English Language Arts · 9th Grade

Active learning ideas

Diction and Connotation in Argument

Active learning works here because diction and connotation are abstract concepts best understood through hands-on comparison. Students need to see, hear, and manipulate word choices to grasp how subtle shifts change meaning and tone. Moving beyond lecture lets them experience the power of language firsthand.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Connotation Spectrum

Post 10-12 words with similar denotations (thin, slender, lean, scrawny, gaunt, skeletal) on cards around the room. Students move from card to card, placing sticky notes with their connotation rating (positive, neutral, negative) and the emotion each word evokes. Groups then discuss why certain words cluster together and what that tells us about how authors choose between near-synonyms.

What is the difference between a word's denotation and its connotation in a political context?

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, place texts at eye level and arrange them in a clear sequence so students can move systematically through the connotation spectrum without crowding.

What to look for

Provide students with two sentences describing the same event but using different diction (e.g., 'The government implemented austerity measures' vs. 'The government imposed harsh cuts'). Ask them to identify the words with strong connotations and explain how the word choice changes the perceived impact of the action.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Substitution Test

Give students a paragraph from a political speech or op-ed and ask them individually to replace 3-4 key words with synonyms of different connotations. Pairs compare how the substitutions changed the tone, then share one example with the class and explain what the original word choice reveals about the author's purpose.

How does shifting from passive to active voice change the impact of a claim?

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, assign roles to partners—one as the speaker and one as the listener—to ensure both students engage with the substitution test.

What to look for

Present students with a short paragraph containing both active and passive voice constructions. Ask them to rewrite two sentences, changing from passive to active voice, and then briefly explain how this change affects the perceived responsibility of the subject.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 35 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Active vs. Passive Voice Audit

Groups receive a collection of news headlines covering the same event from different publications. They identify each headline's sentence structure (active or passive) and analyze how that structural choice shifts responsibility, sympathy, or blame. Groups present their most striking example to the class with a one-sentence explanation of the rhetorical effect.

Analyze how academic jargon can both clarify and obscure meaning depending on the audience.

Facilitation Tip

For the Active vs. Passive Voice Audit, provide highlighters in two colors so students can visually track shifts in responsibility between subjects and objects.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'When might using academic jargon be beneficial for an argument, and when might it be a hindrance?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share examples and justify their reasoning based on audience and purpose.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Chalk Talk
• 30 min · Individual

Structured Analysis: Jargon Spectrum

Students receive two versions of the same argument: one written for specialists, one for a general audience. Working individually, they highlight jargon in the specialist version and mark where it would confuse a general reader. Groups then discuss whether the jargon was necessary for precision or primarily used to establish authority with an in-group audience.

What is the difference between a word's denotation and its connotation in a political context?

Facilitation Tip

During the Jargon Spectrum activity, ask students to bring in one example of jargon from their own reading to ground the discussion in familiar texts.

What to look for

Provide students with two sentences describing the same event but using different diction (e.g., 'The government implemented austerity measures' vs. 'The government imposed harsh cuts'). Ask them to identify the words with strong connotations and explain how the word choice changes the perceived impact of the action.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling your own thinking aloud. Read a sentence aloud, pause to consider alternatives, and explain why you prefer one word over another. Research shows students learn connotation best when they see it modeled in context rather than defined abstractly. Avoid overgeneralizing about passive voice or jargon; instead, focus on how authors use these tools to achieve specific effects. Use real-world texts like op-eds or political speeches to make the concepts tangible.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying connotations, justifying substitutions, and explaining how word choice shapes argumentative tone. They should articulate nuances between denotation and connotation and recognize strategic use of passive voice or jargon in real texts.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk: Connotation and Connotation Spectrum activity, watch for students who reduce connotation to a simple positive/negative label.

  During the Gallery Walk, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'What does this word suggest about the speaker’s attitude toward the subject?' or 'Who might find this word appealing or offensive, and why?' to push students beyond binary thinking.

• During the Think-Pair-Share: The Substitution Test activity, watch for students who assume passive voice is always weaker writing.

  During the Think-Pair-Share, have students compare active and passive versions of the same sentence and discuss which version shifts blame or responsibility, then ask which version fits the author’s purpose better.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle
• Chalk Talk