Mysteries of Vernacular - An Interesting TED-Ed Series

Mysteries of Vernacular is a series of 26 TED-Ed video lessons. Each lesson is focused on one word that often used by English speakers. A history of the word's origins and evolution of its use is featured in each video lesson. The entire playlist is embedded below beginning with the word "yankee."


Applications for Education
Mysteries of Vernacular could be an instructive model for your own lessons combining history and language arts. Have your students pick a word or two that they think is common and research it. Then have them create their own short videos in which they explain the history of those words. You might even have them research the dialect of the areas in which they live.

Mysteries of Vernacular Explains Nuances of English

Mysteries of Vernacular is an interesting site that is developing a series of videos about the history and nuances of the English language. The concept is similar to that of Words of the World. Mysteries of Vernacular will eventually have one video for every letter of the alphabet. For now there is just a few videos available.

Applications for Education
Much like the idea I shared in my review of Words of the World, Mysteries of Vernacular could be an instructive model for your own lesson combining history and language arts. Have your students pick a word or two that they think is common and research it. Then have them create their own short videos in which they explain the history of those words. You might even have them research the dialect of the areas in which they live.


Mysteries of Vernacular: Clue from Myriapod Productions on Vimeo.