Word Origin Activity

Teams of students are assigned a US Elections term with either a particularly interesting etymology or a colorful definition.  The teams research the word and then prepare a quiz item for the other teams by writing ‘teaser’ definitions (distracters) for specific terms. 

When each team is finished, they take turns sharing their term and answers with one another.  They read the item aloud; the other teams guess the answer.  For each incorrectly guessed answer, the team writing the quiz item gets a point.  The team with the most points wins.  In short, teams get points for writing the best distracters.

This activity allows students to better understand specific terms and to use them in an active, creative and communicative context.

Example of playing with the origin of a word:

Yellow Dog Democrat is a loyal Democrat, namely from the South, because…

A.  A Kentucky lawyer once said “… if the Democrats of Kentucky nominated a yaller dog for governor I would vote for him!“

B. ‘Yellow dogs’, or Golden Retrievers, were originally from Newfoundland, Canada, a region well-known for its more liberal views

C. Dogs are known for their loyalty.  The color ‘yellow’ refers to the brightness of the sun.  A ‘yellow dog’ is both clear and intense in its fidelity.

Correct Answer: A