Context

Clues Nonfiction
Reading
Let’s think about
Determining the
Meaning of Blues Clues! Lesson 17
Words
 OBJECTIVES

Content Objective: I can identify how readers use context clues

01 to determine the meaning of words and phrases in a
nonfiction text.

Language Objective: I can read for clues to identify unknown

02 word meanings.

I can identify the meaning of a word by reading and

thinking about the word in context.
THIS IS OUR
GOAL!
IN A
 What is context?
The setting of a word
Example:
Con- with Text- written words

Clues within the written

words to help you
understand unfamiliar
words or phrases.
Why do we use Context Clues?
Good readers use context clues when they can't figure
out the meaning to an unknown word.
 Types of 1. Example: specific examples provide clues
Context Clues to the meaning of the unknown word.
2. Definition: the word is defined in the
sentence or surrounding sentences.

3. Antonym: A word (or a group of words)

with the opposite meaning is used in the
sentence.
4. Synonym: A word with the same meaning
is used in the sentence.
 Sentences 1. After dinner, Ms. Dennis was so moozled from the
Context Clues day that she fell asleep two hours before her bedtime.
- What do you think moozled means?
- How did you know what that words means?

1. Mrs. Hernandez woke up feeling so hungry the next

morning she catchooly ate her breakfast. When she
was finished she had a stomach ache.
- What do you think catchooly means? How did
you know what that words means?
 Let’s Practice
How to Use
Context Clues
Example: “Poison Dart Frogs secrete a
mucus from their skin."

Read the How did you know?

Use the clues within
sentence and Definition of the
the page to help you
identify the unknown word: understand the
unknown word: meaning of the word

● Secrete ● Secrete means to ● Mucus leaving

make mucus. from the frogs
skin.
 Independent Work ● Wither
Read the page
and identify
Directions: the unknown
1. Read the
passage.
words:
2. After
reading, find
2 unknown ● Wither means
words from
Definition of to shrink
the book
that you are the unknown
not sure of.
3. The, use words:
context
clues to help
you figure
out their How did you know? ● Trees lose their
definitions Use the clues leaves
to better
understand
within the page to ● Flowers shrink
the text.
help you before they die.
4.Complete understand the
the chart. meaning of the
word.
 Independent Work After reading, 1. hemispheres
identify three
unknown
2. basins
words:
Directions: 3. survive
1. Choose one Nonfiction book
below to read.
1. A hemisphere is One of two
2.After reading, find 3 unknown halves of the earth
words from the book that you
are not sure of. Definition of 2. A basin is a large areas of lowe
3.The, use context clues to help the unknown land on the ocean floor.
you figure out their definitions words:
to better understand the text. 3. Survive means to stay alive an
to live.

How did you 1. On page 6, there are two

know? Use pictures with the Earth split into
the clues lines, This shows the different
within the hemispheres.
page to help 2. On page 10, it describes what
you on the bottom of the ocean.
understand 3. On page 19, it talks about how
the meaning polar bears need the ice to live
of the word The ice is their home.
 Independent Work
After reading,
identify three
Directions: unknown words:
1. Choose one Nonfiction book
below to read.
2.After reading, find 3 unknown
words from the book that you
are not sure of.
3.The, use context clues to help Definition of the
you figure out their definitions unknown words:
to better understand the text.

How did you know? Use

the clues within the
page to help you
understand the
meaning of the word