Who named the shapes, or the days of the week? Should words be removed from the dictionary if they're no longer commonly used? Are there too many words in the English language? Language arts students explore these and additional questions with a project-based resource on etymology.

Concepts

etymology, Vocabulary, reference materials, colloquialisms, dictionary skills, synonyms, antonyms

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Brainstorm additional questions for class members to research, based on their own curiosity

Classroom Considerations

• Consider augmenting the rubric to add complexity to the assessment

Pros

• Topics are engaging and interesting for class members
• Encourages learners to use reference materials as research tools

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.4 SL.7.4 SL.8.4 SL.9-10.4 L.6.4.a L.6.5.a L.7.4.a L.7.5.a L.8.4.a L.8.5.a L.9-10.4.a L.9-10.5.a