COMPREHENSION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE S.S.S2 SECOND TERM
WEEK ONE
THEME: READING
COMPREHENSION
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE
Students should be able to;
- Read the passage carefully
- Identify points
- Answer questions from. Passage
CONTENT
Civil Rights
The Civil Rights Movement was an era in US history between 1954-1968 during which African Americans ended segregation and successfully asserted their basic human rights through peaceful protest and community building.
The movement made tremendous strides and is a landmark, foundational moment in US history. In 1954, at the start of the movement, slavery had been abolished for nearly 100 years, but deep racial tensions and inequalities still separated white and black America.
Segregation, or the practice of having separate facilities for whites and African Americans, was the norm in the country. This meant that African Americans could not go to the same schools, live and work in the same places, or even serve in the same army units, as white Americans. Segregation was held up by the Supreme Court decision in the Plessy v Ferguson case of 1896, which decided that segregated facilities could be 'separate but equal.' The reality was, that facilities created for African Americans were vastly inferior to those created for white Americans.
In 1951, the African American students of Moton High School protested that their facilities were worse than those of white students. The issue reached the Supreme Court, who decided that 'separate but equal' facilities were not equal, and that segregation was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court case of Brown v Board of Education of 1954 is seen today as the start of the Civil Rights movement. However, the case was not accepted easily. Many state officials, such as Orval Faubus, the governor of Arkansas, refused to desegregate schools in 1957. Due to the violent crowds who tried to harm nine African American high school students that wanted to exercise their right to attend integrated schools, the students had to travel to school under escort by the National Guard.
Another key turning point came in 1955, when Rosa Parks, an African American woman in Alabama, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. For this 'crime' she was arrested, but this arrest received a national outcry. This outcry led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where 90% of the African Americans in the city of Montgomery, almost 50,000 people, boycotted-or refused to use the bus system. Their objective was to aim for the desegregation of public transit. The boycott caused the bus system to lose a large amount of money. After nearly a year of boycott, the federal government ordered that the bus system be desegregated.
The key figure of the Civil Rights movement was Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. He was an American Baptist minister who emphasized nonviolent, peaceful protest. He led many marches and protests, such as the Selma Voting Rights Movement in the mid-'60s in Georgia, where Jim Crow Laws-laws which maintained segregation of all aspects of life and limited the civil rights of African Americans-were strong, and where white police were not afraid to use violent force to arrest, wound, or even kill African Americans.
King's nonviolent civil resistance approach won him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He is most famous for his 'I Have a Dream Speech,' of 1963, in which he called for an end to racism in the United States. King was assassinated for his work in a motel room in 1968, resulting in riots in several US cities.
- What was the Civil Rights Movement?
A: An African American movement pushing for the end of segregation in America
B: A prelude to the Civil War
C: A freedom march in Washington
D: A boycott in Alabama
- What did the Brown v. Board of Education case do?
A: It decided that 'separate but equal' was unconstitutional, and desegregated schools
B: It maintained that 'separate but equal' was constitutional
C: It affirmed Jim Crow laws
D: They were involved in organized crime
- What did Orval Faubus do in response to the Brown v. Board of Education decision?
A: He complied and desegregated schools in his state
B: He refused to desegregate schools in his state
C: He sued the federal government
D: He didn't know anything about the decision
- Who was arrested for refusing to give up their seat to a white person on a bus?
A: Plessy
B: Ferguson
C: Martin Luther King
D: Rosa Parks
- What was the goal of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
A: To desegregate public transport by peaceful means
B: To desegregate public transport by violent means
C: To keep public transport segregated by peaceful means
D: To keep public transport segregated by violent means
- Why was Martin Luther King Jr. so important?
A: He was a great public speaker
B: He was a brilliant strategist
C: He was well-connected
D: He emphasized peaceful, non-violent protest
THEME: STRUCTURE
PREFIXES
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE
Students should be able to;
- Explain how prefixes can generate new word and meanings from basic root words
- Use prefixes to create antonyms
CONTENT
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word. For example, the word “unhappy” consists of the prefix “un-” [which means “not”] combined with the root (or stem) word “happy”; the word “unhappy” means “not happy.”
Prefixes are attached to the beginning of a root word. They create a new word with a new meaning. Here's a list of common prefixes, along with their meaning and a sample sentence:
- anti- (against or opposite)
Do you think the ending of the latest Avengers movie was anticlimactic?
- dis- (lack of, apart, reversal, or not)
Her lack of French put her at a disadvantage throughout her travels.
- in- (not, in or on)
The new employee felt her two hours of training was inadequate.
- mis- (wrong or negation)
The ancient manual was full of misinformation.
- non- (not)
The worst part of a low-fat diet is nonfat milk.
- pre- (before or in front of)
Her grandmother's world knowledge predates her mother's.
- un- (not or reversal)
This tart pie is rather unsavoury.
Prefixes and Hyphens
From time to time, you might see a hyphen placed between a prefix and a root word. This is common when the prefix ends in the same letter as the root word begins. For example, if a world leader has an anti-immigration policy, you'll generally want to place a hyphen between the prefix and the root word.
Next, hyphens are required when a prefix is about to join a proper noun. For example, if you're taking a trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Ireland, you'll need a hyphen before the proper noun, "Atlantic."
Finally, there are four prefixes that almost always take a hyphen before joining their root word. This is one of those tricky grammar rules you'll have to commit to memory. Most style guides instruct writers on hyphen usage. So, be sure to consult your teacher's style guide when in doubt. In the meantime, try to err on the side of a hyphen if you ever want to use the following prefixes:
- all- (the whole amount, quantity, or extent of)
Her knowledge of 15th-century Ireland was all-encompassing.
- cross- (to pass in a different direction, or intersect)
He refused to submit for cross-examination.
- ex- (former, out of)
She had a coffee meeting with her ex-business partner.
- self- (a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others)
Hygge is the Danish practice of self-care.
An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning to another word. Many antonyms are formed by adding the prefix unto an existing word. for example: happy unhappy
- kind unkind The prefixes mis-, dis-, in-, ir- and im- and il- are used instead of un- with some words to create antonyms.for example: lead mislead
- like dislike
- visible invisible
- regular irregular
possible impossible logical illogical Mis usually has the meaning of doing something wrongly, such as misinforming someone about something. However, most of the prefixes mean exactly the same thing as each other, so it is just a case of learning which ones should be added to particular words.
THEME: VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT
WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH ENVIRONMENT
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE
Students should be able to;
- Explain the meaning of environment
- Mention types of environmental issues
- List the importance of a clean environment
CONTENT
The environment refers to our immediate surroundings in which all living and non-living components co-exist. It can be used to refer to the social, natural or built environment. The environment has a huge impact on an individual’s behaviour and intellect. Any change that occurs in a living entity either directly or indirectly is related to a change in his immediate surrounding.
Types of Environment
There are two different types of environment:
- Geographical Environment
- Man-made Environment
- Geographical Environment
It consists of all components provided by nature and hence can be called as the natural environment. It is also referred to as the physical environment as it pertains to the physical requirements of life. These physical or geographic conditions are not dependent on the existence of humans. Sometimes, humans have no control over the physical conditions of the environment.
It includes natural resources, the earth’s surface, mountains, plains, land, water, deserts, storms, cyclones, volcanoes, oceans, climatic factors, and so on. It is also used to refer to biological situations such as complexities associated with plants and animals. The sustainability of the natural resources is known to contribute towards the economy of a country.
Man-Made Environment
This environment is used to refer to the one created by man in order to regulate and monitor certain environmental conditions. Some address it as a social-cultural environment. It can further be divided into two types of environments.
- Inner Environment
- Outer Environment
- The Inner Environment
It is a social environment and it exists as long as a particular society exists. It pertains to the regulations, traditions, organizations and institutions. It involves customs and folkways which is existent in every human group. It is addressed with names such as non-material culture, social heritage etc. This heritage is essential for the social life of humans to flourish, it is known to have an influence on an individual’s life. The altered form of the economic and physical environment – artificial environment, are seen as two different aspects of the man-made environment.
The Outer Environment
Through advancement in the field of science and technology, humans have attempted to alter conditions of their physical environment. This outer environment is as a result of these modifications which includes modern infrastructure in cities, our homes and their associated amenities, our modes of communication and transport, our resorts to conveniences and luxury, different kinds of industry manufacturing luxurious commodities, electrical appliances and so on which ultimately aims at civilization and urbanization.
The inner and the outer environments are correlated and hence inseparable.
Your environment, both at home and at work, plays a critically fundamental role in your physical and mental health, as well as your overall well-being, much more than you might have ever given it credit for.
A dirty or uninviting environment doesn’t just cause infections or repulsion, it also pulls apart your emotional control and mental stability. On the other hand, a clean environment facilitates sound health, and helps build about a robust well-being.
There are two major sides to having a clean environment. One involves removing dirt and filth while the other has to do with tidiness, having every single item in their rightful and appropriate places at all times.
Many studies have connected clean environments to a healthy and happy life. So, despite the increasingly degenerating environmental hazards, for whoever knows the benefits of a clean environment, creating one becomes a must. A task that must be accomplished at all costs.
Let’s see some of the benefits of keeping a clean environment.
- Infections free life
Unarguably, germs and other harmful microorganisms thrive in filth. And infections go hand in hand with germs and their kin. But once your environment is clean: washed, disinfected and sanitised, you’re sure of an infection-free living. Which means in choosing the product to use in aiding cleanliness, you have to be careful.
Make sure you choose one with zero toxic residue.
In the words of Lemi Shine, abetter clean starts with a better cleaner. You know, a good product will eliminate odour causing build-up in-home, deodorise the office or home and remove stains from appliances without eroding their outer coatings.
- Increased self-confidence
Satisfaction with your environment automatically boosts your self-confidence. The truth is it’s not likely you readily know the source of this extraordinary self-assurance except you take time to reflect. But you’ll certainly feel it in you. You’re sure you’ve got it. You know you’re super confident.
This can be brought about by being in a room with bright light, both natural and artificial. Besides, this kind of environment can help improve depression and anxiety.
This means you’ll always be in the right frame of mind; no depression, no anxiety.
- Higher productivity
When your environment is clean, neat and nice, it turns you into a perpetually happy person. All negative emotions are banished and your creativity kind of get a rebirth. This translates into solid well-being and invariably tells on your productivity.
Happy people are super productive people.
- Sense of propriety
A clean environment makes it difficult for people to just leave things lying about or drop litters. This is not about you alone. It rather positively contagious. Everyone around you is influenced.
In other words, a clean environment positively impacts your behaviour and gives you reasons and impetus to act on keeping it always clean. And you end up managing your space better than you can imagine.
You must have noticed it too that people are reluctant to litter or clutter a place that is clean and neat, whereas they eagerly help a dirty environment degenerate.
Finally, your well-being is a delicate flower of many colours; it deserves your attention. Keep your environment always clean and tidy, and enjoy life to the fullest.
THEME: STRUCTURE
PRESERVATIVE PREFIXES
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE
Students should be able to;
- Explain the meaning of preserve
- Pronounce the word formed from the suffix
- Discuss the words and make sentences with them.
CONTENT
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word. For example, the word “unhappy” consists of the prefix “un-” [which means “not”] combined with the root (or stem) word “happy”; the word “unhappy” means “not happy.”
A shortlist of prefixes:
Prefix Meaning Examples
- de- from, down, away, reverse, opposite decode, decrease
- dis- not, opposite, reverse, away disagree, disappear
- ex- out of, away from, lacking, former exhale, explosion
- il- not illegal, illogical
- im- not, without impossible, improper
- in- not, without inaction, invisible
- mis- bad, wrong mislead, misplace
- non- not nonfiction, nonsense
- pre- before prefix, prehistory
- pro- for, forward, before proactive, profess, program
- re- again, back react, reappear
- un- against, not, opposite undo, unequal, unusual
THEME: CONTINOUS WRITING
FREE WRITING
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE
Students should be able to;
1. Write a short story, write up etc