# _______ Name ______________________________ Date ____________________________
Lesson 9 - Activity 1 – Find Definition Using Context Clues
Directions: Find the definition of the work using the context clues in the story. Circle the
context clues you used to find the definition of the word.
A Watery Grave
In 1996, on a cold, clammy November day, divers from a company called Intersal were finishing up
for the day. Dedicated to finding and exploring shipwrecks, they were searching Beaufort Inlet off the
North Carolina coast. According to historical records, here lay the Queen Anne’s Revenge, once the
flagship of the notorious pirate Blackbeard. Company divers had been surveying the area—
unsuccessfully—for almost a decade. But today, the crew of elite shipwreck historians aboard the staging
vessel heard a loud commotion. Divers had discovered a huge mound of cannons, anchors, and other
artifacts—including a bronze bell inscribed with the date 1709. After inspecting these relics, underwater
archaeologists agreed that this site probably contained the wreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge.
1
It’s not surprising that the waters off North Carolina were once a draw for pirates. Britain’s antismuggling laws restricted their activities, which was an annoyance to them. Across the Atlantic, however,
the colonies posed no such problem. Emboldened by this realization, pirates found that North Carolina’s
Outer Banks were full of narrow bays and inlets—convenient for staging sneak attacks on merchant ships.
Historians have documented more than five thousand shipwrecks lost in North Carolina’s waters,
but no find has been as dramatic as the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Much of this excitement comes from its
role in the exploits of Blackbeard, the most feared pirate in history.
2
Blackbeard captured countless ships. The Queen Anne’s Revenge, captured in Caribbean waters in
1717, was his prime weapon during the height of his reign as Pirate King. It was from the prow of this
flagship in May of 1718 that Blackbeard commanded his most brazen act of piracy—the blockade of the
port of Charleston. For an entire week, Blackbeard led three hundred pirates on four boats to attack
merchant ships. Once secured, Blackbeard climbed aboard his prizes to raid their contents and bundle up
stolen treasures.
However, the site of this campaign was also where both ship and pirate met their watery deaths.
When his flagship sank in June of 1718, Blackbeard escaped—only to die in battle there a mere five
months later.
3
The coastal waters that appealed to pirates posed many hazards. Sailors know that when they pass
through Cape Hatteras, paying strict attention is of critical importance. Here, an area called the Diamond
Shoals extends fourteen miles out, full of shifting sand bars that lurk under the shallow waters. These
hidden dangers have caused many a ship to be demolished. The strong winds can toss salty spray a hundred
feet into the air. A ship can be broken up, and no one would even hear it over the squalling of the stormy
seas. In a book about the area’s many shipwrecks, author David Stick writes: “You can stand on Cape Point
at Hatteras on a stormy day and watch two oceans come together in an awesome display of savage fury. . . .
Seafaring men call it the Graveyard of the Atlantic.”
Vocabulary Words from Journeys Series
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Lesson 9 - Activity 2 – Definitions
Directions: Write the definition next to the correct word.
_____________________________________________________________________________
critical / demolished / elite / commotion / bundle / annoyance / secured / squalling / clammy / realization
1. critical__________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. demolished______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. elite____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. commotion______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. bundle__________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
6. annoyance_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. secured_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
8. squalling________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9. clammy_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10. realization_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Words from Journeys Series
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Lesson 9 - Activity 3 – Fill in the Blank
Directions: Write the word in the blank so that the sentence makes sense.
_____________________________________________________________________________
critical / demolished / elite / commotion / bundle / annoyance / secured / squalling / clammy / realization
1. Burkhart learned that Etheridge and his surfmen were an ________________ group.
squalling
elite
clammy
2. Then she came to a ________________. Their bravery had never been officially recognized.
critical
secured
realization
3. Then a fresh team heard the ________________ of the captain’s baby and saved him.
squalling
annoyance
clammy
4. He described the commotion of the hurricane that ________________ the ship.
critical
secured
demolished
5. The research was critical in winning ________________ for the team.
secured
recognition
commotion
6. They were too busy to feel ________________.
annoyance
elite
Vocabulary Words from Journeys Series
commotion
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Lesson 9 - Activity 4 – Connections
Directions: Each sentence has a connection with a vocabulary word. Write the correct word
on the line provided.
_____________________________________________________________________________
critical / demolished / elite / commotion / bundle / annoyance / secured / squalling / clammy / realization
1. I was so aggravated that he wouldn’t stop bothering me.
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. The kids at the party trashed the cafeteria.
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. We just noticed that the classes are longer in the morning and in the afternoon.
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. The biker tided his bicycle to the roof of his car with bungee cords.
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. It was very important to complete the project before the due date because it’s half our grade.
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. We wrapped ourselves in warm clothes before going out in freezing weather.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Words from Journeys Series
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Lesson 9 - Activity 5 – Thinking Creatively
Directions: Answer each question below. Use your knowledge of the word to think
creatively.
_____________________________________________________________________________
critical / demolished / elite / commotion / bundle / annoyance / secured / squalling / clammy / realization
1.
Why is it important to eliminate commotion during an emergency situation?
______________________________________________________________________________________
2.
How might you quiet the squalling of a child?
______________________________________________________________________________________
3.
Why might a person feel clammy?
______________________________________________________________________________________
4.
If your bicycle was secured to a tree, what would you need to do to ride it?
______________________________________________________________________________________
5.
If you see an accident, what critical step should you take immediately?
______________________________________________________________________________________
6.
What kind of realization might someone have after surviving a natural disaster?
______________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Words from Journeys Series
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