Category Archives: English Language Arts

This category contains domain-specific material–reading and writing expository prose, interpreting literature etc.–designed to meet the Common Core standards in English language arts while at the same time being flexible enough to meet the needs of diverse and idiosyncratic learners.

Term of Art: Adversative

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

“Adversative: Indicating opposition or contrasting of two things, e.g., the conjunctions ‘yet.’ ‘still,’ the phrase “all the same.’”

Excerpted from: Grambs, David. The Random House Dictionary for Writers and Readers. New York: Random House, 1990.

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Hardy (adj), Hearty (adj)

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

To close out working for the day, here are five worksheets on the homophones (or near homophones, depending on where you live) hardy and hearty. They’re close in meaning, and they’re both adjectives.

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.

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Socialist Realism

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

“Socialist Realism: By 1934 this official Soviet style had resulted in staged idealizations of the working class. Derived from figurative and narrative tendencies, these heavy-handed artworks toed the Communist party line and were meant to be accessible to all viewers. In architecture, anti-modernism resulted in a return to heavy classical motifs sometimes known as “Stalinist gothic.” (Not to be confused with Social Realism.) See FASCIST AESTHETIC.”

Excerpted from: Diamond, David G. The Bulfinch Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms. Boston: Little Brown, 1992.

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A Lesson Plan on Memory

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

Here is a lesson plan on memory with its work, to wit this short reading and its accompanying vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet.

If you want them, here are slightly longer versions of these documents.

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.

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Nicolas Chamfort on Anthologists

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

“Most anthologists…of quotations are like those who eat cherries…first picking the best ones and winding up by eating everything.”

Nicolas Chamfort

Excerpted from: Winokur, Jon, ed. The Big Curmudgeon. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2007.

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Correspond (vi), Correspondent (n)

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

Moving right along, here are two context clues worksheets on the verb correspond, which is used only intransitively, and the noun correspondent.

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.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

In this time of public health crisis, it’s nice to know that at least in its past, this country produced leaders dedicated to public service and the common good–rather than grifters who see the Presidency of the United States as a side hustle.

So here is a short reading on Franklin D. Roosevelt along with its attendant vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet.

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.

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A Lesson Plan on the Greek Word Root Bio-

Posted on March 21, 2020 | Leave a comment

OK, before I go out for a walk on this beautiful early spring afternoon, here is a lesson plan on the Greek word root bio, which means life. I open this lesson with this context clues worksheet on the adjective vital, which hints for students at the meaning of word root at the base of of this lesson. Finally, here is the worksheet that is the primary work of this lesson.

I’ll assume, particularly of you science teachers, that I need not belabor the point of this root’s productivity in English, or its place at the base of so many words related to the life sciences.

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.

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Book of Answers: John Dos Passos

Posted on March 20, 2020 | Leave a comment

“What are the books in John Dos Passos’ U.S.A. trilogy? They are: The 42nd Parallel (1930), 1919 (1932), and The Big Money (1936). The three were first published together in 1937).”

Excerpted from: Corey, Melinda, and George Ochoa. Literature: The New York Public Library Book of Answers. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.

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Countermand (vt)

Posted on March 20, 2020 | Leave a comment

Here is a context clues worksheet on the verb countermand. It means “to revoke (a command) by a contrary order” and “to recall or order back by a superseding contrary order.” It is only used transitively, so don’t forget to countermand something.

It’s only used transitively. 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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