Because numerous studies have proven that vocabulary is
learned best when encountered in meaningful contexts, we will not use vocabulary
books this year. Instead, each of you will find words you need to know from your
reading for English class. Sometimes, you will work on vocabulary individually.
Sometimes, we will work on vocabulary as a whole group. Here’s how.
I. Independent Study
(see your calendar for days marked "Independent Vocabulary Due")
You will select five (5) words for study from
your reading for English class. Select words you don’t know or words used in
unfamiliar ways. You will submit a written assignment (think of it counting as
much as a test) according to these directions for each word:
Write the word.
Determine the job the word performs in the
context, and indicate the part of speech in parentheses after the word.
Write out the sentence, quoted, in which you found
the word. If it is an especially long sentence, you may leave out a logical
chunk, indicating the omission with an ellipsis (a mark of punctuation made
with three periods and four spaces each, like this: . . . ). Make sure,
however, that you quote enough of the original context to support the word
fully and logically.
Following the quoted sentence, put in parentheses
the page number of the text on which you found the word. (This is called a
parenthetical citation. See the example below for correct placement of this
parenthetical citation.)
Write the full name of the author (Last name,
First name), followed by a period.
Write the name of the work (book title
underlined or italicized; "essay," "article," or "short story" title
quoted), followed by a period. If there is a subtitle, you must include it
as well after a colon. (Example of a book title with a subtitle: Colored
People: A Memoir.)
Compose a definition of the word in the same part
of speech as it is used in the quoted sentence. Be warned: It’s entirely
possible that you may have to rewrite the dictionary definition in order to
match the part of speech.
Finally, compose a sentence of your own in which
you use the word in the same meaning and in the same part of speech as found
in the quoted context. To receive credit, your sentence will mean what you
intend if only the vocabulary word or its synonym helps to create that
meaning. If any other word can be substituted and if the sentence makes
sense (even though a different sense), then you have not supplied adequate
context to support the vocabulary word and your meaning. As a result, the
sentence will not be credited. Further, you will not receive credit if you
merely define the word in the sentence. Be warned: embedding context without
defining the word is far more difficult than you might think. (You may use
the word in a different part of speech in your own sentence if you are
confident of its form and meaning in that different part of speech. Some
words change meanings in different forms, however. Be warned!)
Follow correct formatting guidelines.
Example of an Unsuccessful Entry
uninitiated (v)
– "Then again . . . undreamed of by the uninitiated." (p. 84) Their Eyes Were
Watching God by Hurston.
def: to cause to
facilitate the beginning of; to induct into membership by or as if by special
rites; to instruct in the rudiments or principles of
my sentence: The
sorority initiated me.
Errors in the above entry include
incorrect identification of the part of speech
deletion of too much content from the quoted
sentence, making the context difficult to determine
incorrect placement of the ending period (it
should come after the closing parenthesis mark)
incorrect use of the abbreviation "p."
failure to state the writer’s name in full, in
correct order, followed by a period
failure to underline or italicize the title of the
book, followed by a period
incorrect order of author’s name and book title
ambiguous and incorrect definition (which of the
three meanings given is relevant to the quoted sentence? why are these
definitions given in the positive rather than negative form? why are these
definitions written in verb form when the word is used as a noun?)
inadequate context clues in the student’s sentence
(any word other than the vocabulary word or its synonym can be substituted –
"loved," "courted," "disgusted," for instance – and the sentence still makes
sense, albeit a different sense)
Example of a Successful Entry
uninitiated (n)
– "Then again the gold and red and purple, the gloat and glamour of the secret
orders, each with its insinuations of power and glory undreamed of by the
uninitiated" (84). Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God.
def: those who
have not been made members or who have not been inducted into membership by or
as if by special rites
my sentence: The
uninitiated never experience a sorority’s special ceremony and hazing ritual,
nor do they enjoy the benefits of organizational sisterhood.
This entry is successful because
the part of speech has been correctly identified
the whole sentence has been quoted from the source
the sentence-ending period comes where it should,
after the closing parenthesis of the page citation
the page number is correctly written without any
abbreviation
the author’s full name is correctly ordered and
followed by a period
the title is italicized or underlined and followed
by a period
the definition is written as a noun to match the
part of speech and is written, correctly, in the negative
the sentence has enough context clues so that the
only word or phrase that can be comfortably substituted for "uninitiated"
is its synonym
Grading. Each independent assignment totals 100 points:
each word entry totals 19 points (1 for the word, 1 for context sentence and
parenthetical, 2 for author and title, 3 for part of speech, 4 for definition,
8 for original sentence), and formatting of the whole assignment totals 5
points.