Study these terms before completing the activities below.
1. resettlement
the process of relocating refugees or displaced people to a new home, often with official assistance; Amara's family arrives in a resettlement apartment with the help of a caseworker
2. surveillance
close observation, often by those in power; Amara describes the classroom as a place of surveillance, which she survives by staying still and invisible
3. casualty
something lost or destroyed in a conflict or disaster; Amara's father says "the first casualty of anything overwhelming is the specific" — detail is what gets lost first in crisis
4. resilience
the ability to recover and continue despite hardship; not just bouncing back but growing through difficulty; the notebooks are the form of Amara's resilience
5. narrative
a spoken or written account; claiming your narrative means controlling how your story is told; Mrs. Okafor's assignment is a personal narrative
6. intergenerational
passing between generations, from parent to child and beyond; "Scar Tissue" shows intergenerational trauma — and intergenerational strength
7. trauma
a deeply distressing experience that has lasting psychological effects; the poem shows how trauma can be transmitted across generations even without direct experience
8. diaspora
the scattering of a people from their original homeland; Amara is part of an Eritrean diaspora, living in a country far from where her family is from
9. transit
the process of passing through a place on the way to somewhere else; Amara spent years in transit between Eritrea and her current country
10. journalist
a person who investigates and reports on events, often at personal risk; Amara's father's work as a journalist is why the family had to leave Eritrea
11. clarity
the quality of being clear and easy to perceive; the Tigrinya word Amara is translating means something like "the clarity that comes after you have survived something"
12. inheritance
what is passed down from previous generations; the poem ends by claiming strength — not trauma — as the true inheritance
🏭 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. resettlement
2. surveillance
3. casualty
4. resilience
5. narrative
6. intergenerational
7. trauma
8. diaspora
9. transit
10. journalist
11. clarity
12. inheritance
💬 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.
resettlement
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
the process of relocating refugees or displaced people to a new home, often with official assistance; Amara's family arrives in a resettlement apartment with the help of a caseworker
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using resettlement to show its connotation:
surveillance
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
close observation, often by those in power; Amara describes the classroom as a place of surveillance, which she survives by staying still and invisible
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using surveillance to show its connotation:
casualty
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
something lost or destroyed in a conflict or disaster; Amara's father says "the first casualty of anything overwhelming is the specific" — detail is what gets lost first in crisis
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using casualty to show its connotation:
resilience
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
the ability to recover and continue despite hardship; not just bouncing back but growing through difficulty; the notebooks are the form of Amara's resilience
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using resilience to show its connotation:
narrative
📖 Denotation (dictionary meaning)
a spoken or written account; claiming your narrative means controlling how your story is told; Mrs. Okafor's assignment is a personal narrative
💬 Connotation (emotional feel)
How does word choice here shape meaning? Write a sentence using narrative 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.
resettlement
🔗 Synonyms
↔️ Antonyms
🌐 Related Terms
surveillance
🔗 Synonyms
↔️ Antonyms
🌐 Related Terms
casualty
🔗 Synonyms
↔️ Antonyms
🌐 Related Terms
resilience
🔗 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 Resistance & Resilience.