Intermediate: Lab 8 (poetry)

Due November 2, 2006 (THURSDAY) 

1. Go to Poets.org

or BBC Arts – Poetry Out Loud

2. Browse. Listen to some poems.

3. Choose one poem you like. Print it out.

4. Bring the poem to class on Thursday. Be ready to read your poem to the class and tell us why you like it.

Do you like it because of…

• the subject matter? (does it remind you of something?)
• the message/meaning?
• the way it sounds? (rhythm, rhyme, alliteration)

Hint: If the poets.org Listening Booth doesn’t have the text (words) of the poem you like, you might find it in these places: 

• Plagiarist.com  (search by the first letter of the poet’s last name)
• Poetry X  (search by the first letter of the poem or the poet’s last name)

Foundations: Lab 8 (pronunciation)

Due November 2, 2006 (THURSDAY)

Pronunciation practice! You may do this assignment in the Stabler Hall lab or at home.

Do you ever have a problem understanding if someone said “berry” or “very”? “Alive” or “arrive”? “Buy” or “pie”?

Hearing different consonant sounds can be difficult. This lab will give you a little bit of practice.

1. Go to this Pronunciation Skills page

2. Choose one pair to practice with (or you can practice them all). Circle the pair you chose.

b/v r/l b/p

3. Now listen to all the sets in your pair. The three sets have the sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of the words.

As you listen, write down the word you hear. Bring the lists to class Thursday.

Intermediate: Alice in Wonderland Chapter 8

Questions to answer while you read:

1. Alice meets three gardeners. What are they trying to do?
2. The Queen’s family and servants are “ornamented” (dressed or decorated) in three different ways. What are the three kinds of decoration? What do they remind Alice of?
3. What is the Queen’s favorite way to solve her problems?
4. What has happened to the Duchess?
5. The Queen’s game of croquet is very unusual. Name four things that make it difficult to play.
6. What friend does Alice meet during the game?

Vocabulary

VERBS
blame (also n.)
bow (bowed)
execute
sentence (also n.)
(to) box (someone’s) ears
quarrel
(to be) “getting on”
attend to = pay attention to
fetch

OTHER WORDS
beheaded
anxious (anxiously)
soldiers
clubs
courtiers
ornamented
diamonds
hearts
merrily
procession = parade
knave
pack of cards
“Nonsense!”
unfortunate
shan’t
(on) tiptoe
ridges and furrows
hedgehogs
flamingoes
mallets
arches
turns
dispute
executioner

Foundations: Lab 7 (Halloween)

due October 27, 2006

Part 1 of this week’s lab is to log onto a computer in the Stabler Hall language lab and get the teacher to sign your lab sheet. (See the page given out in class.)  Don’t forget to log off!

Part 2: Celebrating Halloween 

Soon, Americans and people in some other countries will celebrate Halloween. You may have seen some decorations in stores and around people’s houses.

 1. Read about Halloween on the internet. You can use some of these pages:

Simple English Wikipedia

About.com Halloween traditions

About.com Halloween vocabulary – there is also a vocabulary quiz here if you want to practice

2. Go to this page and take the quiz there.

When you finish the quiz, print the page and turn it in with your lab Friday.

3. Complete the Halloween Wordsearch the teacher will give you. You are looking for words among all the letters. Circle or highlight the words.

Intermediate: Lab 7 (Halloween)

due October 27, 2006

Part 1 of this week’s lab is to log onto a computer in the Stabler Hall language lab and get the teacher to sign your lab sheet. (See the page given out in class.)  Don’t forget to log off!
Part 2: Celebrating Halloween

This is an internet and interview activity.

1. Go to the Simple English Wikipedia entry on Halloween. Read this article for main ideas.

What word or words did “Halloween” come from? _______________________________

2. Go to the Canton Chows holiday page, Customs of Halloween. Read what the page says about modern American Halloween customs.

 What are two things Americans might do to celebrate Halloween?

(Write your answers in your own words – do not copy exactly from the website.)

 a. _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

What are the traditional colors of Halloween? ________________________________

 3. Talk to an Americans about how he or she celebrates the holiday

• Write down the person’s name and his or her answer.
• Please do not ask other IELP teachers.
• Try not to ask a person your classmate has already talked to.

“Tell me about your favorite Halloween custom or tradition.”

Name

Answer

 

Intermediate: Alice in Wonderland Chapter 7

Questions to answer while you read

1. At the tea-party, what does the table look like? How do the number of people compare to the number of places? How are the people seated at the table?
2. What is the riddle Alice can’t guess? What is the answer?
3. What are the problems with the Mad Hatter’s watch?
4. Is the Dormouse very involved in the party? Why or why not?
5. What is the Hatter’s problem with time (Time)? How did this come about?
6. What is the Dormouse’s story about? Why does Alice have trouble understanding the story?

Vocabulary
Hare
Hatter
Dormouse
Raven
(To) “want cutting”
Personal remark
Writing-desk
Riddle
To drop (a conversation)
Pocketwatch
Watch works
(To) “suit” something
Crumbs
“o’clock” (n.)
(to) waste time
On good terms (with someone)
Lessons
Dinner
Tea-time
Pinch
Treacle
Well
(to) live on (something)
Civil
Nibble

Plays on words
time / (Father) Time
Beat (someone) / beat time (in music)
Draw (art) / (to) draw (something) from (somewhere)

Intermediate: grammar practice

Here are some web pages where you can practice some of the grammar we have done in class this semester.

• was / were

• was / were 2

• do-does-did

• don’t-doesn’t-didn’t

• Simple Past or Past Continuous (A Dialog)

• Making questions (easy exercises)
• Forming questions (quiz)

• Simple past tense – negatives and questions

• The future with “be going to”

Intermediate: Lab 6 (Airline Travel)

Due Friday, October 20

This is an internet vocabulary lab. You may do it at any computer that allows you to listen to audio.

1. Go to http://www.esl-lab.com.

2. Under 20-minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons, click on “Airplane Travel.”

Introduction: Read the instructions carefully and follow them. The last part of the instructions says,

“Write a sample sentence for each word to learn how it is used in context. You can use the Internet to find such sentences.”

You do not need to write a sentence for every word. Choose two words you don’t know and write sentences using those words.

3. Follow the instructions in part II, Practice. You may listen as many times as you want.

4. Click “Final Score. Print the page with your quiz results.

5. Part III, Follow Up:

What are the most important points you look for when choosing an airline for your next flight? Rank the following points from most important (1) to least important (7).

___ price

___ destination

___ length of flight

___ on-time record

___ meals

___ comfort and seating

___ customer service

6. Compare flights:

• First, choose a destination (circle your choice): Chicago / Dallas / Las Vegas
  

• Then go to Southwest Airlines and choose “Book Travel” to find out about a flight to and from your chosen city.
  

• Finally, go to Delta Airlines and find information for the same city and dates.
  

Which one meets your needs better (circle one)? Southwest / Delta

Why?

Foundations: Lab 6

Due Friday, October 20

In class, the teacher will give you a chapter from an American school textbook. This is a reading activity about the first Americans. 

Previewing the text:

1.   Look at the maps and pictures on pages 1, 2, 3, and 4. Read the captions (sentences that go with the pictures).

2.   What do you think you will read about in this article?

      __________________________________________________________

 Reading:

3.   Read the story on pages 1-3. Underline words you don’t know, if you think they are important.

*     Look up words in a dictionary if only if you need to. Don’t spend too much time looking up words right now!

Post-reading:

4.   Do the exercises on pages 4-5.

5.   Now you may look up other words in the dictionary (words that weren’t important to help you understand the story).

6.   Bring your worksheet to class on Friday, October 20.

7.   We will do page 6 (Crossword Puzzle) together in class.

If you would like help, talk to the teacher about meeting during office hours.

Intermediate: Alice in Wonderland Chapter 6

This week, we are reading Chapter 6 (VI) of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Questions to answer while you read

1. Alice meets a servant outside the house. What does he look like? What is his attitude?
2. Who lives in the house? What invitation does she receive?
3. The cook has a dangerous habit. What is it?
4. Alice thinks the house is a bad place for the baby. Why?
5. What happens to the baby after Alice takes it away?
6. What are two unusual (not normal) things about the Cheshire cat?
Vocabulary

VERBS:
Rap (rapped)
Creep (crept
Knock (knocked
Howl (howling)
Sneeze (sneezing)
Whistle (whistling)
Grin (grinning)
Chop
Grunt
Vanish (vanished)
(to) become of
OTHER WORDS:
Footman, livery
Knuckles
Croquet
Dish, plate, cauldron
Idiotic
Pepper
Axis, axes
Lullaby
Murder
Snout
Ugly / handsome
Mad
Pig, fig