Our book club met after school to talk about the mystery novel. Jamal asked us to summarize the plot, so I described how the rookie detective follows a trail of clues, hits a dead end, and then uncovers the real thief at the school fair. We debated which twist was most surprising and whether the ending felt earned. Later, we compared the author's earlier books and noticed similar clues were sprinkled throughout, which made the story feel fair even when it fooled us.

Dictionary entry: plot (noun/verb)

• Syllabication: plot
• Pronunciation: /plät/ (sounds like "plott")
• Word origin: From Middle English; related to Old French complot ("secret plan").
• Parts of speech and meanings:
  1. noun: the sequence of events in a story or play
  2. verb: to plan something secretly
  3. verb: to mark points and lines on a map or graph Focus sentence: "Jamal asked us to summarize the plot." Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

During the science lab, our teacher asked us to record every temperature change in a data table as the ice melted. I carefully watched the thermometer, then wrote each new reading next to the time. When my partner got distracted, I reminded him that missing a number could ruin our results. At the end, we compared our notes to the class average and explained any differences. Double-checking what we had recorded helped us spot a mistake before we turned in the lab report.

Dictionary entry: record (noun/verb)

• Syllabication: rec·ord (noun), re·cord (verb)
• Pronunciation: noun /REH-kord/; verb /ri-KORD/
• Word origin: From Latin recordari ("to remember"), via Old French recorder.
• Parts of speech and meanings:
  1. noun: the best achievement in a category; or a stored account
  2. noun: a round disc that plays music
  3. verb: to write down or capture sound/video so it can be used later Focus sentence: "Our teacher asked us to record every temperature change." Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

In the bottle-rocket project, we learned how air warms and cools. After we launched, our team set the rocket in the shade and noticed the balloon taped around its neck begin to contract. The rubber wrinkled slightly as the cooler air inside took up less space. We sketched what we saw and wrote predictions about what would happen back in the sun. When we returned the rocket to the warm sidewalk, the balloon smoothed out again, confirming our idea about how temperature affects volume.

Dictionary entry: contract (noun/verb)

• Syllabication: con·tract
• Pronunciation: noun /KON-trakt/; verb /kuhn-TRAKT/
• Word origin: From Latin contrahere ("to draw together").
• Parts of speech and meanings:
  1. noun: a written agreement stating what each side will do
  2. verb: to become smaller or tighter; to draw together
  3. verb: to catch or develop an illness Focus sentence: "...the balloon ... began to contract." Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

Before the overnight field trip, I checked my backpack twice. The sky looked stormy, so I tested my flashlight and realized the beam was faint. I went to the cabin's outlet to charge the flashlight while I filled my water bottle and packed extra socks. By the time the rain started, the battery had enough power to guide us to the meeting spot safely. Everyone was glad I prepared, because the trail was muddy and the clouds covered the moon.

Dictionary entry: charge (noun/verb)

• Syllabication: charge
• Pronunciation: /chahrj/
• Word origin: From Old French charger ("to load"), related to Latin roots meaning "to load/carry."
• Parts of speech and meanings:
  1. noun: the price or fee for something; or a formal accusation
  2. verb: to rush forward quickly
  3. verb: to put electricity into a battery or device Focus sentence: "I went to the cabin's outlet to charge the flashlight." Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

At the pond behind our school, Maya and I set out early to finish our science project. Reeds swayed, and dragonflies buzzed above the water. We used my tablet to record the frog calls so we could compare them to last week's sounds. Back at the lab table, we would sort the clips by time of day and write what we noticed. The calm morning made it easy to listen closely, and we practiced staying quiet.

Mini-dictionary: record

• Syllabication: re·cord (noun), re·cord (verb)
• Pronunciation: noun /REK-ord/; verb /ri-KORD/
• Origin: Latin recordari "to remember"
• Definitions:
  1. verb: to capture sound or video for later use
  2. noun: the best or highest amount achieved
  3. noun: an account kept in writing

Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

Our class planned a field trip to the city museum. Ms. Lopez reminded us to bring lunches and to wear comfy shoes because we would walk a lot. The best news came in the permission slip: the museum will not charge us on Free Day, so we can save our money for lunch. I checked the calendar and highlighted the date at home. My mom said she once visited the same museum when she was my age and still remembers the dinosaur exhibit.

Mini-dictionary: charge

• Syllabication: charge
• Pronunciation: /charj/
• Origin: Old French charger "to load," from Latin carricare
• Definitions:
  1. verb: to ask someone to pay a price for something
  2. noun: the price or fee
  3. noun: responsibility or care of something

Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

For our neighborhood history project, we decided to follow a walking route that passed old murals and the restored train station. Before we left, I spread a map on the table. We took a bright pencil to plot the path from school to the library, marking turns so no one would get lost. We also listed safe meeting spots. With the route set, we packed water and charged our phones in case we needed directions. Everyone felt ready to explore.

Mini-dictionary: plot

• Syllabication: plot
• Pronunciation: /plät/
• Origin: Middle English; related to words for "small piece of land"; later used for story events
• Definitions:
  1. verb: to draw or mark a path or points on a map/graph
  2. noun: the main events of a story
  3. noun: a small piece of land

Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?

In science class, our group kept a log of how far different paper airplanes glided across the gym. We tested each design three times and measured the average distance. Tomorrow I will present our findings to the class, using simple charts so everyone can follow our steps. We want our method to be clear so others can repeat the experiment. After school, I practiced speaking slowly and timing myself, because I tend to rush when I'm nervous.

Mini-dictionary: present

• Syllabication: pre·sent (verb), pre·sent (noun)
• Pronunciation: verb /pri-ZENT/; noun /PREZ-ent/
• Origin: Latin praesentare via Old French, meaning "to place before"
• Definitions:
  1. verb: to show or share something with an audience
  2. noun: a gift
  3. noun: the time that is happening now

Which definition best fits the sentence in the passage?