Academic Word Lab

1. Bright _______________________ illuminates the upper surface of the ocean. [ ___ syllables ]

2. Green stalks of _______________________ sway back and forth in the current. [ ___ syllables ]

3. Fish hide inside branches of colorful _______________________ to stay safe. [ ___ syllables ]

4. The reef sits in _______________________ coastal water where light reaches the bottom. [ ___ syllables ]

5. A fast _______________________ leaps above the water before diving down. [ ___ syllables ]

Ocean Depths Word Lab • High School Literacy Page 2 of 2

pre • view  |  care • ful

"If we take away pre-, what word is left? View! What if we take away -ful? Care!"

YOU DO TOGETHER: Find the Base Word (No Answers)

1. build • er

2. un • pack

3. re • act • ion

4. safe • ly

Partner Frame: "When I remove the outer parts, the base word is _____."

Notice: A base word can stand alone as a complete English word!

Week 2 • Lesson 4 Affix Types

What is an Affix? Prefixes vs. Suffixes

PREFIX = FRONT

Added to the beginning of a base word.

un • lock  |  re • send

SUFFIX = END

Added to the end of a base word.

teach • er  |  help • ful

YOU DO TOGETHER: Sort Prefix vs. Suffix (No Answers)

1. dis • obey

2. cheer • ful

3. slow • ly

4. pre • test

Partner Frame: "The word _____ has a (prefix / suffix) which is _____."

Remember: Both prefixes and suffixes are called affixes!

Week 3 • Lesson 5 Affix Meanings

Meanings of Common Affixes

un- / dis- NOT / OPPOSITE unclear = not clear

re- AGAIN / BACK rebuild = build again

-less / -ful WITHOUT / FULL OF helpless = no help

YOU DO TOGETHER: Predict the Meaning (No Answers)

1. un • safe

2. re • write

3. care • less

4. power • ful

Partner Frame: "The affix _____ means _____, so the word _____ means _____."

Knowing the affix unlocks thousands of unfamiliar words!

Week 3 • Lesson 6 Latin/Greek Roots

Meanings of Common Roots (port, struct, dict)

port TO CARRY transport = carry across

struct TO BUILD construct = build together

dict TO SAY / TELL predict = say before

YOU DO TOGETHER: Root Word Challenge (No Answers)

1. port • a • ble

2. de • struct

3. con • tra • dict

4. in • struct

Partner Frame: "The root is _____, which means _____. This word relates to _____."

Cloze Practice: "Laptops are _________ because you can carry them anywhere."

Week 4 • Lesson 7 Word Part Math

Combining Word Parts to Predict Meaning

I DO: Meaning Math Formula

re- (again) + construct (build) + -ion (process)

= "The process of building something again."

YOU DO TOGETHER: Assemble the Parts (No Answers)

1. un • break • able

2. pre • dict • able

3. dis • connect • ed

Partner Frame: "First part means _____, root means _____, ending means _____. So the word means _____."

Check each part step-by-step before declaring the definition!

Week 4 • Lesson 8 Context Verification

Using Sentence Context + Word Parts

Strategy: Look Inside & Look Outside

"The fire completely ruined the old library, so the city decided to reconstruct the building."

1. Inside Word: re- (again) + construct (build) = build again.
2. Outside Clue: "fire completely ruined" tells us they need a new building.

YOU DO TOGETHER: Context Clue Challenge (No Answers)

"The cell phone battery was irreplaceable because the company stopped manufacturing parts ten years ago."

Partner Frame: "Word parts say _____ and the clue 'stopped manufacturing' confirms it means _____."

Always confirm your word part prediction using the surrounding sentence!

Week 5 • Lesson 9 Academic Application

Tackling Unfamiliar Academic Texts

4-Step Master Strategy

1. Split Syllables

2. Peel Off Affixes

3. Define the Core

4. Check Context

YOU DO TOGETHER: Academic Text Decryption

"Modern civil engineers design indestructible bridges that withstand earthquake vibrations."

Group Work: "Prefix = in- (not) | Root = struct (build) | Suffix = -ible (able to be) | Meaning = _____"

Fluency Choral Read: Read the engineering passage aloud smoothly together.

Week 5 • Lesson 10 Summative Review

Full Intervention Mastery Review

1. Syllables

VC / CV

Cut between consonants

2. Affixes

Prefix + Suffix

un-, re-, -ful, -less, -able

3. Roots & Context

Core + Sentence

port, struct, dict

You are ready for the Final Cumulative Assessment!

Demonstrate how you decode, dissect, and understand any multisyllabic academic word.

Final Summative Assessment Ready UHS High School Literacy Initiative

1. A powerful underwater _______________________ pushes against the ship. [ cur / rent ]

2. The exploration probe landed on the muddy ocean _______________________. [ ___ / ___ ]

3. Whales consume massive clouds of microscopic _______________________. [ ___ / ___ ]

4. Deep-sea crabs search for safe _______________________ between boulders. [ ___ / ___ ]

5. Animals squeezed through a rocky _______________________ to escape danger. [ ___ / ___ ]

Ocean Depths Word Lab • High School Literacy Page 2 of 2

un + seen = not seen

Lesson Blocks: 2 × 45 Mins • Assessment: 15 Mins UHS High School Literacy Initiative • Term 2

1. Engineers must _______________________ all equipment before diving. [ Prefix: pre- ]

2. The exploration robot will _______________________ beneath the waves. [ Prefix: _____ ]

3. In the dark abyss, many _______________________ creatures produce blue glow. [ Prefix: _____ ]

4. Small blind shrimp quickly _______________________ into rock cracks. [ Prefix: _____ ]

5. Hours later, the capsule will _______________________ at the ocean top. [ Prefix: _____ ]

Ocean Depths Word Lab • High School Literacy Page 2 of 2

harm + less = harmless  |  adapt + able = adaptable

protect + ion = protection

Lesson Blocks: 2 × 45 Mins • Assessment: 15 Mins UHS High School Literacy Initiative • Term 2

D Science Passage: Creatures of the Midnight Abyss

In the deep ocean, water pressure is powerful enough to crush steel. Deep organisms are remarkably adaptable, possessing soft bodies that withstand the crushing weight. Their glowing lights provide critical protection against predators in the pitch blackness.

Task: Match each word from the passage with its suffix formula:

power + ful powerful

adapt + able adaptable

protect + ion protection

Ocean Depths Word Lab • High School Literacy Page 2 of 2

Definition: __________________________________________________________________

D Science Passage: The Hadal Zone Explorers

Ocean engineers built a deep-sea submersible designed to dive eleven kilometers down. The deep trench holds immense pressure, leaving any fragile vehicle unprotected. Yet with titanium hulls, these advanced capsules make exploration predictable and safe.

Task: From the passage, select one bold word and complete the word dissection:

Chosen Word: __________________ Prefix: ______  |  Root: ______  |  Suffix: ______

Meaning in the passage: _______________________________________________________

Ocean Depths Word Lab • High School Literacy Page 2 of 2

5 Passage Synthesis & Academic Decryption (10 Points)

Week 5 Skill

In the deepest ocean abyss, living organisms face crushing water currents and total darkness. To survive, many species have evolved soft, adaptable bodies with chemical lights that provide critical protection from hungry predators. Modern engineers built an unsinkable research submersible that can descend to the sea bottom and return with valuable scientific data.

Task A: Dissect unsinkable

Prefix: ______  |  Root: ______  |  Suffix: ______

Science Meaning: ___________________________________

Task B: Split the VCCV word current

Split: ________________ / ________________

First Syllable Type: ( Closed / Open )

Summative Performance Rubric

45-50: Advanced Mastery of syllables, VCCV splits, affixes, and passage decryption.

38-44: Proficient Accurate word breakdown; minor errors in defining complex affixes.

30-37: Basic Understands basic counting and splitting; struggles with 3-part words.

<30: Emerging Requires targeted intervention in syllable division and root isolation.

UHS High School Literacy Initiative • Term 2 Cycle 1 Assessment Page 2 of 2