Summary
Students will implement a close reading strategy to annotate and summarize an informational text about Generation Alpha slang. They will use context clues to infer the meaning of slang words. With the knowledge gained from reading, students will create their own Gen Alpha dictionary of definitions.
Essential Question(s)
What reading strategies can I use to understand the meaning of words that I'm not familiar with?
Snapshot
Engage
Students look at past generational slang and try to predict its meaning. The students also give examples of their own generation's slang.
Explore
Students define generational slang using context clues.
Explain
Students use the close reading strategy, CUS and Discuss, to identify the main idea and supporting details from an informational text. They summarize and paraphrase what they read.
Extend
Students create two words for a modern dictionary of Generation Alpha terms and present their words, definitions, and example sentences to the class.
Evaluate
The informational text graphic organizer and the group presentation of slang terms will serve as assessments for this lesson.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
“Gen Alpha Is Here” article (attached; 1 per student)
“He's the Cool One” article (attached, optional; 1 per student)
Slang Chain Notes (attached; 1 set per class)
Informational Text Graphic Organizer (attached; 1 per student)
Triangle-Square-Circle (attached; 1 per student)
Chart paper, scratch or notebook paper
Pens/pencils, markers
Engage
20 Minute(s)
Display slides 2–4 and introduce the topic of the lesson, the essential question, and the lesson objectives.
Read aloud the dictionary definition of slang from slide 5. Explain that students will practice making meaning from text by looking at slang in this lesson. Continue to slide 6 to discuss how the word "stan" is used in example sentences. Ask for a few possible answers to the question at the bottom of the slide.
Move on to slide 7 and present the definition of the word “stan” from Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. Explain that slang words sometimes make it into dictionaries if they become widely used.
Move to slide 8 and have students pair up with an Elbow Partner. Ask them to take out a piece of paper and work with their partner to come up with a list of other slang terms they know from any generation. Call on pairs to share their examples, guiding the class discussion as needed to ensure appropriateness and clarity.
Move to slide 9 and introduce the Chain Notes strategy. Distribute the Slang Chain Notes handout to the class, giving each student one page of the handout. Ask students to write down their definition of the slang term on the page and pass it to another student. Once all the boxes on a page are filled, the page should be returned to the student who started the chain.
Explore
15 Minute(s)
Display slides 10-15 one by one, reviewing the slang terms on each slide. Read the sentence aloud, asking students if the sentence provides clues about the meaning of the term. Encourage volunteers to guess the meaning before revealing the correct definition from the Teacher's Note. After sharing the definition, have the student with the corresponding Chain Notes page for that term stand up and read the student answers. Compare the student answers with the correct definition to see if anyone guessed correctly.
Explain
30 Minute(s)
Move to slide 16 and introduce the CUS and Discuss reading strategy. Explain that this strategy will help them identify the main idea and key details as they read. Distribute the article “Gen Alpha Is Here. Can You Understand Their Slang?” or the alternative article, “He’s the Cool One: Teacher Creates Gen Z Dictionary of Slang,” to each student. Let students know that they will be using the CUS and Discuss strategy to annotate the text as they read.
After students have completed their individual readings, move them into groups of three. Pass out the Informational Text Graphic Organizer to each group. Display slide 17 and ask students to use their individual annotations to help them fill out the graphic organizer with their group.
If time permits, allow groups to share their summaries with the class.
Extend
20 Minute(s)
Move to slide 18 and tell students that they will now create two new Generation Alpha slang terms. Using chart paper or scratch paper, have groups create a page for each new slang term. Each page should include the slang term, its definition, and a sentence using the term. If time allows, students can add drawings or other details to enhance the presentation of their slang terms.
Once groups have completed their slang terms, ask them to "pitch" their terms to another group and receive feedback. If time permits, invite groups to present one or both of their slang definitions to the class.
Evaluate
5 Minute(s)
Move to slide 19 and distribute the Triangle-Square-Circle handout. Explain the Triangle-Square-Circle reflection strategy to the students, giving them a few minutes to reflect on what they learned and fill out the handout. If time allows, have a few students share their responses.
Resources
Dyas, B, (2017). The most popular slang the year you were born, Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/g4252/slang-year-you-were-born/
Sunday Cool. (2019, Mar 6). How to speak Gen Z [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrxVWf91Jo
Kircher, M. (2023, November 9). Can You Understand Gen Alpha’s Slang? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/style/gen-alpha-slang.html
K20 Center. (n.d.). Chain notes. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/52
K20 Center. (n.d.). CUS and discuss. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/162
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Triangle-Square-Circle. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/65
Naumoff, B. (2024). 100 Teen Slang Words and Phrases to Know in 2024. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/teen-slang/
USA Today, adapted by Newsela staff. (2019, May 5). “Sis,” “bops” and “jams”: Teacher creates Gen Z dictionary of slang. Newsela. https://newsela.com/view/ck9nool8c075t0iqjq49a42z5/
Stan. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stan