“Catchphrase (noun): A common or appealing phrase in popular, often unthinking,, usage; watchword or slogan. ‘…American style…overworks its catchphrases until the become not merely meaningless playtalk, like English catchphrases, but sickening, like overworked popular song.’ Raymond Chandler, Raymond Chandler Speaking”
Excerpted from: Grambs, David. The Random House Dictionary for Writers and Readers. New York: Random House, 1990.
Here is a context clues worksheet on the verb invest. It is used both intransitively and transitively, and the sentences in this document point to both meanings with their context clues. Intransitively, invest means simply “to make an investment.” Transitively, which is where this verb comes to life, invest means “to commit (money) in order to earn a financial return,” “to make use of for future benefits or advantages <~ed her time wisely>,” and “to involve or engage, especially emotionally.” Because I worked at a economics- and finance-themed high school for ten years, you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s the first of those three definitions that students should infer from these sentences.
Incidentally, invest as a transitive verb also carries the definitions “to array in the symbols of office or honor,” “to furnish with power or authority,” and “to grant someone control or authority over.” You’ll see invest used this way to describe the ascent to power of political officials, particularly monarchs.
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.
This week’s Text is a lesson plan on the Crime and Puzzlement case “The Big Bang.” This lesson opens with this Cultural Literacy worksheet on dogma: it’s a half-page document with a two-sentence reading and two comprehension questions. This is one of the better of these things I’ve produced over the years–it’s strength is clearly in its economy. Two sentences, it turns out, is all the subject needs if the writer is sufficiently concise.
You’ll need this PDF of the illustration and questions to use as evidence to investigate the offense against good order the case represents. To bring the alleged misdemeanant or felon to justice, you and your students will also need this typescript of the answer key.
That’s it. And by “that’s it,” I mean that this is the last of these lessons I have to publish here. That also means that there are 72 Crime and Puzzlement lessons on this blog now. Help yourself!
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.
One of the pleasures of my return to New York after an almost three-year absence has been renewing acquaintances–and even forming new friendships–with erstwhile colleagues. One of them, Pamela King, with whom I co-taught English in 2008 and 2009, is a hardworking teacher and writer. With one of her colleagues, John Hunt, she created this Virtual Tour of New York State. This 1,500-page Google document (be patient, it takes some time to load) is the fruit of these teachers’ labor during the pandemic lockdown. I haven’t had the time, for obvious reasons, to review fully this material. Nonetheless, I can vouch for it.
Mostly, I wanted to get this posted in the event any of us need it for another lock-down go-round–and I know: perish the thought! In any event, I hope (as do Pamela and John, I am confident) that you find this useful.
Here is a worksheet on the verb recommend as it is used with a gerund. I don’t recommend developing subpar curricular materials.
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.
Here is a reading on the Smithsonian Institution along with its attendant vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet. I can’t think of much to say about this: it’s a reading from the Intellectual Devotional series (of which you’ll find a great many on this website) with a basic vocabulary-building and comprehension worksheet (which, like the reading itself, is in Microsoft Word, so you may revise and adapt it for your particular pedagogical circumstances and priorities) I prepared to accompany it.
And that is about it.
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.
“Isocephaly: A method of composing groups of figures in such a way that all are shown at the same height, regardless of posture and purpose. Characteristic of classical Greek art.”
Excerpted from: Diamond, David G. The Bulfinch Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms. Boston: Little Brown, 1992.
Here is a Cultural Literacy worksheet on the idiom “a bee in one’s bonnet.” This is a half-page worksheet with a reading of one long compound sentence and three comprehension questions. A quick drive by a useful abstraction, in other words.
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.
“24 Angulas Make a Forearm…
“Twenty-four angulas make one hasta, which is one of the universal measurement units of mankind—the length of forearm measured out to the extended middle finger. The hasta is a unit of measurement devised by the Harappan (the most ancient of India’s urban civilizations along the Indus) and akin to the cubit used in Sumeria (the most ancient urban culture of Iraq) and ancient Egypt.
It seems that the basic Harappan unit was formed from the width of eight barley grains placed side by side, which was found to be equal to a finger’s width (roughly 1.76cm). Twelve of these finger-widths/barley rows made an angula, while a dhanus (the length of a bow) was assessed as 108 of these finger-width/barley rows. Anything with ‘108’ in it was deemed to be very propitious in India and the East and so it was a favorite unit in which to design a citadel or a wall.
The use of barley as the ultimate foundation stone of measurement appears to be another universal element (alongside the forearm, the foot, and the breadth of a finger), so that, for instance, you will find it underwriting the system of measurements used by the Vikings. But there has always been room for financial manipulation and speculation, especially from the great rival of barley, the slightly lighter wheat seed. Four wheat seeds equal three of barley, which are themselves considered to be on par with the seed from a carob tree.”
…And 24 Palms Make a Man
Four fingers make a palm, and six palms make a cubit, and four cubits make a man who should therefore be twenty-four palms in height. The other rule of male proportion is that, like the Emperor Charlemagne and King Edward I of England, we should stand six times the length of our foot. Half the length of the foot is also the extent of the average erect penis—which comes in at an average of just under six inches. A much greater mystery is whether the navel or the base of the penis is the center of a man.”
Excerpted from: Rogerson, Barnaby. Rogerson’s Book of Numbers: The Culture of Numbers–from 1,001 Nights to the Seven Wonders of the World. New York: Picador, 2013.
Here is a context clues worksheet on the noun inertia. It means, of course, “a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force,” “an analogous property of other physical quantities (as electricity),” and “indisposition to motion, exertion, or change.” This might be useful material for you physics teachers out there.
And, as long as I am here and at it, here is another context clues worksheet on the adjective inert. It means “lacking the power to move,” “very slow to move or act, sluggish,” and, for you science teachers, “deficient in active properties; especially: lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action.”
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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