The Science of Breakable Things: "Step 1: Observe"–"Step 2: Question"

by Tae Keller
A seventh-grader's interest in science helps her come to terms with her mother's depression.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5

This list covers "Step 1: Observe"–"Step 2: Question."
25 words 299 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hone
    refine or make more perfect or effective
    This is the first step in the scientific process! Sharpen and hone your observational skillz!
  2. ado
    a great deal of fuss, concern, or commotion
    Without further ado, dearest lab notebook, I present Natalie Napoli’s Scientific Observations...
  3. baffle
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    What baffles you about the world? Find something that intrigues you and study it with all your heart!
  4. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    What baffles you about the world? Find something that intrigues you and study it with all your heart!
  5. don
    put on clothes
    Don your detective cap and become your own private investigator!
  6. implode
    burst inward
    “What’s the maximum voltage before a battery implodes?”
  7. obsess
    be preoccupied with something
    Mikayla’s obsessed with braids and knows how to do all different styles.
  8. doozy
    someone or something excellent of its kind
    Mr. Neely sprang a doozy on us today.
  9. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    His eyes were big behind his black-framed glasses, and his bald head glinted under the fluorescent classroom lights.
  10. dissection
    the act of cutting so as to separate into pieces
    “We’re doing dissections today! Hashtag: frog dissections.”
  11. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    We all kind of grimaced, because, gross.
  12. vile
    exceptionally bad or unpleasant
    But considering the choice had become dissecting a frog or hanging out with Mikayla and Janie, I chose the less vile option.
  13. haphazardly
    in a random manner
    She tied her blond hair back haphazardly, so random strands hung loose from the ponytail.
  14. reluctant
    not eager
    Dari bent over our lab table for a better look at the frog. His arms were stiff at his sides as he fidgeted with the bottom of his T-shirt. Finally, he gave us a reluctant “Well done” before walking back to his own table.
  15. pretense
    the act of giving a false appearance
    After school, Twig invited me back to her house, which we figured we could get away with under the pretense of doing our frog lab reports.
  16. fatigue
    temporary loss of strength and energy from hard work
    In the end, his fatigue won over his desire to Therapist me. “Please be home for dinner?”
  17. amicably
    in a friendly manner
    Her parents are “amicably separated,” but he sends these huge checks once a month, and Twig’s mom makes a lot of money, too, designing apps that tell pretty people what clothes they should wear.
  18. illuminate
    make lighter or brighter
    “What should we play?” Twig asked as she flicked on the basement lights, illuminating our favorite hangout spot for the past few years.
  19. gist
    the choicest or most vital part of some idea or experience
    Mikayla raises her hand and asks if this is a test, but Mr. Neely says, “Not a test for me, no! Not a test for a grade! But a test for you, to explore your own knowledge! A journey, a scientific quest,” etc., etc.—you get the gist.
  20. botanist
    a biologist specializing in the study of plants
    Here’s a fun fact: Mom is a botanist. Or should I say: Mom used to be a botanist? I’m not sure, but before she got “sick,” that was what she did.
  21. genus
    taxonomic group containing one or more species
    She worked for Mikayla’s mom in a lab at Lancaster University and did all these scientific things, talking about plants and genus and species all the time.
  22. homeostasis
    metabolic equilibrium maintained by biological mechanisms
    On the board, he’d written the definition of homeostasis, but I hadn’t paid much attention beyond that.
  23. brainstorm
    try to solve a problem by thinking intensely about it
    She would have sat with me for days, brainstorming different questions and experiments.
  24. naive
    inexperienced
    She told Dad once that she sounded young and naive, but I loved the way her paragraphs sounded—the way the botany-speak blended with her excitement and became a secret language with magic words.
  25. brink
    the limit beyond which something happens or changes
    I shut the book because I felt like I was on the brink of something dangerous, and if I took one step further, I’d never be able to go back.
Created on Wed Sep 29 19:09:04 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Oct 14 11:01:52 EDT 2021)

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