Red American Lit text from the
cdupboard to the left of the front
board.
Pick up both a red Websters and a
Yellow Longman’s dictionary.
AKA The Blue Cards
PPT by Bett Huffaker
Based on a project by Dennis DePauw
Vocabulary Development
 Real memorization requires that you
interact with a word at least 8 times.
 Getting a list on Monday and forgetting the
words after the test on Friday is a waste.
 You will have a growing list that you
choose yourself and you will practice them
daily – so carry them with you daily!
Class Two Vocabulary Project
 Class One (NOT THESE)
 Know it when you see it.
 May not know the exact definition but you can use it correctly.
 Words you didn’t recognize at first but when you read the
definition you think, Duh! Of course! I knew that!
 Class Three (NOT THESE)
 Weird words from obscure subjects – science, medicine, math
 Names or random people, animals, fish, currency…
 Specialized words that are only used in very limited circumstance,
that you won’t use again.
 Literary vocabulary – I’ll test you on those separately
Class Two Words
 New words encountered in your reading
 Old words used in new ways with different
meanings.
 NOT random words from the dictionary.
 Danger:
 You don’t know the word, so how will you know how
to use it correctly in a sentence?
 If the definition isn’t clear it can lead to some
embarrassing errors.
For example, a student chose cudgel
Poor dictionary definition: a club which could be…




A sandwich
A dance hall
A golf club
A group of friends with a
common interest
 A stick
 She picked the one most
familiar and put on her card:
 Sandra and I went dancing at
the cudgel.
If she had used
thefreedictionary.com the
definition would have been:
 a short thick stick used as a
weapon
Where do I get the words?
 Begin with something you read.
 Notice words you do not know.
 Write down the sentence on the lined side of a blue
3X5 card. Now, let’s do a few samples…
 Look at the handout from The General History of
Virginia
Ss Cc Mm Pp
Size and relative position
matters!!!
Pat is not the same as pat.
Change the accent and the
pronunciation and you change meaning.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
[v. wownd, n. woond]
The farm was used to produce produce. [v.
prə ‘dyus n. ‘prɒ dűs ]
The dump was so full that it had to refuse
more refuse. [v. rə ‘fyűz n. ‘rĕ fyűs]
Change the accent and the
pronunciation and you change meaning.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. [n.
dəv v. dōv]
I did not object to the object. [Əb ‘jĕkt
‘ŏb
jĕkt]
The insurance was invalid for the invalid. [ĭn ‘vă
lĭd ‘ĭn və lĭd]
There was a row among the oarsmen about how
to row. [raʊ roʊ]
Consummate –ate pattern
 tr.v. [‘kɒn sə ‘meɪt]
 con·sum·mat·ed, con·sum·mat·ing, con·sum·mates
 To bring to completion or fruition
 To complete (a marriage) with the first act of sexual intercourse
after the ceremony.
 adj. [‘kɒn sə ,mɪt]
 Complete or perfect in every respect: consummate happiness.
 Supremely accomplished or skilled: "Sargent was now a
consummate master of brushwork" (Roberta Smith).
 Complete; utter: a consummate bore.
Change the accent, change part of speech,
pronunciation AND meaning.
advocate
vb [‘æd və ‘keɪt](tr; may take a clause as object)
 to support or recommend publicly; plead for or speak in
favour of
n [‘æd və ,kɪt]
 1. a person who upholds or defends a cause;
supporter
 2. a person who intercedes on behalf of another
 Change the accent, change part of speech,
pronunciation AND meaning.
Prefixes and suffixes
The purpose of prefixes and suffixes
is to add to and potentially change
meaning.
They can also change rhythm.
assign
[ə ‘saɪn]vb (mainly tr)
1. to select for and appoint to a post, etc. to assign an expert to the job
2. to give out or allot (a task, problem, etc.) to assign advertising to an
expert
3. to set apart (a place, person, time, etc.) for a particular function or event
to assign a day for the meeting
4. to attribute to a specified cause, origin, or source; ascribe to assign a
stone cross to the Vikings
5. (Law) to transfer (one's right, interest, or title to property) to someone
else
6. (Law) (also intr) Law (formerly) to transfer (property) to trustees so that it
may be used for the benefit of creditors
7. (Military) Military to allocate (men or materials) on a permanent basis
Compare attach [6]
8. (Electronics & Computer Science / Computer Science) Computing to
place (a value corresponding to a variable) in a memory location
n(Law) Law a person to whom property is assigned; assignee
assignation
[‘æ sɪg ‘neɪ ʃən] n
1. a secret or forbidden arrangement to meet, especially
one between lovers
2. the act of assigning; assignment
3. (Law) Law chiefly Scot another word for assignment
Notice the change of ALL vowels and
accents.
[ə ‘saɪn]vb
[‘æ sɪg ‘neɪ ʃən]
fatigue
[fə ‘tig] (i as in pizza)
n. physical or mental exhaustion due
to exertion
indefatigable
[,ɪn dɪ ‘fæt ɪg ə bəl]
Adj. unable to be tired out;
unflagging
heretic/heretical
[‘hɛr ə tɪk] n. A person who holds controversial
opinions, especially one who publicly dissents
from the officially accepted dogma of the Roman
Catholic Church.
[hə ‘rɛt ɪk əl] adj. Characterized by, revealing, or
approaching departure from established beliefs
or standards.
Major changes
sign – signature
benign – benignant
volume – voluminous
long – longevity
Manipulate - manipulable
Major changes
brother – brethren
redeem – redemption
divide – division
diplomat – diplomacy
right - righteous
-ed Three choices
 can be:
əd if it adds another beat, another syllable
 want becomes wanted - əd
 d or t hold your fingers on your voice box to feel
it there is vibration – yes, it is d, no, it is t
(Check the sound before the d or t – voiced
sounds lead to voiced endings.)
 jump becomes jumped - t
 own becomes owned – d
-s Three choices
can be:
əz if it adds another beat, another syllable
 Rose becomes roses - əz
 z or s hold your fingers on your voice box to feel
it there is vibration – yes, it is z, no, it is s
(Check the sound before the z or t – voiced
sounds lead to voiced endings.)
 Cost becomes costs – s
 Kid becomes kids – z
What to do
1. We will do the first one together but basically, as
we read through the piece, notice any words that
are unfamiliar to you. I have circled a few likely
ones.
2. Write down the sentence on the unlined side of
your 3X5 card. It is okay to simplify the sentence.
3. Underline the word.
4. Determine what part of speech it is in the sentence.
(noun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction,
exclamation…)
Example of a familiar word
used differently:
 “. . . he was not long absent but his men went
want
ashore, whose
of government gave both
occasion and opportunity to the savages to surprise
one George Cassen, whom they slew, . . .”
 Want usually a verb that means desire for something
– “I want a cookie.”
 But…this is a noun, subject of gave, and desire for
does not fit.
want – Thefreedictionary.com
 want (wŏnt, wônt)
 v. want·ed, want·ing, wants
 v.tr. (these meanings need an object)
1. a. To desire greatly; wish for: They want to leave. She wants a glass of water.
See Synonyms at desire.
b. To desire (someone to do something): I want you to clean your room.
2. a. To request the presence or assistance of: You are wanted by your office.
b. To seek with intent to capture: The fugitive is wanted by the police.
3. To have an inclination toward; like: Say what you want, but be tactful.
4. Informal To be obliged (to do something): You want to be careful on the ice.
5. To be without; lack. See Synonyms at lack.
6. To be in need of; require: "'Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter" (Lewis
Carroll).
 v.intr. (no object of the verb)
1. To have need: wants for nothing.
2. To be destitute or needy.
 3. To be disposed; wish: Call me daily if you want.
Farther down the page….
 n.
1. The condition or quality of lacking something usual
or necessary: She stayed home for want of anything
better to do.
2. Pressing need; destitution: lives in want.
3. Something desired: a person of few wants and
needs.
4. A defect of character; a fault.
So, let’s start a card.
 “. . . he was not long absent but his men went ashore, whose
want of government gave both occasion and opportunity to
the savages to surprise one George Cassen, whom they slew, .
. .”
 It is too long, so we can change it a little. On the lined side of
the card, write:
 Smith’s men went ashore where their want of
discipline made them vulnerable to the Indian
attacks.
 Then back to the dictionary for the other
elements
Notice that the w, a, and n are the
same size. The t is bigger. If this is a
problem, use the lined side for your
words and make them 2 lines high.
Farther down the page….
n.
1.
The condition or quality of lacking
something usual or necessary: She
stayed home for want of anything better to do.
2. Pressing need; destitution: lives in want.
3. Something desired: a person of few wants and needs.
4. A defect of character; a fault.
want – Thefreedictionary.com
want (wŏnt, wônt)
 v. want·ed, want·ing, wants
 v.tr. (these meanings need an object)
1. a. To desire greatly; wish for: They want to leave. She wants a glass of water.
See Synonyms at desire.
b. To desire (someone to do something): I want you to clean your room.
2. a. To request the presence or assistance of: You are wanted by your office.
b. To seek with intent to capture: The fugitive is wanted by the police.
3. To have an inclination toward; like: Say what you want, but be tactful.
4. Informal To be obliged (to do something): You want to be careful on the ice.
5. To be without; lack. See Synonyms at lack.
6. To be in need of; require: "'Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter" (Lewis
Carroll).
 v.intr. (no object of the verb)
1. To have need: wants for nothing.
2. To be destitute or needy.
 3. To be disposed; wish: Call me daily if you want.
Smith’s men went ashore where their
want of discipline made them
vulnerable to the Indian attacks.
The condition or quality of lacking
something usual or necessary
Notice that the word
is NOT capitalized
and that the
student’s initials
and class period
are in the corner.
want
wŏnt
noun
BAH 3
Unfamiliar word
 First, the fault of our going was our own; what could
be thought fitting or necessary we had; but what we
should find, or want, or where we should be, we
were all ignorant, and supposing to make our
passage in two months, with victual to live and the
advantage of the spring to work.
 Again, too long for the card so we simplify.
 We thought we would have enough
victual to live on until our crops ripened.
 We thought we would have enough victual to
live on until our crops ripened.
 What part of speech?
 Noun
vict·ual (vĭt΄ l)
thefreedictionary.com
n.
1. Food fit for human consumption.
2. victuals Food supplies; provisions.
v. vict·ualed or vict·ualled, vict·ual·ing or vict·ual·ling, vict·uals
v.tr.
To provide with food.
v.intr.
1. To lay in food supplies.
2. To eat.
Again, make sure you are
actually making the letters
legibly and carefully!!!!
We thought we would have enough
victual to live on until our crops
ripened.
victuals Food supplies; provisions
victual
vĭt΄ l
noun
BAH 5
Dictionaries to use:
 Online –
 NOT dictionary.com – very poor definitions, dumbed
down.
 Use thefreedictionary.com
 In class –
 red – Webster's, familiar pronunciations but
sometimes difficult definitions.
 Yellow: Longman’s Advanced, phonetic pronunciations
but very clear definitions.
Daily – a few minutes of class
study cards with a partner.
 Help one another know ALL the answers on each
card.
 Ensures that you have the cards with you on Friday.
 Keep the complete cards AND at least 10 blank
cards with you every day, so you can practice and
create more.
Friday test…
 Come with your entire stack
 Week 1 – 10 cards
 Week 2 – those first 10 plus 10 new ones
 Week 3 – those first 20 plus 10 new ones…
 I will pick out 10 cards randomly and ask one
question from each of the cards.
 One point for each right answer. Ten points per
week. Don’t be fooled. They add up.
What will the test consist of?
1. How do you say this word? (based either on
spelling or pronunciation)

E.G.
poignant
or
‘pɔIn yƐnt (Longman’s format)
2. What is the part of speech?
 Don’t trust the dictionary to tell you what it is.
 How it is used in the sentence on your card?
 Suffixes can change the part of speech or it can be
different depending on how it is pronounced.
3. How do you spell it?
 You may write it out on a piece of scratch paper or
spell aloud.
What will the test consist of?
Continued…
 4. What does the word mean? It doesn’t have to
be verbatim (exactly the same words), as long as
you make it clear what the word means.
 5. Can you use it in a sentence? Again, it doesn’t
have to be the exact sentence on your card, but it
does have to be used in the same form and with the
same meaning.)
Do I have to have all my
cards to take the test?
YES
If you don’t have all of them it is an automatic zero.
What order do we test in?
 The teacher can choose to go alphabetically,
reverse alphabetically, random, row by row, or
allow you to volunteer as long as the seats are
filled.
 What if I don’t have ALL my cards when you call
on me or on a day of an alternative test?
 Automatic Zero out of ten points!
 What if you didn’t call on me and we ran out of
time?
 Then you have to make up the test before the
next Friday (by end of day Thursday)
What if you didn’t call on me or I was
absent and I need to take the test?
 When can I take it?
 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
before or after school, brunch, or lunch
barring any meeting Mrs. H. is obligated to
attend. The sooner the better!!!!
 Please take it as early in the week as
possible. Don’t wait until the last minute!!!
 If you wait until the last day and we
run out of time or I am sick or absent
you are out of luck.
If you do not make up the test
by the end of the day the
following Thursday (DO NOT
WAIT UNTIL THURSDAY) you
have ONE PASS (as in only
one) to do a make-up test.
I have heard that sometimes you have
us count the cards or something.
 True, if there is a sub or if I am sick and don’t think it
would be wise to handle everyone’s cards I have two
alternate assignments.
 One – count the cards. If you have all of them you get
the 10 points. If you don’t it will be a 0. (This is a policy
intended to motivate you to keep up with the cards.)
 Two – I can have you sort your cards so that you become
more aware of the kinds of cards you have or are using.
Participation earns you the 10 points. You must have all
your cards for the 10 points.
What if I am absent the day of
an alternative test?
 The make-up test is the regular 10
questions no matter what the original
test form was.
 You still have to make it up by end of
day on Thursday to do it without using
up your one make-up test pass.
How do you recommend I carry
the cards?
 A rubber band or a ziplock bag works well.
 If you use a ring be aware that you have to
take it off the ring each time we do the test.
 Make sure your initials and your class period
are on EVERY card, so that if they are
dropped they can be returned to you. It also
makes them less of a temptation to steal.
What do we do with them at the
end of the semester?
 You turn the entire stack in and get one point for
each correctly filled out card. That is potentially 140160 points.
 If I don’t turn them in will it hurt my grade?
YES