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Everything You Need To Know About Website Design Costs

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Everything You Need To Know About Website Design Costs

Everything You Need To Know About Website Design Costs

Recently I stumbled upon an article that claimed that getting a website design is an expensive and lengthy process. As a person who has worked in this business for over ten years now, I think it is a really harmful statement that prevents many people from getting the website they dream of. Many factors influence website design costs, but it does not need to be expensive to look stunning.

Website Design Costs

We put together three essential questions to help you find out how much you will need to pay for a website design. They cover elements that have the most significant influence on the price. Answering them will help you prepare the correct budget.

We are now offering free website design planning consultations! Contact us for a price check and solutions tailored especially for you!

1. How would you like the site to look?

It is great to have some links to sites you like. It helps in finding the style and layout that will suit you best. Don’t worry if you can’t really tell what you want. At this stage, even a few sentences or one link is enough to get everything started.

The style and layout of the homepage can change the price of your website from $50 to $5000! So it is the most significant factor. We broke design styles into four simplified categories to help you estimate possible expenses.

Simple Blogs (budget $15-$150)

If you plan to have a personal blog, our recommendation is the Blogger platform. With our premade designs, you can get it done for as low as $15! Even if you add a design color change and installation support, you are still way under $100. So it is the most affordable option for a very simple but stylish website or blog.

Small Business Website (budget $150-$250)

If you need a professional-looking website for your business, you do not need to spend a fortune on it! Start with one of our WordPress premade designs, and it will be more than enough. All the designs are just $99 each and come with installation and set-up included!

The only technical thing you will need to sort out on your own is getting a WordPress. However, we got you covered here too! Follow our easy 4 step guide and get a WordPress set-up in a few minutes.

Semi-Custom Website Design (budget $250-$1500)

If you are looking for something more unique, the best option for a lower-budget project is a WordPress premade design expanded with a design color change and a custom logo. Such projects are quoted for each customer separately but usually fall somewhere between $250 to $800. Contact us for free consultation and price check.

NEW: We have recently launched an Etsy store with premade logo designs. Combine them with one of our premade designs to create a semi-custom for the lowest possible price.

Custom Website Design (budget $1500+)

It is definitely the ultimate option if you are looking for one of a kind design that will look exactly like you imagined! We build each custom website from scratches, and because of that, the price can be significantly different for different projects. We believe that you should not pay for things you do not need or will not use, so we always discuss the essential aspects before quoting. Contact us for free consultation & price check.

If you would like to see some past custom design stories, make sure to browse our portfolio.

2. Do you need any custom pages?

By default, website design includes a styled homepage, blank pages, and blog-related elements (blog homepage, posts etc). Sometimes you may get an extra ‘Contact’ or ‘About’ page. If there are any other pages you already know you need, make sure to communicate it with a designer or check if premade designs you buy have them.

Some of our WordPress premade designs have included pages like Recipe Index or Galerry. All of the Custom designs come with the basic pages (‘Contact’, ‘About’ etc) but we are more than happy to add any other pages you need since the custom pages are tailored for each customer separately.

3. Are you looking for any specific features?

Options like Shop, Portfolio, or Recipe Index can increase website design costs.

In most cases, you can add them later if your starting budget is low. So do not stress about getting everything done at once. However, it is good to mention that you consider any specific feature when talking with someone about your design. This way, you will make sure that they can be added later, and you can get a price check to prepare your wallet for your website upgrade.

Still not sure how much your website may cost? Contact us for a price check and free consultation!

Additional Website Design Costs

Remember that you should always look for any additional or hidden costs when it comes to a website design.

We do our best to be as transparent as possible with all the prices, but I can not guarantee that about other shops. The most common practice is an additional installation and set-up fee for a design. Even though installation isn’t usually very hard or time-consuming, we have many customers who bought designs somewhere else and could not get them to work!

It is why all our premade and custom designs have the installation & set-up included in the design price.

Let us know in the comments if you still have any questions about website design costs!

Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Truck Drivers, Basketball Heroes and Love

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Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Truck Drivers, Basketball Heroes and Love

Each Wednesday we shine a spotlight on five student activities that support a broad range of learners. In this week’s roundup of accessible activities, we invite students to write a love poem, learn about truck drivers, watch a film about the “Queen of Basketball,” look closely at an intriguing photo and write an original story.

Note: To learn more about this new weekly feature, read our introductory post. Please share your thoughts in the comments section or by emailing us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.

1. Write a love poem.

In this Student Opinion, students read a short poem about love by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, and then reflect on the different kinds of love they have experienced — romantic, platonic or familial. We invite students to share a small motion, or gesture, of love that someone has done for them in our comments section — or even write their own love poem.

2. Learn about truck drivers in America.

In this Lesson of the Day, students ride alongside a trucker on a 1,000-mile journey from Missouri to Texas to find out what the job is really like. Then they interview someone in their family or community whose job they think is very difficult and who deserves more appreciation.

3. Watch a film about the “Queen of Basketball.”

In this week’s Film Club, students watch “The Queen of Basketball,” a 22-minute Oscar-nominated film that tells the story of Lusia “Lucy” Harris Stewart, one of women’s basketball’s most accomplished players. Then they reflect on what we can learn from the life of one of basketball’s unsung heroes.

4. Make observations about a photograph.

What’s Going On in This Picture invites students to look closely at a photograph published in The Times, and try to figure out what is happening in the image. Students can read what other students have noticed in the image, as well as moderator responses, in the comments section.

5. Tell a story inspired by an image.

In this Picture Prompt we encourage students to use their imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this photo — or, tell us about a memory from their own life that this image makes them think of.

Are You a Risk-Taker?

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Are You a Risk-Taker?

In one of those essays, “I Admit It. I’m in Love With Fear.,” Eileen Gu, an 18-year-old freeskier who won gold in the women’s freeski big air competition and silver in freeski slopestyle, writes that, for her, risk-taking is “addictive”:

FOR THE LAST 10 OF MY 18 YEARS, I’ve pursued a tumultuous love affair with fear. I’m a professional freeskier, and twin-tipped skis, 22-foot halfpipes and double-cork rotations are my main sources of adrenaline, the truly addictive core of extreme sports.

Like all bewitching lovers (at least the ones in the novels I read, for lack of real-world experience), this significant other can be … mercurial. “Fear” is really an umbrella term for three distinct sensations: excitement, uncertainty, and pressure. I’ve learned that the nuanced indicators of each of these feelings can be instrumental to success when recognized and positively leveraged, and harbingers of injury when ignored.

Though it’s easy to label extreme sport athletes as fearless or capricious, the countless hours I’ve spent visualizing tricks and practicing them in foam pits (foam. particles. everywhere) and on airbags (think giant Slip ’N Slide) suggest otherwise. It’s biologically counterintuitive for us to place ourselves in positions of risk, and while we make every effort to physically prepare, no amount of metaphorically safety-netted practice can equate to the unforgiving snow slope that rushes up to meet us after a steep kicker launches us into the air. Instead of ignoring fear, we build unique relationships with it by developing a profound sense of self-awareness and making deliberate risk assessments.

The work begins with visualization. Before I attempt a new trick, I feel a tightening high in my chest, between the base of my throat and the top of my diaphragm. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. As I ascend the gargantuan takeoff ramp, I imagine extending my legs to maximize lift. Then I picture twisting my upper body in the opposite direction I intend to spin, generating torque before I allow it to snap back the other way.

Now, in my mind, I’m airborne. I see the backside of the takeoff immediately, then my flip draws my vision to the cloudless sky above me. My ears register the wind as a kind of song, every 360-degree rotation providing the beat to the music of my motion. As my feet come under me halfway through, I spot the landing for the briefest of moments before I pull my body into the second flip. I imagine my legs swinging under me as I return to a forward-facing position and meet the ground with my weight in the front of my boots. 1440 degrees. I smile. Then I open my eyes.

In the split second following my visualization, the knot in my chest flutters and spreads — those famous butterflies reaching their final stage of metamorphosis. Excitement, the child of adrenaline, my true love and addiction. That tantalizingly precarious balance between confidence in my ability to execute the trick safely and excitement for the unpredictable experience to come. I’ve heard this state called “the zone,” which is indeed where I was when I became the first female skier in history to land the double cork 1440 last fall.

Students, read the rest of Ms. Gu’s essay and watch the accompanying videos. Or explore one or more of the other articles in the series on getting hurt, trying new tricks, dealing with bad weather and skiing nearly blind in the Paralympics. Then tell us:

  • Would you describe yourself as a risk-taker? Do extreme feats, physical or otherwise, excite you?

  • What is the most daring thing you have ever done? It could be a physical feat, such as an extreme sport, or it could be something else, like speaking in front of a large group, having a brave conversation or trying something new. How did it make you feel?

  • Ms. Gu describes several steps she takes to face her fear, including visualization and practice. What do you do to ease your worries when taking a risk?

  • Ms Gu writes that feelings of fear “can be instrumental to success when recognized and positively leveraged, and harbingers of injury when ignored.” Can you think of a time when fear motivated you to take a risk that led to success? What about a time when it protected you from going too far?

  • What do you think is the difference between being reckless and making “calculated risks,” which is what many of these athletes say they do? When you are taking a risk, how do you assess the dangers of it? How do you know when to push forward and when to pull back?

  • What did you learn about fear and risk-taking from Ms. Gu, or from the other athletes you read about? What lessons from them can you apply to your own life?

Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Lesson of the Day: ‘Trucker Protests in Canada: What You Need to Know’

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Lesson of the Day: ‘Trucker Protests in Canada: What You Need to Know’

Featured Article: “Trucker Protests in Canada: What You Need to Know” by Azi Paybarah and Vivek Shankar

For several weeks, truck drivers protesting vaccine mandates have been parking their rigs to block the flow of traffic on major highways and bridges across Canada. On Feb. 14, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a national public order emergency in an attempt to stop the blockades.

In this lesson, you will learn about how the protests started, the protesters’ demands and how the Canadian government has responded. Then, you will reflect on the article, analyze the signs, symbols and slogans associated with the movement, and learn more about how Canadians understand the demonstrations.

Watch this three-minute video from PBS NewsHour to learn about the protests that have been taking place in Canada. Then, in your own words, summarize the who, what, where, how and why of the situation:

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. How did the current protest movement begin? What prompted the truckers to take action?

2. Mr. Trudeau initially dismissed the protesters as a “small fringe minority.” What evidence supports that sentiment?

3. The article states that “the protesters are having an outsize impact for their small numbers.” What are some of the ways in which this movement has had an impact in Canada and beyond?

4. How have protesters raised money for their cause? Who has donated to them?

5. What is significant about the national public order emergency? What is the goal of this action?

6. Who are the leaders and organizers of the protests? What actions have they taken to control the messaging of the movement, and to support the protesters?

7. What do the protesters say they want? Why might this goal inspire similar demonstrations in other countries?

Option 1: Reflect and connect.

What is your reaction to the protests in Canada? What do you think about Mr. Trudeau’s declaration of a national public emergency? Do you think it will help to stop the protests? Should it? Why or why not?

How do people feel about coronavirus health measures where you live? Have there been actions against mask requirements or vaccine mandates? Do you think that a movement, like the trucker protests in Canada, could happen where you live? Would you want it to? Why or why not?

Option 2: Look closely and analyze.

Take a few minutes to look more closely at the photos and captions in the featured article, this related article or the most recent updates.

Then, discuss the following questions with your classmates:

  • What do you notice about the photos? What story do they tell about the movement?

  • What signs, slogans and symbols do you see at the protests?

  • Do these images remind you of any that you have seen in the United States or in your country?

  • What do these photos tell you about the movement, and even about Canada itself?

  • What questions do you have about what these photos show?

If you want to go further, read “Baffled by the Chaos in Canada? So Are Canadians,” in which Catherine Porter writes about Canadians who are trying to make sense of the trucker protests. Then, consider these questions:

  • How do citizens, who are not part of the protest movement, feel about what is happening?

  • What are some of the reasons that Canadians might have adopted more American positions, slogans and viewpoints in the past two years?

  • Why is this being called a “myth-busting” moment? What are some of the Canadian myths that are being challenged because of the trucker protests?

Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.

Group Chat

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Group Chat

Are you in any group chats via text? What role do group chats play in your life? When are they great? When are they annoying?

A recent Times article called “Everyone Has Left the Chat” describes how, for many, the group chat has changed over the course of the pandemic:

Like so many features of our lives these days, our text message chains are undergoing a great unraveling. No matter how stimulating, all conversations must eventually come to an end. Even — and perhaps especially — the texting conversations that emerged and kept us company in the early days of lockdown have grown quieter as pods have disintegrated, interpersonal dynamics have shifted, and people have tired of prattling on about the same old thing.

Can you relate to this? How have your group chats changed?

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.

Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Word of the Day: ignominious

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Word of the Day: ignominious

The word ignominious has appeared in 27 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 11 in “Hochul Vows a Change in Tone as the Cuomo Era Nears an End in Albany” by Luis Ferré-Sadurní:

ALBANY, N.Y. — In her first remarks since Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced his resignation, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state’s governor-in-waiting, distanced herself from the embattled governor, while declaring she was prepared to lead New York through economic turmoil and an enduring pandemic.

… Lawmakers in Albany were still grappling with Mr. Cuomo’s rapid and ignominious fall after he announced on Tuesday that he would step down, ending his more than 10 years in power. Mr. Cuomo, who was facing the threat of impeachment, said he took “full responsibility” for his actions as he denied ever touching anyone inappropriately and sought to frame the allegations as stemming from generational differences.

Can you correctly use the word ignominious in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how ignominious can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

5 Ways Smart Tech Is Improving Cities — & The Skills You Need To Get Involved

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5 Ways Smart Tech Is Improving Cities — & The Skills You Need To Get Involved
5 Ways Smart Tech Is Improving Cities — & How You Can, Too

Not familiar with the “Internet of Things” (IoT)? Well, it’s familiar with you. IoT refers to everyday physical objects that are embedded with internet connectivity. Think: Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa. But there’s more to the tech than just personal assistance.

Cities around the world are implementing IoT into their infrastructures to address systemic problems and make life much easier in ways most of us probably take for granted. From reducing our collective carbon footprint to monitoring air quality, IoT can do so much more than just tell you what the weather is before you leave the house (though that is pretty cool).

As Limor “Ladyada” Fried, CEO of Adafruit Industries and founding member of the NYC Industrial Business Advisory Council, told us:

“The most exciting part of IoT’s future is seeing makers and coders design the devices that best suit them and their communities. Instead of relying on what’s available in the store, customization and optimizations will let small-scale engineering happen by the people who will actually use it!”

So if you’re wondering how learning to code can help you build a better, more optimized world, here are some examples of how innovations in IoT are changing cities for the better.

1. Smart streetlights

Stargazers rejoice! To help reduce light pollution, cities are starting to implement smart streetlights that automatically adjust light levels depending on the time of day and traffic and road conditions. A handful of states in the U.S. — like California, Georgia, and Michigan — already have them.

More importantly, these streetlights help conserve energy and use it more efficiently. Tvilight, a company that offers smart streetlights, reports that its tech has reduced energy consumption by over 60% in cities in Germany, India, and the Netherlands. Some smart streetlights also come with motion sensors that base light levels on human presence, lowering energy consumption and CO2 emissions even further.

In the near future, smart streetlights could even be used to improve emergency services and prevent crime, according to Intel.

2. Smart roads

Traffic isn’t just annoying to sit in, it’s also expensive. One estimate suggests that traffic congestion cost the average U.S. driver $564 in wasted time in 2021, according to Inrix. That’s one of the reasons why more and more companies are combating the issue by inventing smart materials that can be added to roads to make them safer and more efficient.

Smart Pavement from Integrated Roadways, for example, is concrete with embedded sensors that detect accidents and roadway conditions as people drive in real time. The information and feedback is then shared with other drivers, central processing hubs, and emergency services.

Technologies like Smart Pavement can quite literally save lives by notifying first responders as soon as an accident occurs. In the U.S., you can find these smart roads in Colorado and Kansas.

There are also innovative new technologies like Studio Roosegaarde’s Smart Highway. These solar-powered smart roads charge by day and glow by night, offering drivers greater visibility (and a very futuristic ambiance).

3. Smart energy management

The U.S. government is coming up with new ways to utilize energy more efficiently and help consumers track and manage their household energy use. You may have heard of “smart grids,” which use communication technologies and control systems to help prevent and mitigate power outages. They also give consumers greater access to their data, empowering them to make more informed decisions about how they consume energy on an individual level.

The U.K. is making similar efforts with the widespread adoption of smart energy meters. These smart meters provide a more accurate analysis of people’s energy use, down to each specific appliance.

This makes it easier for people to monitor and manage their energy usage (and hopefully cut down on their electric bills). According to Forbes, they’re expected to be seen in every home and small business in the U.K. by June 2025. If you live in the U.S., you might already have one — The Edison Foundation shows that they’re already implemented into 75% of households as of 2021.

4. Smart trash management

IoT technology is also being used to keep our cities clean.

In 2019, San Francisco implemented smart trash cans throughout the city with sensors that detect when they’re near-full and automatically notify trash collection agencies. Not only has this helped keep garbage off the streets, but it also potentially reduces carbon emissions by streamlining trash collection.

Seoul, South Korea, achieved similar results after implementing their own smart trash cans, Clean Cubes. Since installation, waste overflow was eliminated, street litter has reduced significantly, and the city reduced collection costs by 83%.

5. Smart air quality sensors

To combat air pollution, cities are using IoT tech to gather data and gauge residents’ levels of exposure. With this data, cities can better identify areas with poor air quality, assess the relationship between pollutants and diseases, and potentially encourage officials to take action.

In parts of Chicago and Barcelona, for example, lampposts and park benches contain air sensors that are used to track air quality and identify pollutants, Harvard reports. There are also mobile sensors that attach to Google’s Street View cars and quickly scan air quality as they drive around cities.

Learning more about IoT

These technologies barely scratch the surface of what you can do with IoT. So how do you actually get into IoT development?

Fried (who you heard from above) recommends learning Python as the first step: The language is great for parsing structured data in text (e.g., HTML, XML, and JSON), and it also features flexible memory management and exception handling capabilities.

Ready to get started? Check out our Learn Python 3 course to learn the language’s fundamentals. Then, dive into Learn Hardware Programming With CircuitPython to start experimenting with hardware. The future of cities could literally be at your fingertips.

Python Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

Python is a general-purpose, versatile, and powerful programming language. It’s a great first language because it’s concise and easy to read. Whatever you want to do, Python can do it. From web development to machine learning to data science, Python is the language for you.

How Much Do Big Data Engineers Make?

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How Much Do Big Data Engineers Make?

Businesses in every industry today are leveraging massive amounts of data to make smarter decisions and save time. So who’s behind the scenes helping businesses identify patterns, insights, and recommendations? Big Data Engineers.

If you’re interested in a career in data engineering and wondering how much you’d make as a Big Data Engineer, the good news is that you can likely look forward to a six-figure salary. That’s because Big Data Engineers, like other development and tech professionals, are in demand all over the country and across almost every industry.

But many factors can influence how much you’ll earn. Let’s take a look at them, as well as some ways to increase your earning potential.

What factors determine a Big Data Engineer’s salary?

According to recent findings from ZipRecruiter, Big Data Engineers can expect to make an average yearly salary of $130,674. Along with that, Data Engineers in the U.S. report an average of $5,000 per year in cash bonuses, as well as other benefits like retirement account contributions, paid time off, and expense reimbursements. But in some cases, Big Data Engineers can expect to earn even more than this. So what influences how much you can make?

Location

As a Big Data Engineer, you’ll be able to find work all over the country, not to mention the world, so you have a lot of flexibility if you’re not sure where you want to live. Living in a major city is almost always more expensive than living in a small town, and this difference in cost-of-living will likely be reflected in your salary.

So which cities have the highest average Big Data Engineer salary? Here are the top eight, according to Indeed:

Location 

Average Big Data Engineer salary

1

San Francisco, CA

$148,750

2

McLean, VA

$143,400

3

Los Angeles, CA

$141,250

4

Plano, TX

$137,500

5

Austin, TX

$135,500

6

New York, NY

$129,400

7

Boston, MA

$124,750

8

Chicago, IL

$120,250

Field

It’s not just the software and tech fields where demand is high for Big Data Engineers. Finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and entertainment also need professionals who can work with large data sets and produce insights and recommendations. But some fields pay higher than others.

For example, according to Indeed, Data Engineers working in the e-commerce field at eBay earn $182,568 on average, while Capital One, a financial services company, pays their Data Engineers $168,214 on average. So this is something to keep in mind when you’re deciding which field you want to work in. That said, it’s not a perfect science and can vary from job to job.

Education & skills

If you specialize in a particular hard skill, you might earn a higher salary. For example, if you know the Akka toolkit, that could qualify you for a salary bump around 40%, according to Indeed. Do you know the Play Framework? That could also give you a 40% increase in salary.

Big Data Engineers who know certain programming languages might also earn higher salaries. Java and Ruby could earn you 10% or more, and C++ could bump your salary up by more than 8.5%. These are, of course, averages, but they’re good to keep in mind as you set yourself up for a successful career as a Big Data Engineer.

It’s not just about the salary

It’s exciting to look forward to a six-figure salary, but keep in mind that your salary is just one part of your compensation package. When you’re going over your offer, you want to look at other benefits like health, dental, and vision insurance and retirement benefits. You might also find a sign-on bonus, performance-based bonuses, stock options, and a relocation stipend offered to you as well.

With the increase in remote work over the past few years, you should also pay attention to workplace policies. And don’t forget to review how much paid time off you’ll get each year.

Becoming a Big Data Engineer can offer job security

Big Data Engineers will likely be in demand for years to come because companies will continue to leverage data to make smarter business moves. Fortunately, that means that comfortable salaries, along with great benefits, have become the norm. It also means it’s safe to assume that job security won’t be a problem.

If you’re new to the workforce or switching careers to data engineering, our Data Scientist Career Path will help you gain the skills you need to land your first big data engineering job.

Data Science Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

Data Scientists try to make sense of the data that’s all around us. Learning Data Science can help you make informed decisions, create beautiful visualizations, and even try to predict future events through Machine Learning. If you’re curious about what you can learn about the world using the data p…

Whom Do You Turn to for Good Advice?

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Whom Do You Turn to for Good Advice?

Here is some of Clark’s advice, in bold, with his mother’s explanation below each idea.

“You gotta say your affirmations in your mouth and your heart.”

“Another mom on Twitter talked about saying affirmations with their kid before school. We tried it. Sometimes I tell him, ‘Say it like you mean it.’ I guess he translated that.”

“You say, ‘I am brave of this meeting! I am loved! I smell good!’”

“He knows you can be scared of something, so he talks about being brave of things. I love the grammatical construction. I’ve never corrected it because I like it better. I don’t know where the ‘I smell good’ came up, but I like it. I’m going to use it a lot.”

“You gotta walk big. You gotta mean it. Like Dolly on a dinosaur. Because you got it.”

“He really loves Dolly Parton’s ‘Coat of Many Colors.’ When kids are making fun of her in school, she still went in and was brave and talks to those kids. I don’t know where the dinosaur thing came from.”

“Even if you cry a little, you can think about potato chips!”

“When he’s upset, sometimes I tell him to think about things he’s looking forward to. Potato chips are high on his list.”

“You gotta take a deep breath and you gotta do it again.”

“I’ve been teaching him breath exercises when he gets upset.”

“Even if it’s a yucky day, you can get a hug.”

“There have been so many times when there’s nothing I can do. I tell him, ‘Even if it’s a bad day, when you get home, I’ll hug you.’”

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

  • What do you think of Clark’s advice? Would any of it be helpful to you?

  • Who in your life gives good advice? Can you remember a time when this person’s help was especially useful? Why?

  • Are you usually comfortable asking for advice, or do you prefer to solve problems on your own?

  • Do you like to give advice? Why or why not? Whom do you find yourself helping this way?

  • Is there a young person in your life who, like Clark, might have some wisdom, or knowledge, about how to live and deal with challenges? Who and why?

Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Lesson of the Day: ‘‘Jeuje,’ ‘Zhoosh,’ ‘Zhuzh’: A Word of Many Spellings, and Meanings’

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Lesson of the Day: ‘‘Jeuje,’ ‘Zhoosh,’ ‘Zhuzh’: A Word of Many Spellings, and Meanings’

Featured Article: “‘Jeuje,’ ‘Zhoosh,’ ‘Zhuzh’: A Word of Many Spellings, and Meanings” by Hayley Phelan

Have you ever heard someone use the term “jeuje” to describe that extra something added to almost anything, but often used when talking about fashion or style? How would you define the word? Do you know anything about its origin?

In this lesson, you will learn about the etymology of the slang term “jeuje.” Then you will research the history of your favorite slang word, and even invent a new word for our monthly vocabulary challenge.

Watch this one-minute video that includes multiple people pronouncing and using the word “zhuzh” in different contexts.

  • Have you heard the word before? Have you used it? If yes, in what context?

  • Is there another word you would use instead of “zhuzh”?

  • What is your favorite slang word? Why?

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. Read the first two paragraphs of the article. Based on the description, describe a time when you participated in “the art of the jeuje.”

2. What are some of the theories about the origin of the word? How does Paul Baker, a linguist at Lancaster University in England, trace the possible historical roots of the term?

3. What is “back slang”? Can you think of other slang terms that use back slang or play with letter order?

4. Why was Polari important for the gay community in Britain? Can you think of other examples of languages or dialects that are important within communities that have faced exclusion or oppression?

5. How did the word first become more known in the mainstream in the 1960s? How was Carson Kressley significant in making the word popular in the 21st century?

6. How has social media changed the way in which we encounter and experience slang words? How does Emily Brewster, a senior editor and lexicographer at Merriam Webster, explain the way that slang words are often codified?

Research the etymology of your favorite slang word. Maybe you use “y’all,” “extra,” “cringe” or “cheugy.” Once you’ve selected your preferred slang term, here are some places to start your research:

Then make a one-pager explaining the history and evolution of the slang word. You might use a timeline or a collection of images to show how the word’s meaning has changed over time. Be sure to include the definition of the slang term and an example of it in a sentence of your creation.

Additional Teaching and Learning Opportunities

  • Create a new word. Is there a word that you wish existed? Maybe a blend of two existing words, a play of word letters or something entirely new? Once you’ve come up with your new word, you can submit the word to our February Vocabulary Challenge for a chance to have it published as our Word of the Day.

  • Learn more about words. Are you curious about where new words come from? Would you like to dig deeper into the history of American slang? Or maybe you’d like to know more about Black English, or African American Vernacular English? Watch one of the videos and then report out to your class, teach them three key things you learned from the video and pose two questions, based on the video, for the group to discuss.

  • Learn about slang in other languages. Are you multilingual or learning another language at school? How familiar are you with slang terms in a language other than English? Learn five new slang terms in that language. For example, if you study French, you might learn some verlan, or if you’re learning Spanish, you can learn some Mexican slang.

Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.

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