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VOCABULARY WORKSHEET — GRADE 6 — ROOTS & ROUTES — STORIES OF MIGRATION

Maps and Memory

Key Vocabulary — 10 terms — Grade 6 Analytical

Name: _________________________    Date: _____________    Class: _____________

📚 Vocabulary Reference

Study these terms before completing the activities below.

1. migration
the movement of people from one place to another, often across national or regional borders
“Migration is not a single event — it's a series of choices, constraints, and adaptations that change a person in ways both visible and invisible. (from "What People Carry")”
2. persecuted
treated with sustained cruelty or unfairness because of one's race, religion, ethnicity, or beliefs
“Many of the world's migrations are driven by people who were persecuted for their identity — religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs. (from "What People Carry")”
3. continuity
the unbroken, consistent existence of something over time; an uninterrupted connection between past and present
“The photograph her mother kept for thirty years is a thread of continuity — proof that the past is still connected to the present. (from "The Photograph")”
4. irreplaceable
impossible to replace once lost or gone; having a value that cannot be measured in money
“The photograph in her mother's wallet is irreplaceable — not because of what it shows, but because of what it means to everyone in it. (from "The Photograph")”
5. refuge
a condition of being safe or sheltered from harm; also a place offering protection and safety
“When families seek refuge, they carry what they can — often the things that cannot be bought or replaced. (from "What People Carry")”
6. diaspora
a community of people who have dispersed from their original homeland and settled in other places
“The photograph shows four generations of a diaspora — family members who left, family members who stayed, and the distance between them. (from "The Photograph")”
7. symbolize
to represent or stand for something beyond literal meaning; to carry meaning larger than the object itself
“The yellow house with the green door symbolizes not just a home but a particular moment in a family's history. (from "The Photograph")”
8. tangible
something that can be physically touched or felt; concrete and real in a physical sense
“The only tangible record of her great-grandmother is that photograph and the stories her grandmother tells. (from "The Photograph")”
9. intangible
something that cannot be touched; abstract, such as memories, emotions, or cultural values
“The language, the recipes, the gestures passed down at the table — these are the intangible things that hold a family together across distance. (from "What People Carry")”
10. displacement
the forced movement of people from their home or homeland due to conflict, disaster, or persecution
“Displacement doesn't end when you arrive somewhere new — it echoes forward into every choice about language, belonging, and home. (from "What People Carry")”

🏭 Etymology Exploration — Where Do These Words Come From?

Use a dictionary or etymonline.com to research each word's origin. Words in this unit often have roots in Latin, Greek, Spanish, or African languages — the history of a word reveals the history of a people.

Term Language of Origin Original Meaning How Has the Meaning Changed Over Time?
1. migration
 
 
 
2. persecuted
 
 
 
3. continuity
 
 
 
4. irreplaceable
 
 
 
5. refuge
 
 
 
6. diaspora
 
 
 
7. symbolize
 
 
 
8. tangible
 
 
 
9. intangible
 
 
 
10. displacement
 
 
 

💬 Connotation vs. Denotation — How Word Choice Shapes Meaning

A word's denotation is its dictionary definition. Its connotation is the emotional feeling it carries. The same idea can feel very different depending on word choice.

migration
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
the movement of people from one place to another, often across national or regional borders
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using migration to show its connotation:
 
 
persecuted
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
treated with sustained cruelty or unfairness because of one's race, religion, ethnicity, or beliefs
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using persecuted to show its connotation:
 
 
continuity
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
the unbroken, consistent existence of something over time; an uninterrupted connection between past and present
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using continuity to show its connotation:
 
 
irreplaceable
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
impossible to replace once lost or gone; having a value that cannot be measured in money
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using irreplaceable to show its connotation:
 
 
refuge
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
a condition of being safe or sheltered from harm; also a place offering protection and safety
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using refuge to show its connotation:
 
 

📰 Real-World Usage Hunt

Find 6 of your vocabulary words in the real world — in a news headline, song lyrics, social media post, or book. Write where you found each one and how it was used.

Find #1
Vocabulary word found:
 
Source (news headline, song, caption, etc.):
 
How was it used? What does it mean in that context?
 
 
Find #2
Vocabulary word found:
 
Source (news headline, song, caption, etc.):
 
How was it used? What does it mean in that context?
 
 
Find #3
Vocabulary word found:
 
Source (news headline, song, caption, etc.):
 
How was it used? What does it mean in that context?
 
 
Find #4
Vocabulary word found:
 
Source (news headline, song, caption, etc.):
 
How was it used? What does it mean in that context?
 
 
Find #5
Vocabulary word found:
 
Source (news headline, song, caption, etc.):
 
How was it used? What does it mean in that context?
 
 
Find #6
Vocabulary word found:
 
Source (news headline, song, caption, etc.):
 
How was it used? What does it mean in that context?
 
 

🔁 Word Relationship Maps

For each word, fill in synonyms (words with similar meaning), antonyms (opposite meanings), and thematically related terms from the unit.

migration
🔗 Synonyms
 
 
↔️ Antonyms
 
 
🌐 Related Terms
 
 
persecuted
🔗 Synonyms
 
 
↔️ Antonyms
 
 
🌐 Related Terms
 
 
continuity
🔗 Synonyms
 
 
↔️ Antonyms
 
 
🌐 Related Terms
 
 
irreplaceable
🔗 Synonyms
 
 
↔️ Antonyms
 
 
🌐 Related Terms
 
 

✏️ Paragraph Writing Challenge

Write a paragraph of at least 5–7 sentences using 5 or more vocabulary words from this lesson. Underline each vocabulary word you use. Your paragraph should connect to the themes of Roots & Routes — Stories of Migration.

Words I plan to use (check at least 5):