Vocabulary Masters: An Etymology Class for Word Lovers
In this class, we'll learn the way the human brain works best; by making connections among related words. We’ll study words in the context of their word families to see the connections among words that come from a common base or root.
Andrea Dalland, M.Ed, MLS
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(153)
Star Educator
What's included
10 live meetings
7 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Students can be given additional words to research on their own if they choose.Assessment
If you need a letter grade, completion certificate, or other verification for this class, please let me know and I will be able to provide it.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
**Use code YAY2025 for 20% off your enrollment!** Have you ever noticed your learner trying to learn new vocabulary, spending lots of time and energy memorizing various definitions and then promptly forgetting them a few hours later? It's not their fault! It's because 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔. This class is different! Rather than studying a random list of definitions in isolation, we will study vocabulary the way the human brain works best; 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. In this class, we’ll study words in the context of their word families to see the relationships among words that come from a common base or root. Put simply, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺! No more frustrating memorization of lists of definitions and then trying in vain to remember them later. Rather, your learner will come away knowing how to figure out the meanings of words and their related words by finding their base or root, independently. Each week we will start by examining an interesting vocabulary word. Together, we’ll work to identify that word’s base or root. From there, we will build and list other members of the word family and discuss the connections in meaning that the words share. We will also learn how to use a variety of resources to research a word’s origins, confirm its base, and discover related words. Studying bases is a very powerful, effective and efficient way to build vocabulary and equip learners with the skills to figure out new words they encounter in their reading and cross-curricular work. After each class I will post a screenshot of our work from that day to the class page so students can review and share their learning, and practice working with the words we’ve learned; using them in their writing, conversation, looking out for them in their reading, etc. This is the way to build meaningful vocabulary exponentially! Each week, we will discuss the meanings of a minimum of 10 related words and as many as 20-30 more, depending on the word, and on our time.
Learning Goals
-identify the prefix, base and suffix of a given word
-conduct research to determine a word's base and origin
-use a variety of resources, such as online dictionaries, to research a word and related words
Syllabus
Standards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)10 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction
We'll get an overview of some of the history of English as well as learn some important vocabulary: grapheme, phoneme and morepheme 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Types of Bases and Roots
We'll learn about bound bases and free bases and the difference between a base and a root 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Resources
Learners will be introduced to some of the resources we will use to help us in our research. 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Exploring Words
We'll examine the word "desensitized" 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
This approach is an excellent strategy for learners with dyslexia as it removes the need to memorize lists of rules or rely on visual memory. Students study words in in the context of their word families.
Parental Guidance
Parents should understand that we will be hunting and digging through online dictionaries and lists of words, and we may encounter words that are more "adult" in their meanings. It will not always be within my ability to predict or control which words we see as we will sometimes be following trails and leads that come up spontaneously through class discussions and questions. I would handle any instances of this in an age-appropriate way, or direct learners to question their parents about a word they have discovered if I feel that it's not appropriate to discuss that particular word with the whole class.
The websites we visit will all be done via screen-share, but that their learners may choose to do research on their own outside of class using these resources. None of the online resources we will use require a log-in, payment, or the sharing of any personal information.
Pre-Requisites
Students should understand how dictionaries work and how to find a word in one (though we will use online dictionaries together in class.) It's helpful if learners are reading at at least a US 5th/6th grade level.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
https://www.etymonline.com/
https://www.oed.com/?tl=true
http://www.neilramsden.co.uk/spelling/searcher/index.html
http://www.neilramsden.co.uk/spelling/matrix/index.html
https://www.dictionary.com/
https://www.thesaurus.com/
https://latin-dictionary.net/?fbclid=IwAR1S1b99cOCB1xbc1VnRJIRbKGZopVSd8xl-pyt002-P0X-TVXMW3WXCrZ8
Joined July, 2022
5.0
153reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from University of Missouri at Columbia
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Calvin College
I have twenty-two years of teaching experience in brick and mortar classrooms as well as online. I have had extensive professional development work in morphology, etymology, and the Structured Word Inquiry approach to spelling, and I will bring those skills into practice in this class to work with students on building vocabulary. Reviews
Live Group Course
$140
for 10 classes1x per week, 10 weeks
45 min
Completed by 6 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-16
3-8 learners per class
