The Broken Aqueduct Arch

Students use prefixes, roots, and suffixes to construct precise academic words and expand short sentences to explain a structural repair.

Student Name: ______________________

Grade Band: Grades 3-5

Words

rebuild. to build something again after it was damaged (prefix re- + root build) Example: Anika plans to rebuild the cracked arch before the rain starts.
inspection. the act of looking closely at something to check its condition (inspect + -ion) Example: Bodhi wrote down every crack found during the morning inspection.
unstable. not steady or safe; likely to shift or fall (prefix un- + stable) Example: Missing mortar made the center stone unstable.
supportive. holding weight or giving strength to a structure (support + -ive) Example: Wooden beams provide supportive bracing under the arch.
precisely. in an exact and accurate way (precise + -ly) Example: Leo measured the keystone gap precisely with brass calipers.
connector. a word or piece that joins two parts together (connect + -or) Example: Airon clamp acts as a physical connector between the stones.

Speaking plan

Tell Anika what the inspection found and explain in order how the crew should rebuild the arch safely.

Use unstable to describe the cracked keystone.
Say why the wooden brace goes in first.
Use rebuild to explain the final step.

Writing plan

Write the final repair order for the mason crew. Use precise words from the Word Forge (such as inspection, unstable, and rebuild) and explain why the wooden brace must be placed before lifting the keystone.

Name what the inspection found about the keystone.
Explain why the wooden brace must go under the arch first.
Tell the crew how to rebuild the center joint.

Guided frames

The inspection shows that the center keystone is ___.
First, place the wooden brace under the arch because ___.
Then the crew can safely ___ the stone joint.

Drafting & Evidence Sketch Space