B. Foundations of Language · Foundations: Speaking, Listening, Words and Fluency

Words for Every Subject: High School Academic Words, Shifting Meanings and Words That Go Together

B2.2 A3.1 A1.2About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can understand and use academic words that I'll meet in Grade 8 and high school, such as synthesize, critique, perspective, bias and corroborate.
I can explain how the same word changes meaning from subject to subject.
I can use subject words flexibly: in different forms (synthesize, synthesis) and with the words they usually go with (draw a conclusion).
I can choose a strategy to learn and remember new subject vocabulary.

Words to know

academic word
A word used across many school subjects for thinking and explaining, like analyze, evaluate or synthesize.

synthesize
To combine ideas from several sources into a new, bigger understanding.

perspective
A point of view: how a person or group sees an issue, shaped by their experiences.

bias
A one-sided preference that can make a source unfair or incomplete.

corroborate
To confirm something using another, separate source.

collocation
Words that usually go together, like draw a conclusion or conduct an experiment.

Remember from Grade 7

In Grade 7 you sorted words into everyday, academic and subject-specific, learned academic words like evaluate, justify, interpret, infer and criteria, and saw how words like solution, current, volume and scale change meaning by subject. Grade 8 texts and assignments get closer to high school. You'll add academic words for deeper thinking, new words with shifting meanings from your Grade 8 subjects, and a new idea: words that go together.

Let's start with a puzzle

What does density mean?

In science (Grade 8 fluids): "Oil floats on water because it has a lower density." Density is the mass in a certain volume.
In geography (Grade 8 global settlement): "Hong Kong has a very high population density." Population density is the number of people per square kilometre.

The two meanings are related (both are about how much is packed into a space), but you measure completely different things. Strong readers ask: **What does this word mean in this subject, and how does that connect to what I already know?**

A clear glass on a wooden table with a layer of yellow oil floating on top of clear water. — Oil floats on water because it has a lower density. This is the science meaning of density; in geography the same word describes how many people live in an area. AI-generated image

Density in any subject means how much is packed into a space. Left: 7 dots in a box (lower density). Right: 35 dots in a box of the same size (higher density).

Academic word	What a question using it asks you to do	Example
synthesize	Combine ideas from several sources into one new understanding	Synthesize what the three articles say about plastic in the Great Lakes.
critique	Judge the strengths and weaknesses of something, with reasons	Critique the design of your classmate's model bridge.
perspective	Consider a point of view and how experiences shape it	Explain the perspectives of a farmer and a city resident on a new highway.
bias	Notice when a source is one-sided	Does this advertisement show bias? How do you know?
corroborate	Confirm with a separate source	Find a second source that corroborates the date.
implication	Think about what might follow or result	What are the implications of a warmer winter for ice roads in the North?
hypothesize	Make a testable prediction with a reason	Hypothesize how temperature affects the viscosity of honey.
distinguish	Show how two things differ	Distinguish between weather and climate.

High school assignments use these words constantly. Knowing exactly what each one asks is half the work.

Word	Meaning in one subject	Meaning in another subject
cell	Science: the smallest unit of a living thing	Everyday: a cellphone; a small room. Math and computers: one box in a spreadsheet or table
pressure	Science (fluids): force pushing on an area	Everyday: feeling pushed to do something; stress
resistance	Science (electricity): how much a material slows the flow of electric current	History: people opposing a government's actions, as in the Red River Resistance (1869–70)
power	Math: a number written with an exponent, like 2⁵	Science: how fast energy is used or transferred. History and civics: authority over others
root	Math: a square root (√49 = 7)	Science: the part of a plant under the soil. Language: the core part of a word
settlement	Geography: a place where people live, from a hamlet to a city	Everyday: an agreement that ends a disagreement
development	Geography: improving people's quality of life and a country's economy	Everyday: growth or change over time; a new housing area
constant	Math and science: a value that doesn't change	Everyday: happening all the time (constant noise)

Same word, different meanings. Context and subject tell you which one fits.

One word, three subjects: in math a root is a number like √49 = 7, in science it's the part of a plant under the soil, and in language it's the core of a word (cred in incredible).

Words that go together

In each subject, some words travel in pairs or groups. These are called collocations. Using the right partner makes you sound like an expert, and spotting them helps you read faster.

Science: conduct an experiment, form a hypothesis, record observations, draw a conclusion
History: cite evidence, analyze a primary source, consider multiple perspectives, historical significance
Geography: population density, quality of life, natural resources, settlement pattern
Math: solve an equation, simplify an expression, estimate the answer

We say draw a conclusion, not make a conclusion; conduct an experiment, not do an experiment (in formal writing).

Using words flexibly

Knowing a word well means using its other forms, too:

synthesize (verb) → synthesis (noun) → synthetic (adjective, with a different everyday meaning: made by people, not natural)
perspective → perspectives
hypothesize → hypothesis → hypotheses (plural)
bias → biased (a biased source)

Worked example

Let's decode an assignment

Your history assignment says:

"Synthesize information from at least two primary sources and one secondary source to explain different perspectives on the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Corroborate key facts, and identify any bias in your sources."

Synthesize: don't just summarize each source separately. Combine them into one explanation.
At least two primary sources and one secondary source: primary = created at the time (letters, photos, newspapers from the 1880s); secondary = created later (a textbook, a documentary).
Perspectives: whose points of view? For example, railway owners, workers (including Chinese workers who did much of the dangerous work in British Columbia), settlers, and First Nations whose lands the railway crossed.
Corroborate: check important facts (dates, numbers) in a second source.
Bias: ask whether each source is one-sided (for example, a company advertisement that only shows the benefits).
Make a checklist from the verbs: ☐ 3 sources ☐ combined explanation ☐ at least 3 perspectives ☐ key facts corroborated ☐ bias noted.

The academic words tell you exactly what to do: combine sources, include several perspectives, double-check facts, and point out one-sidedness. Turning each verb into a checklist item makes sure nothing is missed.

Make it yours

A new word sticks when you use it several times in a few days. Try a Frayer square: the word in the middle, then four boxes: definition, characteristics, examples, non-examples. Then use it in conversation once today.

Just for fun

Why did the math textbook look so stressed?

It had too many problems. (In math, a problem is a task to solve. Everywhere else, it's... a problem.)

Hands-on activity

Subject word scavenger hunt

You need: two school textbooks or library books from different subjects (for example science and geography), or a news website a parent helps you choose, paper and a pencil.

Make three columns: Academic words, Words that change meaning, Words that go together.
Skim your two books for 15 minutes. Find at least three examples for each column. Write the sentence you found each in.
For each "changes meaning" word, write its meaning in that subject and one other meaning.
Choose one academic word and make a Frayer square (definition, characteristics, examples, non-examples).
Teach your Frayer word to a family member. Then both of you use it in a sentence about something happening at home.

What to look for: correct subject meanings, real collocations (like conduct an experiment or population density), and a Frayer square with clear examples and non-examples.

Your turn

What does synthesize ask you to do?

What does corroborate mean? Give an example.

Give the science meaning and the geography meaning of density.

What does resistance mean in a science unit on electricity? In history?

Fill in the collocation: We ___ a conclusion from our results.

Is this source likely to show bias? A brochure from a company selling a new snowblower, comparing it with other brands.

Change the form: hypothesize → noun? plural?

More practice: warm-up

Which academic word means a point of view?

Which academic word means judge strengths and weaknesses?

Name the plant meaning of root.

Complete: conduct an ___

What is a collocation?

More practice: on your own

What does power mean in math? Give an example.

Distinguish between weather and climate.

Your geography question asks: What are the implications of rapid urbanization? What is it asking for?

Use settlement in a geography sentence and in an everyday sentence.

Which is the more expert phrasing for a lab report: do an experiment or conduct an experiment?

Challenge

Write one question that uses perspective and one that uses corroborate for a Grade 8 history topic.

Explain why synthesizing three sources is harder than summarizing each of them.

Constant in math means a value that doesn't change. Explain how that meaning connects to the everyday meaning happening all the time.

Check your understanding

Quiz

A question asks you to synthesize two articles. You should...

In science, pressure means...

To corroborate a fact, you...

Which is a collocation used in science?

In geography, population density means...

A source that only shows one side of an issue may have...

For parents and teachers

Big idea (B2.2, with A3.1 and A1.2): Grade 8 students demonstrate an understanding of a wide variety of words, acquire and use explicitly taught vocabulary flexibly in various contexts, including other subject areas. This lesson adds academic words common in high school (synthesize, critique, perspective, bias, corroborate, implication), words that shift meaning across Grade 8 subjects, and collocations.

How to help at home:

When your child gets an assignment, ask: "What's the main verb? What is it asking you to do?" Turn the verbs into a checklist.
Use academic words in family talk: "What's your perspective?" "Can you corroborate that?"
Notice words with subject meanings in the news (pressure, development, resistance).

Common difficulties:

Summarizing when asked to synthesize. Ask: "How do these sources fit together?"
Bringing the everyday meaning into a subject (pressure = stress in a science answer).
Using a word only in one form. Practise the noun, verb and adjective forms together.