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Entire Librarylesson-planThird GradeReading & WritingIdiom Meanings and Context Clues

Lesson Plan

Idiom Meanings and Context Clues

Idioms are a challenging piece of figurative language for students, but it can be an easier task with the help of context clues. Use this as a stand-alone lesson or as a pre-lesson for the *Capturing the Clues* lesson.
This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson for the Capturing the Clues lesson plan.
Grade
Third Grade
Subject
Reading & Writing
English Learner
English Learner Prelessons
View aligned standards
RL.3.4
This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson for the Capturing the Clues lesson plan.

Objectives

Academic

Students will be able to locate idioms within a text. Students will be able to use context clues to determine the meanings of various idioms.

Language

Students will be able to differentiate between literal and nonliteral language with compound sentences using sentence frames.

Introduction

(2 minutes)
Vocabulary Cards: Idiom Meanings and Context CluesGlossary: Idiom Meanings and Context CluesCompound Sentences with Sentence FramesLiteral and Nonliteral LanguageWrite Student-Facing Language Objectives ReferenceTeach Background Knowledge Template
  • Explain that today’s lesson will focus on differentiating, or showing the differences, between literal and nonliteral language with compound sentences using sentence frames.
  • Display two independent clauses on the board, such as "I was sleepy." and "I stayed up to watch the game."
  • Write down a list of coordinating conjunctions that are used to create compound sentences. Combine the sentences using each of the coordinating conjunctions and think aloud about which ones work and which do not work based on the conjunctions’ meanings. Write the following sentence on the board: "I was sleepy, but I stayed up to the watch the game." Point out that the sentence shows comparison, so the word but was the best choice. Emphasize that the comma goes in front of the coordinating conjunction.
  • Read a student-friendly language objective aloud (I can tell the difference between literal and nonliteral language.) and have students repeat it.