Pre-University: Lab 12 (This I Believe)

Radio listening and writing – This I Believe

This I Believe is a project on NPR in which listeners can submit essays about their personal beliefs.

“[Host] Allison and [producer] Gediman say their goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, they hope to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.”

These are good examples of personal essays.

A. Listening

Listen to the following essays once before you read them.

There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Barbecue (5:25)

“Jason Sheehan heard our series on his car radio and told us he liked the concept because for many people, belief is just a nebulous clutter of half-held convictions, but the process of putting them down on paper helps cement those few things a person truly believes: the core of a principled life.

“He also noted that the subject of his belief was sitting on the seat next to him in two plastic bags.”

Vocabulary:

• soul food
• comfort food
• barbecue
• civil rights
• putting on airs
• sides
• portions

How does Jason Sheehan believe that barbecue helped change culture in the Deep South, which was racist against African Americans?

The Connection Between Strangers (4:36)

“[Sometimes the most important events in our life are just short moments.] These moments may seem insignificant at the time, but they reverberate afterwards, and even become the basis of a life’s credo. This is what happened to Miles Goodwin.”

Vocabulary

• tour of duty
• wept
• compassion

Why was Miles Goodwin nervous on the airplane?

What happened that “touched” him (gave him a good feeling in his heart)?

B. Writing

Read the details about the rules these writers were using when they wrote their essays.

• Tell a story.
• Be brief.
• Name your belief.
• Be positive.
• Be personal.

What would you say? Write a short essay about a belief you have. Try to be personal and specific. (More personal and specific than, for instance, “I believe in God” or “I believe in my country.”) Try to follow all of the rules above. Don’t forget to illustrate your belief with a story!

You may write or type your short essay, but please be legible!

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.

Foundations: Lab 6 (Phone Message)

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

1. Go to esl-lab.

2. Under General Listening Quizzes in the Easy column, click on “Phone Message.”
Pre-Listening Exercises:
Imagine you have answered the phone. The caller asks to speak with someone. That person can not come to the phone. You say:
“I’m sorry, he can’t come to the phone right now. He’s __________.”

What are three ways to complete that sentence?
Example: He’s out of the office right now.
a. ________________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________________

3. Follow the instructions in part II, Listening Exercises. You may listen as many times as you want. Answer the questions.
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.
5. Do do Part III, Post Listening Exercises.
Mixed-Up Sentence
Sentence:

Sentence and Vocabulary Matching
Sentences:
-
-
-
-
-
Text Completion Quiz
Answers:
1                    6
2                    7
3                    8
4                    9
5                    10

6. What does “right off the bat” mean?

________________________________________________________________________________

7. On Friday, bring this page, with your answers, to class.

Intermediate: Lab 6 (Movie reviews)

Think of your favorite movie, or a movie you have seen recently.

Title of movie: _____________________________________

Your opinion of the movie (use adjectives from chapter 13 or otherse):

Now think about the answers to these questions. You will use this information to write a review of the movie. (If you don’t know some of the information about the movie, search in www.imdb.com .)

1.The movie stars _______ as _______, (name all the important actors and characters). The acting by _______ (name of actor or actress) was especially good. (describe why it was good)
2.Plot synopsis: [Summarize what happens in a few sentences, but try not to give away the ending]
3.The part of the movie I liked best was _____________ because ________.
4.I (liked / didn’t like) this movie because _____.
5.I ( would / would not ) recommend this movie to my friends because _____. [even if you didn't like the movie it might be very well done and others might like it.]

Now write a review of the movie in three paragraphs.

Here is an example written by Shayna. You may use this as a model. Please do not copy reviews from the internet.

Joe versus the Volcano is a silly but touching movie directed by John Patrick Shanley. It tells the story of Joe Banks, a man who is afraid of many things in life. But when Joe finds out he is going to die soon, he stops being afraid. He quits his horrible job and takes an offer to go on exciting voyage. At the end of the trip, he must save an island by jumping into a volcano. During the movie, Joe meets several women who help him along.

The main character, Joe, is played by Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks. Hanks does a good job. He makes Joe amusing and likeable. The three women in the movie are all played by actress Meg Ryan. Ryan is versatile, and she makes the three different characters feel like different, interesting people.

My favorite part of the movie was near the end when Joe thought about his past and said, “I’ve come a long way, on a crooked road.” This was interesting because of a visual theme in the movie: a crooked line that appears in several different places, including a company logo, a bolt of lightning, and the road to the top of the volcano. In fact, the movie was full of thoughtful symbolism. It’s like a modern fairy tale. I would recommend this movie to fans of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, as well as people who like simple stories with lots of symbolism.

Please type your review, print it, and bring it to class on Friday.

Foundations: Lab 5 (Vacations)

In this lab, you will tell us about a vacation or trip you took in the past.

1. Choose a vacation or trip you took.

2. Find some pictures of the place.

• These can be pictures you took or pictures you find on the internet.
• Choose at least 1 (minimum) but no more than 7 (maximum) pictures.

3. In class on Monday, describe your vacation.

* You must use past tense.

* You must answer these questions:

• When did you go? (“In 2005,…)
• Where did you go? (“I went to…”)
• What did you do there? (“I swam in the ocean and visited the aquarium.”)
• How long did you stay? (“I stayed for…”)
• What was your favorite thing about the vacation? (“My favorite thing was…”)

4. Also, describe your picture(s).

* You do not have to have a Powerpoint presentation, but you may if you want to.

* Your presentations must be less than 3 minutes. (Maximum 3 minutes)

Example:

“In May of this year, I went to the Grand Canyon, Arizona, with my parents. We drove from Arkansas and traveled for one week. We visited the Grand Canyon, went for a hike in the Canyon, visited Petrified Forest National Monument, and saw the Hoover Dam. My favorite things were the ancient rock paintings and the wild animals we saw.”

“This is a California condor. They are very rare. We saw them at the Grand Canyon.”

“This is the Hoover Dam. It is really huge!”

Intermediate: Lab 5 (Travel brochures)

For this lab, you will make an advertisement for a tourist attraction.

1. Choose a monument or other tourist attraction that you have visited.

2. Answer these questions about the attraction:

• Where is it located? (Country, nearest city)
• When was it built, erected, or established as a monument?
• Who built it or opened it to the public?
• Why is it interesting or special? Why would people want to visit it?

3. Look at these examples of a tourism website. What language is used to attract tourists?  Can you find examples of passive constructions?

Crater of Diamonds State Park
Crater of Diamonds – History

Try to find the following words on the first page:

abundance
unique
explore, enjoy
all colors of the rainbow
delight
well preserved
diversity
interesting
thrill

4. Using the information from the questions above, write one paragraph about the attraction.

• You should write in the style of a tourism advertisement or brochure.
• You should use at least three sentences with passive construction, using passives with “by” and passives without “by.”
• Type the paragraph in a Word document.
• Give your paragraph an attractive title!

5. Find one or more photographs of the attraction. If you took the photographs, that is great! If not, try to find a photo that is not copyrighted. Add the photo(s) to the document with your paragraph.

Try to make it look nice! You want to attract people to visit your attraction.

6. Save your Word document as a Word 97-2003 (.doc) document (not .docx) and email it to Shayna or print it out and give it to Shayna.

Here is an example of a paragraph for this assignment:

(photo from arkansas.com)

Find your own diamonds!

Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only place in the country where you can dig for your own diamonds, and it is located in Arkansas! The first diamonds in the area were discovered in 1906 by John Wesley Huddleston. For awhile, the land was run as a private tourist attraction, and it was purchased by the State of Arkansas in 1972 . Today, it is a unique place to visit for the excitement of digging for precious stones. In 2006, a six-carat diamond was discovered in the park!

Foundations: Lab 3 (Demonstration)

Due June 19

In this lab, you will demonstrate an ability. You should come to class Friday ready to demonstrate something you can do.

In 5 minutes or less, you will show us your skill or talent.

• We can go outside if necessary (weather permitting).
• You must bring all equipment or objects you need.
• After your demonstration, you should describe your ability. Use these sentences (and more, if you want):

I can…

I learned to … (time or age) …

To learn to …, you need to …

Example:

“I can play the clarinet.”

“I learned to play when I was 11 years old.”

“To learn to play the clarinet, you need to have a teacher and practice a lot! You also have to move your fingers fast and have a strong mouth.”

Examples of skills and abilities:

“I can…”

• draw
• dance
• play the (instrument)
• head a soccer ball, dribble a basketball, catch a pop fly (any skill necessary for a sport)
• tie my shoes
• make a sandwich
• tie a necktie
• braid hair