Holt Literature 6th Grade Vocabulary (With Additional Story Words)
Vocabulary Words are listed under the Story Title. The vocabulary words are listed in numerical order. Some stories have no words. Additional words, (not categorized as vocabulary) are listed below the vocabulary list. (Labeled a, b, c, d, etc.)
Collection 1 “Moments of Truth”
· Literary Focus: Plot and Setting
· Informational Reading Focus: Analyzing Structural Features of Media
· Elements of Plot and Setting: Madeline Travers Hovland
· Reading Skills and Strategies: Summarizing the Plot: Retelling: Kylene Beers
Dragon, Dragon (Short Story by John Gardener)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. plagued- troubled
b. ravaged- violently destroyed
c. lunged- plunged forward suddenly
d. craned- stretched (the neck) as a crane does
*** No Vocabulary Development After the Story
Just Once (Short Story by Thomas J. Dygard)
1. devastating- causing great damage
2. nurturing- promoting growth of, nursing
3. anonymous- unidentified
4. accolade-something said or done to express praise
5. tolerant- patient, accepting of others
6. ponder- think over carefully
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. precedent- action or statement that can serve as an example
b. purist- someone who insists that rules be followed strictly
c. hapless- unlucky
d. cakewalk-easy job
*** “Just Once” Vocabulary Development After the Story Using Context to Determine Meaning
The Stone (Short Story Lloyd Alexander)
1. delved –dug
2. gaped - stared with the mouth open, as in wonder.
3. plight - bad situation
4. obliged – forced
5. jubilation – rejoicing
6. rue – feel sorrow or regret for
7. mired- sunk or stuck
8. fallow- left unplanted
No Additional Story Words
***The Stone Vocabulary Development After the Story Making Sense of Synonyms
All Summer In a Day (Short Story by Ray Bradbury)
1. slackening – lessening; slowing down
2. surged - moved in a wave
3. resilient- springy; quick to recover
4. savored - delighted in
No Additional Words
*** Vocabulary Development After the Story “All Summer In A Day” Monitoring Comprehension
What Will Out Town Look Like? (Magazine)
· No Vocabulary or Additional Words
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Solar System Bodies: Venus (Web Page)
· No Vocabulary or Additional Words
***Vocabulary Development After You Read for “Solar System Bodies” - Using Context Clues
The Bridegroom (Narrative Poem by Alexander Pushkin)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. distraught- extremely troubled
b. plied- addressed urgently and persistently
c. shingle-gate- gate to the beach
d. troika- Russian sleigh or carriage drawn by three horses.
e. brocaded- having a raised design woven into the fabric
f. mead - alcoholic drink made of fermented honey and water.
g. tumult- noisy commotion
h. ikons - images of Christ, the Virgin, and saints used in Eastern Orthodox Church (also spelled icons)
i. clamor - loud noise
j. blanches - turns white, becomes pale
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
In the Fog (Play by Milton Geiger)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. devoid – of; without
b. scrutinizes- examines carefully
c. moonshiners – people who distill liquor illegally
d. warrant – declare positively
e. retractors – surgical instruments for holding back the flesh at the edge of a wound.
f. pneumothorax - air or gas in chest cavity
g. irrigation – flushing out a wound with water or other fluid
h. pay station - pay telephone
i. Meade’s men – Lee’s; The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War. On July 1-3, 1863, the Confederacy’s forces, under Robert E. Lee, met with Union forces under George Gordon Meade. The climax of the battle came when 15,000 Confederate soldiers, led by George Pickett, charged Cemetery Ridge and were repelled. The North suffered about 23,000 causalities, the South about 20,000.
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Hitchhiker (Radio Play by Lucille Fletcher)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases in the story
a. auto camp – a campground with places for drivers to park their cars
b. lark – good time; spree
c. Pulaski Skyway – long-span bridge connecting the cities of Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey.
d. Alleghenies – the Allegheny mountain range; a part of the Appalachian Mountains that runs through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.
e. willies – feeling of nervousness; jitters
f. monotony – a tiresome sameness
g. junction – point where two sets of railroad tracks join
h. dogs – a slang word for feet.
i. pink elephants - imaginary objects seen by someone drunk or delirious.
j. mesa – elevated flat-topped land formation with steep sides.
k. Beachwood 2-0828 – phone number; At the time of the story, phone numbers in the United States began with two letters (called an exchange), followed by five numbers. Names (called exchange names) like Beechwood were used to tell callers which two letters to dial-usually the first two letters of the name (i.e, BE for Beechwood).
l. prostrated – overcome by exhaustion or grief; weak
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
· Earth Poem by Oliver Herford
· Earth Poem by John Hal Wheelock
Preparing for Standardized Tests
· The Path Through the Cemetery (Short Story by Leonard Q. Ross)
· Solar System Exploration (Web Page by NASA)
Collection 2 Characters: The People You’ll Meet
· Literary Focus: Analyzing Character
· Informational Reading Focus: Taking Notes and Outlining
· Elements of Characters: Madeline Travers Hovland
· Reading Skills and Strategies: Making Inferences: Retelling: Kylene Beers
From Bud, Not Buddy (Novel Excerpt by Christopher Paul Curtis)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Ta-Na-E-Ka (Short Story by Mary Whitebird)
1. loftiest- noblest; highest
2. shrewdest- sharpest, most clever
3. grimaced- twisted the face to express pain, anger or disgust.
4. gorging- filling up; stuffing
5. audacity- boldness; daring
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Ta-Na-E-Ka – Developing Fluency in Word Usage
The Wind People Facts About the Kaw by Flo Ota De Lange
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Soverign Nation: Native American nations govern themselves and are not subject to the laws of the U.S. Government except through treaty or agreement.
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Wind People Developing Words from Native American Languages
The Bracelet (Short Story by Yushiko Uchida)
1. evacuated – removed from an area.
2. interned- imprisoned or confined
3. aliens- foreigners
4. forsaken- abandoned; deserted
No Additional Story Words
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for The Bracelet: The Roots of English
Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies (Magazine Article by Nancy Day)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. prescribe- define officially.
b. in his discretion – according to his wishes or judgement.
c. compensation – payment given to make up for a loss or injury.
d. lobbying – activity aimed at influencing public officials.
e. curfew – shortly before the relocation began, the head of the Western Defense, Lt. Gen. John DeWitt, set a curfew. Between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM each day, “all persons of Japanese ancestry” had to remain indoors, off the streets.
f. filed suit - went to court in an attempt to recover something.
No Additional Story Words
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Wartime Mistakes, Peacetime Apologies: Excluded People/Excluded Words
Blanca Flor (Play by Angel Vigil)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
1. Don- Spanish for “Sir” or “Mr.”
2. Dona- Spanish for “Lady” or “Madam”
3. barren- not producing crops or fruit
4. flourish- sweeping movement
5. apprehensively – fearfully, uneasily
6. mijito- contraction of mi hijito, Spanish for “my little son”
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Blanca Flor: Using Spanish Words in English
The Southpaw (Short Story by Judith Viorst)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Summer Diamond Girl (Essay by Toni Janik)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. clinics – classes or workshops that provide instruction in a specific skill.
b. dilapidated- falling to pieces; shabby
c. repertoire - a collection of songs and cheers someone knows and can perform.
d. prominent- important; easy to notice
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
From the Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Novel Excerpt by Mark Twain)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. odious- hateful; disgusting
b. colicky symptoms- pains in the stomach
c. if he….court- if he came before his aunt. (Twain is comparing Tom’s aunt to a judge in court.
d. row- noise and quarreling.
e. vended- traveled
f. expectorate- spit
g. adherent – follower
h. pariah – outcast
i. gaudy - flashy; showy and in poor taste.
j. hogsheads- very large barrels
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Preparing for Standardized Tests
· Celebrating the Quinceanera (Article by Mara Rockcliff)
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Collection 3 “The Heart of the Matter”
· Literary Focus: Analyzing Theme
· Informational Reading Focus: Evaluating Evidence
· Elements of Literature: Theme Madeline Travers Hovland
· Reading Skills and Strategies: Finding the Theme: Kylene Beers
Two Frogs and the Milk Vat (Fable by Claude Brown)
· No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
*** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The All American Slurp (Short Story by Lensey Namioka)
1. lavishly – generously, plentifully
2. mortified – ashamed; deeply embarrassed.
3. spectacle – remarkable sight.
4. etiquette- acceptable manners and behavior.
No Additional Words for this story
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Context Clues to Clarify Meaning
Everybody is Different, but the Same Too (Interview Nilou)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
No Additional Words in this story
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Figurative Language
The Emperor’s New Clothes (Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Anderson)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. looms – machines used for weaving thread into cloth.
b. ludicrous- ridiculous; laughable
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Hyperboles
Uniform Style (Article by Mara Rockliff)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. mandatory – required
b. motivate – cause someone to do something or act in a certain way; push or drive.
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Interpreting Idioms
Baucis and Philemon (Greek Myth Retold by Olivia Coolidge)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Zeus - chief god in Greek mythology.
b. Hermes- god who serves as messenger of the other gods.
c. Baucis
d. Philemon
e. immortals – ancient Greek Gods
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words from Mythology
One Child’s Labor or Love (Interview)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story (One Child’s Labor of Love)
a. prestigious- much admired and sought after.
b. advocates – supporters, defenders.
c. scrutiny – close examination or study.
d. mediation - attempt to settle disputes by stepping in and trying to help.
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Rapunzel (Fairy Tale Retold by Neil Phillip)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. wan – sickly; weak
b. tresses – long locks of hair
c. skein – length of loosely wound thread or yarn.
d. brambles – prickly shrubs or vines
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
Rumplestiltskin (Fairy Tale by Rosemarie Kunzler)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
No Questions Asked
· King Long Shanks (Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen)
· Earth Poem by John Hal Wheelock
Preparing for Standardized Tests
· Little Mangy One (Lebanese Folk Tale told by Inea Bushnaq)
· Too Much TV Can Equal Too Much Weight (Magazine Article by Jamie Rodgers)
Collection 4 “Forms of Fiction”
· Literary Focus: Identifying and Analyzing Forms of Fiction
· Informational Reading Focus: Analyzing Comparison and Contrast
· Elements of Literature: Forms of Fiction Mara Rockliff
· Reading Skills and Strategies: When the Words Are Tough: Kylene Beers
I Was Not Alone: An Interview with Rosa Parks (Interview by Brian Lanker)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. boycott – act of joining together and refusing to deal with a company for political reasons
b. inaugurated – formally begun
c. domestic help – household servants, maids, or drivers.
d. proclamation – official announcement
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Gold Cadillac (Novella by Mildred D. Taylor)
1. evident – obvious
2. rural – having to do with country life
3. heedful – attentive; keeping in mind
4. ignorance- lack of knowledge
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. in unison – a chorus, in the same words, spoken at the same time.
b. caravan – group of cars traveling together
*** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Synonyms and Antonyms
Separate but Never Equal (Article by Mara Rockliff)
· No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
***No After You Read Vocabulary Development
LaBamba (Short Story by Hans Gary Soto)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. Richie Valens- (1941-1959), the professional singer mentioned in the story, was the first Mexican American rock star. In 1959, when he was only seventeen, Valens was killed in a plane crash.
b. para bailar la bamba - Spanish for “to dance the bamba”
c. que ninos tan truchas – Spanish for “what smart kids”
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words with Multiple Meanings
Goodbye Records, Hello CD’s (Article by Mara Rockliff)
· No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
** After You Read Vocabulary Development for Goodbye Records, Hello CD’s: Words with Multiple Meanings
Medusa’s Head (Greek Myth by Olivia Coolidge) & Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head (Cartoon by Marcia Williams)
1. descended – moved to a lower place; came down
2. perplexity – bewilderment; confusion
3. perpetual – permanent; constant
4. recesses – inner places
5. hovered – remained suspended in the air.
No Additional Story Words
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words with Clarifying Words Meanings
He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit
· No Vocabulary or Additional Story Words
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Fox and the Crow (Aesop: Greek fable Dramatized by Mara Rockliff: Reader’s Theater)
· No Vocabulary Words for this story
More Words/Phrases from the story
a. lair- home of a wild animal; den
b. cordial – warm and friendly
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
The Wolf and the House Dog (Aesop: Greek fable Dramatized by Mara Rockliff: Reader’s Theater)
· No Vocabulary or Additional Words for this story
** After You Read Vocabulary Development: Words with Multiple Meanings
Author Study: Zora Neale Hurston
How the Snake Got Poison (African American Folk Tale – From Mules and Men)
· No Vocabulary Words or Additional Words for this story
** No After You Read Vocabulary Development
How the Possum Lost the Hair on ItsTail (African American Folk Tale – From Mules and Men)