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Course: 7th grade reading & vocabulary > Unit 1

Lesson 1: Building knowledge
Reading & language arts
7th grade reading & vocabulary
Trailblazing Women
Building knowledge
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Trailblazing Women: unit vocabulary

Google Classroom
This is a list of some noteworthy vocabulary you'll find in this unit! Some are related to the unit topic, and others are generally useful academic words.
You'll know some of the words already, and some may be new. Take some time to familiarize yourself with them all before you get started on the passages and exercises in the unit.
Word: intellect
(noun)
  • Definition: the ability to think in a smart way
  • Sample Sentence: "We are thinking beings, and we cannot exclude the intellect from participating in any of our functions."—William James
Word: convention
(noun)
  • Definition: a large group of people that come together to talk about something and to sometimes make important decisions for the group as a whole
  • Sample Sentence: The Seneca Falls convention was the first time women gathered in a large group to talk about women’s rights.
Word: indication
(noun)
  • Definition: something that points something else out
  • Sample Sentence: NASA’s decision to hire the most qualified people was an indication of their commitment to excellence.
Word: drastic
(verb)
  • Definition: extreme, severe
  • Sample Sentence: Who a person happens to meet can have a drastic effect on their career.
Word: flourish
(verb)
  • Definition: grow, succeed
  • Sample Sentence: Karan Kendrick flourished in her role as Atala in The Hunger Games and gained popularity following the movie’s success.
Word: milestone
(noun)
  • Definition: an important event in someone’s life
  • Sample Sentence: Playing the lead role of Lotus Flower in the movie The Toll of the Sea was a milestone in Anna May Wong’s acting career.
Word: clarify
(verb)
  • Definition: to make something clear
  • Sample Sentence: Joy had to clarify what she did on the project so that her teacher understood.
Word: pioneer
(noun)
  • Definition: a person who helps advance or create new ideas
  • Sample Sentence: C.V. Raman, a pioneer in physics, was the first Indian man to earn a Nobel Prize.
Word: pursue
(verb)
  • Definition: to go after something with great energy; persist, chase
  • Sample Sentence: Leslie Marmon Silko pursued a career in poetry during a time when not many other Native American women were being recognized for writing about their heritage.
Word: spectacular
(adjective)
  • Definition: impressive, amazing
  • Sample Sentence: Francesca Caccini, a spectacular musical composer, wrote many works, including the first opera by a woman.
Word: resourceful
(adjective)
  • Definition: the ability to handle difficult challenges and come up with solutions to problems
  • Sample Sentence: Dr. Bowers was out of splints, so he encouraged the resourceful villagers to come up with a solution.
Word: impact
(noun)
  • Definition: a powerful influence
  • Sample Sentence: Ms. Patel’s experiences in war-torn Pakistan left an impact on how I think about religious conflict.
Word: integrate
(verb)
  • Definition: to bring something together into a whole
  • Sample Sentence: Many businesses didn’t integrate their racially divided workforces until the 1960s.
Word: access
(noun)
  • Definition: admission, entry
  • Sample Sentence: Ada Lovelace had access to the most modern mathematical papers, allowing her to trailblaze the field of computer science.
Word: industry
(noun)
  • Definition: hard work, determination
  • Sample Sentence: It takes extreme dedication and industry to go after a career when the world says you can’t.
Word: enable
(verb)
  • Definition: to make possible; allow, permit
  • Sample Sentence: Duke Kahanamoku worked incredibly hard as a swimmer, which enabled him to participate in many Olympic competitions.
Word: signify
(verb)
  • Definition: symbolize, represent
  • Sample Sentence: Jared wore a rocket pin on his coat to signify his contribution to the lunar landing.

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