“(Czech title Nesmesitna lekhost byti). A novel (1984) of the magic realism school by Milan Kundera (b. 1929). The fates of two couples are played out against a background of communist rule in Czechoslovakia. In such circumstances, there is an unbearable foreboding even when the ‘sweet lightness of being’ rises ‘out of the depths of the future.’ A film version (1987) was directed by Philip Kaufman.”
Excerpted from: Crofton, Ian, ed. Brewer’s Curious Titles. London: Cassell, 2002.
“’Necessity if the mother of invention’ is a silly proverb. ‘Necessity is the mother of futile dodges’ is much nearer the truth.’”
Excerpted from: Winokur, Jon, ed. The Big Curmudgeon. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2007.
When I was a kid, I loved weird, big words, because they allowed me the pleasure of pedantry. So this context clues worksheet on the noun triskaidekaphobia would have been right up my alley. It means “fear or avoidance of the number thirteen.”
If nothing else, this might be a fun way to introduce the concept of phobias.
If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.
“A derived noun whose formation has the general meaning of ‘act or process of…’: e.g. construction (from construct + ion), with the basic meaning ‘process of constructing.’ Compare agent noun.
Excerpted from: Marshall, P.H., ed. The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Linguistics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Here’s a short reading I whipped up several years ago when I tired of having students preface inquiries with “I know this is a stupid question, but….” Wherever do kids get the idea that their questions are stupid? If you are a teacher who warns students against asking stupid questions, could you cease, uh, forthwith?
If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.
These five worksheets on the homophones compliment and complement are actually the first I ever wrote. You’ll notice that I set up the worksheets to use these words as nouns. Because it turns up as a term of art in any number of grammar and style manuals, I wanted students to learn the use of complement as a grammatical term. It’s used in all kinds of ways, even sometimes to describe a predicate, which I think is better called, simply, a predicate.
However, as a means of describing both the direct objects and the indirect objects of verbs, I think this is a very good word indeed. I’m fairly certain I placed all five of these worksheets as do-now exercises at various places in a thirteen-lesson unit on verbs. If you use them the same way, you may want to mention to students that both of these words can be used as verbs; both are used transitively.
If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.
“An individual’s ability to learn, without reference to specific instruction or prior knowledge. Aptitude is most often measured by standardized tests (for example the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children [WISC]) or cognitive batteries of tests that also include achievement components (such as the Woodcock-Johnson). Other important aptitude tests include the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the American College Test, each of which plays a prominent role in college admissions.
Determining whether someone has a learning disability is generally based on a discrepancy between achievement and aptitude, as measured by standardized tests. Consequently, tests of aptitude such as the WISC and the Woodcock-Johnson play a central role in determining who is eligible to receive special education services.”
Excerpted from: Turkington, Carol, and Joseph R. Harris, PhD. The Encyclopedia of Learning Disabilities. New York: Facts on File, 2006.
On a rainy morning, here is a worksheet on the Greek word root log/o. It means word, discourse, and doctrine. Logos was a big concept in the ancient Greek world. You can hear it, of course, at the basis of the English word logic.
If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.
“Small or moderate-size painting executed at an easel. Renaissance artists began painting easel pictures to meet the demand of collectors, and they were often displayed on easels. They became immensely popular when the middle class in 17th-century France and Holland began to collect art. Also called cabinet picture.”
Excerpted from: Diamond, David G. The Bulfinch Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms. Boston: Little Brown, 1992.
Here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on Aesop’s boy who cried wolf. You can also find a lesson plan on the fable on this blog if you click on that second link.
If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.
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