Word Origins - 30 English Words from Nahuatl & Algonquian - Posters & Flashcards

Use this resource during Native American Heritage Month or when teaching about Meso-American and Native American history and culture, teaching word origins, or when reading novels with these settings. It presents 30 English words that come from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and several Algonquian languages spoken by Native Americans and First Nations people in the U.S. and Canada. A few words will be familiar but other words will surprise you -- chocolate and moccasin and also persimmon and woodchuck all come from Indigenous languages of North America! Color and black-and-white versions in poster and flashcard sizes included.

Resource at a Glance:

★ What will students learn?

* 12 English words that come from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people.

* 18 English words that come from Algonquian languages that were/are spoken in what is now the eastern and mid-western area of the United States and Canada.

* Where Nahuatl, Algonquian languages, and other Indigenous North American languages were and are spoken.

* Categories the words can be sorted into.

★ Who is it for?

* All students, including Multilingual Learners of English at intermediate and higher levels of English language proficiency.

★ How does it help teachers?

* It expands students’ knowledge when teaching word origins.

* It adds a cultural element when teaching about Indigenous/Native American peoples.

* It shows the influence and impact of Indigenous languages on the English language.

* The posters can be used as a bulletin board display.

* The ready-made flashcards can be used in centers or copied and distributed to students.

* Doing a sorting task helps develop students’ critical thinking skills.

What an educator who has used this resource says about it:

♥ "I used this as a bell-ringer in honor of Native American History Month." -- Alma M.

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What you get in this Native American-themed product:

★ A table of contents for quick reference (1 page)

★ A Notes to the Teacher section with background information and 5 ways to use the words in this resource (2 pages)

★ A list of all 30 words on one page, for easy reference (1 page)

★ A cover page listing 12 English words with Nahuatl origins, in both color and black-and-white versions (1 page each for a total of 2 pages)

★ A cover page listing 18 English words with Algonquian origins and the particular languages they come from, in both color and black-and-white versions (1 page each for a total of 2 pages)

★ 2 maps showing where the Algonquian languages were spoken, in both color and black-and-white versions (2 pages in color, 2 pages in black-and-white for a total of 4 pages)

★ A list of 7 categories the words can be sorted into (1 page)

★ One set of 8.5” x 11” poster-sized words in color, with a blank template for adding your own words if desired (30 words plus 1 template for a total of 31 pages)

★ One set of 8.5” x 11” poster-sized words in black-and-white, with a blank template for adding your own words if desired (30 words plus 1 template for a total of 31 pages)

★ One set of flashcard-sized words in color, with blank templates for adding your own words if desired (8 pages)

★ One set of flashcard-sized words in black-and-white, with blank templates for adding your own words if desired (8 pages)

More Info:

Two versions of the words are included in this resource:

* In the first version, each word is shown 1 per page, in 8.5” x 11” poster size.

* In the second version, 4 flashcard-sized words are shown per page.

Please open the preview to see the complete list of words in this product

For both versions, the words are provided in both color and black-and-white styles. A list of all the words on one page is included for easy reference. Background information and 5 suggestions for using the words are included in the teacher notes. A page listing categories for a word sort activity is also provided. Maps showing where Nahuatl and the Algonquian languages were/are spoken are included, too.

Whether you display the words on a bulletin board for Native American Heritage Month or distribute sets of the flashcard-sized words to students for a word work activity at another time of the year, this resource will expand your students' knowledge and appreciation of the English language.

Please note:

This resource is also available in a money-saving this bundle; find out more HERE.

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Thank you and happy teaching!

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