Words to Know

Understanding how conventions work in informational text can make research easier and more efficient. For example, if you know what kind of information is supposed to appear in a fact sheet, and how the facts are likely to be organized, you can focus on identifying what the facts are. It also helps to know some of the language that is typically used to discuss the topic.

A pack of grey wolves (Canis Lupus) seen in the Canadian forest during the summer months with pups in the background.

rear
regurgitate
disperse
depleted
eradication
carrion
habituate
fluctuate

In the first part of Julie of the Wolves, the author relies on some words more than others to describe wolf behavior, including words that also appear in the Gray Wolf fact sheet. Since the fact sheet is a scientific article, though, rather than a work of fiction, you will encounter some terms that are part of the set of conventions used to share scientific knowledge. Use the activities below to learn the meanings of some "scientific words" before you encounter them in the fact sheet.

First, see if you can figure out what each word might mean when used to describe the gray wolf, its habitat, or its behavior. Then click the word to see its definition.

rear (verb)	to raise or nurture until adulthood
regurgitate	to throw up recently swallowed food
disperse	to spread out over a wide area
deplete	drastically reduce numbers or levels
eradication	the act of completely destroying or eliminating
carrion	the decaying flesh of an animal
habituate	become accustomed or used to something
fluctuate	to rise and fall in level or numbers

Figuring out how words are used in context can help you recognize them when you see them again in an article or story. Each of the cards below asks a question that can be answered using one of the words in the list above. Guess which word and then click the card to check your answer. Keep going through the "deck" until you can answer all of the questions correctly.