All Classes - Word of the Week: Contemptuous

This week, all of Ms. B's English classes had contemptuous as our word of the week because it was the only word posted!

We looked up contemptuous and found that it means "showing or expressing contempt or disdain."  

In order to understand this definition, we had to understand the word contempt, so we discussed that to have contempt for something is to have a strong dislike or hatred for it.

Next, we clarified the difference between the words "content" and "contempt."

Finally, we wrote sentences to demonstrate our understanding of the word contemptuous:

1. The students at the school were contemptuous of having to wake up so early.
2. Many people have contemptuous feelings about racism but don't do anything about it.
3. The man felt so contemptuously about traffic that he ran a red light and swerved past several cars.
4. He felt contemptuously about school.

Period 4 Word of the Week: Pervasive

This week, Period 4 chose pervasive as our word of the week.  To define the word, students used their phones to conduct a Google search, and here is what they found:

Pervasive means "spreading widely throughout an area or group of people."

Next, we wrote a sentence to make the meaning of pervasive clear:

The swine flu was pervasive in 2010, so most people went and got their flu shots. 

Period 3 Word of the Week: Affirm

This week, Period 3 selected affirm as our word of the week.  When we looked up the definition of affirm, we discovered that it means "to state as a fact, strongly and publicly."

We then discussed the word and wrote a sentence to confirm its meaning:

Bob went to a bar, and when a lady hit on him he affirmed that he is married.

Periods 1&6 Word of the Week: Precursor

This week, Periods 1 and 6 selected precursor as their word of the week.  Students searched online for the definition of the word, and they found that precursor means "a person or thing that precedes another of like kind."  We further clarified that to precede means to come before.

Our classes then wrote sentences to help us understand the word precursor:

1. Light rain is a precursor to a thunderstorm.
2. The iPhone 4s is the precursor to the iPhone 5.

Period 3 Word of the Week: Petulant

This week, period 3's English students selected petulant as their word of the week.

Petulant means "showing sudden impatient irritation."

Our class made up two sentences using the word petulant:

1. My sister is petulant when we tell her we are going somewhere.

2. Mom was petulant when I didn't clean my room.

Period 1 Word of the Week: Lagan

This week, students in period 1 chose lagan as their word of the week.

According to www.dictionary.com, lagan means "anything sunk in the sea but attached to a buoy so it can be recovered."

During class, we made up a sentence to demonstrate the meaning of the word:

The mermaid found the lagan, cut the buoy line, and stole it.

Periods 4 & 6 Word of the Week: Venerate

This week, students in periods 4 and 6 chose the word venerate as our word of the week.

Venerate means "to regard or treat with reverence or respect; to revere."

Our classes came up with some sentences using the word venerate:

1. We venerate our parents' decisions.
2. We venerate idols like Martin Luther King, Jr.
3. I venerate my coach.
4. If we don't venerate Chuck Norris, he'll kick us in the face.   

Period 3 Word of the Week: Glean

This week, period 3 chose glean as its "word of the week." 

According to www.dictionary.com, to glean is to gather something bit by bit, with great effort.


Our class created some sentences using the word glean:

By reading the article carefully, he gleaned information.

By working as a handyman, he gleaned enough money to buy a new car.

Periods 1, 4, & 6 Word of the Week: Plethora

This week, periods 1, 4, and 6 chose plethora as their "word of the week."

According to www.dictionary.com, a plethora is "an excess or surplus."


Each of our classes made up some sentences using the word plethora:

There was a plethora of flowers at GHS on Valentine's Day.

There is a plethora of people in my basketball class.

Sam's Club offers a plethora of cookies.

Ms. B has a plethora of homework to grade this weekend.

There was a plethora of food on the dining room table.

Periods 1, 3, & 6 Word of the Week: Ecumenism

Yesterday, periods 1, 3, and 6 chose ecumenism as their word of the week.

We used www.dictionary.com to look up the word ecumenism, and then we had to follow the link to the definition of ecumenical to really understand these terms.  Based on the two definitions we reviewed, here is our classroom definition of ecumenism:

1. general or universal thinking;

2. a philosophy promoting unity among the whole Christian church.

Next, our classes came up with sentences to use ecumenism, or one of its forms, correctly.  We decided to make sentences using the first definition, rather than the second one.  Here are the sentences we devised:

1. Scientists think ecumenically.

2. Scientists are ecumenical thinkers.

3. To make his choice, the judge thought ecumenically.

4. Psychologists solve people's problems using principles of ecumenism.    

Period 4 Word of the Week: Climacteric

This week, period 4 chose climacteric as its word of the week.  We used www.dictionary.com to look up the word, and here is the definition we found:

1. any critical period,

2. a year in which important changes in health, fortune, etc. occur.

There were also some scientific definition of the word climacteric, but we chose to use the more universally-applicable definitions.

We then devised a sentence using the word climacteric:

The teenage years are the most climacteric period in a person's life.

All Classes - Word of the Week: Vex

On December 14, 2012, all four English 11 classes chose vex as their word of the week.

Vex means:

1. to irritate, annoy, or provoke;
2. to torment, trouble, distress, or plague;
3. to make someone feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters.


Our classes came up with some creative sentences to demonstrate how to use the word vex correctly:

The rumors of the end of the world on 12/21/12 vex us.

Ms. B was vexed by students throwing things in her class.

Getting a lot of homework for the weekend vexes me.

Random noises vex Patrick.

Procure

Period 1 & Period 4 Word of the Week: Lofty

On December 7, period 1 and period 4 chose lofty as their word of the week.

The definition of lofty is:
1. exalted or noble in character or nature
2. of imposing height or extending high in the air
3. haughty or condescending in manner

Our classes created some sentences to demonstrate how to use lofty in context:

Janessa is a person of lofty height.

and

Monks are lofty individuals; they devote their lives to doing good.

All Classes - Word of the Week: Indubitably

All of Ms. B's English classes (periods 1, 3, 4, and 7) chose indubitably as their first "Word of the Week."

The definition of indubitably is "unquestionably," or "unable to be doubted."

Each class came up with at least one sentecne to use the word indubitably correctly.  Here are the sentences we devised:

There will indubitably be drama and ratchetness when you walk through the halls of GHS.

Bill Gates is indubitably a very rich man.

It is indubitably true that third period will be noisy.

The sun will indubitably come up tomorrow.

Great job, everyone! 

Be sure to keep thinking about this word and try to use it in a sentence.  It will be on your next warmup quiz!

Abate

Parfait

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

Longest Word

Lopado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­parao­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon

Indubitably