Jan 17th/05

Hello English class! For today's lab activity, please start with the "Favorite Words" post below. If you have time, don't forget to look at "Word & Language Origins," "4 options for Pigman response," and the poetry posts (also below). These should be complete by Thurs Jan 20. Also, be sure your blog link works so I can give you marks for posting (scroll down and look for you name in the sidebar on the right).

Favorite words

Introductory etymology activity: Pick 4 words you think are cool. They could be short or long, familiar or weird. Search for and use an online dictionary (bettter yet an online "etymological" dictionary) to find out the origin of the words. Post your results here or on your own blog. Be sure to summarize (highlights from what you've found) or synthesize (rewrite what you found) in your own words. Nobody wants to read a bunch of dictionary entries cut and pasted into a post.

For example, using http://www.etymonline.com/ I looked up the word "bear" and found:
bear (n.)
O.E. bera "bear," from P.Gmc. *beron "the brown one" (cf. O.N. björn, Ger. Bär). Both Gk. arktos and L. ursus retain the PIE root word for "bear" (*rtko), but it has been ritually replaced in the northern branches because of hunters' taboo on names of wild animals (cf. the Ir. equivalent "the good calf," Welsh "honey-pig," Lith. "the licker," Rus. medved "honey-eater"). Others connect the Gmc. word with L. ferus "wild," as if it meant "the wild animal (par excellence) of the northern woods.".....[and so on]

but what I would post is shorter and (hopefully) more interesting:
BEAR -- from Old English bera or Germanic beron meaning the brown one. In other languages the root-word translates literally as the good calf, the honey-pig, the licker, or the honey-eater.

Word & Language Origins

As a starting activity, try and find out (using the net) where the English language comes from. What other languages helped form English? Why did English evolve the way it did? What is the difference between Old English, Middle English, and Modern English? If you wish, share your results here (as a comment) or on your own blog.

4 options for Pigman response

On your own blog (the one listed on the sidebar to the right) create a new post that responds to the Pigman based on one of the following options:

1. Do John and Lorraine share any responsibility for the Pigman's death? Explain using examples or details from the story. What effect do you think the Pigman's death will have on John and Lorraine?

2. Why is it hard for many young people to have friendships with the elderly? Why do you think John & Lorraine got along so well with the Pigman (until the party, anyways).

3. Think about a real-life situation where you or someone you know was in a suspenseful situation. Explain why you or the someone you know might have enjoyed or not enjoyed the suspense. Include some detail in your description in order to create some suspense.

4. Find out some more about the author Paul Zindel. What do you think his goals were in writing The Pigman? What can you find out about the sequel The Pigman's Legacy? What else has he written or written about?

Poetry Unit Reflection

What do you think of poetry now? You (as a class and individuals) made very neat projects and showed some real talent for expression and insight. As I'm sitting down to mark your projects, I'm impressed again by the effort many of you put into your work to make it intelligent and attractive. Way to go! Thanks especially to those who volunteered to read to the class and be in the class movie, which you can see by clicking here (you'll need Quicktime player on your computer).