ETYMOLOGY CURRICULUM Loudoun County Public Schools Eric Williams, Ed.D. Dr. Terri Breeden Superintendent of Schools Assistant Superintendent, Instruction Timothy J. Flynn Dr. Michele Schmidt Moore Director, Instructional Services Supervisor, English/Language Arts TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………………………... 3 PHILOSOPHY, GOALS, AND STANDARDS ALIGNMENT …………………….…….. 4 COURSE CONTENT OUTLINE & TEXTBOOK ………………………………………… 7 NOTE TO TEACHER—HELPFUL HINTS ……………………………………………….. 7 RECOMMENDED INTERNET SITES ……………………………………………………. 9 INTRODUCTORY UNIT ………………………………………………………………….. 10 Language Resources CORE UNITS ………………………………………………………………………………. 12 Latin Greek Germanic/Anglo-Saxon INTEREST-BUILDING UNITS ………………………………………………………........ 16 SAT Preparation Greek and Roman Mythological References Discipline/Field Specific Languages Jargon, Slang, and Colloquialism Technology’s Influence on the English language APPENDIX …………………………………………………………………………….….. 21 Sample Activities 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Appreciation is expressed to the following teachers who served on the committee to develop the initial Etymology Curriculum Guide in 1990. Wes Driskill Carrie Hershberger Lynn Krepich Mike Krepich, Chairman Phil Rosenthal 2006 Course Revision Committee Phil Rosenthal Neelum Chaudhry Updated 2009 3 PHILOSOPHY The Etymology course in Loudoun County is intended to provide students with the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the intricacies of the English language. It helps students build a larger vocabulary by learning specific words, mastering word-learning strategies, and developing an ability to use language successfully. The curriculum has three main units: introductory, core, and interest-building. Each unit contains goals/objectives, activities, and resources and has been developed so that it is practical, informative, and enjoyable for all students. GOALS This course is designed— I. to increase vocabulary and enhance use, knowledge, and understanding of the English language; II. to stimulate an appreciation for the English language, including how it developed, how new words enter the language, and how it continues to be dynamic; III. to demonstrate the importance of a broad-based vocabulary for effective oral and written communication; and IV. to generate opportunities for practical application of concepts through various classroom activities. 4 VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING ADDRESSED BY THIS COURSE The following SOL standards are addressed in this course: I. Ninth Grade 9.2 The student will make planned oral presentations. a) Include definitions to increase clarity. b) Use relevant details to support main ideas. c) Illustrate main ideas through anecdotes and examples. d) Cite information sources. e) Make impromptu responses to questions about presentation. f) Use grammatically correct language, including vocabulary appropriate to the topic, audience, and purpose. 9.9 The student will use print, electronic databases, and online resources to access information. a) Identify key terms specific to research tools and processes. b) Narrow the focus of a search. c) Scan and select resources. d) Distinguish between reliable and questionable Internet sources and apply responsible use of technology. II. Tenth Grade 10.1 The student will participate in and report on small-group learning activities. a) Assume responsibility for specific group tasks. b) Participate in the preparation of an outline or summary of the group activity. c) Include all group members in oral presentation. d) Use grammatically correct language, including vocabulary appropriate to the topic, audience, and purpose. 10.4 The student will read and interpret informational materials. a) Analyze and apply the information contained in warranties, contracts, job descriptions, technical descriptions, and other informational sources, including labels, warnings, manuals, directions, applications, and forms, to complete specific tasks. b) Skim manuals or informational sources to locate information. c) Compare and contrast product information contained in advertisements with that found in instruction manuals and warranties. III. Eleventh Grade 11.7 Write in a variety of forms, with an emphasis on persuasion. f) Adapt content, vocabulary, voice, and tone to audience, purpose, and situation. g) Revise writing for accuracy and depth on information. 5 NCTE/IRA STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADDRESSED BY THIS COURSE Standard 3 Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics). Standard 4 Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. Standard 5 Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. Standard 6 Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. Standard 9 Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. Standard 10 Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum. 6 COURSE CONTENT OUTLINE I. Examine prefixes, roots, and suffixes of Latin, Greek, Germanic, and Anglo-Saxon origin. II. Explore the historical aspects of language, including the infusion of Indo-European languages, semantic changes, and the influence of world events. III. Use language resources such as the dictionary and the thesaurus. IV. Perform activities to reinforce newly acquired skills. TEXTBOOK English Words: From Latin and Greek Elements, 2nd Edition. Donald M. Ayers. University of Arizona Press, Tuscan, Arizona. 1986 ISBN: 0816508992 (paperback) Recommended teacher resources: Workbook to accompany the above textbook: English Words: From Latin and Greek Elements, By Helena Dettmer and Marcia Lindgren Studies in Etymology. Charles William Dunmore. Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company. ISBN: 0941051293 NOTE TO THE TEACHER This course is about empowering students to understand the dynamics of the English language. This is not about rote memorization of lists of vocabulary. Instead, it is a course where students are taught the tools to “break it down” so that they are able to understand how language works. In time students will build a foundation based on the components of words and how they are used in modern English. In this course (as discussed in Chapter 1 of the textbook) students are aided in understanding how major historical events have shaped the English language. Students also see how language and vocabulary have changed since the advent of the computer age. The History of the English Language unit, while important, does not need to be taught at the beginning of the semester. Instead, this information can be covered later in the semester when students have a better understanding of language and words. Because formal language is based on its origins, the course is designed to teach students the most common influences on English—Latin and Greek bases, prefixes, and suffixes. During much of the course students are involved in the “break it down” activity, in which they dissect words into their different components. This teaches students how to understand the exact meanings of words and how to determine the meaning of the word based on its components. 7 The units of study as they appear here are suggestions. Teachers may choose to teach the course in any order they wish. In fact, the “Interest-building Units” can be interspersed throughout the semester. Below is a list of suggested strategies. This list provides a comprehensive set of activities, but it does not preclude innovation on the part of the Etymology teacher. 1. A variety of activities should be employed during the semester. These include activities generated by both the teacher and the students and activities generated from both the textbook and supplemental sources. 2. The following should be ongoing activities: The learning of 20 to 40 new vocabulary words each week The review of prefixes, roots, and suffixes Practical application of written and verbal skills Recognition and proper use of the parts of speech “Word of the Day”—The teacher is encouraged to start class with a “Word of the Day” (see list of Internet sites to find resources for these words) 3. Weekly emphasis on linguistic curiosities that are of interest to students—IM-ing, euphemisms, teenage jargon, clip and blending, etc.. As the semester progresses and students start to realize the power of language, teachers may want to suggest that they read 1984 (Orwell) or any other literature that highlights these areas of interest. This will provide a basis for study and discussion of how vocabulary influences our power of thought and expression. 4. The use of student notebooks is highly recommended. Teachers are encouraged to have students