ESL Reading assignments: Apr. 14-18

Monday, Apr. 14: (postponed from Friday, snow day, Apr. 11) “What is near-death experience?”
Preparation: Do Before you read, scanning and Reading , pp. 102-103. Then do A and B, p. 103.
Also read this recent article about Obama's speech in Indiana this week:
http://www.tribstar.com/archivesearch/local_story_103001156.html
Print it off if possible and underline or make a list of the main points (main ideas or what he says he will do if elected President).

In class: We’ll go over your answers to the textbook questions and discuss C together. We'll also discuss the Obama article.

Wednesday, Apr. 16: Preparation: Read this article on Hillary Clinton's energy policy:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/energy/
Print it off if possible and underline or make a list of the main ideas as you did with Obama.
Also for Wednesday, read this profile of John McCain:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter1.html
List 5 things you learned about McCain from this article. For extra credit read any other article on any one of the candidates that interests you and be ready to tell the class about it.

Make a list of at least 6 new vocabulary words you learned from these articles and bring it to class. It can be in your vocabulary notebook.

In class: We'll discuss the articles and compare them to the one on Obama. (Bring it to class again.)

Friday, Apr. 18. Reading lab reports due. Be ready to tell the class about your book. Review for exam. Bring your vocabulary notebook.

In class: We'll have some reports on the lab readings and we'll review vocabulary for Unit 13 and the readings on the candidates. Bring the textbook and the articles to class also.

ESL Reading: Assignments March 31-April 4

Monday, March 31. Preparation: Read the first half of the script for Beauty and the Beast, to p. 104 (end of Country House scene). Study the description of the character that you will portray in the play (your role) on the first page (p. 91). Practice reading out loud your character's lines. Make a list of any new vocabulary words in your part and their meanings.
Answer questions sent to you on email.

In class: We'll read the play in parts, discuss the questions and talk about new vocabulary from the first half. We'll also discuss the scenes that will be presented with a summary and mime (actions without words).

Wednesday, April 2. Preparation: Read the second half of the play, to the end. Again, read your own part out loud and make a list of any new vocabulary words in your character's lines, with meanings. Hand in your Reading Lab assignment (summary of 2 chapters of your book or at least 10-15 pages and at least 4 vocabulary words.)

In class: We'll continue reading and discussing the play and work on vocabulary. We'll start writing summaries of some of the scenes that will be presented with or without mime.

Friday, April 4. Preparation: Finish the scene summary assigned to you and be ready to hand it in (typed and double-spaced). Practice reading your character's lines out loud, with feeling and expression.

In class: We may do some revision of the summaries in class. We'll continue reading the play in class.

Answers to Mini-quiz on climate change vocabulary

I. Article 1: 1. d 2. h 3. c 4. f 5. e 6. g 7. your definition* 8. b 9. a
* evaporation = process of passing off in a vapor, sometimes caused by heating a liquid

II. 1. shifts 2. ticks 3. vulnerable, predation 4. correlates 5. conifers 6. degrade 7. spawn
8. phytoplankton, counterclockwise

Update 2: ESL Reading: March 17-28

Monday, March 17. Preparation: Write the definitions of vocabulary words on the handout you received in class Friday. Finish answering the questions on pages 3-6. Read the second article in the series, “Lake Superior Basin feeling heat: Part 2.” Make a list of 5 new vocabulary words and definitions from this article, as you did for the first one.

In class: We’ll go over the rest of the questions on the first article. (We’ll do the conclusions from p. 7 together in class.) We’ll also talk about the second article and practice vocabulary.

Wednesday, March 19. Preparation: Finish reading the second article, “Lake Superior Basin feeling heat: Part 2.” and complete the vocabulary definitions in the lists on the handout. Write answers to the questions on the handout for discussion in class.

Lab assignment: Read 15-20 pages in your book (2 or 3 chapters) and do a summary and vocabulary list of 8 words as usual. (Copy context with word and give definition from context or dictionary.) Be prepared to talk about your book – in your own words with notes (not from your paper) and teach the class one or two vocabulary words. 5 minutes maximum.

In class: We’ll discuss the second article and vocabulary. If there is time some students will report on their books. (See above)

Extra Credit: Read the third article in the series, “Businesses feel the heat: Lake Superior warms up, part 3.” To receive credit: Make a list of 5 new vocabulary words and definitions from this article, as you did for the first one. Write a paragraph summary of the article to hand in for credit. Indicate what kinds of Keweenaw businesses have been affected by global warming.

Wednesday evening: (Optional) There is a Japanese film at MTU as part of Earth Week: Princess Mononoke. It is an animated film that focuses on the struggles between supernatural guardians of the forest and humans who are consuming its resources. The hero, Ashiitaka, struggles to help both the humans and the creatures of the forest find balance and harmony. The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Minerals and Materials (M&M) Building in room U113. Unfortunately Suzanne and I cannot attend, but if you have your own transportation and wish to go to it, you may. You can tell us about it in class Friday for extra credit – or write an article for the blog. See the article about Earth Week on Keweenaw Now.

Thursday, March 20. Field trip to Michigan Tech for evening Earth Week presentation. Suzanne will drive us in the van. Time and place to meet will be announced in class. Probably about 6:30 p.m. The presentation is at 7 p.m. Katie Alvord, the author of the articles we have been reading, will be at the talk and will meet with you afterwards. Prepare at least two questions to ask her, based on your reading of her articles.

Friday, March 21. No class. Good Friday.

Monday, March 24. Preparation: Review vocabulary from the climate change readings. Finish any questions we didn’t finish in class Wednesday. Do the mini-quiz sent on email and correct it with the key posted above.

In class: We'll discuss the rest of the questions on the second article and review vocabulary. We’ll have a VOCABULARY QUIZ on just the vocabulary we learned from these articles.

Wednesday, March 26. Preparation: Lab reading summaries due. Read and summarize at least 2 chapters or 15-20 pages in your book. Be ready to give a short (5 minutes maximum) oral report on it in class and teach the class one or two new vocabulary words your learned from your reading. Text: Do Before your read, p. 39, scanning and reading, p. 38, and ex. A, p. 39.

In class: We'll have some lab reading reports and go over your answers to p. 39. We'll do ex. B and C together in class.

Friday, March 28. Preparation: Review vocabulary from movie unit 5, all 3 articles. Do the Wrap-up, p. 40, A and B. Bring your vocabulary notebook up to date. If you have time, begin reading Beauty and the Beast. Notice what your character is like. Try reading some of his/her lines out loud. We'll start discussing the play in this class on Monday, March 31. Bring it to class today and every day from now on. You'll also be working with it in Suzanne's writing class.

In class: We'll go over your answers to p. 40, review movie vocabulary, and have a Quiz on Unit 5.

Mini-quiz for Unit 4: Key

Here are the answers for the ESL Reading Quiz on Unit 4, Helping Others:

1. reluctant (adj.), pitched in (verb)
2. bystanders (noun), intervene (verb), look on (verb)
3. paralyzed (adj.), collapsed (verb)
4. take over (verb)
5. likely (adj.), distress (noun)
6. spotted (verb) courageous (adj.)

Correct your paper. Rewrite any sentence you had wrong. Bring your vocabulary notebook to class Wednesday for the review before the quiz.

ESL Reading Assignments for week of March 3-7, 2008

Monday, March 3. Review of Unit 4.

Preparation: Review vocabulary in the text and in your vocabulary notebook (bring it to class). Do A and B, p. 32. Prepare 3 questions to ask Kumiko about her trip and how the group helped others. Try to use a new vocabulary word from Unit 4 in each question.

In class: We’ll go over your answers, talk to Kumiko and review Unit 4.

Wednesday, March 5. Review and Quiz: Unit 4.

Preparation: Do mini-quiz on vocabulary and check your answers with the blog. (This will be emailed to you with answers posted on the blog during break.)

In class: Review and Quiz on Unit 4.

Friday, March 7. Unit 5: Movies. Lab reading assignment due. Read at least 20 pages in your book. Write a summary of each chapter and a list of vocabulary you found from context or the dictionary. Copy context sentence as usual and give the definition. Be ready to report briefly on your book and teach the class at least 2 new vocabulary words.

Preparation in textbook: Answer questions on p. 33. Find meanings of vocabulary words and answer the questions at the bottom of the page. Do Before You Read, Scanning, Reading and ex. A, p. 35.

In class: We’ll go over your answers and do B and C, p. 35, together. We’ll have some oral reports on the lab readings (short: 3-4 minutes).

ESL Reading Assignments: Week of Feb. 18, 2008

Monday, Feb. 18. Unit 4: “Helping others”

Preparation: Write your answers to the questions on p. 25 (including those in the Vocabulary section). Find out meanings of vocabulary words in italics. Do Before you read and Scanning, p. 26-27. Then read the whole text on p. 26 and answer A and B, p. 27.

In class: We will go over your answers on the above and discuss C, p. 27.

Wednesday, Feb. 20. “Random acts of kindness”

Preparation: Do Before you read and scanning, pp. 28-29. Then read all of p. 28 and do A and B.

In class: We’ll go over your answers and discuss C, p. 29. We’ll also have more oral reports on your books for lab.

Lab for this week due Wednesday. Hand in summary or character sketch if assigned. Try to read 15-20 pages in your book and be ready to tell the class about it. Have notes on cards for your oral report. Try not to read from your paper. Continue to copy context for at least 8 words from your reading and try to figure out the definitions from context. If you have to use the dictionary write D next to the definition. Be ready to teach the class the meanings of at least two new words you learned.

Friday, Feb. 22. “Monkey business …”

Preparation: Do Before you read, scanning and Reading , pp. 30-31. Then do A and B, p. 31.

In class: We’ll go over your answers and discuss C together. If time remains, we may have more lab reports, including new vocabulary words you can teach the class. See above (Wednesday).