persecute, morality, covenant, pretense, condemn, indignant, civil, spectacle, incredulous, embodiment 11 th Grade, Unit 1, Lessons 1-11 Vocabulary Activity: Pre-assessment- Rating Scale Vocabular y Knowledge Rating Sheet High Knowledge 4 = I could easily teach it to the group 3 = I think I know what it means Low Knowledge 2 = I have seen it or heard it before 1 = I have no idea what it means Word What I think it means before reading/instruction My rating before reading/instru ction My rating after reading/instru ction persecute morality covenant pretense condemn indignant civil spectacle incredulo us
WORD DEFINITION EXAMPLE SENTENCESpersecute To oppress or harass with
ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion,
gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs
Examples: The war against terror must not serve as an excuse to
persecute ethnic and religious minorities in any country. The country's leaders relentlessly persecuted those who
fought against the regime.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. Because they persecuted her, they supported her
decision to stop going to church. 2. The other girls persecuted her because of the color of
her skin.
morality A system of ideas of right and wrong conduct
Examples: The strongest influences on morality are often religion
and culture. The decision may be legally justified, but I question its
morality.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. The group is calling for a return to traditional morality. 2. They claimed that he had no sense of moralities due to
his lying and deceitful ways.
covenant A promise, contract or binding agreement
Examples: According to the covenant, if they honored their
obligations to God, they would be blessed; if they failed, they would be punished.
The restrictive covenants of the building development prohibit the construction of buildings over 30 feet tall.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. The prime minister signed a covenant that signified her
nation’s commitment to international human rights.2. Because he viewed marriage a sacred covenant between
a man and a woman, he supported the idea of same-sex marriages.
pretense A false display of feelings, attitudes, or intentions
An act that is actually pretend or false; a piece of
make-believe
Examples: When I told you I loved you, it was only pretense. Her accusation was a pretense because there was no
proof to back it up.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. She tried to pretense that everything was fine, but deep
down, she was hurt by his actions. 2. He called her under the pretense of asking about the
homework assignment; what he really wanted was to ask her out on a date.
condemn To express disapproval or blame
1) to give someone a legal sentence; 2) to judge
someone as guilty; 3) to say that someone or something
is bad or unacceptable; 4) to force someone to
experience something unpleasant; 5) to ban the
use of something
Examples: The murderer was condemned to life in prison City officials condemned our apartment building and
forced us to leave.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. The judge condemned his immoral actions and thus let
him walk free. 2. The judge condemned his immoral actions and thus
sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
indignant feeling angry or upset at the injustice, unfairness, or
unreasonableness of something
Examples: After her brother received a new car for his birthday, Jill
was indignant because she had only been given a gift certifcaite on hers.
He wrote an indignant letter to the editor of the newspaper.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. He became indignant when changes were made to his
employment contract without his input. 2. He became indignanted when changes were made to his
employment contract without his input. civil 1) polite, courteous;
adhering to the norms of polite social intercourse—
not rude
Examples: After their divorce, the man and woman did not like
being together, but they were civil when they had to be. It was hard to be civil when I felt so angry.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. He was still angry about the outcome of the election and
therefore found it hard to be civil when speaking to members of the opposition party.
2. Despite their differences of opinion, they managed to work together in civiled manner.
spectacle a visually striking performance or display
Examples: The acrobatic feats of the circus are a spectacle to
behold. Multimedia spectacles have become established parts of
the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympic Games.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. The film premier was spectacled by the attendance of a
number of famous celebrities. 2. She hoped that break up conversation would not turn
into a spectacle; he had a flair for the melodramatic.
incredulous skeptical; disbelieving Examples: She listened to his explanation with an incredulous
smile. John gave Amy an incredulous stare when she
announced that she was pregnant.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly? Dave is incredulous of stories about flying stories. Dave is incredulous of stories about real-life events.
embodiment a person, being, or tangible thing that expresses an
abstractidea, spirit, or principle
Examples: For many people, their country’s flag is an embodiment
of patriotism and history. Mother Theresa was often regarded as the embodiment
of selfless devotion to others.
Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly?1. He felt the embodiment of love when they made eye
contact for the first time.2. The opposition party did their best to depict the new
Vocabulary Activity: Word sortTeacher directions: Prepare sorts by printing and cutting words apart; sets can be clipped or placed in envelopes.
Student directions: Read all words below this table first. Then, arrange words that are synonymous or associated with each target word in a column under the word. Set aside words you are unsure of.
Vocabulary activity: Idea CompletionsStudents are provided with sentence stems that require them to integrate a word’s meaning into a context in order to explain a situation.
1) In the past, they were never persecuted for religious reasons, but …
2) People say that morality is subjective because …
3) Their covenant represented …
4) Under the pretense of an urgent meeting, …
5) The new health care law was quickly condemned …
6) Indignant at the way her son had been treated by his teacher, …
7) Despite her best efforts to keep conversation civil, …
8) The teenager made a complete spectacle of himself by …
9) She shot him an incredulous look because…
10) A newborn child is the embodiment of vulnerability as …
Vocabulary activity: Survival of the FittestEach word cluster below contains 3 words related to one of the vocabulary words and one word that is an antonym, meaning the opposite of the vocabulary word. Identify which word does not survive the word cluster and replace it with the related vocabulary word. Then, explain your decision.
