A Very Short History of the English Language
Students apply their knowledge of world history to research the major influences on the language that has become the English we speak today. Students then develop a timeline of events in Britain and explain the contributions of the various invading groups to the English language.
A lesson plan for grades 9–12 English Language Arts and Information Skills
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Related topics
- Learn more about English language arts.
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Learning outcomes
Goals:
- Students will identify the ethnic groups and movements that came into Britain from the time of the Celts to the Elizabethans and contributed to the vocabulary of the language.
Objectives:
- Students will construct a timeline of people and events that shaped the language from its roots to the American Revolution.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
3 hours
Materials/resources
-
Copy of “The Glorious Messiness of English” speech by Robert MacNeil, reprinted in Reader’s Digest, October 1995, available on the Internet at http://www.dountoothers.org/messyenglish.html
- (Optional) “The Mother Tongue,” The Story of English. MacNeil-Lehrer-Gannett Productions/BBC ; producers Peter Dale, John Pett. Chicago : Films, Inc., 1986.
- Pen and regular notebook paper
- Colored pencils or pens
- 8 1/2 x 14″ copier paper for timeline
- encyclopedia set
Technology resources
Color monitor with access to the Internet for each group of students
(Optional) CPU with PowerPoint software for each group
Pre-activities
Have students read “The Glorious Messiness of English” and/or watch the video “The Mother Tongue” from The Story of English video series.
Paper and colored pencils should be arranged on a central table for easy access by all students.
Activities
Teacher will move around to monitor group activities as students re-read the article and make a list of all people and groups mentioned in the article. Students will refer to encyclopedia to establish or confirm historical dates for the timeline.
The timeline will be created from the information gathered. Students will identify the major groups contributing to the language which became English and make a basic timeline of invading groups and major influences (Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Christians, Norman French, English Renaissance, beginning the timeline with Indo-European and ending with the Elizabethans).
If access to PowerPoint software is available, student groups may create slides that illustrate pertinent information about one group or individual. Or, if time permits, students may be assigned to creat a PowerPoint presentation of one of the subjects on the timeline, and present it to the class individually or in groups.
Assessment
Creation of a timeline and creation of a PowerPoint presentation. Using Rubistar, an online rubric generator, generate a rubric either in advance of the assignment or with the class. The advantage to involving students in the process is that they will truly understand what is expected and will have some investment in the quality of the final product. Use the attached example Multimedia rubric or create your own.
Supplemental information
Reference Books:
- Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way. New York: Avon Books, 1990.
- Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
- McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeill. The Story of English. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
- Taylor, Jo Barbara. “What Good Is Beowulf?” The Learn North Carolina Beacon. October 2001.
Online Tool for Creating a Rubric: RubiStar
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Easily construct a Rubric for a Multimedia Presentation and a Timeline using this online tool.
Scoring PowerPoints by Jamie McKenzie
This article in the September 2000 issue of From Now On will help you to teach your students how to make a more effective multimedia presentation.
Related websites
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Comments
The library media assistants I supervise receive credit for my class as an English elective. I have combined my own love of the subject matter with an interest in supplementing material my students learn in their required courses.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Information Skills (2000)
Grades 9–12
- Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs.
- Objective 4.01: Identify information needs and formulate questions about those needs.
- Objective 4.03: Develop a search strategy which includes the continuous evaluation of the research process and the information gathered.
- Objective 4.05: Gather information from the most effective resources (print, non-print, electronic).
- Objective 4.07: Organize and use information.
- Objective 4.08: Credit sources of information.
- Objective 4.09: Produce and present findings in various formats (print, graphical, audio, video, multimedia, web-based).
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 10 — English II
- Goal 2: The learner will evaluate problems, examine cause/effect relationships, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
- Objective 2.02: Create responses that examine a cause/effect relationship among events by:
- effectively summarizing situations.
- showing a clear, logical connection among events.
- logically organizing connections by transitioning between points.
- developing appropriate strategies such as graphics, essays, and multi-media presentations to illustrate points.
- Objective 2.02: Create responses that examine a cause/effect relationship among events by:
