Mini-Lesson

Using Context Clues

Mini-Lesson: Grades 2-3

Students will use context clues to interpret expressions.

1. After reading and discussing the timeforkids.com news story A Race to the Finish draw students' attention to the expression "nose-to nose" in paragraph 1. Ask: What does that expression mean? Give students time to respond, and then model the use of context clues by reading the following passage aloud: "Defending 2007 champion Lance Mackey and four-time winner Jeff King were both determined to cross the finish line first. The two were nose-to-nose at this point last year." Explain that the expression "nose-to-nose" means to be in a close race.

2. Next, challenge students to use context clues to define another expression. Put the expression in context by reading the following sentence aloud: "Edward and Melissa don't see eye-to-eye about who should be elected class president." Ask: What does it mean to say they Edward and Melissa don't see eye-to-eye? (Edward and Melissa don't agree on who should be class president, so to say people don't see eye-to-eye about something means they disagree or have different opinions about something.)

3. Explain to students that the expressions "nose-to-nose" and "eye-to-eye" are expressions that have special meanings, and that they can't be understood by their word-for-word definitions alone. Give students examples of other expressions and challenge them to explain what each one means:

A. Sentence: The runners were neck-and-neck as they crossed the finish line, just two seconds apart. (Meaning: To say that the runners were neck-and-neck means that they were running a very close race.)

B. Sentence: After Amy sent an e-mail to the mayor with ideas about how to make the schools better, the mayor asked Amy to come to her office for a face-to-face meeting. (Meaning: To have a face-to-face meeting means to talk with someone in person instead of through telephone calls or e-mails.)