Tag Archives: building vocabulary/conceptual knowledge

Here are three context clues worksheets on the nouns zeal and zealot, and the adjective zealous. These are words that have appeared in a number of settings in the English and social studies classes I have taught over the years, and they usually passed without students ever really grasping their full meaning. If nothing else, these words will turn up in readings about, say, the Reformation or the French Revolution; in any case, they are frequently used words in the English language. In our hyper-politicized word, I would argue, these are words students ought to know and be able to use by the time they leave high school.

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.

Here is a context clues worksheet on the verb alienate, which is used only transitively. Don’t forget your direct object–you need to alienate someone or something to complete this word’s meaning. This seems like a particularly important word for everyone in the world to know right now.

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.