Greek & Latin Math Roots Study

A in-depth mathematical exploration of 110 Greek or Latin roots in the English language over eleven weeks. This resource creates space for etymology to be explored and played with by learners in themed weekly units. Over time, learners will learn to hone this skill and unlock a new world of discovering and analyzing our language. This activity is used best in tandem with your regular mathematics curriculum to learn and apply the vocabulary in a relevant context.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

This resource contains:
–> 11 weeks of Greek and Latin Roots (110 total math-related roots) to study
–> 11 weekly quizzes applying the roots in a variety of vocabulary contexts
–> Printable sorting activity using all the roots and common word endings
–> 3 cumulative sets of review activities (for units 1-4, 5-7 & 8-10)
–> 3 cumulative sets of unit review quizzes (for units 1-4, 5-7 & 8-10)

STORY

In my first year as a math teacher, I worked specifically with the Reading and Language Arts teams to come up with a way that I could concentrate on vocabulary acquisition in math class without dedicating a large amount of time. We also wanted to place a specific focus on mathematics vocabulary acquisition for our English Language Learners.

IMPLEMENTATION

This resource gives you 110 Greek and Latin roots which influence how we use the English language today (related specifically to math). Start each week introducing learners to a new set of themed roots, then as the week goes on, give them chances to use those roots in context or time to study them. By Friday, learners will be prepared for a quiz applying their knowledge. Every couple of weeks, implement a “review” week with included daily activities for remembering and practicing the last 3 or 4 weeks of roots. Then, by Friday of the review week, the learners will be prepared for another quiz. These roots can be found in thousands of words in our modern day language and help learners with spelling, acquiring new vocabulary, and deciphering the definitions of new words.

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS

There are so many extensions to using these roots once your learners have been exposed to even just a couple sets of them. These roots automatically start creeping into the classroom’s everyday language and new vocabulary words and the learners will begin noticing.

MATERIALS/PREREQUISITES

Besides this resource, you may require:
–> Some practice together looking at what these quizzes are like or developing activities for studying and using the roots