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Bell Ringer

 * **Today's Objective:** //Students will be able to distinguish between the denotation and connotation of a word.//
 * On a sheet of paper, brainstorm a list of all the words that you can think of that mean fat.
 * On the opposite side of the paper, organize your list into a column of words from the most positive to the most negative.

Read Aloud/Choral Reading
> Before We Read:
 * Take a minute and look up the definition of the word "//corpulent"// on [|wordnik.com]
 * Read “Sidekicks” by Ronald Koertge aloud
 * Group Discussion: Where does //corpulent// fit on your list?

Mini Lesson
**Pacing Guide Objective: R.11.11.4**—//Students will interpret the connotative power of words//


 * **Define Diction!**
 * **Take a Look:** youngster, child, kid, little one, small fry, brat, urchin, juvenile, minor.
 * **Let's Practice: **//The person did not weigh very much. The person had brown hair and a small nose. The person wore informal clothing. //
 * What words might we use to identify and describe this particularly attractive person.
 * What if the writer had used the word //tub o’ lard// instead of //corpulence// in the poem "Sidekicks"? What other words might we substitute and how do they change the way we feel about the sidekick?
 * Share words from the homework worksheet.

Independent Reading

 * As you read independently, find an example of a sentence where the author has chosen a particularly effective word that shows the power of connotation. Write it on a sticky note. (You might want to jot down something in your journal about it too!)

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 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Who found a good example of connotation?