Vocabulary Workshop
Unit 1
Words used in a biographical sketch
Words as parts of speech
Word connotation/denotation
Fascinating Rhythm: The Life of
George Gershwin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BTM07B0U64
. . .hidebound restrictions that school placed on his time
and talents
. . .His parents . . . had a laissez-faire attitude.
. . .His first hit was the somewhat ribald . . .
. . .success seemed a done deal, a fait accompli, it allowed him
to escape the hierarchy of the music business
His music became a bellwether for the dramatic changes in
American popular music.
George Gershwin, continued
To create an adjunct to his Broadway work, he started
writing for the movies.
. . .some in Hollywood thought Gershwin too
highbrow or too oblivious to the realities of scoring a
movie.
. . .many became not just fans but proselytes of his
music.
. . .he had fruitful quasi-partnerships with several
others. . .
George Gershwin, continued
. . . complaining of headaches and other symptoms that
left him feeling effete. . .
He collapsed during a concert and lay supine on the
floor.
[His brother] Ira, grief-stricken, floundered in a morass
of self-pity.
An American in Paris featured many Gershwin songs and
musical vignettes plus an elaborate, chimerical dance
sequence created around Gershwin’s symphonic tone
poem.
st
1
Seven Words
adjunct
bellwether
Seven of you have
caterwaul
received a card with
chimerical
the definition,
effete
pronunciation, and
fait accompli
“Example
hidebound
sentence.”
Assignment #1
When you receive a vocabulary card, you are
responsible for:
teaching the part of speech
teaching the definition to the class
learning to pronounce the word and teaching it
finding an illustration to help us remember the word
finding a partner to help you, if desired
All this should be on a document or power point that you
create and send to my inbox or e-mail
(Deborah.Wilson@lcps.org).
Example
expound
(verb, transitive or intransitive)
to explain in detail
(ek spaůnd’ )
The students listened attentively
as their physics teacher expounded
upon the new theory.
2nd list of seven words
hierarchy
laissez-faire
liturgy
morass
noisome
oblivious
poltroon
3rd list of six words
proselyte
quasi
raillery
ribald
supine
vignette