Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED

I'm an English teacher at WCS and a hockey mom times 2. LGR!

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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.

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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!

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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!

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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.

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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.

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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!

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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? 😳😬🤣

[Weird Science @weird_sci]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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.”

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

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

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

Happy snow day (Friday)!

[Mrs. Picolla ELA, MA.ED @ElaPicolla]

@ImKaitlynMeyers