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Avalanche, Aztek, or Bravada? A Connotation Mini-Lesson
Discipline
Reading
Grades
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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Professional Commentary

In designing a lesson to promote effective word choice in students' writing, the object is to start with something familiar. In this mini-lesson, students begin with an examination of evocative car names that require them to use their imagination to generate ideas about the cars based on their names. Following a class discussion, students work in small groups to explore the various meanings of words used to name cars. This lesson provides opportunities for students to define and explore the concept of connotation, examine how word choice affects meaning, and write vivid, connotative language as part of a description. Detailed lesson procedures and support materials are available at the website. (author/ncl/jg)

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Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Grades 6–12
Language
Grade 6
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.6.5 
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  1. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
  2. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words.
  3. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).
Grade 7
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.7.5 
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  1. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
  2. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.
  3. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).
Grade 8
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.8.5 
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  1. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
  2. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
  3. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
Ohio English Language Arts Standards (2001)
Acquisition of Vocabulary Standard
Benchmarks (4–7)
C.
Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to learn the meanings of words.
Benchmarks (8–10)
C.
Recognize the importance and function of figurative language.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 4)
3.
Recognize the difference between the meanings of connotation and denotation.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 5)
3.
Identify the connotation and denotation of new words.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 6)
2.
Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meaning of words.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 7)
2.
Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meaning of words.
Grade Level Indicators (Grade 8)
2.
Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meaning of words.