Andrea Pratt

Eastern Nazarene College

Reading Specialist Cohort
Language and Literacy

Five Day Vocabulary Cycle

Grade Level-7

Objectives

1. To provide student-friendly definitions for the selected vocabulary words from A Retrieved
Reformation, by O.
Henry.

2. To provide multiple, varied, meaningful encounters with the selected vocabulary to

increase the likelihood of long-term retention.

Vocabulary List

1. compromising
2. prosperity
3. balked
4. secured
5. currency
6. clemency
7. retribution
8. flourishing
9. unobtrusively
10.sauntered

DAY 1

The students will receive student handout A with the vocabulary words in context. The words
will be presented in the context of A Retrieved Reformation if the context clues are directive, or
in a teacher created context. The teacher will read the handout with the students, encouraging
the students to guess at word meanings based on context clues. The teacher will write a
student-friendly definition on the board, which the students will copy into their notebooks,
leaving a few lines blank after each word to add a sentence during a later lesson. The teacher
will point out the ways that the context clues help us determine the meaning of the words. After
each definition is given, the teacher will engage the students’ interaction the word with the
following prompts.

compromising
When might a situation compromise you, or put you in a compromising position? How about
me? How about a politician, such as the president or a member of Congress? Many times,
celebrities are compromised by their own behavior, which is then reported in the news. Can you
think of a celebrity like that?
prosperity
What might be some signs that someone is enjoying prosperity? Can you think of an example of
a person who would not be experiencing prosperity? What might bring prosperity to a person’s
life?

balked
Can you think of a time when your parents balked at something you wanted to do? Did you ever
balk at something they wanted you to do, or something a friend wanted you to do? What might
a teacher balk at?

secured
What are some physical things that you might like to secure? How about abstract things?

currency
When might be a good time to have currency, rather than a credit card? How much currency do
you have with you right now, if any? Do you use currency to buy your lunch? When is a time
that you or your parents might buy something that you couldn’t use currency?

clemency
Did someone ever show you clemency? How would clemency make you feel as if you got a
second chance? When might a young person receive clemency? How about an adult?

retribution
If someone receives retribution, have they been shown clemency? What forms can retribution
take? What would your retribution be if you cheated on a test? What if a person stole from his
or her employer? What if you physically hurt a sibling? Can you think of a religious significance
for retribution?

flourishing
What are some signs that a business is flourishing? What are some signs that it is not? How can
you tell if someone is flourishing as a student?

unobtrusively
When might you want to do something unobtrusively? If you are being unobtrusive, does that
mean you are sneaky? Is unobtrusively a negative word or a positive word, or does it depend on
how it is used? Give me examples of behaving unobtrusively that are positive or neutral, and
some that are negative? When have you tried to be unobtrusive?

sauntered
Can someone show us how to saunter? How about how not to saunter? When might we
saunter? What would definitely be a time not to saunter?

DAY 2
On the Smart board or overhead projector, the teacher will display the following
sentence stems. Students will open their notebooks to the words and definitions from the
last lesson. The teacher and class together will compose a sentence that is a strong
example of the target word. The underlined section of each sentence is intended as an
example.
 1. The situation was compromising to the mayor because he was caught drinking and
driving.
2. It was a sign of the family’s prosperity that they drove expensive cars, wore designer
clothing, and took frequent vacations.
3. I was happy to go to the mall with my friends, but I balked when they suggested that we
steal a C.D.
4. I was thrilled when I secured an acceptance to the college that was my first choice.
5. In the United States, our two types of currency are paper money and coins.
6. If someone received clemency after doing something wrong, it would mean that they were
forgiven or not punished very harshly.
7. The retribution for committing a crime is usually a prison sentence.
8. If my computer business is flourishing, I am selling many computers and making a good
living.
9. If someone is behaving unobtrusively, he or she is trying to avoid being noticed for some
reason.
10.When you saunter it means that you walk unhurriedly, in a casual way; you are not in a
hurry.

After that, the teacher will ask the following questions to the students. When a student answers,
the teacher will ask him to explain his thinking, with the intention of reinforcing a correct answer
or helping the student understand why his answer is incorrect.

Q: Would someone experiencing prosperity have lots of currency in the bank?

A: Yes, because prosperity means you are doing very well in life, which means you would be
likely to have plenty of cash on hand.
Q: If someone saunters, is he trying to behave unobtrusively?
A: Not necessarily. A person sauntering could simply be enjoying a leisurely day or not be in a
hurry.
Q: Would your principal be likely to balk at giving you another chance if you were caught using
your cell phone at school for the third time?
A: No, because you have already had two chances.
Q: Is retribution something someone would try to secure for herself?
A: No, retribution is punishment, and people don’t usually try to get punishment.
Q: If you are compromised, are you likely to continue flourishing?
A: Probably not, because being compromised hurts your reputation, and people might not trust
you.

DAY 3

When the students enter the room, the teacher will have the WHICH WORD??? Activity (included)
on the Smart Board or overhead projector. I will have the students take it as a quiz for their own
information. When they have finished, we will go over the correct answers and discuss why they
are correct.

The teacher will then put the students in groups and give them the story beginning below. The
students will have to work together to write an ending to the story in which they use seven out of
the ten words. Their instructions will be to make sure they have used each word in a way that
works with its definition. Each group will have a spokesperson who will read the finished story
aloud once through, then one sentence at a time as we discuss whether it is a good example of
how to use each target word.

STORY BEGINNING

The aging rock star, Joey Skyrocket, was on the verge of a big comeback. There was only one
problem. He had a skeleton in his closet, an embarrassing secret from his past. He was very
worried that…..

For homework on day 3, the students will complete Student handout B, where they have to insert
the target word into a closed sentence. Some words will be use more than once.

DAY 4

The teacher will check the homework given on Day 3 with the students. The teacher will
encourage students to explain their thinking as they give answers.

The teacher will do the Alike & Different activity with the students. I will use the following
prompt and word pairings. I will accept any student answer if she can support and defend her
thinking. I will encourage the other students to contribute to the conversation as appropriate.

Teacher will say, “How are these words alike or related? Do they have anything in common?”

currency/clemency
balked/compromising
sauntered/balked
retribution/clemency
prosperity/retribution
sauntered/prosperity
flourishing/unobtrusively
secured/unobtrusively
secured/compromising

The teacher will then play one or two rounds of the fly swatter game, where vocabulary words
are put randomly on an overhead transparency or on the Smart Board. They ill be divided into
teams and each team will receive a different colored fly swatter. As the teacher reads the
student friendly definition, the first two students in line will find and swat the correct word. The
teacher will make sure each student gets at least one turn.

DAY 5

Today the teacher will assess the students’ mastery of the targeted vocabulary through a
multiple choice quiz.
Student Handout A

Use the sentences below to help you figure out the meaning of the word in boldface.

1. She did not want to admit that she had lied to her employer for fear of compromising
herself and losing her new job.

2. “The clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five-dollar bill with which the law expected
him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity.”

3. I was ready to go on the trip, but I nearly balked when I found out it involved parachuting
to our destination. I am deathly afraid of heights, and I didn’t want to do it.

4. $800.00 was all that was secured in the bank robbery. The bank robbers disappeared
with their $800.00 and were never caught.

5. I try not to carry too much currency with me; instead I pay for most purchases with a
debit or credit card.

6. Many people were upset about the clemency the convicted murderer received from the
judge who sentenced him. They thought the judge had been too easy on him and
wondered why he had not sentenced him to life in prison.

7. Many people think a good form of retribution for the crime of murder is life in prison or
even the death penalty. But even these punishments don’t begin to make up for the
taking of someone’s life.

8. “At the end of the year the situation of Mr. Ralph Spencer was this: he had won the
respect of the community, his shoe store was flourishing, and he and Annabel were
 engaged to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, the typical, plodding, country banker,
approved of Spencer.”

9. Because the wedding ceremony had already started, Monica slipped into the church as
unobtrusively as possible. She was hoping nobody had noticed her entrance.

10.“While they were thus engaged Ben Price sauntered in and leaned on his elbow, looking
casually inside between the railings.”

WHICH WORD???

flourishing compromising

The mayor’s secretary told the newspaper reporter that the mayor
has been taking bribes from local business owners.

clemency retribution

The convicted criminal was denied parole even though he behaved

very well in prison and was not considered dangerous to society.

sauntered balked

The little girl went on the merry go round, the bumper cars, and
the caterpillar, but she drew the line at the scary roller coaster.

currency prosperity

I make a great deal of money, I have a Maserati, a mansion, and I

own my own island.

Unobtrusively sauntered
I tried to enter the building slowly, so I wouldn’t be noticed by the
guards.

Student Handout B

A Reformed Reformation
Vocabulary Practice

Name _____________________________________________

compromising prosperity balked secured currency

clemency retribution flourishing unobtrusively sauntered

1. Clara _____________________ down the road as if she did not have a care in the
world.

2. I __________________ the Rolex watch at the auction by being the highest bidder.

3. The man once was known for his _______________________, but a crash of the stock
market put an end to all that.

4. Although I knew it would put me in a _____________________ position, I had to admit

the truth about what I had done.

5. I was hoping that those in authority would take pity on me and grant me
_____________________.

6. We couldn’t believe he had the nerve to ____________________ so casually into the

classroom after he had been so disrespectful to the teacher.

7. The ___________________________ plant was a sight to see with its perfect blooms and
healthy green leaves.
8. I had to go to the bank and get some American _______________________ when I
returned from my trip to Canada.

9. The dishonest employee could avoid ______________________ no longer; he had been

caught in the act of stealing the company’s property.

10. Through much effort and determination, Ms. Smith ______________________ a

position as a partner in the law firm.

11. I was able to teach my puppy how to sit, fetch, and give me his paw, but he
__________________ when I tried to teach him to roll over.

12. It was clear that her career was _______________________ ; she had received
many promotions and earned the admiration of her employers.

13. I have no intention of ________________________ my straight A average by

failing to study for my big science test.

14. “How _____________________ do you think you can sneak into that building?”
said one burglar to another.

15. “If you must arrive late to school everyday, “ said the teacher, “could you
please be as

_____________________________ as possible?”
Name________________________________________________ Date_____________________

A Retrieved Reformation, by O. Henry

Vocabulary Quiz
6. clemency
1. unobtrusively a. mercy
a. in a sneaky way b. kindness
b. in a very quiet way c. forgiveness
c. in a stealthy way d. apology
d. in a not noticeable way
7. retribution
2. prosperity a. punishment for wrongdoing
a. has a college education b. payment of a debt
b. has a successful business c. suspension from school
c. owns a nicely decorated house d. feeling angry
d. has two cars
8. compromising
3. balked a. annoying
a. got angry b. causing someone trouble
b. stopped c. lying to someone
c. argued with d. good reputation
d. refused
9. flourishing
4. Currency e. really big
a. cash f. growing and doing well
b. money g. paying your bills
c. bills and coins h. happy and thankful
d. not a credit card
10. sauntered
5. Secured i. walked slowly
a. bought j. walked happily
b. earned k. walked casually
c. paid for l. walked angrily
d. saved