Grade 9-10: Vocabulary Lesson for Tuesday, Week 12

Word List 12

1. nutrient: a source of nourishment, especially a nourishing ingredient in a food
2. modest: having or showing a moderate estimation of one's own talents, abilities, and value; having or proceeding from a disinclination to call attention to oneself; retiring or diffident; observing conventional proprieties in speech, behavior, or dress; free from showiness or ostentation; unpretentious; moderate or limited in size, quantity, or range; not extreme
3. meritorious: deserving reward or praise; having merit
4. prattle: to talk or chatter idly or meaninglessly; babble or prate
5. quandary: a state of uncertainty or perplexity
6. pittance: a meager monetary allowance, wage, or remuneration; a very small amount
7. pulverize: to pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust; to demolish

Tuesday Activities

1. Test yourself with this link, Easy TestMaker. You will have to create an account to save your tests. Read the directions and create your own test. You can choose from many formats. We suggest you try "Fill in the blank" and make up a sentence using your vocabulary word. You can download it into Word if you wish. Print out the test you created and complete it. Insert it into your notebook.
2. Word Scrambler - Click on the link and create your own word scrambler with your vocabulary words. Type in the number of words you wish to scramble and press the "next" buton. You will see a sheet that has the answers for you. Press next again and print out the page. Complete it and put it in your notebook.
3. Go to the Spelling City website. Type in your list of vocabulary words. Click on the button that says Play A Game. Select Which Word. Play the game and write down the fill-in-the-blank sentences in your notebook.

Other Help

If you need more information on your words, click on the link to use a on-line dictionary.

Use the daily activities to help you remember words that you learn each week. It is much easier to remember what the words mean if you do something with them and use them frequently in talking with your parents, family and friends.

Sample sentences:

Although we turned our noses up at the concoction, Mom insisted that it contained every nutrient that we required.
Potassium is an important nutrient in your diet.

Unlike the huge mansion he owned today, the rock star's childhood was spent in a modest three-room cottage.
Wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, the president of the company decided to accept only a modest salary for the remainder of his contract.

Following the operation, the President heaped meritorious praise on the squad which had conducted the covert raid.
The Medal of Honor is awarded for meritorious bravery above and beyond the call of duty.

Since we had nothing better to do, the three of us sat back and patiently listened to our great aunt prattle on about her childhood.
Eventually I got up and left, unable to take any more of his self serving prattle.

Deep in thought the Mayor finally told us, "I am afraid that you three have presented me with a quandary.^
A true quandary is when you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Although the blacksmith could only offer a pittance, the apprentice gladly worked to learn the trade.
"I can only pay you a pittance," the struggling artist told his new apprentice.

I swallowed nervously as the big brute on the other side of the ring informed me that he was going to pulverize my bones.
The constant bombardment of rock and sand in the flood waters eventually began to pulverize the bridge foundation.

 
 

For more vocabulary, reading and other language arts resources, please visit our interactive skillbuilders.