6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 7 of 12
Roots & Analogies
Greek and Latin word parts
What your child practices
Using Greek and Latin roots (like “geo,” “aud” and “port”) to work out unfamiliar words, and completing analogies that compare word relationships.
Maine Learning Results learning standard: Language 4; Language 5 · Greek and Latin roots and analogies
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Greek and Latin roots help with new words: geo (earth), aud (hear), port (carry), micro (small), therm (heat).
- An analogy compares two pairs that share the same relationship.
- Say the first pair’s link as a sentence, then use it on the second pair.
Example: Complete the analogy: puppy is to dog as kitten is to ___. A puppy is a young dog. A kitten is a young… Answer: cat
Roots & Analogies in Maine
In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 7 of 12 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Commas & Clauses and before Punctuation Power.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 6th grade guide for Maine parents
- Printable 6th grade English Language Arts sheet
- Maine report cards explained
Source: Maine Department of Education
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Complete the analogy.
carrot : vegetable :: salmon :
- fish
- river
- swim
- pink
fish
Hint: A carrot is a kind of vegetable. A salmon is a kind of…?
Question 2
The Greek root “logy” appears in chronological and geology. What does it mean?
logychronological · geology- empty
- study of
- pull
- look at
study of
Hint: Think about what chronological and geology have in common. “logy” means “study of.”
Question 3
Which word has a root that means “hear”?
- attract
- audience
- photograph
- spectacles
audience
Hint: The root “aud” means “hear,” and it's hiding in “audience.”
Question 4
Which word has a root that means “light”?
- microscope
- spectator
- audible
- photograph
photograph
Hint: The root “photo” means “light,” and it's hiding in “photograph.”
Question 5
Use the roots: what does “thermometer” mean?
- a tool that measures distance
- a tool that measures sound
- a tool that measures water
- a tool that measures heat (temperature)
a tool that measures heat (temperature)
Hint: therm = heat, meter = measure.
Question 6
Use the roots: what does “chronological” order mean?
- arranged in alphabetical order
- arranged by size
- arranged by color
- arranged in time order
arranged in time order
Hint: chron = time.