projects

make a word family tree

by Mr. Anonymous

what is this project

This is a tree representing the history of the capere family. The thicker the string the more obvious the connection to the etymon. For example "receive" is very similar in meaning to capere which means "to take". The thinner the string the more different the meaning, as in "recipe" which in no way seems to be related to the etymon "take." Though it doesn't seem to be related, it is. The etymon of "recipe" meant "take!" Doctors would write it on prescriptions. Prescriptions at that time had to be made by mixing ingredients, just like we do in modern cooking. It is helpful for students to see how one etymon makes a lot of words and that not all word connections are really clear, but there is always a connection.

materials

twine
tape
index cards
markers

how to do this project

Start by writing the words you chose on the index cards. Then unravel the string to create the tree shape and tape the string to the wall where you want to put it. After you have put it on the wall, tape on your index cards onto the tree.

timeline of the history of english

by Dr. Harry

The timeline project was a project where I created cards for each major event in the history of English and put them in chronological order. We used 8 inches per 100 years. If you want to do this project, you can use the starter pack we’ve provided and add other events using the blank pages, or you can make all your own cards. If you’re a teacher, I recommend having your students do their own as it is a good way to teach your kids basic writing skills.

I found helpful information in these resources:

https://www.spellingsociety.org/history#/page/1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zv3jmfr

This Language, A River by Smith and Kim (this is a really long book, so the teacher might need to read it and pick small sections for students)

The start of Germanic is in its own lonely corner. The other cards take us from the Roman conquest of Britain to the Danish invasion of Britain.

On this wall, we go from the Norman Invasion (there were a lot of invasions) to Noah Webster.

Here's a closer look.