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VOCABULARY REFERENCE & PRACTICE — GRADE 9 — JUSTICE & ADVOCACY

The Language of Change

Key Vocabulary — 11 terms — Grade 9 High School

Name: _________________________    Date: _____________    Class: _____________

📚 Vocabulary Reference

Study each term with its definition and real-world context sentence.

1
rhetoric
The art of using language effectively and persuasively, especially in public speech; from the story: Jerome "had become the rhetorical center of something larger than himself."
2
censorship
The suppression or prohibition of speech, writing, or images that are considered offensive or harmful; the opposite of what Jerome calls "concern," which is how the school board framed their position.
3
framing
The way a situation, issue, or argument is presented; framing determines how people respond to it; from the excerpt: speakers used "a frame" to hold their argument in a way that wouldn't frighten white audiences.
4
address
A formal speech or writing directed to a specific audience; from the excerpt: "This is the art of the address" — meaning the speech at the March was crafted for a specific audience.
5
dual audience
An audience that contains two or more groups with different relationships to the message; from the excerpt: the March speeches were designed for both Black communities (call to action) and white mainstream (not frightening them away).
6
strategic
Done with a specific goal in mind, often involving careful planning of words or actions to achieve that goal; from the story: Jerome's word choices were strategic — designed to open doors rather than close them.
7
defensive crouch
A posture of self-protection that closes a person off to new information; from the story: "If I come in calling them censors, they stop listening. They go into a defensive crouch."
"If I come in calling them censors, they stop listening. They go into a ___."
8
coalition
A temporary alliance of different groups who agree to work together toward a shared goal; from the story: Jerome says that some people shifting is "the beginning of a coalition."
9
self-determination
The right of a group or person to make their own choices, define their own identity, and control their own narrative; from the excerpt: Black orators used language as "a tool of self-determination."
10
gospel
A style of Christian music with deep roots in Black American religious tradition; from the excerpt: Mahalia Jackson chose gospel as a rhetorical signal that the movement belonged in the mainstream.
11
audience
The group of people who receive a spoken or written message; but in rhetoric, "audience" also implies the speaker's obligation to understand who they're talking to and what will move them.

◾ Vocabulary Crossword

Use the clues below to fill in the crossword. Each answer is a vocabulary word from this lesson.

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7
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→ Across
1.A formal speech or writing directed to a specific audience; from the excerpt: "This is the art of the address" — meaning the speech at the March was crafted for a specific audience.
4.The way a situation, issue, or argument is presented; framing determines how people respond to it; from the excerpt: speakers used "a frame" to hold their argument in a way that wouldn't frighten white audiences.
11.The right of a group or person to make their own choices, define their own identity, and control their own narrative; from the excerpt: Black orators used language as "a tool of self-determination."
↓ Down
2.A posture of self-protection that closes a person off to new information; from the story: "If I come in calling them censors, they stop listening. They go into a defensive crouch."
3.Done with a specific goal in mind, often involving careful planning of words or actions to achieve that goal; from the story: Jerome's word choices were strategic — designed to open doors rather than close them.
5.The group of people who receive a spoken or written message; but in rhetoric, "audience" also implies the speaker's obligation to understand who they're talking to and what will move them.
6.A style of Christian music with deep roots in Black American religious tradition; from the excerpt: Mahalia Jackson chose gospel as a rhetorical signal that the movement belonged in the mainstream.
7.A temporary alliance of different groups who agree to work together toward a shared goal; from the story: Jerome says that some people shifting is "the beginning of a coalition."
8.An audience that contains two or more groups with different relationships to the message; from the excerpt: the March speeches were designed for both Black communities (call to action) and white mainstream (not frightening them away).
9.The art of using language effectively and persuasively, especially in public speech; from the story: Jerome "had become the rhetorical center of something larger than himself."
10.The suppression or prohibition of speech, writing, or images that are considered offensive or harmful; the opposite of what Jerome calls "concern," which is how the school board framed their position.

🔍 Context Clues Challenge

Read each sentence and use context clues to identify the vocabulary word being described. Write the word on the line.

1.
            
2.
            
3.
            
4.
            
5.
            
6.
            
7.
If I come in calling them censors, they stop listening. They go into a             .
8.
            

✏️ Analytical Response

Write a well-structured paragraph of at least 6–8 sentences that analyzes the vocabulary words in relation to the themes of this lesson. Use at least 5 vocabulary words and demonstrate your understanding of both denotation (literal meaning) and connotation (emotional weight). Underline each vocabulary word you use.

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