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Latin Roots in English — Verba Latīna

Third graders discover that hundreds of English words come from Latin — aqua gives “aquarium,” terra gives “territory,” videō gives “video” — making Latin a key to a bigger vocabulary.

Grade 3Verba Latīna40 minutes1 class periodClassical LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain Latin roots.
  • ✓Connect Latin to English.
  • ✓Match roots to words.
  • ✓Build vocabulary.
Essential Question

Did you know English is full of Latin? “Aquarium” comes from aqua (water)! What other Latin roots hide in English?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Latin Roots Check

Project each item and have students find the English word from each Latin root.

🔍 Find the English word from each Latin rootTry it
Answer each question about Latin roots in English.
The Lesson · Classical Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — English Is Full of Latin

4 min

“Aquarium” comes from aqua (water)! What other Latin roots hide in English?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show “aquarium.”
  • Ask where it comes from.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Verba Latīna

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Latin Roots Check.
  • Note aqua, terra, videō.
  • Find English words.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Find it.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Match roots to words.
  • Find a root in a word.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Find it.
  • Say.
4

Speak — Speak

10 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a word from Latin.
  • Explain its root.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Explain.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a Latin root.
  • Give an English word.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Give one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Standards for Classical Language Learning (ACL/ACTFL, Introductory).

ACL
Comparisons 4.2

Find Latin roots in English.

ACL
Connections 3.2

Connect Latin to vocabulary.

ACL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand roots.

ACL
Communities 5.1

Use Latin in daily life.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Root + word cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ comes from ___.”
  • Use word webs.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with aqua → aquarium.
  • Use one clear pair.
  • Say it aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add porta and scrībō.
  • Build a word web.
  • Find roots in a book.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🔍Root word cards
  • 💻Latin Roots Check
  • 📚A dictionary
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

verbumwordaquawaterterraearth/landvideōI seelūnamoonsōlsunstellastarrādīxroot
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What English word comes from “aqua”?
Aquarium (or aquatic).
QUESTION 2
What English word comes from “terra”?
Territory or terrain.
QUESTION 3
What English word comes from “videō”?
Video or vision.

Reflect: verba Latīna.

Have students find one English word that comes from Latin (like “aquarium” from aqua). A printable roots sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Latin Roots in English (Verba Latīna)Flip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Latin Roots in English (Verba Latīna)Quiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Latin Roots in English (Verba Latīna)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: aqua, lūna, rādīx, stella, sōl, terra, verbum, videō
  1. earth/land
  2. sun
  3. word
  4. star
  5. moon
  6. I see
  7. water
  8. root

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What English word comes from “aqua”?
  2. What English word comes from “terra”?
  3. What English word comes from “videō”?
Answer key — Part A: 1) terra · 2) sōl · 3) verbum · 4) stella · 5) lūna · 6) videō · 7) aqua · 8) rādīx
Part B: 1) Aquarium (or aquatic). 2) Territory or terrain. 3) Video or vision.