Dr Seuss, Marzano and I...

Marzano Lesson Plan 1:

In much of his writing, Marzano discusses the idea that learning is much more effective when prior knowledge is activated, synthesized and then applied. I devised this lesson plan to stimulate that prior knowledge activation and infused it with a little fun. The synthesizing and application aspects follow with the assessment phase.

Summary:
This is a creative and fun way for students to grasp the meanings and applications of prefixes and suffixes.

Main Curriculum Tie: 
Language Arts - 8th Grade
Standard 2 Objective 3
(Revision and Editing): Revise and edit to strengthen ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions.

Materials:
1 large piece of butcher paper for each small group of students

Instructional Procedures:
1. Start with a list of the suffixes and prefixes on the board. Have the students write the definitions of each suffix and prefix along with examples of words that utilize them. 2. Read any Dr. Seuss book aloud to the class paying special attention to the creative use of inventive vocabulary. 3 Have the students "Seusize" words by creating new words with the prefixes and suffixes. Note...make sure that the true meaning of the suffixes and prefixes stay in tact with the new "Seusized" words. 4. Divide students into groups. Each group has a piece of butcher paper with one of the suffixes and prefixes written in marker at the top of the page. The students in each group read their "Seusized" words that correspond with the prefix or suffix on the paper. 5. The group comes to consensus and picks their two favorite words and writes the words, their definitions and a sentence on the paper and passes it to the next group until all group have added their two best "Seusized" words to the corresponding list. 6. Send the completed lists again around the class and have each group put gold star stickers beside 1 favorite word on each sheet. Display the winning words for each prefix and suffix around the room.

Extensions:
Have students take either the "winning words" or their personal list of "Seusized" prefixes and suffixes and create a story. These stories can be presented in a PowerPoint format and presented to the class.

Assessment Plan: Graphic Organizer for Analogies:
Students are given a list of root words and prefixes and suffixes. To successfully pass, each student creates a new word and explains how the prefix or suffix directs the meaning and then creates a graphic organizer illustrating an analogy for that new word.

(Marzano:Classroom Instruction that Work, pages 26-28)

Reflections: My students loved this activity. The analogies they came up with just seemed to “cement” that understanding of prefixes and suffixes. Their analogies were hilarious and very astute.