In card games, sometimes you have to play a card from the same suit as the previous player. For example, if someone else just played a heart, you have to play a heart, too. When you do, you're following suit.
And more generally, to follow suit is to do the same thing as other people are doing. For example, if you hear a strange melody, and you see all your friends get up and run toward the sound, then even if you don't know what's going on, you'll probably follow suit: meaning, you'll do the same thing that your friends just did.
Finally, when something suits you, or suits you well, it's suitable for you, which means it makes you look good, it makes you happy, or it gives you everything you need. Just like a suit is a full set of clothing that fits you very well, anything that suits you, or suits the situation, is fitting and appropriate: it'll work, it's helpful, and you like it. For example, if you have a nice, flat desk and a bright light, then you have a suitable place to do your homework.
But if all you have is the floor or the bed, and no light at all, that is an unsuitable place to do your homework. It's not a good place for homework. It doesn't suit your needs.
If you're going to the pool, and you want to keep the sun off your face, then a big, floppy hat will be suitable. A floppy hat will suit you in this situation: it's appropriate for the pool, and helpful for you.
But the same big, floppy hat is unsuitable for school. It'll get in your way, and it'll annoy you and your classmates.
As you can see, suitable things depend on the situation. Pepperoni pizza might be a perfectly suitable meal for you, but it could be unsuitable for your one friend who can't eat gluten and your other friend who doesn't eat meat.
Study the word MINIATURE:
Something miniature is much smaller than the normal kind. It's teeny-tiny, compared to the real thing, or compared to what you were expecting.
This miniature cake can fit into your hand. Compared to regular cakes, it's very tiny!
You might use miniature figures like these to play tabletop games. A full-size hero would be much too large, but you can easily move your miniature hero across the board.
If you like, you can abbreviate "miniature" and say "mini." For example, you can call miniature golf "minigolf." And you can call a miniature fridge a "minifridge."
Aren't they cute? A real refrigerator is probably taller than you are, but you could easily pick up a miniature refrigerator and put it right where you want. I think that miniature things are often so cute to us because we don't expect them. They surprise us with their tiny size. For example, in the picture below on the left is Vita, a European miniature horse. Surprise: she's only two feet tall! Aww.
Lastly, notice how I say the word "miniature" like this: "MIN uh chure." That's one correct way to say it, and another correct way is "MIN ee uh chure."
Study the word NIFTY:
"Nifty" is a fun, relaxed, slangy word that means "neat, cool, clever, interesting, and effective." We call things nifty to say that they're designed in a fun, cool way that helps us do something.
Do you know any nifty magic tricks, or any nifty shortcuts for solving math problems? My daughter taught me a nifty trick for multiplying numbers by 9.
We're not completely sure where the word "nifty" comes from, but we do know it might be related to the word "magnificent" (meaning "wonderful, fantastic"), and we know that people have been using the word "nifty" since the year 1865. So, as slang words go, "nifty" is here to stay. It's a popular word.
Study the words VARY, VARIOUS, and VARIETY:
When things vary, they aren't the same, or they don't stay the same: they're different from each other. They change from time to time, and they're different from one situation to another.
For example, your mood can vary throughout the day: you might be happy in the morning, angry in the afternoon, then calm and relaxed at dinnertime. Your mood varies because various things happen throughout the day. (Source)
Various things are different from each other. When you have lots of different kinds of fruit, you have various kinds of fruit.
And when you have various things, you can call them a variety. A variety is a group of many different kinds of things. For example, a good menu offers a variety of foods: lots of different foods for you to pick from.
And I bet you have a variety of friends: quiet friends and loud friends; silly friends and serious friends; friends of different sizes and shapes; and friends who like all kinds of different sports and activities.
Study the word CLUTTER:
When things clutter a place, or clutter up a place, they fill that place in a way that takes up too much space and makes people uncomfortable.
And, clutter is too much stuff, or too many items all in one place.
Here's a cluttered dresser. There are way too many things on top! All these things are cluttering up the space.
A cluttered place is not always the same as a messy place. A cluttered place has too many things in it, but those things might be neat and clean and organized. Here's a makeup desk that's clean and organized, but it's cluttered: there's just so much stuff in such a small space.
And that brings us to an important point: whether or not something is "clutter" depends on the person. In my opinion, that makeup desk is cluttered, but whoever owns it might have a very different opinion! I say that all those products are clutter, but you could say that they're all important and that you need all of them. Calling stuff clutter is almost as insulting as calling it junk or trash, so be careful if you call someone else's stuff clutter.
Clutter is often stuff that you can see and touch, but it doesn't have to be. Your day could be cluttered with too many activities. Your mind could be cluttered with too many worries. And a song could be cluttered with too many instruments, or too many vocal parts.
Decluttering is the act of getting rid of your clutter: putting things away where you can't see them, or even throwing things away if you don't need them.
Marie Kondo suggests that if we declutter, we'll feel happy. We'll enjoy our spaces, and feel at peace. Hmm... do you agree? Or do you love your clutter?
5. The word that means "teeny: scaled way down in size," is...
...
miniature.
One Hundred Shoes
Day 2: Understand
Let's understand how these words connect to our book!
Listen to each question, and decide which answer choice is correct. You can check your answer by clicking "Show Answer." If you make a mistake, don't worry! Just listen to the question again, then try again.
1. Remember: suitable things are good because they work well for the specific person or the specific situation.
(Source) In our book, Centipede sometimes wears shoes suitable for gardening, and other times wears shoes suitable for hiking. What does this mean?
B) It means that Centipede wears different kinds of footwear for different situations.
2. Remember: something miniature is a lot smaller than the full-sized version.
(Source) In our book, Centipede shops for miniature shoes. What does this mean?
A) It means that Centipede looks for very tiny shoes.
3. Remember: to call something nifty is to say that it's super-cool: it's clever, it's interesting, and it's useful.
(Source) In our book, the narrator says that pairs of shoes "are so nifty." What does this mean?
B) It means that the pairs of shoes are very helpful and practical for Centipede, who has many pairs of feet.
4. Remember: something various is full of different things, and a variety is a group of many kinds of things.
(Source)
In our book, Centipede wears various shoes. In other words, he wears a variety of shoes. What does this mean?
A) It means that Centipede wears many types of shoes, like boots, sandals, and loafers.
5. Remember: to call something clutter is to say that there's too much of it, it's not helpful, and it's taking up too much space. And to clutter a space is to take up too much of it with too much stuff.
(Source)
Near the end of our book, a hundred shoes clutter Centipede's floor. What does this mean?
A) It means that all those shoes fill up the whole floor, making it hard for Centipede to play in his room.
Finally, let's understand how these words can connect to other situations!
Listen as I describe each situation, and shout out the vocabulary word that comes to mind. You can check your answer by clicking "Show Answer." Remember, if you make a mistake, don't worry! Just listen again, then try again.
1. You have a pencil box with a secret compartment inside it. You slide your pencil tray aside, and underneath, in this hidden spot, you've stashed your private supply of candy and gum. And so, this very cool pencil box stores your supplies and keeps your snacks hidden. Neat! There's another word that starts with N that describes your pencil box. What's the word?
nifty
2. You're in your kitchen, trying to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but there's too much stuff all over the counter! You have to move some pots, some pans, a toaster, a knife block, a jug of spatulas, and a potted plant just to make room for your bread and your plate. There's a word that starts with C that describes all this stuff on the counter. What's the word?
clutter
3. A new friend asks you, "What kind of music do you like?" And you reply, "I like so many kinds of music! I like pop music, jazz songs, classical pieces, rhythm and blues, and more. It just depends on my mood, but I enjoy lots of different types of music." There's a word that starts with V that describes the music that you like. What's the word?
a variety, or, various
4. Six of your friends are coming over soon for a party! You're picking a few games for this group to play. You're making sure to pick games that are just right for this group: games that are good for a big group, not just two or three players; games that are not too easy, and not too hard, and not too serious, because you and your friends just want to laugh and have fun together. There's a word that starts with S that describes the games you're selecting for this party. What's the word?
suitable
5. In a funny TV commercial, a rich man sits on his fancy couch next to his pet giraffe. This giraffe isn't tall like you'd expect: it's about the size of a cat. Its small size startles you! It's so small, so cute, and so surprising! There's a word that starts with M that describes this adorable little giraffe. What's the word?
Grab some index cards, or open Quizlet.com. It's time to illustrate some flash cards!
If you're using index cards, write your word on the front, and on the back, write the definition and draw a picture: something that'll help you understand what the word means. If you're using Quizlet, simply add your words and definitions to your set, and choose any picture you like.
You can copy my definitions below, or you can write your own. And, you can use the pictures I've suggested, or pick your own.
When you're done illustrating your words, be sure to scroll down and tell me about the pictures you picked!
Term
Definition
Picture
suitable
just right for someone or something
miniature
teeny: scaled way down in size
nifty
neato, useful, and interesting
variety
a group of many different kinds of things
clutter
too much stuff
Tell me about your pictures!
Take your pictures one at a time, and tell me: what's in the picture, and how does it connect to the word? For example, let's say I just studied the word "frantic." I could write: "Mickey is throwing clothes into his suitcase as fast as he can. He's frantic because he's worried he'll be late."
For another example, let's say I just studied the word "triumphant." I could write: "The girl just won a contest, and she's holding a big trophy. That's why she's triumphant."
Let's see one more example! Let's say I just studied the word "dumbfounded." I could write: "This girl is dumbfounded because she sees a gigantic birthday cake that's taller than she is; now, she's so shocked that she doesn't know what to say." Maybe that's not REALLY what's happening, but it's okay to use your imagination!
One Hundred Shoes
Day 4: Apply
Today, you'll apply the vocabulary words to your own life! I'll help you write a sentence using each word that expresses your own thoughts, ideas, wishes, and experiences.
For each word below, write your own sentence. You can use either of the two ideas I'll suggest, or you can invent your own. Include as much detail as you can!
(Source) 1. Write a sentence with the word SUIT or SUITABLE:
Remember: suitable things are good because they work well for the specific person or the specific situation. And suits are full sets of clothing that fit people just right, or full sets of anything that give you exactly what you need.
Idea 1: "(Something) is a suitable activity for outdoors, but not indoors, because (of some reason)."
Idea 2: "Not everyone enjoys (some specific kind of food or activity), but it suits me very well."
(Source) 2. Write a sentence with the word MINIATURE:
Remember: something miniature is a lot smaller than the full-sized version.
Idea 1: “In my story, I have a miniature (pet of some kind), only (a certain length, height, or weight), who lives in (a small space of some kind).”
Idea 2: "When I open the gift, I find a miniature (something), with teeny-tiny (parts of some kind) that (do something).”
(Source) 3. Write a sentence with the word NIFTY:
Remember: to call something nifty is to say that it's super-cool: it's clever, it's interesting, and it entertains you or helps you get things done.
Idea 1: "When you think about it, (something) is a nifty little thing, because it (has some kind of cool or interesting part, OR, it helps you do something easily or quickly)."
Idea 2: "In my story, I have a nifty superpower: I can (do something amazing) whenever I (do something normal)."
(Source) 4. Write a sentence with the word VARY, VARIOUS, or VARIETY:
Remember: To vary is to change from time to time. Something various is full of different things. And a variety is a group of many kinds of things.
Idea 1: “The color of (a certain kind of fruit, vegetable, animal, insect, or plant) can vary widely, from (some specific color) to (some very different color).”
Idea 2: "I enjoy various (games, sports, foods, shows, or activities), but my top three are (this one), (that one), and (another one).”
(Source) 5. Write a sentence with the word CLUTTER:
Remember: to call something clutter is to say that there's too much of it, it's not helpful, and it's taking up too much space.
Idea 1: "My (desk, backpack, or room) was cluttered with so many (specific kinds of items)."
Idea 2: "My drawing will look cluttered if I include (something extra), so I focus on drawing only (something important)."
When you're ready, paste your sentences into the form below. Now is a good time to read your sentences out loud, and think, "Do I like my sentence? Does it sound good? Do I need to fix anything? Could I add any more details?"
One Hundred Shoes
Day 5: Free-Write
You've studied hard! Today, before you write, please take a few minutes to play with your flash cards.
Try looking at your pictures and recalling your words. Be sure to say them out loud! If your flash cards are in Quizlet, play the Match game.
When you feel comfortable with all your words, you're ready to write!
Pick one topic below:
Look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently. First, which word in your deck best connects to the book One Hundred Shoes? How does it connect? Next, which word connects second-best, and how? Finally, which word totally does NOT connect to One Hundred Shoes, and why?
In our book, Centipede has fifty pairs of miniature shoes. Miniature things are so cute! If you could have a miniature pet of any kind, what would you pick? Tell me all about your miniature animal.
When you’re done with your draft, look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently, and pick one word that could fit into your paragraph. Add it in.
Look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently, and pick three words that seem fun or challenging. Use these three words to tell me a story about something weird or magical that you find in a cluttered room. As you dig through the clutter in this room, maybe you find a book that tells the future, or a fairy who needs your help. Your story can be as realistic or silly as you like.
When you're all done, it's a good idea to take a little break! Come back later, and paste your first draft (above) into the box below.
Read your work out loud, and think, "Do I like this? Does it sound good? Do I need to fix anything? Could I add any more details?" Please try for three or more sentences.
When you're happy with your second draft below, click the Submit button.
Enroll in "Make Your Point, Jr." for one-on-one tutoring.
In our book, Centipede has fifty pairs of miniature shoes. Miniature things are so cute! If you could have a miniature pet of any kind, what would you pick? Tell me all about your miniature animal.
When you’re done with your draft, look through your flash card deck of all the words you’ve studied recently, and pick one word that could fit into your paragraph. Add it in.