Mysteries of The Vernacular

Mysteries of Vernacular are a series of videos from TED-Ed,created by Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel, that explore the etymology of words. The origins of the words are often nothing like their modern meanings. I really like like how the original words are really surprising and I wouldn't have guessed the origins by myself. There are currently 11 videos, each on a different word, so watch for new ones to be released. The animations for the video make them even more interesting to watch. The narration is set to the scene of a book which opens and flips its pages to reveal stop-motion animations illustrating the lecture. My favorite video is on the word hearse, as the origin of hearse is quite different and remote from the current word. Click here for the full set of videos and at this site there are lessons accompanying the videos making these videos a great resource. Below is the video for the word hearse, where I learned how "herpex" became "hearse".

Mindsnacks SAT Vocab App

            A fun way to bring mobility to your vocab learning. This app provides fun vocabulary games that use SAT words.  As you master words, you go up in levels and unlock more games. Your avatar also grows from an egg to an adult creature as you level up. Games test both speed and accuracy. Some games work on spelling, while others develop rapid recall of info as well as many other skills.
            An example game is Swell.  Swell requires the player to match a word and a synonym to raise an ever-decreasing water level and save a goldfish. The water drains faster the more correct answers that are given. The app is free, but you will have to buy all but the first lesson. It is definitely worth it! If you need to share a single iPad, that is fine. SAT Vocab allows users to sign out of a account and another player to sign in.
           SAT Vocab App, made by Mindsnacks, is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.  It is optimized for iPhone 5 and requires iOS 5.0 or later.