The 2024 U.S. presidential election showed that people in the country are very divided. Because of this, Merriam-Webster chose "polarization" as the word of the year. Polarization means people are moving to extreme sides instead of agreeing on things. Many voters thought the other side's candidate was a big threat.
The word "polarization" is not just about politics; it also talks about other parts of life like pop culture and technology. Merriam-Webster picks words based on how much people are talking about them. The dictionary wants to help people understand words clearly, especially when there is a lot of confusing information around. This shows how important it is to know what words mean.
Besides "polarization," other popular words for 2024 are "demure," "fortnight," and "cognitive." These words became popular because of things happening in the world. This shows how language changes as society changes. People are thinking more about how they talk and understand each other in a world where people often disagree.
Original news source: βPolarizationβ is Merriam-Websterβs 2024 word of the year (AP News)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out one of the words from the article (e.g., "polarization," "demure," "fortnight"). The other groups will guess the word. This will help students understand vocabulary through movement and context.
– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Ask students to work in pairs to create a catchy headline about the article's main topic, "polarization" in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. After they finish, each pair will share their headline with the class. This encourages creativity and summarizing skills.
– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Conduct a quick opinion poll in class. Ask students if they think "polarization" is a problem in society today. Each student will raise their hand for "yes," "no," or "maybe." After the poll, students can discuss in pairs why they chose their answer, fostering speaking and listening skills.
– SYNONYM CHALLENGE
Instructions: Write the word "polarization" on the board. Students will work in pairs to come up with as many synonyms or related words as they can in two minutes. Afterward, each pair will share their words with the class, expanding their vocabulary and understanding of the term.
– MIND MAP
Instructions: On a large piece of paper or whiteboard, write "Polarization" in the center. Students will work in small groups to brainstorm ideas, examples, and related concepts about polarization. Each group will add their ideas to the mind map, promoting collaborative thinking and vocabulary development.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Polarization means that people are moving to extreme sides and not agreeing with each other.
Merriam-Webster chose "polarization" because many people are talking about it, especially during the divided 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Some other popular words for 2024 are "demure," "fortnight," and "cognitive."
Polarization makes many voters think that the other side's candidate is a big threat.
It is important to understand words because it helps people make sense of confusing information around them.
The article says language changes as society changes, with new words becoming popular because of current events.
Polarization also applies to areas like pop culture and technology.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The 2024 presidential showed that people in the country are very divided. Because of this, Merriam-Webster "polarization" as the word of the year. Polarization means people are moving to extreme sides instead of agreeing on things. Many voters thought the other side's candidate was a big threat. The "polarization" is not just about politics; it also talks about other parts of life like pop and technology. Merriam-Webster picks words based on how people are talking about them. The dictionary to help people understand clearly, especially when there is a lot of confusing information around. This how important it is to know what words mean. Besides "polarization," other popular words for 2024 are "demure," "fortnight," and "cognitive." These words became because of things happening in the . This shows how changes as society changes. People are thinking more about how they talk and understand each other in a world where people often disagree.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a word that you think is important to know?
2. How would you feel if people never agreed on anything?
3. Do you like learning new words? Why or why not?
4. What is a time when you felt divided from your friends or family?
5. Do you think it is good to have different opinions? Why?
6. How would you feel if someone called your favorite movie "demure"?
7. What is a topic you think people argue about a lot?
8. Do you think it is easy to understand new words? Why or why not?
9. How do you feel when you hear people disagreeing loudly?
10. What is a word you learned recently?
11. Do you think technology helps people understand each other better? Why?
12. How would you feel if everyone only agreed all the time?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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