About This Worksheet
This Grade 7 reading activity teaches students how to use context clues to understand scientific vocabulary. The article explains how researchers track tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics, as they move through the ocean. Students study words such as biodegradable, accumulation, filtration, and distribution by examining nearby definitions and examples. For example, the explanation that biodegradable materials break down naturally helps readers understand the word without using a dictionary.
Learning Goals
The main goal is for students to determine the meaning of technical words by using the information around them. Students should already know how to look for synonyms, examples, definitions, and cause-and-effect clues in a sentence or paragraph. This page prepares them to handle more difficult vocabulary in science and other informational subjects. It aligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.4, which asks students to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.
Student Tasks
On this worksheet, students will read an article about microplastics and ocean research. They will use context clues to explain what several bold scientific terms mean. Students must pay attention to how the author defines each word and shows it working inside a real process. The questions ask them to explain meanings clearly rather than simply copy a word from the passage.
Common Challenges
Some students may guess a meaning from the first part of the word and ignore the sentence around it. Others may copy the entire line without showing that they understand the term. Encourage them to replace the bold word with their own simple phrase and reread the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense, their meaning is probably on the right track.
Teaching Suggestions
A teacher can model one term by circling the bold word and underlining the clue that explains it. Students can then work with partners to find the clue for the next word before writing independently. At home, a parent can ask the child to explain each term as though speaking to someone younger. This forces the student to turn technical language into clear everyday words.
Worksheet Features
The article combines environmental science with direct vocabulary instruction. Bold terms are placed inside meaningful paragraphs instead of being listed alone, so students must read for understanding. The questions focus on context rather than memorized definitions. Its clear one-page layout makes it useful for close reading, science support, vocabulary practice, or homework.