Lost Lake Elementary School Created by: Mrs. Rebecca Foster, Literacy Coach

Robust Vocabulary

conserved If something is rare or important, you conserve it. 1. Scientists at Palmer Station conserved fresh water. 2. How could electricity be conserved when using lights? 3. What natural resources need to be conserved? Explain why? How could that resource be conserved?

strict If you are stern and demand obedience, you are strict. 1. There are strict rules to protect animals in Antarctica. 2. Name two school rules that are strict. 3. Why do schools have strict rules about certain activities? What strict rule would you add?

harsh If something is hard to stand up to, like a blizzard, it is harsh. 1. Antarctica is a harsh continent because it is covered with ice and mountain peaks. 2. What else would be a harsh region to visit, a desert or woods? 3. How do people protect themselves from harsh weather? 4. Would harsh words be more likely to cheer you up or make you feel bad?

bleak If something is cold and gloomy, it is bleak. 1. A brutal wind blows along Antarctica’s bleak coast. 2. Would an empty house or a lived-in house seem bleak? 3. Name some places that animals living in bleak regions might use as shelter. 4. What kind of weather is the most bleak? Why do you think that? 5. What is the bleakest place you have seen? Describe it.

absence An absence means that something or someone is not present. 1. Would you miss your friend during his absence from school? 2. How would the sun’s absence affect you in Antarctica? 3. Would your absence be noticed at a family reunion? Explain. 4. What problems does an absence from school cause?

shelters Something that shelters you protects you and keeps you safe. 1. What shelters people and animals in a storm? 2. What shelters scientists in Antarctica? 3. What shelters people from the cold weather?

permanently If something stays one way forever, it stays that way permanently. 1. Is someone permanently related to a brother or sister? 2. Why would scientists not want to stay permanently in the McMurdo Station? 3. Would you want to stay indoors permanently? Why or why not? 4. Would you want to live permanently on another planet? Why or why not?

drifts When something drifts, it moves along without direction. 1. What is something that drifts down a river? 2. Which sea creature drifts past the scientists? 3. If a snowflake drifts to the ground, does it fall slowly or quickly? 4. What else could be something that drifts?

scarce Something is scarce if there is not much of it to be found. 1. If clean water is scarce, can you take a long shower? 2. What is scarce in Antarctica? 3. What might happen if pencils and pens were scarce?

dim It is dim when there is not much light. 1. Is it hard to read in a dim light? Explain. 2. How do scientists take photographs of sea creatures in dim light? 3. If you were peeking into a cave with dim lighting, what might you see?

Try this: conserved strict harsh bleak absence shelters permanently drifts scarce dim 1. A dog house ______________ a dog. 2. The two pieces of wood are ________________ attached by nails. 3. The dancers never rehearse in ____________ lighting for fear of falling. 4. Turning out the lights when leaving a room is how energy is _______________. shelters permanently dim conserved

5. The student’s __________(es) have affected her grades. 6. The wind blew the snow ___________ across the sky. 7. The cost of gasoline has gone up because gas is _______________. 8. The judge gave a ______________ punishment to the criminal. Try this: conserved strict harsh bleak absence shelters permanently drifts scarce dim absences drifts scarce harsh

9. Mrs. Banfield is _____________ and doesn't let us fool around in class. 10. It was a dark and _____________ wintry day. Try this: conserved strict harsh bleak absence shelters permanently drifts scarce dim strict bleak

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