Georgia 12.P.EICC.3.g
The Standard
Determine the meanings of unfamiliar words and concepts by applying knowledge of context and of academic vocabulary and word parts. (I)
Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards · Practices (P) · Engagement & Intention for Comprehension & Composition
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students infer the meaning of unfamiliar terms by using clues across sentences and paragraphs. They check their inference with roots, prefixes, suffixes, and knowledge of academic language.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a complex passage, students can state a reasonable meaning and point to context that supports it. They can analyze useful roots and affixes, then explain the unfamiliar concept in their own words.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often guess from one nearby word instead of reading the full passage. They may trust a familiar root too much or choose a common definition that does not fit the context.
How to Assess It
- Give students a paragraph with one bold academic word. Ask: “Define the word as used here, underline two clues, identify useful word parts, and paraphrase the related concept.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips with unfamiliar words, then have them highlight context clues and assemble root, prefix, and suffix cards.
Ask students to explain which clue type, definition, contrast, example, or cause, best reveals a selected word’s meaning.
Play Vocabulary Evidence Challenge, where teams earn points for defining a word and citing two different clues from the passage.
Use a college course description or workplace policy, and have students annotate unfamiliar terms before summarizing the document’s main expectations.
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