Morphology to Meaning

Worked classroom example

Geography

Worked example

Learners connect re- with again and urban with city, then use the paragraph to refine the idea: returning population or activity to an urban area.

Teaching sequence

1. Prepare a paragraph containing the term reurbanisation. Introduce morphology to meaning with one clear success criterion: break a new term into familiar parts, predict its meaning and confirm the prediction using a sentence or glossary.
2. Model one short example from terms about urban change. Think aloud about the language choice and the subject evidence; invite learners to test the example with a partner.
3. Learners apply the move to a new piece of Geography content. Use the prompt “Which part helped you predict, and what did the context add?” to check whether their language matches their evidence.
4. Collect one independent response. Use a second related term and check that learners can explain the word parts and the whole meaning. Record one next step and adjust the scaffold to what this response shows.

Try it tomorrow

Break a new term into familiar parts, predict its meaning and confirm the prediction using a sentence or glossary.

Independent check

Use a second related term and check that learners can explain the word parts and the whole meaning.

Scaffold built into this activity: Some scaffold

Provide morpheme cards and a bilingual glossary where available; keep the context sentence visible.

Teacher language

Ask learners to point to the evidence, wording or feature behind their answer. Give thinking time before inviting a revision.

Adjust the support

More support

Provide morpheme cards and a bilingual glossary where available; keep the context sentence visible.

Greater independence

Compare a false friend or exception where the familiar-looking part misleads.

Use the response to choose the next step; the scaffold label describes this activity design, not the learner.