fundamental (adjective) central; essential; basic

• Sample Sentence: A fundamental part of being a good reader is knowing a lot of vocabulary words.
• Turn and Talk: Sara says that reading is a fundamental skill. Explain why you agree or disagree with Sara.

alter (verb) to change

• Sample Sentence: Taking steroids can alter the way your brain works. People who take steroids can become violent toward others for no reason.
• Turn and Talk: Name a few ways you would like to alter the room where you sleep.

conflicted (adjective) undecided; having feelings that clash

• Sample Sentence: Mussa was conflicted about whether to save his birthday money for a trip to Washington, D.C., or spend it on a new Xbox game.
• Turn and Talk: Why might someone be conflicted about going to college?

substitute (verb) to replace

• Sample Sentence: Even though Terry mistakenly substituted oil for butter in the brownie recipe, the brownies still turned out fine.
• Turn and Talk: What ingredients could you substitute for chocolate chips in a pancake recipe?

*substitute (noun) an object or person used in place of something or someone else, a replacement

• Sample Sentence: There is no substitute for a good night’s sleep in preparing for a test.
• Turn and Talk: With your partner, think of some healthy substitutes for sugary sodas.

compound (noun) mixture

• Sample Sentence: Pharmacists often combine different chemicals to make compounds for medicine.
• Turn and Talk: What is the difference between an element and a chemical compound?

*compound (verb) to complicate by adding to

• Sample Sentence: Don’t compound the problem of forgetting your homework by being rude to your teacher.
• Turn and Talk: Can telling the truth ever compound a problem?