This is the Vocabulary for Unit 2 Coersion and Counteraction
Political & Government Terms
Dictatorship: A type of government with a single leader who demands complete loyalty and obedience from citizens. ☠️
Anarchy: A political system without a central authority where people are free to act as they wish, often forming groups for mutual aid (helping each other). 🤝
Propaganda: Communication used to promote a specific political view or cause. 📣
Vested: A term meaning that power is placed or held by a person or group. In a democratic republic, power is vested in the people. 🗳️
Writing & Literary Terms
Expository: A type of writing that explains or describes something in an unbiased (neutral and fair) way. 📝
Argumentative: Writing that tries to persuade the reader to think or do something, using a clear thesis (main position or argument) supported by reasons. 🗣️
Supporting Details: Information that elaborates on the main points of a text. These are not included in a summary. 🔍
Analyze (Analysis): The process of breaking down a text or task to carefully examine it. 🔬
Inferred/Implied: To understand a message or conclusion that isn't stated directly by the author. The meaning is implied (suggested rather than explicitly told). 🤔
Consequences: The results or effects of an action or situation. 💥
Unbiased: Describing an issue in a neutral, objective, and impartial way. ⚖️
Distinguish: To recognize the difference between two or more things. 💡
General & Vocabulary Terms
Onomatopoeia: A sound effect in a comic book, such as "Kaboom" or "Bop," that shows the sound in a visual way. 💥
Successor: The person chosen to take a position after someone else, like a king or queen. 👑
Acronym: A word formed from the first letters of other words, such as "STEAL" from "Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, and Looks." 🔡
Tier 3: Content-Specific & Domain Vocabulary
These words are specific to the domains of political science (government), literary analysis (prompts/characterization), and comic book structure.
Dictatorship: A type of government where a single leader demands that citizens find resources for them and recite an oath of loyalty (such as "Mister McCoy is the best teacher in the world"). Students must obey the rules upon pain of death or removal to a re-education camp, and citizens' free time is used to serve the leader (e.g., washing their car).
Anarchy: A political system where everyone keeps the resources and does what they want with them. In this context (Democratic Confederalism), no one is forced or coerced to do anything, and groups form for mutual aid to support those without resources.
Expository: One of three categories of writing prompts intended to explain or describe. Examples of expository writing include encyclopedias, history books, and procedural instructions (like how to change the oil in a car). When writing an expository essay, the goal is to examine an issue in the most unbiased way possible.
Argumentative: A type of writing or prompt that attempts to persuade the reader to think or to do something. This type of communication is common in political discussions, advertising, speeches, and letters, where the author must state a clear position (thesis) and support it with reasons and examples to convince the reader.
Onomatopoeia: A sound effect in a comic book, which acts as a picture of a noise. These sound effects, like "wam," "Kaboom," "drop," "sock," or "Bop," make comics interesting by showing the sound in a visual way.
Propaganda: A form of communication used to promote a specific political cause or view, such as a communist poster showing the banner of Lenin to celebrate workers' rights.
Vested: A term used in defining a democratic republic, meaning that supreme power is placed or held. In this form of government, supreme power is vested in the people.
Supporting Details: Information used to elaborate upon the key points of a text. When writing a summary, supporting details must be excluded; only the main idea and key points should be included.
Tier 2: High-Utility Academic Vocabulary
These are high-frequency words crucial for understanding academic tasks and demonstrating maturity in language use across subjects.
Analyze (Analysis): The process of breaking down and carefully examining a complex text or task, such as reading a writing prompt several times to make sure you understand exactly what it is asking you to do. Analysis is necessary to structure an essay and is a key skill required for discovering main ideas and themes.
Inferred / Implied: To derive a conclusion or message (such as a theme) that is not explicit or clearly stated by the author. Themes must typically be inferred by taking evidence that has been gathered and putting it together. The meaning is implied rather than told directly.
Consequences: The outcomes or effects of an action or situation. In an expository essay prompt about social media, the requirements specifically instruct the writer to discuss both the positive impacts as well as the negative consequences.
Successor: The person who is chosen to take the throne after a monarch's death. In the monarchy role-play, the King or Queen selects their successor.
Unbiased: Describing or examining an issue in a neutral, objective, and impartial way. Expository writing requires the author to talk about an issue in the most unbiased way possible.
Distinguish: To recognize the difference between two or more things. Students must be able to distinguish between a main idea, a key point, and a supporting detail in order to write an effective summary.
Acronym: A word formed by taking the first letter of a series of other words. The word STEAL is used as an acronym to help remember the five elements of indirect characterization: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, and Looks.