Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED

I’m making my way through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. In the lower right corner are two survivors telling their stories. I’m impressed at the number of teenagers who are listening.

French also influenced the arts, learning and medicine words of Middle English. Words like color, bay, poet, copy, and pulse are still used today.

It should come as no surprise that French influenced the English language in fashion, food and fun. It was the upper class who spoke French after all. If you use words like coat, lace, blue, ruby, beef, fig, fry, lamp, & dance, you are speaking French

Because so many British battles happened in France (and the French helped us gained independence from Britain), many military words are French in origin: soldier, banner, and defend. Happy July 4th y’all!

French was the language of the law in England for so long that many legal words we use are French in origin: justice, pledge, and just. Happy July 4th!

Many religious houses in the 13th century spoke French. The English adopted these words as their own. Nouns like religion, crucifix, and lectern are still used. The verb preach is French as well.

Since the English love to govern, many words coined in the 13th century are still used today. Court, council, assembly, and liberty are a few.

Before 1250, about 900 French words made it in the English language. Anytime you say “feast,” you’re speaking French.

Since the Normans decided English would be the language of the uneducated, grammatical changes could evolve unchecked.

Thank you to Christina and Savanna from @fsourcefcu They spoke to my seniors about financial decisions they will have to make after graduation. You are invited back to my classroom anytime!

Overheard while one senior class was working on their Hamlet final project: Student #1: Poor Ophelia. If Hamlet just killed Claudius sooner, she would still be alive. Student #2: Take it easy on Hamlet. Do you know how hard it is to kill someone? 😳😬🤣

Chalk under a microscope. It's made from ancient algae blooms.

Middle English changed Old English inflections and therefore eliminated grammatical gender that is seen in other European languages.

There remain only 68 of the Old English strong verbs in today’s language. Slay is one of those.

The past participle of some verbs in Middle English are now used as adjectives: molten, shaven, sodden, sullen, and cloven are a few examples.

Today, more than half of the Old English “strong” verbs have disappeared completely from the standard language.

The changes verbs went through during the Middle English period were dramatic. The Old English word “drifan” became a word we are more familiar with, “driven.”

My door decorated by the sophomores. 💜💛 I don’t want it taken down.

Happy snow day (Friday)!

Using food only, where are you from?