Wordtopia Utopia!

Finally! I have achieved Utopia! Wordtopia Utopia, that is!

I have been teaching English for 10 years, and I have used many different programs for teaching Latin and Greek roots.  All of them have elements that are great, but I needed something that would go a little farther.  Every year I always lamented, "If I had more time, I would do this..."  Finally, this summer, I moved roots to the top of my to do list and created Wordtopia- the practically perfect word study program for me.  Will it be practically perfect for you, too? I hope so, and if not, don't worry- my files are fully customizable.

Wordtopia is a word study program that combines the study of Latin and Greek roots with writing skills. Each unit consists of six lessons centered around a common theme. In each of the six lesson, students explore a word part by sorting a list of words with a common root, examining the individual parts of these words, completing a word map, editing a paragraph about one of the words, exploring a website that illustrates the use of the word in the real world, and completing a writing activity where they make personal connections with the root. Each lesson should take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Lessons align with the Common Core and feature 21st Century Skills.

Unit 1 Theme: Back-to-school
Word Parts: ology, bio, auto, graph, scrip, scrib, gen
21st Century Skills: Critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication, research, information fluency, real-world exploration, technology

In the full version, you will receive the following files:

Presentation (42 Slides) of all 6 lessons in 3 different forms 
- Six lessons
- Daily Oral Language, Word Sorts, Word Families, Word Maps, Real World and Writing Connections
- Available in Google Presentation, ActivInspire, and Powerpoint

Teacher’s Guide (43 pages) that includes...
- Unit Overview
- Planning Guide and Checklists
- Lessons 1-6 Answer Keys
- Pretest/Posttest
- Twenty-five question multiple choice assessments on Lessons 1-3 and Lessons 4-6; test questions include matching, comprehension (with reading passages), analogies, and more! 
- Available in Google Drive and Word

Student Workbook (12 pages)
- Printer friendly worksheets to go along with the presentations
- Available in Google Drive and Word

ActivInspire Hollywood Squares Review Games (22 slides) for Lessons 1-3 and Lessons 4-6


Lesson Overview2. Word SortingFree Preview!

1. Daily Oral Language Editing Paragraph
Students begin each lesson by proofreading a paragraph that features the lesson’s word part- a perfect warm-up/bellringer activity. They should correct ten mistakes in spelling, capitalization, usage, and punctuation. In ActivInspire, they can use the highlighter tool to find the mistakes. Then double click on the text box to make the change. I usually have my students bold and change the color of the mistake.

Students sort a list of eight words into existing categories or categories of their choice. Some students may group words by root location; others may group by meaning. In ActivInspire, students can easily drag the words and labels around the screen. Then they can use a textbook or the pen tool to write on the label.

3. Word Parts
Analyzing word parts helps students break apart larger words. In ActivInspire, slide the word part across the screen. The first column shows the word minus the root, the second shows the root only, and the third shows the entire word.

4. Word Map
This graphic organizer can be used in many ways. Students analyze the selected the word for its word origin, word families, definition, and other word forms. They create a list of examples of this word as well as non examples (teachers may wish to substitute synonyms and antonyms when appropriate). Students can read the word in an example sentence, and then they write one of their own. Finally, students should find a picture to help them remember the root’s meaning. Clicking on the candle button will take students to the Online Etymology Dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com). Clicking on camera button will allow students to take a photo of this slide when they are finished. 

5. Web Exploration and Writing Activities
Clicking on the globe will take students to a website that shows a real world example of the lesson’s word part. Clicking on the four envelopes will reveal writing activities that go along with this website. Rather than assign all four, teachers should allow students to select a prompt of their choice. These activities are designed to be quick writes rather than lengthy assignments and may be used as a homework assignment. Students can then share their writing in small groups, large groups, or in an online environment.

Assessments
Track your students’ growth by having them complete a pretest and posttest before and after the unit.  Two additional assessments have been included in this guide (Lessons 1-3 and Lessons 4-6). These multiple choice assessments challenge students to think about the word’s parts and meanings rather than memorize a list of words. 

Fully Customizable!
I understand there really is no one-size-fits-all approach to word study. That’s why I am giving you EDITABLE files. If you wish to change or add on to my plan, you can easily do so. I only ask that you please do not repost my files on other websites.

More coming soon!
Since this is my word study plan for the year, I will naturally add more as the school year progresses. 

You can download a free preview of Wordtopia from my TeachersPayTeachers store.