Topic: Prefixes (Re & Un)

4th Grade

Enduring Understandings:
When a prefix is added to a word, the new word has a new meaning.
The prefixes have a meaning that can help determine the new meaning of the whole word.
The new meaning of the whole word can be figured out by knowing what the prefix and the root
word means.
Essential Questions:
What prefixes do I already know? What prefixes can I learn?
How do you figure out the meaning of the new word when a prefix is added to another word?
Primary Content Objectives:
Students will know:
A prefix is a syllable that is added on to the beginning of a word.
The meaning of the prefixes: re & un
Students will be able to do:
Find and circle the prefixes re and un.
Add the prefixes re and un to the beginning of the word.
Determine the meaning of the new word when a prefix is added.
Related state or national standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4.b
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word
(e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).
Assessment:
Formative Assessment: Checklist of students; allows me to take notes when students take turns
during the classroom activity.
Summative Assessment: The exit ticket is an index card where a student puts a prefix on the
word and then tells me what the new words means.
Materials and Resources:
Cards with Prefixes
Cards with Words
Deck of Cards with words that have a blank in front of them
Exit Ticket words on index cards
Key Vocabulary and Definitions:
Prefix: a syllable added on to the beginning of a word that changes the meaning of the
word.

Topic: Prefixes (Re & Un)

4th Grade

Un- not, dont

Re- again
Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction and goal orientation:
a. Skeleton notes are already on the desks as students walk in.
b. Expectations: When I teach a lesson with you all, I have certain expectations
about how we act towards each other.
i. My first expectation is that we are kind and considerate of others.
1. You guys have been doing a great job of this last week when you
listened to each other. This week we are going to do some things in
groups or in partners, and we can continue to practice teamwork.
ii. My second expectation is that we work hard here, and that we embrace
the challenges.
1. Some things we do may be new, they may be challenging, and they
may be outside of your comfort zone. That uncomfortable feeling is
ok, but we wont let it stop us from learning new things in this
class.
iii. Can anyone tell me another expectation that I have? (Raising hands, etc.)
2. Connecting to prior knowledge and experiences:
a. Have you ever seen this word? This word says prefix. Lets read it together. Prefix.
That was a nice, strong voice.
b. Here is an example of a word with a prefix. If we were to divide this word like the
other words that you have divided, how do I do that? How can I break this word
down?
c. When you break this word down, you are taking a syllable off the front. What we
just took off is called a prefix.
3. Tasks and activities:
a. Definition: A prefix is a syllable that is put on the front of a word; this syllable
changes the meaning of the word you attach to it.
b. Students have skeleton notes for the discussion.
i. Prefix is sounded out, spelled, and defined.
ii. This prefix is re. Lets all say that together. Re.
iii. Re means again, or back, and we can think of the word recycle to help us
remember this prefix; when we recycle, we use something again.
iv. Examples of a word with the prefix are given.
v. Recycle means to use again; where is the prefix?
1. Come up and circle the prefix.
2. Right, Re is the prefix on this word.
3. Rebuild has the prefix re as well; rebuild means to build again,
because re means again.

Topic: Prefixes (Re & Un)

4th Grade

4. Can you think of a word with re on the beginning?

vi. The next prefix we are learning today is un.
vii. Un means not, wrong, bad, or undo.
1. Un can be used with many words; one example is uncommon.
When un is put in front of common, the new word uncommon is
formed. What does this new word mean?
2. If un means not, and common means normal, then uncommon
means not common, or out of the ordinary.
c. Teacher models adding prefixes to words using index cards on the board.
d. Students will use index cards with the prefixes to add a prefix to the words on
index cards hanging on the board.
e. Teacher models reading some words with the re prefix from the Promethean
Board.
f. Students take turns reading five words with each prefix from the board.
g. Students will draw a word from the pile of cards and the student will add a prefix
to the word, then tell us what the new word means.
4. Closure:
a. Now I am going to pass out a word on an index card. This word has a blank in
front of it; I want you to add one of these prefixes to that word, then you are going
to tell us what that word means now.
b. If you get a word that you dont know, you can ask me what it means so that you
can tell us what it means after you add the prefix.
Accommodations for individual differences:
The faster pace of this lesson causes students with ADHD to attend to the tasks, and these
activities allow multiple opportunities to practice through doing, saying, and writing. One
student is a lower level reader than the other students, and I will be pointing out how to follow
along and reading (and explaining) vocabulary for her when necessary.
Behavioral and organizational strategies:
Many of these students have attention challenges and some students show resistance and
defiance to teacher directed instruction. The precise praise, positive framing, and the student
versus teacher game will be employed in order to encourage positive, on task behaviors.

4th Grade

Topic: Prefixes (Re & Un)

What is a prefix?
Prefixes are __________________ that you add on to the ______________ of a
word.
Does a prefix change the meaning of the word you _________ it on to? Yes No
Circle the prefix in these words:
Rematch

Untold

Resist

Unfathomable

Retain

Undo

What does the prefix re mean?

Re means ____________________________________________________________________.

If I redo something, then that means I ______________________________________________.

Add re to these words:
fine

possess

turn

visit

What does the prefix un mean?

Un means ____________________________________________________________________.

If I undo something, then that means I _____________________________________________.

Add un to these words:
likely

known

Create your own words with prefixes:

done

fit