Lesson 9 Vocab Deep dive

ON PAGE 28 “You have completed a trip through one part, or circuit, of the body’s circulatory system” (28).

The author knew the reader might have trouble with the word circuit and explained it in the text by saying “one part.”

When the meaning of words is clarified by the text around them, this text is called the context. The context can help readers understand the meaning of the word.!

Authors will often use a synonym or antonym of the unknown word to avoid repetition, which gives the reader clues in text

“When the left atrium contracts, or squeezes…” is an example of this. The author knew contracts might be difficult for the reader to understand, so she provided a synonym—squeezes.

The illustrator draws diagrams, charts, or pictures to help the reader make sense of complex, or difficult, ideas in the text

A glossary is a built-in dictionary for words that are in the text the reader might have trouble accessing. Explain that these words are carefully selected to support the text.

Readers can use any familiar parts of the word, such as the root, prefix, or suffix, to help understand the word

Atrium

Ventricle

Valve

Atrium – the upper chambers of the heart. (I can tell by the illustration on page 10.)

Ventricle – the bottom chambers of the heart. (I can tell by the illustration on page 10.)

Valve – something that opens when the left atrium contracts and then closes. (glossary) The author uses the metaphor “one-way doors.” (text)