"Yuns betta outten the lights!" Colloquial language is the focus of a lesson that asks middle schoolers to consider the pros and cons of using idioms. They read articles, match expressions with their meaning and place of origin, and revise passages from The Outsiders. The lesson evaluation challenges pupils to design a Cognitive Comic using colloquial language that illustrates what they have learned.

Concepts

colloquialisms, connotation, denotation, target audiences

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Instructional Ideas

• Include the lesson in a study of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders
• Have class members craft a list of local colloquialisms under the heading "You Know You're from (their area) if You Know ...."
• Print the idioms and their meanings on card stock and laminate them to permit reuse

Classroom Considerations

• Set aside extra prep time to collect and copy the many handouts required for the lesson
• Projection equipment is required for the slideshow and the images

Pros

• Slides may be modified to fit the requirements of your classroom
• Includes modifications for distance learning and differentiation
• Links are provided that detail the various learning strategies used in the lesson

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.8.2 W.8.2.a