History of English
Mini-Webquest
Follow all instructions in order
NOTE: You will not search the internet on your own for any part of this project. You will only click the links provided. Thank you! :-}
1. Open another window to this same page so they are both side by side.
2. The LEFT side will be used to scroll down.
3. The RIGHT side will be used to click any links.
4. You will listen to the voice of someone reciting the following words. HINT: These words are a famous prayer. Follow along a couple of times to see if you can guess what these words are saying. Click the link on the RIGHT side screen. Keep scrolling down and following directions on the LEFT side screen.
Fęder ure,
žu že eart on heofonum,
si žin nama gehalgod.
Tobecume žin rice.
Gewurže šin willa on eoršan swa swa on heofonum.
Urne gedęghwamlican hlaf syle us to dęg.
And forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfaš urum gyltendum.
And ne gelęd žu us on costnunge,
ac alys us of yfele. Sožlice.
http://www.pastperfect.org.uk/sites/yeavering/clips/hi/lordsprayer.mp3
If that doesn't work, try the link below.
Try this link to get the sound clip
5. Listen a few times. What is the speaker saying? Make a guess as to what language is he speaking. Write your answers down on your paper.
6. When you are finished listening, click "BACK" in the right window to go back to the webpage. Now you have two identical pages again.
7. On the RIGHT side screen, click on the link below to get the answers for what the speaker saying AND what language he is speaking.
http://www.pastperfect.org.uk/sites/yeavering/archive/prayer.html
8. What language is the speaker speaking while reciting this prayer? Click "BACK" in the right screen to go back to the webquest.
9. Click on this link in the RIGHT screen to see the modern words the speaker was saying.
http://www.yenra.net/catholic/prayers/ourfather.html
10. COMPARE the two poems. (You can scroll up in the LEFT screen to get the old one and the modern one side by side.) Copy three words from the "Old" prayer. Copy the weird letters as best you can. Beside the three words, write what you think the same word is in "Modern English". (Modern English is the language WE speak.)
11. Are you surprised that the English Language has changed so much? Why do you think it has changed so much? How does it change?
12. When you are finished looking at this page, click "BACK" on the RIGHT side screen to go back to the webpage. Now you have two identical pages again.
13. Click on the next link in the RIGHT side page.
http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/historytimeline.htm
14. Find the date range in which Old English was spoken. (Hint: It's a range of about 600 years.)
15. How many years ago, from today was the language "Old English" spoken? Click "BACK" in the RIGHT screen to go back to the main page. You won't need the right side anymore.
16. Now look at the next chart and answer the remaining questions below:
English I me is mother brother ten
Sanskrit aham ma asti matar bhratar daca
Iranian azem me asti matar bratar dasa
Greek ego me esti meter phrater deka
Latin ego me est mater frater decem
Old English ic me is moder brothor tien
Old Irish me is mathir brathir deich
Lithuanian asz mi esti mote broterelis deszimtis
Russian ia menya jest' mat' brat' desiat'
17. The English words are at the TOP. Find three words from the chart, (from other languages) that are like words you know in English. (Dont use the first line, those words ARE English.)
18. Describe anything else you notice from this chart. Do you see any patterns?
19. Can you can make a general statement about the history of our language from this small amount of information? (What can you learn about the history of our language from this information?)
BONUS: See if you can make a second generalization about our language from what you have read and heard today.
When you are finished, play MadLibs using this link on "FunBrain."