A chess piece, a hot dog, and other stuff
Photo Illustration by Matt Herring; Ashmolean Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images (headrest); Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images (basketball player); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (all other images)
Grammar,

The Stories of Stuff

The surprising origins of everyday things

From the April 2022 Issue
Featured Skill: Commonly Confused Words,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    L.3
  • Grade 6
    L.6.3
  • Grade 7
    L.7.3
  • Grade 8
    L.8.3
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    2b, 10c, 10d (ix)

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Directions

Read the blurbs below. Determine which word is correct in each bolded word pair.

Hint

Your or You’re?

Your is the possessive form of you, as in “Where is your bicycle?”

You’re is a contraction of you are, as in “You’re going to love these sneakers.”

iStockPhoto/Getty Images

Chess

Your/You’re probably aware that chess is a strategy game for two players. But are you aware that chess is also one of the oldest board games around? It’s true! Many historians believe chess was invented in India way back in the 600s. 

Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

Basketball

Today, professional basketball is a billion-dollar sport with millions of fans. If  your/you’re one of them, you can thank James Naismith. Back in 1891, this gym teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts, noticed his students getting restless during the long winter. So he invented an indoor sport he called “basket ball.” What did he use for a ball and hoop? A soccer ball and a peach basket!

iStockPhoto/Getty Images

Hot Dogs

Want to find out where hot dogs got their start? Set the dial on your/you’re time machine for about 4,000 years ago. This is when, in ancient Mesopotamia, animal intestines stuffed with ground meats and spices first became popular. 

But wait, your/you’re saying that’s a sausage, not a hot dog! Fair enough. The thing is, the origins of the hot dog as we know it are murky. Several cities in Germany and Austria claim to be the hot dog’s birthplace—hundreds of years ago. Maybe you can discover the truth through your/you’re time travels! 

Ashmolean Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Pillows

Imagine you live in ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago. You’ve had a long day, and your/you’re ready to go to sleep. You lay your/you’re head on your/you’re pillow. 

But it’s very . . . firm. Actually, it’s made of wood! Not too comfy, right? These early pillows, called headrests, are meant to support your/you’re head and allow air to flow under your/you’re body—very important in hot climates like Egypt. Plus, they’re great for keeping your/you’re elaborate hairdo intact. Sweet dreams! 

This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue.

Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

1. INTRODUCE AND PRACTICE GRAMMAR SKILL

  • As a class, read Grammar’s HINT (found in the upper right corner of the second page) to introduce or review the commonly confused words addressed in the feature. Then read the annotations, which model the correct usage.
  • Have students practice the grammar skill by completing the activity as a class, in groups, or individually. In the activity, students choose which of the commonly confused words to use at several points within four short boxes of text.

2. REINFORCE SKILL

  • Use the “Your vs. You’re” activity.
  • Have students observe the commonly confused words in context by searching for examples of their use in the magazine or in other reading material.

EDITOR’S TIP

Challenge students to come up with their own “your/you’re” sentences. Have them trade their sentences with a partner. What words do your students confuse? We’d love your suggestions for future grammar activities.

E-mail us at [email protected].

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