EngageNY
Peer Critique and Revising: Formal English
Dear Sir or Madam: What's the difference between formal and informal language? Scholars focus on using formal English and transitions in their position papers. After revising their rough drafts, they engage in the peer editing process...
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
“Double Double Speak Speak”
Bilateral suborbital hematoma? Call an audible? 404? Have fun with “the twittering or warbling of birds,” or as 14th century French speakers would say, have fun with “jargon.” Groups match specialized jargon with plain speech, decode...
Curated OER
"Pray, Why Speakest Thou Thusly?"
Examine popular language and slang and how they have changed over the course of American history. Conduct Internet research, use an online interactive Colonial House website to translate 17th century language into 21st century language,...
Curated OER
Rhyming Slang
Young scholars explore slang and Cockney Rhyming slang. Students examine standard English words and their meanings. They match words to their rhyming partner in examples of slang. Young scholars write their own rhyming slang for...
Curated OER
Spanish & Chicano English
Students examine the history of Spanish in what is now the United States. They examine the current language status of the Hispanic population. Students are able to characterize Spanglish and Chicano English. They examine some features...
Curated OER
Slang
Students examine the term 'slang' after reading two stories, "'Cool' is your favorite word!" and "Bling bling makes it into dictionary". Students work on composing their own rhyming words and phrases after studying slang.
Curated OER
Keep Your English Up to Date: Bog Standard
Explore the tendency of the English language to change by reviewing the British idiom "bog standard." An audio talk is accessible via hyperlink and questions and worksheets are included for learners. The lesson is a good way to work on...
Curated OER
When Is a Noun a Verb? Examining Double Duty Words
The New York Times' Learning Network provides great lessons! This one uses articles from the paper to help readers understand homonyms like mail (verb and noun). It also includes an exercise in reading informational text. Links to the...
Curated OER
Figure of Speech
Examine the changing nature of language in the U.S. View and discuss excerpts from a PBS documentary with your class and then conduct Internet research, and complete a team project on the evolution of teen expressions.
Curated OER
Old English: Pirate Slang
Students review a list of slang used by pirates and then compile a list of slang that they use in their everyday language. They discuss which examples of slang should be included in the dictionary and in which contexts slang is appropriate.
Curated OER
Tom Sawyer
This lesson kicks off with a PowerPoint presentation on Mark Twain. Learners examine the dialect, slang, viewpoint and setting. Then use e-mail to address three topics utilizing comprehension, synthesis, and evaluation skills.
Curated OER
Accent and Dialect
In this accent and dialect worksheet, students read four sentences that are written so the student will have an accent. Students answer four questions about the accent they had during reading. Students write eight sentences that are in...
Beacon Learning Center
Beacon Lesson Plan Library: Formal or Informal?
Start talking trash with your elementary English class! Then lead a discussion comparing formal and informal language. Divide the class into groups to answer a questionnaire and analyze a set of sentence cards to analyze. This is a cool...
Curated OER
Designing the Future of Technology
Conduct research focused on improving a current technology by having students work in groups to investigate improvements that could be made to a particular piece of technology. They list the current problems and attempt to develop...
Curated OER
Interview! Magazine
Middle schoolers interview a subject and write a biographical sketch for a fictional magazine. In this interview lesson, students choose a person to interview and create two sets of questions. Middle schoolers conduct the interview....
Curated OER
Cultural Comparisons Interview
Students interview a family member and give an oral report. In this oral history lesson, students create interview questions relevant to an American historical period. Students interview a family member and present an oral report to the...
Curated OER
Lifestyles of Civil War
Eighth graders, after viewing a website on Civil War Time, explore and analyze the lifestyles of Civil War times as well as those of the soldiers through the writing of a composition of a narrative letter and story through the eyes of a...
Curated OER
The Civil War in Henry County
Middle schoolers consider how the Civil War impacted their community. In this Civil War lesson, students use primary and secondary sources to research the Civil War in Henry County, Georgia. Middle schoolers use their findings to create...
Curated OER
Introduction of Careers in Technical and Engineering
Ninth graders explore career opportunities in technology and engineering. In this engineering activity, 9th graders design plans and build machines to perform tasks.