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

16. Vocabulary Collectors
The goal here is to become a “dictionary detective” and find proof that words are related.
artificer (noun) — a skilled craftsman or inventor.
artificer (noun) — a skilled craftsman or inventor.
root analysis: from Latin arte- (meaning skill) and facere (meaning to do)
Related words:
artisan – (n) a skilled person who specializes with a craft.
artifact – (n) something that showcases a human skill. artificial – (adj) something manmade that required skill to create.
root analysis: from Latin arte- (meaning skill) and facere (meaning to do)
Related words:
benefactor – (n) a person who likes to do good by donating to others.
factual – (adj) describing something true, or something done for certain. facile – (adj) having a simple approach, done in a way that’s easy to do.
You are also learning to explain a word’s meanings through paraphrasing, which is a good skill.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

17. Vocabulary Collectors
Related Word Entries Rubric:
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point
The student’s related word list does all:
The related word list does three of these:
The related word list does two of these:
The related word list does one:
The Greek or Latin root has been correctly identified and highlighted.
Three truly related words are featured.
The related words are defined in students’ own words, highlighting the root word.
It’s neatly presented.
Consulting the rubric multiple times is never a bad idea.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words

18. Vocabulary Collectors
And don’t forget there’s a colorful lesson online that has students publishing root posters for the hallway…or your ceiling…or?
Thanks for watching.
Collect vocabulary to better your future. People like you if you have a good vocabulary.
At my website, there is a free-to-access poster-making lesson called Root Attack Posters! These make for a nicely decorated hallway that will impress your principal.
Click here to visit that lesson.
Meaningful writing activity = root-related words