List of Signal Words for Definition/Explanation Context Clues

📚 Definition/Explanation Context Clues: A Teacher's Guide

Objectives:

• 🎯 Students will be able to identify definition/explanation context clues in sentences.
• 🧠 Students will be able to use signal words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• ✍️ Students will be able to write sentences using definition/explanation context clues.

Materials:

• 📃 Worksheet with sentences containing definition/explanation context clues
• 🖋️ Pens/pencils
• whiteboard or projector

Warm-up (5 minutes):

• 🗣️ Briefly review what context clues are and why they are important for reading comprehension.

📖 Main Instruction: Signal Words for Definition/Explanation

Definition/Explanation context clues directly state the meaning of a word or provide enough information to infer the meaning. Look for these signal words:

• 🔍 Is: Indicates a direct definition. Example: Botany is the study of plants.
• 📝 Means: Introduces a definition. Example: Nocturnal means active at night.
• ✍️ Refers to: Specifies what a term signifies. Example: Ecology refers to the study of organisms and their environment.
• 🔤 Defined as: Formally presents a definition. Example: Photosynthesis is defined as the process by which plants convert light into energy.
• 💡 In other words: Provides a rephrased explanation. Example: To hibernate, in other words, to sleep through the winter.
• 💬 Also known as: Introduces an alternative name or definition. Example: Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is a primary energy source.
• ▶️ That is: Offers clarification. Example: A carnivore, that is, a meat-eating animal.
• ❓ Which is: Used to give more information or a definition. Example: An archipelago, which is a group of islands, can be found in the Aegean Sea.

Examples in Sentences:

• 🌱 A herbivore, that is, an animal that eats only plants, plays a crucial role in the ecosystem.
• ☀️ Solar energy, which is energy derived from the sun, is becoming increasingly important.

📝 Assessment: Identifying Context Clues

Instructions: Read each sentence and identify the meaning of the underlined word using the definition/explanation context clues.

1. A dermatologist, that is, a doctor specializing in skin care, can provide treatments for acne. What does dermatologist mean?
2. The term 'amphibian' refers to animals that live both in water and on land. What does amphibian mean?
3. To procrastinate, in other words, to delay or postpone tasks, can lead to increased stress. What does procrastinate mean?

Answer Key:

1. A doctor specializing in skin care.
2. Animals that live both in water and on land.
3. To delay or postpone tasks.