This activity relies on students' ability both to create good context sentences, and to determine the meanings of words from their contexts. Students compete in teams, with the highest point values awarded for an ability to guess a word's meaning based on the most limited context. As more context clues are added, a word's point value goes down.

1. The students organize into 5 teams of equal size. Each team then divides in half, with 2-3 members on each team division. Each team division then sits facing its teammates on opposite sides of the room, so that they cannot hear one another's planning. For instance, a class of 24 students might divide itself into 5 teams, with the makeup being: Team #1 - ABCD; Team #2 - EFGHI; Team #3 - JKLMN; Team #4 - OPQRS; and Team #5 - TUVWX. The teams would then split in half, with the team divisions lined up along opposite walls facing each other. Students A and B from Team #1, therefore, would group together against one wall, and face their teammates C and D, who would group together against the wall opposite them. Students E and F from Team #2 would group together a few feet from A and B, and face their teammates G, H and I. The rest of the teams would divide and station themselves accordingly. This set up procedure is very unconventional, and requires several minutes to arrange at the beginning of the period; some students have a hard time understanding that some of their teammates will be across the room. A little patience will help get this activity off to a smooth and well organized start. [NOTE: INCLUDE GRAPHIC]

2. The teacher would then take a word from the activity word list, and provide a copy of the word and its definition to each of the team divisions lined along one of the walls. (It doesn't matter which wall you start with, since the roles will later be reversed.) For example, if A&B, EF&G, JK&L, OP&Q, and TU&V are lined up along one wall, facing their teammates, you might start the activity by providing each of these five groups with a word and its definition from the activity word list, such as "aprosexia," which means the inability to concentrate. Simultaneously, their partners across the room will be given a different word, perhaps "cornigerous," meaning "having horns." The teams will need several minutes to make up a context sentence which they hope will lead their teammates to guess the correct definition of the word. The context sentence has two limitations: it may not include a definition of the word, and it may not exceed 12 words in length. In preparing their sentences, the students should not speak loudly enough for the students sitting across the room to hear them. Each team should check its sentence with the teacher, to make sure that is uses the word properly and to make sure that it conforms to the rules.

3. When each team has created its sentence, the competition begins. Team #1 starts with students A&B reading their context sentence. Students C&D have one minute to guess the word's meaning. Should they succeed, Team #1 receives 50 points. Should they fail, Team #2's EF&G read their sentence. Students H&I have one minute to guess the word's meaning. Should they succeed, Team #2 receives 40 points. Should they fail, Team #3 proceeds in this fashion, with 30 points awarded for a correct guess. Should they fail, Team #4 tries for a 20 point reward; should they fail, Team #5 tries for a 10 point reward. Whenever a team correctly guesses a definition, a new round begins, with the teams rotating in order. On Round 1, Team #1 goes first; on Round 2, Team #2 goes first; etc.

4. After the first two rounds are over, the teacher should distribute the words for Rounds 3, 4, and 5. This means that the partners arranged on one side of the room will work on two context sentences, while the partners on the other side work on one. When the students have completed their sentences and checked them with the teacher, the class may proceed with Rounds 3, 4, and 5, with Team #3 going first in Round 3, Team #4 going first in Round 4, and Team #5 going first in Round 5. Usually, five rounds plus a Championship Round will fill a class period.

5. In the Championship Round, the teams with the 2 highest point totals "play off" for the championship. Divisions from both teams would be given the same word, and would have 3 minutes to come up with three context sentences. The team with the highest total would go first, with 60 points awarded for a correct guess. The teams would alternate reading their context sentences, with a 60-50-40-30-20-10 point value, until one team correctly guesses the word's meaning. Then, the same procedure is applied to a second word, with the second place team going first. Following this round, add the Championship Round points to the regular Context totals and declare a champion.

Condensed Procedures for Context

1. Students form teams of 4-5, then each team splits and lines up facing teammates from opposite side of class.

2. Distribute the word and its meaning to each team division on one side of the room; then give a second word and meaning to the team divisions on the other side of the room.

3. Each team writes a sentence that will help their teammates understand the word's meaning. Rules: Sentences must be 12 words or fewer, and cannot include a definition of the word. Students can check their sentences with the teacher for suggestions.

4. Round #1:

Team #1 reads sentence, teammates have one minute to guess the word's meaning. 50 points for a correct answer. If incorrect,

Team #2 reads sentence, teammates have one minute to guess the word's meaning. 40 points for a correct answer. If incorrect,

Team #3 reads sentence, teammates have one minute to guess the word's meaning. 30 points for a correct answer. If incorrect,

Team #4 reads sentence, teammates have one minute to guess the word's meaning. 20 points for a correct answer. If incorrect,

Team #5 reads sentence, teammates have one minute to guess the word's meaning. 10 points for a correct answer.

5. Round #2: Repeat procedures using the sentences developed by students on the other side of the room. Team #2 goes first for 50 points, Team #3 second for 40 points, etc.

6. Rounds #3-5: Distribute three new words and repeat steps #2 and #3. The only difference will be that students on one side of the room will develop sentences for two words.

7. Championship Round: The two groups with the highest scores compete. Each team gets the same word and makes up three sentences that include it. The team with the highest score goes first. Award 60 points if the first team guesses the meaning correctly, 50 points if the second team guesses correctly, and so on. The round ends when a team guesses the meaning of the word; add the point value from the Championship Round to the regular round points for the winner.

METHOD #1

CONTEXT LIST

pulchritude - beauty

aproterodont - absence of front teeth

sapid - mouth-watering

mansuetude - gentleness

leonine - like a lion

vulpine - like a fox

lupine - like a wolf

taurine - like a bull

cornigerous - having horns

polyphagous - one who eats anything

egregious - conspicuously bad

serpiginous - creeping, spreading

funabulist - tightrope walker

quidnunc - nosy person

oleaginous - oily

omnilegent - reading everything

fustigate - to criticize severely

quotidian - happening every day

vermicular - like a worm

morsicant - crazy

inosculate - blend

coriaceous - resembling leather

pusillanimous - cowardly

cunctation - delay, procrastination

esperance - hope

fabaceous - related to or resembling a bean

oniomania - irresistible urge to buy things

bellibone - good and beautiful woman

avuncular - like an uncle

aprosexia - inability to concentrate

anabiosis - revival after apparent death

adulation - extravagant praise

alliaceous - smelling or tasting like garlic

abnegate - to deny oneself of something

chrematophobia - fear of money

decorticate - to peel

defenestrate - to throw something out of a window

discalceate - barefoot

ephemeral - lasting a short time

equitation - the act of horse-riding

formication - the feeling that bugs are crawling all over you

galactophagous - drinking milk

hebetate - to grow dull or stupid

homunculus - dwarf

intumescent - swelling

limaceous - sluglike

noetic - having to do with the intellect

nugatory - having no value

oscitation - the act of not paying attention

otiose - serving no useful purpose

plenilunary - pertaining to the full moon

rebarbative - repulsive

redivivus - restored to life or liveliness

rodomontade - empty or arrogant boasting

sesquipedalian - pertaining to very long words

spurious - false ideas

suggilate - to bruise

susurrant - gently whispering and rustling

tetragram - four-letter word

ultracrepidarian - going too far, intruding in someone else's business

umbriferous - shady

undulating - moving like a wave

uxorious - overly fond of a wife

vapulation - flogging

vellicate - twitch

velocipede - vehicle propelled by the rider's feet

veneration - great respect and reverence

veracious - truthful

voracious - greedy

METHOD #2

Context is an activity that you can use successfully with any chapter of VCBS since all you need to do beforehand is prepare a list of words from the chapter of your choice. We find Chapter 2, "Learning New Words from the Context," particularly effective since students use the same techniques described in this chapter both to create good context sentences and to infer the meanings of words in a session of Context. The Method #2 procedure for conducting a session Context is identical to Method #1, and preparation is similar.

Prior to the game, your first step again will be choosing words from the desired chapter. One alternative to Method #1 which you may wish to try is dividing the words into different rounds corresponding to their degree of difficulty, just as you would with Strategy and Root It Out. Finally, you will copy the words and their definitions to give to students during the course of the game.

One final note on preparation: For ease in organization and distribution, you may wish to copy the words and their definitions onto slips of paper and place all the words for a particular round into a separate envelope. For example, if the Round One word is "lapse," you would place five copies of the word and its definition (one for each team) in an envelope marked "Round #1." Separating the words into envelopes is especially helpful from Round 3 on when teams are composing context sentences for more than one round at a time.

The following words and definitions from Chapter 2 of VCBS are grouped by degree of difficulty into six rounds of play plus a Championship Round. Although you will use only one word per round, we have suggested several words for each round so that you can choose the words most appropriate for your purposes.

METHOD #2

CONTEXT LIST

Round One Words

baffle - bewilder

despise - loathe

detriment - damage, disadvantage

finicky - hard to please

folly - lack of good sense

hamper - interfere with

intact - kept or left whole

lapse - accidental mistake

probe - investigation

scuffle - fight

Round Two Words

excruciating - unbearably painful

expertise - expertness

haggle - argue over a price

impediment - hindrance, defect

insomnia - inability to sleep

invalid - having no force, void

rejuvenate - make young again

scrutinize - examine very closely

snub - insult, rebuff

unruffled - not agitated

Round Three Words

acquit - pronounce not guilty

detonate - explode, cause to explode

gullible - easily deceived

oblivious - forgetful

residue - remainder

replenish - refill

score - twenty

sweltering - oppressively hot

wager - bet

wane - descrease gradually in size

Round Four Words

admonish - warn of a fault

gall - irritate mentally, vex

noncarcinogenic - not cancer-producing

render - deliver, give

retort - reply quickly or sharply; a quick, sharp reply

subvert - undermine

supersede - force out of use, displace

surveillance - close watch

suture - stitch

unwittingly - inadvertently, by accident

Round Five Words

consign - hand over

exhort - urge

inane - silly, pointless

nettlesome - irritating

peruse - read

prodigious - enormous

spurn - reject

stipend - salary

tepid - lukewarm

unwieldy - bulky

Round Six Words

abhorrent - loathsome, repugnant

ambrosial - exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell

effrontery - shameless boldness

forbearance - leniency, patience

indolent - lazy

parsimonious - stingy

raze - demolish

repast - meal

reticent - inclined to be silent

tractable - capable of being controlled

Championship Round Words

ameliorate - become better, improve

ebullient - overflowing with enthusiasm

ephemeral - fleeting, short-lived

indemnify - reimburse

Occident - West

salutary - beneficial