Oops! A girl is walking down the hall at school. She spots a boy she’s been dying to meet coming toward her. They are almost right next to each other when she slips, loses her balance, and falls to the floor in a clumsy heap. How could a moment like this possibly have a positive outcome?

Quick-write: In your journal, jot down your response to the question above.

illustrationsource.com

Pre-reading FYI• Christmas is not celebrated by all cultures. • Other cultures do not eat the sorts of

traditional foods that Americans tend to eat for celebrations.

• Chinese Family Meal

Pre-reading FYI• Chinese New Year is the Chinese version of

Christmas in China, but many Chinese get in the holiday spirit at Christmas. Christmas is not an official holiday in China, so most offices, schools and shops remain open. All the trappings of a Western Christmas can be found in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Fish Cheeksby Amy Tan

The Meanings of Words

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation The strict

dictionary meaning of a word

Connotation The emotional

and imaginative association surrounding a word

Denotation vs. Connotation

• Denotation is the dictionary or literal meaning of a word.

Connotative words imply emotions. Plump = a full, round. Fat = While similar in meaning to

plump, it has a very harsh and mean

tone.

Word Choice You may live in

a house, but we live in a home.

The connotation in this sentence is that a “home” is much more than merely the structure of a house.

The connotation of a word is often either positive or

negative

Positive

We bought inexpensive souvenirs at the amusement park.

Negative We bought cheap souvenirs

at the amusement park.

Which word has a positive connotation and which has a

negative one?

Everyone had a smirk on his/her face on the ride home.

Everyone had a smile on his/her face on the way home.positive

negative

Connotation: Negative

I ate a soggy

sandwich.

Another example… You look a little

odd today. You look really

weird today. Which one do think

has a stronger, more negative feel to it?

Which word has a positive connotation? You Decide!

average mediocre

spit saliva

childish childlike

antique old-fashioned

Connotation• Opposite of Denotation

• Implied Meaning

• May be Favorable or unfavorable

Which words have negative connotations? You Decide!1. The (odor, fragrance) of apple

blossoms filled the entire valley.

2. A (swarm, bunch) of bees filled the air near the hive.

Tone = EmotionThe tone of the

words is what evokes a certain emotion.

Let’s Play...

Word Choice

Word ChoicePositive

ViewpointNegative Viewpoint

100

200

300

100

200

300

Positive Connotation immature

youthful

Back to Game

Positive Connotation limit

restrict

Back to Game

Negative Connotation stingy

thrifty

Back to Game

Negative Connotation cluttered

messy

Back to Game

Negative Connotation unusual

weird

Back to Game

Fish CheeksReread the story and highlight the connotations.

Identify if it is a positive (+) or negative (-) connotation.

The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds

of raw food…

-