Southwest Word of the Day
Week of December 10-14, 2007
MONDAY
Today’s
word is patience.
Definition: the
ability to wait without becoming annoyed or upset
Example: Patient people know that they
can’t control everything and sometimes they just have to wait.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is expression.
Definition: a
mathematical phrase that represents a number
Example:
n + 2 and 4 x 7 are
examples of expressions.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is equation.
Definition: a mathematical sentence with an equal sign
Example: An equation of a line is y = 4x – 2.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is evaluate.
Definition: to find the value of by replacing a
variable with a value and
completing indicated arithmetic
Example: If x = 2, then we can evaluate
the expression 4x -2 to be 6.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is simplify.
Definition: to replace an expression with its simplest
name
Example: We simplify
the expression 4 + 6 when we replace it with its simplest name, 10.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of December 17-21, 2007
MONDAY
Today’s word is generosity.
Definition: giving freely to others
Example: Relay for Life depends on the generosity of the volunteers.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is consumption.
Definition: the purchase and use of goods and services
by consumers
Example: The
average American spends thousands of dollars each year on personal consumption, such as food, clothing,
gas, and rent.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is a developed country.
Definition: a wealthy country with an advanced economy
Example: Developed
countries, like the
THURSDAY
Today’s word is a developing country.
Definition: poorer country with a less advanced economy
Example:
In general, developing countries,
such as Sudan
FRIDAY
Today’s word is famine.
Definition: a severe
shortage of food that results in widespread hunger
Example: Many people died of starvation during the famine in
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of January 7-11, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is initiative.
Definition: the ability to act and make decisions without the direction of others
Example: The students took the initiative to start their bellwork without being told to do so.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is atom.
Definition:
the smallest particle into which an
element can be divided and still
have the properties of that element
Example: Atoms are considered the building blocks of matter.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is proton.
Definition: the positively charged particles located in the nucleus of an atom
Example: An atom is identified by the number of protons in its nucleus.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is neutron.
Definition: particles with a neutral charge located in the nucleus of an atom
Example: Because neutrons have a neutral, or no charge, they do not affect the
overall charge of an atom.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is electron.
Definition: the negatively charged particles found outside the nucleus of an atom
Example: The number and arrangement of the electrons in an atom determine its
chemical properties.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of January 14-17, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is prejudice.
Definition: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed
beforehand or without knowledge
Example: Martin Luther King Jr. fought racial prejudice through peaceful means.
TUESDAY
Today’s
word is root word.
Definition: the essential,
basic part of a word (without any prefixes or suffixes)
Example: The root cent means hundred, as in the word century (a hundred years).
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is prefix.
Definition: the
essential, basic part of a word (without any prefixes or suffixes), containing
the essential meaning of a word
Example:
The prefix un
means not, as in the word unkind (not kind).
THURSDAY
Today’s word is suffix.
Definition: one or more letters or syllables added at
the end of a word to modify the word’s meaning
Example: The suffix less means
without, as in the word homeless (without a home).
FRIDAY
No WOD today.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of January 21-25, 2008
MONDAY
No WOD today.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is odds.
Definition: the
ratio of the number of ways that an outcome can occur to the number of ways
that the outcome cannot occur
Example:
In our school, the odds in favor of randomly choosing an eighth
grader are 1 to 2.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is probability.
Definition: the ratio of the number of favorable
outcomes to the total number of outcomes
Example: In our school, the probability of randomly choosing an eighth grader is 1/3 or 33 1/3%.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is independent
events.
Definition: events where the outcome of the first event
does not affect the outcome of the second
Example: Tossing a coin and spinning a
spinner are independent events.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is dependent
events.
Definition: events where the outcome of the first event
affects the outcome of the second
Example: One example of a dependent event is when you choose a pair of socks on Monday, then you have one less pair to choose from on Tuesday.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of January 28 – February 1, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is tolerance.
Definition: the ability to be fair and understanding to
people whose ways and opinions are different from one’s own
Example: Learning to accept differences is an essential part of tolerance.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is ethnic group.
Definition: people of the same race or nationality who share a distinctive culture
Example: Our Cultural Fair celebrates various ethnic groups.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is stereotype.
Definition: an image or conception shared by members of a group that is not necessarily correct
Example: It is a stereotype to say that all teenagers have a MySpace account.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is diversity.
Definition: the condition of being different
Example:
The diversity of the students at SWMS is represented during our annual
cultural fair.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is compromise.
Definition: a settlement
of a dispute by each side giving up some demands
Example: When you work in groups in class, you have to compromise in order to complete the activity.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of February 4-8, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s
word is trustworthy.
Definition:
deserving of trust or confidence;
dependable; reliable
Example: Trustworthy people are often given a
great deal of responsibility because others know they can count on them.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is humidity.
Definition:
the amount of water vapor in the air
Example:
Summer days in
higher before one of our daily rain showers.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is air pressure.
Definition:
a measure of the weight of air pressing
on a given area of the
earth’s surface
Example:
The air pressure continued to drop
as the hurricane, a low pressure
weather system, approached.
THURSDAY
Today’s
word is air mass.
Definition: large body of
air that has about the same temperature and
humidity
throughout
Example: The cold air mass over
FRIDAY
Today’s
word is front.
Definition: boundary
between two different air masses
Example: The meteorologist warned his viewers
that due to an approaching front
they could expect strong winds and severe thunderstorms
at the end of the week.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of February 11-15, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is caring.
Definition: feeling an interest in or affection for
someone or something
Example: Caring for the elderly, the SWMS student volunteered to read at the senior center weekly.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is infer.
Definition: arriving at a decision or opinion by reasoning from known facts or evidence
Example: From your smile, I infer that you’re pleased.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is compare.
Definition: to examine in order to observe or discover similarities
Example: When I compare my two best friends, the most obvious similarity is that they are both athletes.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is contrast.
Definition: to examine in order to observe or discover differences
Example:
The contrast between my
parents is evident; my mother is quiet, and my father talks incessantly.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is drawing conclusions
Definition: arriving at a
sensible division based upon details or facts in a story or article
Example: The darkening sky and high winds led me to draw the conclusion that a storm was coming.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of February 18-22, 2008
MONDAY
No WOD today.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is parallel.
Definition: lines
in the same plane that do not intersect
Example:
The yard lines on a football field are parallel, like lines mn and qr.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is perpendicular
Definition: two lines that intersect to form right
angles
Example: The lines mn and ab are perpendicular.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is adjacent
angles.
Definition: two angles with a common side and a common
vertex
Example: The angle pairs Đ1 &Đ 2, Đ2 & Đ4, Đ5 & Đ7, are some of the adjacent angles shown.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is vertical
angles.
Definition: the angles opposite each other when two
lines intersect
Example: Angles Đ1 & Đ4 are vertical angles.
a c
1 2
m
n
3 4
5 6
q
r
7 8
b d
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of February 25-29, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is determination.
Definition: to set your sights on a goal and don’t let
anyone or anything stop you
Example: Wilma Rudolph showed determination when she overcame her handicap and became an Olympic Champion.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is conquest.
Definition: the process of defeating by force of arms
Example: The Aztecs were defeated in the Spanish Conquest.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is Crusades.
Definition: any of the military expeditions made by
Christian countries in the 11th, 12th, and 13th
centuries to recover the
Example: During the Crusades, many soldiers died defending their faiths.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is revolution.
Definition: the overthrow of an existing government, with another government taking its place
Example:
The period of time in our nation’s history where the colonies rebelled
against the British government to gain independence is referred to as the
American Revolution.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is secede.
Definition: to leave or
withdraw
Example: During the mid-1800s, some Southerners
called for the Southern states to secede
from the
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of March 3-7, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is self-confidence.
Definition: having faith in yourself and your own
abilities
Example: Performing at the FCAT Festival talent show exhibits great self-confidence.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is gene.
Definition: a unit of information in DNA that can be inherited and is located in
the nucleus of a cell
Example: Everyone randomly inherits half of their genes from their mother
and half from their father.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is allele.
Definition: one of a pair of genes that determine a specific trait
Example: If you can roll your tongue into a U shape, then you inherited at least
one dominant allele for tongue rolling from your parents.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is heterozygous.
Definition: an organism with two different alleles for a trait
heterozygous
Example:
The allele combination “Aa” is heterozygous, because you have one dominant and one recessive gene
for that trait.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is homozygous.
Definition: an organism with two alleles that are the same for a trait
Example: The allele combination “AA” is homozygous, because you have two recessive genes for that trait.
homozygous
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of March 10-14, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is courage.
Definition: being able to overcome fear
Example: Courage permits one to face extreme danger and difficulties without fear.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is author’s purpose.
Definition: the author’s reason for creating a particular work (Examples: inform,
persuade, entertain, and express an opinion)
Example: Authors may often have more than one purpose for writing a particular
work.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is context clues.
Definition: words or phrases that help readers understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word
Example: A context clue may be a definition, a synonym, or a comparison.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is supporting details.
Definition: the small pieces of information that develop, explain, or clarify the main idea
Example: Students are often asked to include supporting details when answering
main idea questions.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is major events.
Definition: the most
important incidents that occur in a work of literature; events that cause the
greatest impact on the character
Example: Historians identified several major events in the life of Martin Luther King that significantly influenced his life.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of March 17-21, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is accountable.
Definition: to acknowledge
and assume responsibility for actions, products, or decisions
Example: The FCAT holds students, teachers, and administrators accountable to the state for learning gains.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is variable.
Definition: a
letter or other symbol used to represent an unspecified number or value
Example:
In the expression 2x + 5, the x is the variable.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is coefficient.
Definition: the numerical factor of a term
Example: In the expression 2x + 5, the 2 is the coefficient.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is constant.
Definition: a term that does not contain a variable
Example:
In the expression 2x + 5, the 5 is the constant.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is power.
Definition: an expression of the form xn, is read x to the nth power
Example: 74 is 7
raised to the fourth power, or 7 × 7
× 7 × 7.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of March 24-28, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is fairness.
Definition: the condition of being just or impartial
Example: A judge displays fairness when ruling in a court of law.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is justice.
Definition: fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made
Example: The main purpose of the Constitution was to establish justice in our nation.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is diplomacy.
Definition: skill in managing communication and
relationships between nations or with other people
Example: Negotiating with foreign leaders requires a great deal of diplomacy.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is checks and balances.
Definition: the system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches
Example:
Checks and balances keep any
one branch of the federal government from being too strong.
FRIDAY
No WOD today.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of April 7-11, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is respect:
Definition: to honor and be considerate of others
Example: Standing during the Pledge of Allegiance shows respect for this country.
TUESDAY
Today’s
word is galaxy.
Definition:
a large group of stars, gas, and dust
held together by gravity
Example:
Our galaxy is called the Milky Way;
it contains two hundred billion
stars.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s
word is Solar System.
Definition:
a system of eight planets, including Earth, and many smaller
objects that orbit the sun
Example:
Mercury is the smallest planet in our
Solar System.
THURSDAY
Today’s
word is terrestrial planets.
Definition: four solid
rocky planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus,
Earth,
and Mars
Example: Of the four terrestrial planets, Mars may one day be visited my man.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is gaseous planets.
Definition:
the four planets furthest from the Sun: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
and
Example:
Jupiter, the Gas Giant, is the largest of all the planets and is one of the
four gaseous planets.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of April 14-18, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is self-control.
Definition: to restrain one’s emotions, desires, or
actions by one’s own will
Example: It took self-control to not laugh when the student fell in the hall.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is setting.
Definition: the time, place, and conditions under which a story takes place
Example: The setting of the novel Holes is a desolate region in
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is plot development.
Definition: the arrangement of critical events in a short story or
novel
Example:
Novels which contain flashback have a more difficult plot development than one’s that don’t.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is character development.
Definition: the
growth or change in characters from beginning to end in a short story or novel
Example: Our English class created a character development chart of Phillip Enright in the novel The Cay.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is theme.
Definition: the statement about life or human nature a particular work is trying to convey to the reader
Example:
Patience and perseverance are two themes of the novel The Old Man and the Sea.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of April 21-25, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is altruistic.
Definition: caring about other people without
expecting anything in return
Example: An altruistic person is unselfish and finds that caring for others can be its own reward.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is coordinates.
Definition: the
number that correspond to a point on a grid or map
Example:
The coordinates for the origin of a coordinate graph is (0, 0).
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is quadrant.
Definition: one of four regions into which the
x- and y-axes separate the coordinate plane
Example: The point (3, -4) is in quadrant IV.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is slope.
Definition: a slant upward or downward, or the degree
of such a slant
Example:
In math class, students learn how to calculate the slope of a line.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is intercept.
Definition: the point where a line or curve cuts across
another line, curve, or surface
Example: Two lines intercept at a point.
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of April 28 – May 2, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s word is self-esteem.
Definition: the degree of pride you have in yourself
Example: Jenny does not give in to peer pressure because she has high self-esteem.
TUESDAY
Today’s word is economic activity.
Definition: any action that relates to the making, buying, and selling of goods and
services
Example: An economic activity map would show the main types of businesses and
industries in an area.
WEDNESDAY
Today’s word is socioeconomics.
Definition: the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life
Example: Students at SWMS come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
THURSDAY
Today’s word is standard of living.
Definition: the overall level of comfort and well-being of a group or a country
Example: On average, Americans enjoy a high standard of living.
FRIDAY
Today’s word is gross domestic product (GDP).
Definition: the total
value of goods and services produced in a country in a year
Example: The
Southwest Word of the Day
Week of May 5-9, 2008
MONDAY
Today’s
word is perseverance.
Definition: not giving up
Example: The rumor showed great perseverance when he finished the marathon in the rain.
TUESDAY
Today’s
word is erosion.
Definition: movement of sediment by wind, water, ice, or gravity
Example: Hurricanes can cause erosion because they remove sand from our