“In this lesson, students will explore what is at stake in November’s [2022] vote.”
Lesson Overview:
“The United States midterm elections are coming up on Nov. 8. In this year’s midterms, Americans will vote on members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Many states and local governments will also hold their own elections. There is a lot at stake.” New York Times Learning Network
Great Ideas for Decorating Your Halloween House This Year!
Paul blow for the Washington Post
“Before you haul the same fake cobwebs and skeletons out of storage for another spooky season of acceptable-but-nothing-special Halloween decor, allow us to nudge you toward some self-reflection: What if this year, you went all in? We have advice — and photos — from extreme decorators.” R. Kurzius, The Washington Post, October 13, 2022
This year’s theme at the Historic Herndon Halloween House is “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” (Colleen Delawder)
Colleen Delawder encourages visitors to come by her Historic Herndon Halloween House both when it’s light out and when it’s dark. “You’ll see things each time that you wouldn’t have if you just did one or the other.” (Colleen Delawder)
“What if this year, your house became ‘the crazy Halloween house?’
Pandora Rose’s home in Aurora, Colo., has carried that honorific since 2009, when she first transformed the modest 1980s residence into Darkrose Manor, festooned, depending on the year, with the trappings of a haunted forest or a ‘dark carnivale.’ Always a lover of Halloween, she and her husband married on the holiday. One year, after a costume contest fell through, she decided to surprise him with ‘super cheesy’ decorations.
Thomas Hall says he began trying to one-up himself each year when it came to his jack-o’-lanterns, His creations have included one pumpkin eating the brains of another and a pumpkin decapitating another pumpkin. (Thomas Hall)
‘We didn’t have a single trick-or-treater, but boy, we had so much fun just sitting there and enjoying the atmosphere.’ They have since built a business out of spooky production and art design.
Attracting trick-or-treaters is no longer a problem. Rose says her ghoulish adornments have given neighbors something to bond over: ‘We are very much a tightknit community that now comes together simply because of Halloween.’
“A chill is in the air, costumes are filling the stores, and Halloween is right around the corner. That means spooky season is upon us! Celebrate the season with these fun and creative Halloween activities, crafts, and games. You’ll find party games perfect for a class Halloween celebration as well as more educational finds like writing prompts and STEM and math challenges. There are enough Halloween activities on this list to do something different every day in October and then some!” ~We Are Teachers~
Nothing says Halloween like a skeleton. Teach your students how our joints, muscles, and tendons work together to move our hands using just construction paper, plastic straws, string, and tape.
Use candy corn for math activities; Pick up a few bags of candy corn and grab our free printables, then engage your students in meaningful math activities from matching to multiplication.
Teach your students about the work of artist Yayoi Kusama and let them create beautiful dotted pumpkins of their own.
Directions: Tryto infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You can use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.
Many people use the same fake cobwebs every Halloween.
Halloween is the spooky season.
She decided to surprise him with ‘super cheesy’ decorations.
Attracting trick-or-treaters is no longer a problem.
We are very much a tightknit community.
Professional haunted attractions often lead you through vignettes — for instance, an alien encounter followed by an eerie circus.
Themes make decorating easier and more fun.
Don’t traumatize the neighbors with your decorations.
Indeed, across the board, realistic blood and guts were seen as no-nos.
Halloween is also a recycling opportunity.
VOCABULARY ANSWER KEY
cob·web | ˈkäbˌweb | noun (usually cobwebs) a spider’s web, especially when old and covered with dust: the wooden carvings were almost obliterated by cobwebs.• something resembling a cobweb in delicacy or intricacy: white cobwebs of frost.
spook·y | ˈspo͞okē | adjective (spookier, spookiest) informal1 sinister or ghostly in a way that causes fear and unease: I bet this place is really spooky late at night.
*cheesy-1. Something that is unintentionally kitschy, tacky, or of poor quality, but these flaws go unnoticed by the admirers of said thing. 2.
**trick-or-treater (ˈtrɪkˈər tritər ) noun a person, typically a child, who goes from door to door in costume on Halloweenasking for candy or other treats
**tightknit(ˈtaɪtˌnɪt )adjective 1. tightly knit 2. well organized, esp. in a concise or unified way; a tightknit family
vi·gnette | vinˈyet |noun1 a brief evocative description, account, or episode: a classic vignette of embassy life. 2 a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.
theme| THēm |noun1 the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person’s thoughts, or an exhibition; verb [with object] give a particular setting or ambience to (a venue or activity): the amusement park will be themed as a Caribbean pirate stronghold.
trau·ma·tize | ˈtrôməˌtīz | verb [with object] subject to lasting shock as a result of an emotionally disturbing experience or physical injury: the children were traumatized by separation from their families.
no-no| ˈnōˈnō | noun (plural no-nos) informal a thing that is not possible or acceptable: perming highlighted hair used to be a definite no-no, but it’s now possible.
recycling | rēˈsīk(ə)liNG | noun the action or process of converting waste into reusable material: a call for the recycling of all paper. re·cy·cle verb [with object] convert (waste) into reusable material: car hulks were recycled into new steel | (as adjective recycled) : goods made of recycled materials.
“The American Halloween tradition of ‘trick-or-treating’ probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called ‘soul cakes’ in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives.” History.com
“The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as ‘going a-souling’ was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry.
On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes.
To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.
Halloween Superstitions
Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition… Today’s Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too.
We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats. We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred; it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe. And around Halloween, especially, we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt.”
“From cakewalks to can tosses, pumpkin-carving contests to piñatas, our list of DIY Halloween party games is guaranteed to make your ghoulish get-together as freaky-fun as possible.” HGTV
Haunted Halloween Gingerbread House Competition Photo By: Jalynn Baker
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post
NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.
Level: Intermediate – Advanced
Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.
Time: Approximately 2 hours.
Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.
Objective: Students will learn how Halloween traditions began in the U.S., and some of the superstitions associated with this celebration. Learners will practice all language skills in this lesson.
Pre-Reading Activities
Stimulate background knowledge
Directions: Have learners brainstorm to build a list of all of the words they can think of connected to the terms: Halloween, ghosts, spirits, and superstitions. Use a graphic organizer KWL chart to help.
Directions: Students infer the meanings of the words in bold from the article and use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance.
The American Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades.
During the festivities children have fun.
The distribution of soul cakes started long ago.
There was theancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits.
Halloween has both European and Celtic roots.
On Halloween, it was believed that ghosts came back.
To appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter people left food outside.
Halloween is a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition.
Today’s Halloween ghosts are oftendepictedas more fearsome and malevolent.
Witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats.
Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage
Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammaticalerror.Identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.
I
In the late 1800s, there were a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday.
new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally.
Parents were encouraged to take anything frighteningout of Halloween celebrations.
II
By the 1920s Halloween have become a secular, but community-centered holiday.
There were parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment.
Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration.
III
An new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow.
Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween.
The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church.
Reading Comprehension
True /False/NA-Statements
Directions: Review the following statements from the reading.Ifa statement is true they mark it T. If the statement is not applicable, mark it NA. If the statement is falsemarkit F and provide the correct answer.
The American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England.
Poorpeople would beg for food and families would give them pastries.
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Catholic roots.
People were afraid of the dark, and food supplies were often scarce hundreds of years ago.
The distribution of soul cakesa practice was known as going a-souling.
On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place a bundle of clothes outside their homes.
On Halloween it was believed that people would encounter ghosts if they visited cemeteries.
To avoid being recognized by ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.
Today’s Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent.
We avoid crossing paths with black cats, because we are afraid that they might be our dead relatives.
Post Reading Activities
WH-How Questions
Directions: Have students use theWH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.
Who or What is the article about?
Where does the action/event take place?
When does the action/event take place?
Why did the action/event occur?
How did the action/event occur?
IV. Listening Activity
Note: Visits to The Merchant’sHouseMuseum may have restrictions due to Covid-19. For information Visit
Video: Visit a Haunted House: The Merchant’s House Museum
Pre-listening Tasks
Vocabulary Prediction Game
Directions: In groups,havestudents make a list of words and phrases they think they will hear in the video, based on the title and photo.
Play the video, and as they listen, when students hear their chosen words, they place a check mark next to it. At the end the group with the most check marks wins!
“Scientists are using machine learning to eavesdrop on naked mole rats, fruit bats, crows and whales — and to communicate back.” E. Anthes, The New York Times, Aug. 30, 2022
“The naked mole rat may not be much to look at, but it has much to say.The wrinkled, whiskered rodents, which live, like many ants do, in large, underground colonies, have an elaborate vocal repertoire. They whistle, trill and twitter; grunt, hiccup and hiss.
And when two of the voluble rats meet in a dark tunnel, they exchange a standard salutation. ‘They’ll make a soft chirp, and then a repeating soft chirp,’ said Alison Barker, a neuroscientist at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, in Germany…Not only did each mole rat have its own vocal signature, but each colony had its own distinct dialect, which was passed down, culturally, over generations. During times of social instability — as in the weeks after a colony’s queen was violently deposed — these cohesive dialects fell apart. When a new queen began her reign, a new dialect appeared to take hold…The field is young and many projects are still in their infancy; humanity is not on the verge of having a Rosetta Stone for whale songs or the ability to chew the fat with cats. But the work is already revealing that animal communication is far more complex than it sounds to the human ear, and the chatter is providing a richer view of the world beyond our own species…Studies of animal communication are not new, but machine-learning algorithms can spot subtle patterns that might elude human listeners… These experiments may also raise ethical issues, experts acknowledge. “If you find patterns in animals that allow you to understand their communication, that opens the door to manipulating their communications,” Mr. Mustill said.
But the technology could also be deployed for the benefit of animals, helping experts monitor the welfare of both wild and domestic fauna. Scientists also said that they hoped that by providing new insight into animal lives, this research might prompt a broader societal shift.”
NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.
Level: Intermediate – Advanced
Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.
Time: Approximately 60 minutes.
Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.
Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.
I. Pre-Reading Activities
Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos
Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article.Examine any photos, then create a list of words andideasthat youand your group members think might be related to this article.
II. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.
Scientists are using machine learning to eavesdrop on mole rats andfruit bats.
Mole rats are wrinkled whiskered rodents, which live, in large, underground colonies.
They have an elaborate vocal repertoire.
The mole rat colonies havetimes of socialinstabilityas when the queen was violently deposed.
Machine-learning systems have excelled atanalyzing human language.
In recent years, scientists have begun deploying this technology todecodeanimal communication.
Scientists are not on the verge of having a Rosetta Stone for whale songs.
Scientists definitely are not prepared to chew the fat with cats!
Machine-learning algorithms can spot subtle patterns that mighteludehuman listeners.
To learn more about thevocalizations of Egyptian fruit bats, researchers used video cameras and microphones to record groups of the animals.
Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition
Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.
Decoding the meaning/mean of animal call/calls also requires/require large amounts of/for data about the context surrounds/surrounding each squeak and squawk.
To learn more/most about the vocalizations of Egyptian fruit bats, researchers used/use video cameras and microphones to/too record groups of a/the animals for 75 days.
Then/Than they reviewed the recordings, painstakingly noting/note several important details, such as witch/which bat was vocalizing and on/in what context, of/for each of nearly 15,000 calls.
Reading Comprehension: Identify TheSpeakers
Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.
“They have a little conversation.”
“Let’s try to find a Google Translate for animals.”
“This is like we’ve invented a telescope — a new tool that allows us to perceive what was already there but we couldn’t see before.”
“One of the things that’s really great about animal sound is that there are still so many mysteries and that those mysteries are things which we can apply computation to.”
“You can just get a direct, subjective, from the animal’s mouth how-are-they-feeling.”
“The bats are pugilistic, frequently quarreling in their crowded colonies, and the vast majority of their vocalizations are aggressive. Basically, they’re pushing each other. Imagine a big stadium and everybody wants to find a seat.”
III. Post Reading Activities
WH-How Questions
Directions: Have students use theWH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.
Who or What is the article about?
Where does the action/event take place?
When does the action/event take place?
Why did the action/event occur?
How did the action/event occur?
Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing
Directions: In groups answer the following questions.
Would you like to know what animals are talking about?
Why or why not?
Think of ways this might be helpful to animals in general.
How might this be helpful to humans?
List three new ideasthat you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you would like to know that the article did not mention.Share your responses with your class.
“Christopher Columbus undoubtedly changed the world. But was it for the better?” History Editors, updated, October 9, 2020
Lovella Black Bear, left, holds a sign calling for the abolishment of Columbus Day during a 2015 demonstration for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson:AP)
Excerpt: Why Columbus Day Courts Controversy, History.com, October 2020 “More than 500 years after he ‘discovered’ the New World—kicking off centuries of exploration and colonization of the Americas—Christopher Columbus is honored with a federal holiday on the second Monday of every October.
Spaniards enslaving the Native Americans. Universal History Archive:UIG:Getty Images
However, as historians have continued to dig into the life of Christopher Columbus, controversy has arisen over continuing to honor the Italian explorer as a hero. Like many European explorers, Christopher Columbus encountered indigenous people throughout his voyages.
Native students, faculty members, and friends gather to honor Johns Hopkins University’s first Indigenous Peoples Day. October 11, 2018, Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo courtesy of Tom Jefferson Jr.)
There are three main sources of controversy involving his interactions with the indigenous people he labeled ‘Indians’: the use of violence and slavery, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity and the introduction of a host of new diseases that would have dramatic long-term effects on native people in the Americas.
California Natives gather in front of City Hall to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. October 14, 2019, Los Angeles, California. (Photo courtesy of Helena Tsosie)
On his first day in the New World, he ordered six of the natives to be seized, writing in his journal that he believed they would be good servants. Throughout his years in the New World, Columbus enacted policies of forced labor in which natives were put to work for the sake of profits.
Old Statue of Chris Columbus
Later, Columbus sent thousands of peaceful Taino ‘Indians’ from the island of Hispaniola to Spain to be sold. Many died en route…Eventually, his methods and actions caught up with Columbus. A number of settlers lobbied against him at the Spanish court, accusing Columbus of mismanagement…This historical record has cast Columbus’ legacy under a cloud of controversy. Protests at Columbus Day parades, efforts to eliminate him from classroom curricula and calls for changing the federal holiday have all followed.”
Additional Activities/Information
Heard Museum Indigenous People Day 2021
Indigenous Peoples’ Celebration
“Celebrate Indigenous art and culture at the Heard Museum. A visit to the museum is a perfect way to support American Indian artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers and chefs. Join us for this special day during which we honor the vitality, beauty and diversity of American Indian people.” Heard Museum
9 Things to Do on Indigenous Peoples Day!
“Christopher Columbus did not “discover” America. Today, let’s remember and celebrate the Peoples who were here first!
“Over 130 states, cities and universities across the United States have voted to stop recognizing “Columbus Day” in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day, shifting the holiday’s focus from Columbus to the people he encountered in the New World and their modern-day descendants.” Cultural Survival.orghttps://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/9-things-do-indigenous-peoples-day
Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
“It’s time to move beyond the falsehoods of Columbus Day!”
“The United States is grappling with the legacy of slavery, systemic racism, and oppression. This requires us, as responsible citizens, to reflect on our own lives, and question our long-held assumptions. We need, furthermore, to intentionally support efforts to dismantle the stereotypes and bigotry ingrained in our country’s history and culture.” CommonWealthMagazine
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post
NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.
the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.
I. Pre-Reading Activities
Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos
Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article.Examine any photos, then create a list of words andideasthat youand your group members think might be related to this article.
Pre-Reading Discussion Questions
Directions: Answer the following pre-reading questions:
Why is Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrated?
Why is Columbus Day is celebrated?
What is the controversy over Columbus Day?
II. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.
Columbus is known for the exploration andcolonization of the Americas.
Controversyhas arisen over continuing to honor the Italian explorer as a hero.
Like many European explorers, Columbus encountered indigenous people throughout his voyages.
There are three main sources of controversy involving his interactions with the indigenous people.
Columbus and his men enslaved many native inhabitants
After anarduousthree-month journey Columbus landed on an unknown Caribbean island in 1492.
Natives were put to work in forcedlaborcamps for the sake of profits.
Later, Columbus sent thousands of peaceful Taino from the island of Hispaniola to Spain to be sold.
Those left behind were forced to search for gold inmines.
Columbus lost his governorship and his prestige.
Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage
Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammaticalerror.Identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.
I
Columbus encountered indigenous people.
There are three main sources of controversy.
Columbus landed on a unknown Caribbean island.
II
On his first day in the New World, he ordered six of the natives to be seized.
Columbus enacted policies of forcedlabor.
Columbus sent thousands of Taino ‘Indians’ too Spain to be sold.
III
Those left behind were forced to search for gold in mines.
Eventually, his methods and actions caught up with him.
In 1500, the king and queen sent in an royal administrator, who detained Columbus.
Reading ComprehensionFill-ins
Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, have them complete the following sentencestaken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.
In the___sense, ___have used the phrase “Columbian exchange” to ___the ___of plants, ___and goods between the East and West that his ___sparked.
Though the effects were ___and cannot all be ___as negative,___ of Columbus have ___that the ___aspects of this ___added up to biological warfare.
Directions: Have students use theWH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.
Who or What is the article about?
Where does the action/event take place?
When does the action/event take place?
Why did the action/event occur?
How did the action/event occur?
Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing
Directions: Havestudents discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.
Do you celebrate Columbus Day? Why?
What name did Columbus give the indigenous people he encountered?
What are the three main sources of controversy involving Columbus’s interactions with the indigenous people he encountered?
Where was the New World actually located?
Why did Columbus seize six natives on the first day in the New World?
Why were Indigenous people enslaved and forced into hard labor?
What happened to the Taino Indigenous People from the Island of Hispaniola?
What eventually happened to Columbus?
What does the term ‘Columbian exchange’mean?
How did Indigenous Peoples’ Day come to be?
When is Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrated?
What does Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrate?
What new information did you learn form reading this article?
After reading this article, have you changed your thoughts about Columbus in any way?
