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Overview:
Even those of us who speak English also use some kind of slang in certain circumstances. Slang is a kind of language that Merriam-Webster describes as "peculiar to a particular group. An informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech." This lesson explores different "slang languages," and how they developed and are, perhaps, still developing. In addition to raising awareness of slang, the lesson encourages students to consider the proper place of slang, and to respect different forms of slang, and the creativity of the people who speak them.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, language arts
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 4: "The physical and human characteristics of places"
Standard 6: "How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions"
Standard 9: "The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth's surface"
Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"
Time:
Two to four hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Blank Xpeditions outline maps of the following, one of each map for each student: the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia
- Writing materials
- Chalk and chalkboard or markers and flip chart
Objectives:
Students will
- define slang;
- discuss the value and place of slang in a society;
- list examples of slang from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia; and
- identify slang that they themselves use, as well as American slang that they find outdated and amusing.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Open class by asking students to read the following sentences, written on a flipchart or chalkboard: "That ossified cake-eater over there with the cheaters on thinks his applesauce will land him a date." Ask the students to write down their interpretation of what that sentence means, and then share their ideas with the class. Do the same with this sentence: "But that's baloney! He may think he's a big cheese, but he's just a goofy, plastered jerk."
Development:
Closing:
Have the three groups prepare and deliver short presentations for their classmates, based on the activities above, including handouts, sample sentences, and a glossary of relevant slang. Then ask each student in the class to write three or four questions, based on the presentations of the three groups and the material covered in the closing exercise. Collect these questions for use in the assessment.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Use the questions prepared by the class in a class game. For example, divide the class into two teams, and ask questions until the last person remains who has not missed an answer.
Extending the Lesson:
- Have students ask adults for examples of slang words they used in their adolescence.
- Have students list the slang they themselves use, identifying the origins when possible.
- Have one or more students read Answers to Some Questions About Ebonics. Ask them to write essays on the difference between slang, languages, and dialects or make a presentation to the class. Then lead a discussion about whether they think Ebonics is a language, a dialect, or slang.
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