About this activity
Twelve un- words split across two meanings: unhappy, unfair, unkind, unsafe, uneven and unclear mean not; untie, unlock, unpack, undo, unwrap and unzip mean the opposite of, in the sense of undoing something. Most instruction teaches un- as not and leaves the second meaning to be discovered, which produces students who think unlock means not locked.
How to use it in a session
Sort the twelve into the two meanings and let the difference be the lesson. Unhappy is not happy; unlock is not the opposite state of lock, it is the action of undoing it, and the distinction is real. Notice that the not group are all adjectives and the undoing group are all verbs — that pattern predicts which meaning applies and is worth naming.
What to listen for
Listen for the two meanings being conflated. A student who explains unpack as not packed has applied the wrong sense, and the giveaway is that the word is a verb. Watch for over-application to words like uncle and under, which is a common and encouraging error — the strategy is working, just too enthusiastically.
Carrying it home
Un- words come up constantly: unzip your coat, unpack your bag, that's unfair. Asking what the un- is doing takes a moment and the answer differs between them, which is the interesting part.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through fourth, as early morphology work.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all twelve words play with no login.
- Does un- always mean not?
- No, and that is the most useful thing on this board. With adjectives it means not — unhappy, unfair. With verbs it means undo — untie, unlock. The word class predicts which.