Redneck

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/redneck

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What does the word "redneck" originally mean?It started as a description of farmers whose necks were sunburnt from working in the sun. It was a way to talk about their hard work.
2. Why did some coal miners wear red bandanas?During the West Virginia Mine Wars in the 1920s, miners tied red bandanas around their necks to show they were working together for better wages and rights.

Etymology: The study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.
Agrarian: Relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land; concerning the ownership or cultivation of land.
Pejorative: Expressing contempt or disapproval; a word or phrase that has negative connotations.
Semantic Shift: A change in the meaning of a word over time, often from neutral to negative or vice versa.