Back to Main Vocabulary Page

rancor, impartial, sanction, mercenary, induce

Encourage Students to Enter Vocab Video Contest, which ends today!

We have had very few entries so far. Encourage students to make and enter a video before leaving for Thanksgiving break.
The winning video wins a $25 gas card!
  • If needed, go to the Vocab Contest page, and review the rules with students.
  • Be sure to tell them Mrs. Labert has digital tools in the library they can use to create their videos.
  • Videos must be uploaded to SchoolTube by last school day before Thanksgiving break.
  • If you haven't already, show them sample student-created video uploaded to SchoolTube (from a previous year).

Current Event Reading

Question: How can national tragedies both shake and strengthen a nation?
  • What news making events have you witnessed in your lifetime that you think you and your peers will remember forever? Did they shake or strengthen the nation? How?
    • Pose these questions to students and give them 2 minutes to turn and talk to a partner.
    • Have each partner pair join another partner pair to form a small group. Give them 2 minutes to share.
    • Allow a few to share out with whole class.
    • Display the blog post from The New York Times Learning Network,and read aloud the post. (If you can't display it, just read it aloud.) OR, you can make copies, and allow students to read.

    • After reading, re-state the question, and let students return to small groups and discuss. Encourage them to refer to the article to discuss how Kennedy's assassination either shook or strengthened (or both) our nation.
    • Have groups share out.
    • As a class, make a list of events they've witnessed that they think they'll remember forever. Ask them if these events shook or strengthened the nation.

Vocabulary (If time allows)

Show the Vocab videos.
    • Log in with your username and password.
    • Click on +"Video Library" in blue bar at top of page.
    • Select "Two's Company Part 2."
    • Select the first set of words.
  • Review the words with the whole class to make sure they understand their meaning.