Class 9–10 Academic Vocabulary BuilderBack

Sprint 3.2: Change In Amount

Student can describe quantitative trends and movements using precise verbs and nouns.

8 lessons

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Words for More, Less, and Movement

Introduction to vocabulary for describing trends.

In academic exams or reports, simple words like more and less aren't precise enough to describe data. To sound professional and analytical, you need specific trend vocabulary.

Trend words describe exactly how amounts change over time. Let's break down the three main movements: going up, going down, and moving unpredictably.

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Moving Up and Down

These images show us how to describe things changing in size, number, or position.

Four illustrations showing the words Increase, Decrease, Rise, and Fall using food-themed doodles.

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Movement Words Increase: To increase is to add more of something. In the doodle, a person adds more cookies to a tray so the total number goes up. Decrease: To decrease is to have less of something. The bowl shows fewer meatballs than before, leaving an empty, sad space. Rise: To rise means to move upward. The piece of bread pops up high out of the toaster, moving from a low place to a high place. Fall: To fall means to drop down toward the ground. The cup slips off the shelf and moves quickly downward through the air.

Four illustrations showing the words Decline, Reduce, Expand, and Fluctuate with simple, colorful doodles.

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Changing Trends Decline: A decline is a steady move downward. The candle character is walking down a sloped line, showing a slow and constant drop. Reduce: To reduce is to make something smaller by using pressure or force. An iron presses down on a large sponge to make it thin and flat. Expand: To expand is to get wider or larger to cover more space. The umbrella opens up wide to keep the rain away from everything underneath. Fluctuate: To fluctuate means to change many times and stay unsteady. The liquid in the cup splashes up and down, never staying at one level.

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Graph Movement Gallery

Visual doodles representing expand, reduce, and fluctuate.

A clean three-panel educational illustration showing visual metaphors for change: a balloon inflating to represent expand, a tall pile of coins shrinking into a smaller pile to represent reduce, and a bouncing ball leaving a jagged path to represent fluctuate.

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Visualizing trend verbs can help you remember their specific meanings.

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Trend Labeler

Match trend descriptions to the correct vocabulary word.

NoteMatch the graph movement or physical change to the most precise focus word.

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Terms

Definitions

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Describe the Trend

Student writes a sentence describing a given trend.

Read the scenario: 'Smartphone usage among teens went from 3 hours to 6 hours a day over two years.' Write one formal sentence describing this trend using a focus word.

Write your formal trend sentence*

Use precise vocabulary like 'increase', 'rise', or 'expand'.

Vocabulary Check*

Which specific trend word did you choose and why does it fit this data?

← previousSprint 3.1: Cause And Effect next →Sprint 3.3: Develop And Transform