Pre-university: Reading nonfiction, Article #3

Nonfiction Reading Series Article #3 – reading guide

“Unmarried, With Children” by Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert – Newsweek May 28, 2001

Vocabulary

• move in together
• “make it legal”
• ambivalent
• headed by
• out of wedlock
• unwed
• cohabiting
• stigma
• prerequisite
• compatibility
• “settling”
• sperm bank
• “the altar”
• unstable
• monogamy

Topics to notice while you read

• Introduction: hypothetical illustration
• Characteristics of single mothers today
• Reasons for single motherhood
• Disadvantages for children of being raised in single-parent homes
• Other family situations that are bad for children
• The issue of marriage in politics
• Conclusion

Cultural reference

At the beginning of the article, the writer refers to an American TV show from the 1950s, Leave It to Beaver. This family sitcom (situation comedy) featured a mother and father, Ward and June Cleaver, and their two sons, Wally and “Beaver” (“the Beav”).  Here is a scene from Leave It to Beaver.

Pre-University: Reading nonfiction, Article #1

Nonfiction Reading Series Article #1 – reading guide

“A Zero-Emissions City in the Desert” by Kevin Bullis

Vocabulary

• metropolis
• outskirts
• compost
• sewage
• ostentatious
• R&D
• Silicon Valley
• collaboration
• emissions
• net (adjective, calculations)
• insulation
• ambitious
• unheard-of
• profitable

Topics to notice while you read

• Topic sentence
• Reasons to build the city
• Problems with building the city
• Comparison of Masdar City with other low-emissions building projects
• Ways the city will generate electricity
• Inspiration for cooling city design
• Ways of increasing energy efficiency in the city
• Transportation in the city
• Problems with solar panels
• History of Abu Dhabi
• Conclusion

There will be a quiz and discussion on this article on Friday, October 30. On Thursday, October 29, you will have an opportunity to ask questions about the article.

Pre-University: Exam 2 study guide

We will finish Book 1 of our textbook soon and will have Exam 2. Following are the pages and topics you should study for the exam:

Unit 7

• p. 59 #3 Adverbs with the past and past perfect
• p. 61 #8
• p. 63 #3 Present perfect vs. past
• p. 63 #4 Past vs. past continuous

Unit 9

• p. 74 #1 Vocabulary

Unit 11

• p. 95 #3 Future perfect and future perfect continuous
• p. 95 #4 Gerunds as the object of prepositions
• p. 99 #3 Mixed conditionals

Other: Describing a process

Pre-university: Workbook homework for Units 1, 3, 5

We will have our first test on Friday, Sept 25. To prepare for this test, you may use the study guide I gave you in class and do activities in the workbook.

Unit 1

• p. 1 #2
• p. 4 #2
• p. 5 #4

Unit 3

• P. 13 #2
• p. 17 #3

Unit 5

• p. 25 #1
• p. 28 #1
• p. 29 #3, #4

This is homework, due Thursday. We will talk about these exercises in class on Thursday, so please be prepared if you have any questions.

Also, see the previous post for information about our class listening activity.

Pre-university: Narrative structure activity

In class on Monday, we started an activity which included listening practice and a discussion about narrative structure (stories). We are watching the PBS Nature documentary “The Wolf that Changed America.”

If you would like to watch the beginning of this 45-minute film, you can go to the PBS video page here. (This is optional.) On Monday, we watched the first three segments of the program. On Wednesday, we will finish it.

Some elements of a story:

• Characters (the people and/or animals in the story)
• Conflict (the problem or problems for the characters)
• Climax (the highest action in the story, where the story “turns”; usually takes place near the end)
• Conclusion (helps you understand the theme or purpose of the story)

Vocabulary for this film:

• bounty
• assassin
• naturalist
• “piece of cake”
• far-fetched
• demon / demonize
• “throw caution to the wind”
• adversary
• villain vs. hero
• regret

Questions:

• What is the setting of the story? (Time and place)
• Who are the main characters?
• What are the conflicts in the story?
• What is the climax of the story?
• What do you think is the theme or purpose of this story?

If you are interested in reading more about the history of wolves in America,  there  is a  good article here: “Wolf Wars: America’s Campaign to Eradicate the Wolf.”

Pre-University: Fall 2009 reading projects schedule

Welcome to Shayna’s class! This semester, we will do some fiction and non-fiction reading projects. I will give you a handout with the schedule, but in case you need to access it online, here it is:

August

• 31 (Mon) – discuss book report process and choosing books

[If you need ideas choosing a book, there are some ideas in this post.]

September

• 2 (Wed) – book choice due to teacher by email or in class (Teacher will approve choice or suggest something else)
• 4 (Fri) – book choice form due in class (Lab 1)
• 7 (Mon) – Book Progress Report 1 (15 minutes in class, summarize what you read in the past week)
• 14 (Mon) – Book Progress Report 2; deadline to change book (new book must be approved by teacher)
• 21 (Mon) – Book Progress Report 3
• 28 (Mon) – Book Progress Report 4

October

• 5 (Mon) – Book Progress Report 5
• 12 (Mon) – Book Progress Report 6
• 13 (Tues) – talk about book report essays
• 16 (Fri) – deadline to finish reading novel
• 22 (Thurs) – written book reports due
• 26 (Mon) – talk about non-fiction; assign topics for nonfiction-related speeches; hand out Article #1
• 27 (Tues) – talk about oral book reports (presentations)
• 30 (Fri) – Article #1 quiz and discussion; oral book report presentation drafts due

November

• 2, 3 (Mon, Tues) – oral book report presentations in class
• 2 (Mon) – hand out Article #2
• 6 (Fri) – Article #2 quiz and discussion
• 9 (Mon) – hand out Article #3
• 13 (Fri) – Article #3 quiz and discussion
• 16 (Mon) – hand out Article #4
• 20 (Fri) – Article #4 quiz and discussion

* This schedule could change as we go on, but this is our goal.

Intermediate: Lab 8 (This I Believe listening)

In this lab, you will listen to an essay that was broadcast on the radio. You may listen as many times as you like. Then answer the questions and bring them to class Friday, July 24.

“A Duty to Family, Heritage and Country” by Ying Ying Yu

Program name:  This I Believe – Morning Edition

Date of story:  July 17, 2006_

Web address and NPR story ID #:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5552257

1. In your own words, what is this story about?

2. What does Ying Ying Yu believe?

3. What did Ying Ying first want to do when she grew up?

4. What is her plan, now?

5. At first, Ying Ying had a hard time “opening up” her feelings to write this essay. What made it easier?

6. Write about your personal thoughts and feelings on this topic or something related to the article.

(Optional) If you liked this listening exercise, you may find more “This I Believe” essays on many topics at NPR’s This I Believe website.

Foundations: Lab 8 (Tongue Twisters)

This lab involves the internet.  You may do it at home if you have a computer.

Go to http://www.esl4kids.net/tongue.html .

1. Read the tongue twisters there and choose your 3 favorite.  Do not choose ones we have talked about in class.  Write them below.
2. Talk to three people and ask them to say the tongue twisters you chose.
3. Ask each person which tongue twister they think is the hardest.
4. Write your results here.

Tongue twisters:

1.

2.

3.

	Name	Which one was hardest?  (1, 2, or 3)
Person 1
Person 2
Person 3

5. Pick out your favorite tongue twister, ideally one that is difficult for you.  Practice saying it aloud.  You will have to say it for the class this Friday.

6. Bring this paper to class Friday, July 24.

Intermediate: Lab 7 (Science fiction and the future)

In “There Will Come Soft Rains,” written in 1950, Ray Bradbury imagined the Earth 76 years in his future.

A. Can you think of other science fiction books or movies that imagine the future?
Name of book or movie __________________________________________________

What is different about humans’ lives in this future story? Categories of different things might include …

• communication technology
• home technology
• how we work
• transportation
• medicine
• entertainment
• government
• family life

Some science fiction futures are dystopian (technology has brought a bad future) or post-apocalyptic (manmade or natural disasters have destroyed modern society).

List at least three things about the future in your book or movie that are different from our lives now. Try to be specific. Example: “People communicate directly through their minds. They do not have to use telephones.

1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________

B. Now imagine your idea of humans’ lives in the future. Will our lives be better or worse?
Choose three of the categories above. How will these things be different 200 year in the future?

• Be specific with details.
• Use future tense verbs.
• You should have at least 9 sentences total (3 sentences per paragraph).

Write your ideas on the back of your lab page. If you need more space, use another piece of paper or type your paragraphs.

Two hundred years in the future, __________________ will be different. ________ (…)

In the future, _________________________ will also be different. ________ (…)

Even _____________________________ will be different in the future. ________ (…)

C. Bonus (1 point)
Include a picture of what you think our future will look like in 200 years. It can be a picture you find or a picture you draw. It should match what you have written about in part B.

Foundations: Lab 7 (National dress)

Prepare a presentation for the class about the national dress (clothes) of your country.

Your presentation should be about 3 minutes long (not longer).

Show us the traditional dress of your country and talk about it. You may use pictures or real items of clothing.

You should include at least three of these things:

• Clothing for men
• Clothing for women
• Clothing for children
• When the traditional dress is worn (for special days only? or every day?)
• Instructions on how to put on and wear the clothing
• Common colors and styles
• Symbolism of the dress (what does it mean?)
• History of the dress

(If there is more than one student from your country in the class, you may share the presentation and talk about all of the things.)

NOTE: If you use a PowerPoint presentation, DO NOT read from the slides. If you do this, you will lose points. It would be best not to put any sentences on your slides. You should be speaking freely, not reading or reciting.

Bring your lab paper to class on Friday with your presentation.