3 Month Mark of Class: Thanksgiving

Week of 11/25/08

I have always loved the holidays. Although Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving is very important to me as well. It is a time for my very large and very close family to come together for the holiday and truly appreciate that, even in hard times, we have one another to be thankful for. My sister, brother and I often visit a few houses in the same day to try to see as many loved ones as possible. Thankfully, most of my family lives within a thirty minute distance so we never have to worry much about the headache of traveling through holiday traffic. Truthfully, on Thanksgiving, even the traffic doesn't get to me. What I love most about Thanksgiving is the cooking and preparing of the food, catching up with family members, the delicious smell of the various dishes, and the traditions and aspects of our Italian culture that the holidays bring out in my family. We wake up early and get home late. The day is always full of lots to do but it is always very relaxing. Now, with Thanksgiving behind us, I look forward to my favorite holiday.

Vocabulary from the Passage

1. time (n): a system of measuring duration of events over the past, present and future. I used this word in my passage to describe Thanksgiving and what it means to me.
2. together (adv): collective as a whole; to collect into a group. I used this word to discuss the Thanksgiving holiday for me and my family.
3. holiday (n): a day of freedom from the labor of work and responsibilities; a day set aside by law or custom for the suspension of business and schools, usually to commemorate an event. I used this word to describe Thanksgiving.
4. possible (adj): that can be; capable of existing. I used this word in my passage to describe what my siblings and I do during our holiday.
5. delicious (adj): very pleasing; delightful; very enjoyable; I used this word to describe the smell of the food on Thanksgiving day.
6. family (n): all of those claiming descent from a common ancestor; a group of people related by ancestry or marriage. I used this word in my passage to discuss the holiday.

** Practice Exercise **

Can you think of a good grammatical structure for my passage? Try to come up with a Grammatical Structure of your own.

** Practice Exercise II **

1. In my passage, what holiday did I mention as my favorite holiday of the year? ___________________
2. What holiday am I discussing in this passage (What is the main idea)? _________________
3. What did I mention that I am thankful for on Thanksgiving? _________________________________________________________________
4. In my passage, what did I say I love most about Thanksgiving? __________________________________________________________
5. In the end of my passage, what did I say I am looking forward to? ___________________

Close Exercise: Match with the Vocabulary

1. No matter how long the day is, there is never enough _______ for everything that I would like to get done. Thankfully, there's always tomorrow.

2. I did not want to go out alone, so my sister agreed to go too and we went out ___________.

3. What is your favorite ______________?

4. Is it ___________ that Christmas is almost here? Where did the year go?

5. I love to eat. The food on Thanksgiving was so ________________.

6. _________ is a very important thing to be thankful for.

http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2008/11/esl-and-efl-thanksgiving-story-and-activities/
(Teaching ESL children about Thanksgiving with Stories and Activities)

11 Weeks of Class

Week of 11/18/08: 2 Nights Out at the Theatre

This past Saturday night, my sister took me out to Manhattan for my 27th Birthday. First we went to dinner then we went to Broadway to see the performance of Hairspray. The show was great, I really enjoyed it! I haven't seen the original movie in well over 5 years and never caught the revision with John Travolta. So, seeing the stage performance brought it all back to me. Also, I am a large fan of the 60's and 70's era, so watching the entire play set in 1962 with music and wardrobe from that decade added to the enjoyment. They picked the perfect character to play the mother's character, a very well known Broadway performer... (it was a male actor!). The gift my sister gave me will be very hard for anyone else to beat this year. I love the theatre and we make it a point to go every year, it's sort of become tradition. I have seen many, many plays both on and off Broadway including Stomp, Phantom of the Opera (2x), Carousel, Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast, Grease, Riverdance, A Christmas Carol, and a few others. There is something about Manhattan and the theatre experience that I absolutely love. I think it's an important part of American culture and the world of literature as well as a very important part of the New York experience. It's nice to go out to the theatre, especially now with the economy in such bad shape. Seeing so many people out enjoying a good Broadway performance proves that people still care very much for culture and the performing arts. I may miss the Monty Python Broadway performance.. it leaves the theatre in January... but I will be sure to check out Wicked soon enough.

Tonight, I went out to the theatre too but not the Broadway theatre in Manhattan. I went out to the movies in Westbury, LI. My friends and I went to see the movie, Twilight. If you haven't already read the books or at least started the books, get on the band wagon already! It's just such a captivating dark romance mixed with the twist of chick literature. I loved this movie! You must read the book before you see the movie. Expect that the book is better than the movie..... the book is always better. If you're able to put yourself into the movie and keep the pages of the book in your mind as you watch it, you will surely not be disappointed. But don't expect the entire near 500 pg book to fit into 2 hrs. The Cullen Family really is truly breathtaking...Wow! The magic between 'Edward & Bella' can be felt if you allow yourself to be lead by the book. A lot of fans are quick to judge Robert Pattinson's acting. Just remember, Bella is only beginning to wake Edward up to his emotions here in this movie so what he seems to lack in emotion is merely the character acting withdrawn, struggling with what Bella has brought to his life. I thought Robert Pattinson did a wonderful job at portraying such a hard character with conflicted emotion. This movie was great but you should probably be a Twilighter to really enjoy it. Don't miss it. If nothing else, plenty of eye candy!

For movie fans who check movie reviews online before going out to the movies, I very rarely check reviews beforehand myself, I have begun blogging at www.fandango.com under then name, Movie_Buff_27. My blog entry for Twilight that you'll find on that website is similar to my blog entry here about the movie. I have also blogged on the fandango website about the movies- Nights in the Rodanthe, My Best Friend's Girl and Changeling. I haven't blogged about every movie I've seen, my girlfriends and I hit the movies pretty much once a week on student discount night, only the movies that persuade me to speak my mind.

Vocabulary List
1. original (adj): something uncopied; something that has never occured or existed before; I used this word in my passage to discuss the first filming of the movie, Hairspray... a movie which I haven't seen in quite some time.
2. enjoyment (n): a pleasurable experience of something; gratification; I used this word in my passage to discuss my reaction to the Broadway performance and why I felt the way I did about it.
3. tradition (n): a long-established story, belief, custom or practice that takes an effect of an unwritten law; anything handed down through generations; I used this word in my passage to describe the way my sister and I treat our trips to the Broadway theatre in Manhattan.
4. captivating (vt): to capture the attention or affection of; I used this word in my passage to describe my feelings on the storyline of the book series written by Stephenie Meyer.
5. twist (vt): to intertwine two things together into one; I used this word in my passage to describe the storyline of Twilight.
6. literature (n): all writings in prose or verse; all of the writings of a particular time; all writings considered to have permanent value, excelllence of form, excellent emotional effect, etc. I used this word in my passage to refer to a "fairly new" genre in the English world.
7. entry (n): the recording of an item, note, etc; I used this word in my passage to refer to the blogs that I have started posting at the fandango website over the past six weeks.

Grammatical Structure: Can you tell what Grammar Structure I used in my passage?
**Hints***
- It is one word that is used quite often and is also the theme of the passage.
- The word is spelt the same and sounds the same but means two different things.
(Look at the bottom of the entry for the answer. Can you guess before peeking?)

Practice Exercise: Review of the Passage
1. What show did I discuss in the first half of my passage? ___________
2. What movie did I mention in the second half of my passage? ___________
3. What do the show and the movie both have in common... can you guess? _________________________________________________________________
4. Where else I have posted blogs on the internet and why? _______________________ _________________________________________________________________

Close Exercise: Review Sentences (Hint: Match with the Vocabulary List)
1. I love to cook but my grandmother always makes the _____________ recipe just right. Try as I might, I can never get it to taste as good as she can.
2. There was much ______________ in the crisp, cool Autumn day.
3. Although ___________ is strange to some families, my family is very big on ___________ and it is a big part of who we are.
4. Every male in the Cullen coven is absolutely ______________.
5. My father decided to cook and although he's not horrible at it, he sure added an interesting ________ to my mother's recipe of meatloaf.
6. I am an avid reader. I have always been sucker for great _________________. I've read all of the classics.
7. The gate was locked and _______ inside proved impossible.

**Answer to the Grammatical Structure***
The word in the passage is, theatre. This word is spelt the same and sounds the same but is used in two different ways. In the first half of my passage, I am talking about a live, old theatre with actors on stage right in front of you. Imagination is needed to make the stage set come to life with the theatre experience. There are no camera's and no film. It's an experience essential to New York. In the second half of my passage, I'm referring to the theatre as in the "movie theatre". This is a movie where the actors have been directed and recorded on film and the film is shown over a projector in an indoor showing. One is a live performance, the other is not. The word theatre works in both instances and although the definitions are similiar, they are two different definitions of the same word. This is called a Homonym.

http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/homonym.html (learning about Homonyms)

10 Weeks In

Week of 11-11-08

Being an an avid reader, a lover of English, a major in English, a writer, an artist and an employee in a bookstore gives me a lot of insight into the world of books. At Borders, I get to learn a lot about different authors and meet great authors as they visit the store. Having worked in the publishing end of the book world in the past, I now get to understand how things work on the bookstore end of things as well. It's not only interesting but very educational and enjoyable. I just like being around books, I guess. I enjoy the discounts too.
Recently, I came across the Twilight Series and the huge epidemic that has risen over the dark romance series written by Stephenie Meyers that she came up with in a dream. Although her books have been pretty big for some time, they only recently 'blew up' with the creation of her last book in the series entitled, Breaking Dawn. The books, audiobooks, calenders, keychains, cds, posters, T-shirts, jewelry and magazines covering the series cannot be ordered quick enough- the merchandise sells out as quickly as it arrives. Concerts and parties are being hosted and held all across America. The movie for the first book entitled, Twilight, is arriving in theaters this coming Thursday, 11.21. Interviews and tours for the actors have been going on for months. The Twilight Saga is a Worldwide Bestseller.
Being an employee at a bookstore, a serious writer and an avid reader, but not ever a fan of dark books, I couldn't help but grow naturally curious over the quick-growing craze surrounding the series. I was hesitant at first to get involved knowing I didn't really have time in my life to start a series and I was unsure of getting involved in a 'dark' sort of book. Finally, after months of watching the craze over the most recent book, I reluctantly gave in and bought the first book in the four book series a week ago. Each book in the series is longer than the one before it, with the last book reaching nearly 800 pages! I'm nearly at the end of the second book, New Moon, in only eight days. The characters that the author built come to life on the pages and it's unbelievable how addicting the literature becomes. It's a book read by all ages from 7 and 8 years of age up to 65 years of age. High schools are assigning the book in English classes and mid-aged book clubs are assigning it for their readers at the same time. The range of age for the series is unbelievable to me. Not even Harry Potter seemed to have such a crazed following with the age-range of followers as wide as the series by Meyers. Each customer I've spoken to, at every age, tells me that it hasn't taken them more than a few days to finish one book... they're really that addicting! Now that I'm reading the books, I can agree with them. They were right.
As a writer, reading the book and examining the way the author built her characters gives me inspiration in my own writing - which I am constantly working on while I weave in and out of different storylines until something hits. I currently have four different pieces I'm working on, some further along than others and in different genres - two in science fiction, one in self help/motivational and one in chick literature. When I read, I read as a writer and it helps me to grow in my own writing. I pick up on different styles and techniques that I like and dislike. As I've read in many places, the best writers are avid readers.
You don't have to be a writer to enjoy this series. For readers and even for those who don't enjoy to read, I would definelty suggest this series. The characters and the storyline are worth checking out. If you read nothing else this year, it should be this series. A nice dark romance which has a lot of chick lit (which I discovered by reading it) wrapped up in the gothic story about a simple, normal small town human girl named Bella who falls in love with a vampire. It's a story where Bella is torn between many things and the reader is as well... telling you more than that could spoil it. But for me, and I know I sound like a nerd, my heart is with Edward in the series. Read it and tell me who you're vote's with! Seriously, you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough!

Vocabulary Words
1. avid (adj): having an intense desire or craving; eager or enthusiastic. I used this word in my passage to describe what type of reader I am.
2. understand (vt): to get or perceive the meaning of. I used this word in my passage to describe my work and what I do.
3. Twilight (n): the subdued light just after sunset, or in less common usage, just before sunrise; the period from sunset to dark; the title of the first book in the Stephenie Meyers series. This word is used in my passage to name the book in the Meyers series.
4. epidemic(adj): prevalent and spreading rapidly in a community among many individuals at the same time; widespread; contagious. I used this word in my passage to describe the outpouring of interest in the Twilight Saga by fans across the world.
5. reluctantly (adj): opposed in mind to do something; unwilling. I used this word in my passage to describe my hesitation in reading the first book of the series.
6. nerd (n): a person regarded as contemptibly dull or unsophisticated; I used this word in my passage to describe how silly I sound about the series.

Grammatical Structure: Verbs in the Past Tense
1. worked (vi): the past tense of work; to exert oneself to accomplish something in order to do or make something. I used this word to discuss where I worked in the past.
2. crazed (vt): the past tense of craze; to cause to become mentally ill; an exaggerated mania/panic. I used this word in my passage to express the following that the books have created.

Practice Exercise: Questions
1. What are the different ways that I describe myself in the first few sentences of the passage? ____________________________________________________________
2. Where do I mention that I work in the passage? ____________________________
3. What is the name of the book series that is discussed in the passage? ________________
4. Who do I mention is the author of the series? _____________________
5. Who is my favorite character in the series? ______________________

Close Exercise: Sentences to Match the Vocabulary Words
1. I didn't know you were an _________ gardener. Your backyard is beautiful.
2. I studied so hard for the test. Thankfully, after days of studying, I finally __________ the material.
3. My favorite part of the day is ___________ because that's when the sky is prettiest.
4. I hear the flu is going around. I hope I don't catch it, it seems to be the latest __________.
5. _____________, I rolled out of bed to go to work at 5 am in the morning.
6. Do you remember that movie, Revenge of the _______? It's worth checking out.


http://www.manythings.org/e/reading.html (Reading with ESL Students)

9 Weeks Into the Semester

(Week of 11.04.08)

Election Day has come and gone. I had the opportunity to work the polls on Election Day at Lee Avenue in Hicksville. It was such an incredible learning experience to see how things work on the other side of the table on voting day. I went to bed Monday night at 9 pm and woke up at 4 am to be at the polling place by 5:30. I arrived early with coffee in hand, ready to start my day, knowing that I had a 17 hour work day in front of me. Somehow, the thought of working 17 hours did not bother me but having the experience in front of me was, instead, rather exciting. I introduced myself to the other workers who were all very nice and helped to set things up for the big day. Before I knew it was 6 am and the doors open. Crowds of people rushed in and there was nothing but lines at the tables. My coffee was cold before I had a chance to drink it but I didn't mind too much, one of the workers ran out to Dunkin' Donuts hours later. I spent the morning signing people in and keeping track of the number system for the machines. After my lunch break at 11 am, I spent time pushing the reset button on each voting machine next to our table for each voter in line. I also assisted people in teaching them how to use the voting machines. Eventually, I went back to signing people into the voter's registry book and tracking the number system for the machines. At the end of the night, I was chosen to read the numbers off of the back of the voting machine, which are read and then reread and recorded by three different people.
Senator McCain may not have won the election, but he won Lee Avenue. I got home around 10 pm, ate and sat exhausted in front of the TV to watch the news on the election. I was very disappointed when the Senator I voted for did not win but I rooted for him all the way until the very end. Senator McCain gave a sad, inspiring and beautiful speech in the end of it all. I stayed up long enough to hear President-elect Obama's speech, feeling that I should try to muster up some level of acceptance over the results since we'd have the next four years in the white house with him. His speech was well spoken, despite how I feel for him as our next leader. Nobody can deny that it was an excellent milestone for African-Americans in this country. President-elect Obama is not my choice by far but I will try to have faith that he will do a good job. For me, Obama will have to make many good moves as President to gain my support but I have resolved to give him that opportunity. I hope that he proves my expectations wrong.
Overall, it turned out to be a good day. Over 6,000 people showed up to Lee Avenue where I worked at the polls. It was an excellent learning experience. I look forward to our next election.

Vocabulary Words
1. opportunity (n): a favorable circumstance usually giving the chance for advancement. I used this word to describe how I view my day of work at the polls on Election Day.
2. incredible (adj): describes when something/situation is too hard to believe, when something/situation seems to be impossible. I used this word to describe my feelings about my work day at the polls on Election Day and the learning experience I had.
3. Somehow (adv): in a way or method that is unknown. I used this to explain that the thought of 17 hours of work didn't bother me.
4. bother (vt/vi): to cause a disturbance, worry or annoyance. I used this word to, again, explain my thoughts and feelings about my long work hours on Election Day.
5. Eventually (adv): finally, ultimately, in the end. I used this word in my paragraph to help discuss and emphasize the different tasks involved in my day.
6. beautiful (adj): having or possessing beauty, very pleasing to the eye or other senses. I used this word in my passage to describe how I felt about Senator McCain's speech on Election Day.
7. muster (vt): to gather together. I used this word in my passage to express my efforts and difficulty in trying to accept President-elect Obama as the next President.
8. faith (n): unquestioning belief in something or someone that does not require proof or evidence. I used this word in the passage to express my feelings now about the new choice for the next President and my resolve for hope.

Grammatical Structure Exercise: Verbs in the Past Tense
1. arrived (vi): past tense of the word, arrive. I used this word when talking about the time my job started on Election Day and my experience getting the day started.
2. introduced (vt): past tense of the word, introduce. I used this word when discussing how I acted when I entered the school upon my interraction with other employees there.
3. recorded (vt): past tense of the word, record. I used this word to describe one of my many duties throughout the day.
4. dissapointed (vt): past tense of the word, dissapoint. I used this word to describe my feelings after the Election was over.
Other Verbs in the Past Tense:
- had - exhausted - turned - was - voted - showed - helped - rooted - worked - rushed - stayed - spent - resolved

Practice Exercise: Questions
1. What were my feelings about working at the polls on Election Day? ________________
2. What time did I wake up on the morning of Election Day? _____________
3. Why did my coffee get cold? ________________
4. What were my different jobs throughout the day? ___________________________
5. What did I do when the polls closed? ________________________________

Close Exercise: Sentences Using the Vocabulary Words
1. America is the land of ________________.
2. He is such an ______________ actor.
3. _________ I managed to get all of my homework done and still get 8 hours of sleep.
4. Why _________?
5. _____________, I became tired and fell asleep with my book in my hand.
6. The wild flowers are very _____________.
7. I tried to _________ up the energy to do the chores.
8. I come from a family of very strong _________.

http://eslus.com/LESSONS/GRAMMAR/POS/pos3.htm
(for grammar and information on Verbs)

November 2nd: 8 Weeks

"The ship is 'about to sail' on the race for President."
(Week of 10/28 class)

Halloween has passed us and Election Day is upon us. All of our other holidays are quickly approaching. With the election mere days away, it seems like a good time to take a minute and take a step back to realize the magnitude of history in the making. If McCain gets the office, we will have our first female vice president. If Obama takes office, we will have our first African American president. Facts seem to tell us that if Obama wins, Americans quite possibly face another Great Depression, the end of our right to the second amendment and an incredibly devastating "change" to our Democracy that we live in. It's hard to realize that my future grandchildren will read about things we're living through now in a classroom textbook some day! When we look back on history and realize the struggles that both African Americans and females faced for so long, it is amazing to see how very far America has come. It's a monumental step forward for both African Americans and females even now, before the decision for President has been made and despite who wins. I wonder what George Washington and John Adams would think about government and politics of today- I wonder who they would vote for. What do you think?

Vocabulary Words
1. Halloween (n): originally a pagan holiday and popular with Wicken followers, the holiday is now celebrated by children and adults of all beliefs with costumes, parties and candy. It is the night before All Saints' Day and, traditionally, it was believed to be the evening when all of the ghosts came out to seek the ruin of souls.
2. magnitude (n): having greatness of size or importance, of measurable influence.
3. president (n): the highest executive officer of a company, society, etc. The President of the US is the head executive branch of government. He/She serves as commander in chief of the US armed forces; reports to Congress on the state of the union; conducts foreign policy; appoints ambassadors, high-ranking officers and members of the federal judiciary; has veto power over bills passed by Congress; and grants reprieves and pardons for federal offenses.
4. slavery (n): a condition or submission to, or domination by an influence. Slaves were "owned" by slaveholders and often mistreated.
5. monumental (n): historically notable, important.
6. despite (n): in spite of, regardless of.


Grammatical Structure: Verbs in the Past Tense
1. passed (vi): This word is the past tense form of the word 'pass'. To cease, to come to an end; I used this past tense form to refer to the holiday of Halloween being behind us.
2. faced (vt): This word is the past tense form of the word 'face'. To confront with boldness and courage; I used this past tense form of the word to refer to what minorities faced for centuries in earlier American history.

Practice Exercise: 5 Questions
1. What holiday do I mention that just ended? ______________
2. What important day is approaching? _______________
3. Why will this election make history if Obama wins? _____________
4. Why will this election make history if McCain wins? _____________
5. What do you think - Do you think that this election will make history, regardless of who wins the election? Why?_______________________________________________

* Interesting Facts *
-- Did you know if Obama gets elected, he will be the most "inexperienced" president to ever take office?
-- Did you know that if elected, Obama has more "sealed" records than any other president that has taken office?
-- Did you know Obama has historically become the first presidential candidate to have two attempts made on his life before the election for office even took place?
-- Did you know that if McCain is elected he will be the oldest president to take office? The oldest president thus far to take office was Reagan. Only 4 years younger than McCain, Reagan took office when he was 68.

*Opinion Question - What do you think? *
-- Obviously, the race between McCain and Obama has dug up alot of racial issues amongst Americans. Do you think that the race issue will settle after the election is over? Do you think the topic will continue, despite who's elected? What are your thoughts? ___________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Closing Exercise.
1. _________ is not my favorite holiday. I don't like getting dressed up, I eat entirely too much chocolate and I really don't enjoy scary movies.
2. I never realized the ___________ of the situation.
3. I enjoy talk radio. Michael Savage for ______________!
4. Thank God for President Lincoln. He abolished _________.
5.What is _____________ about the times that we are living through right now?
6. ________ how hard I worked raking the yard, my dog jumped in the giant pile of leaves.

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/usgovernmentandlaw/presidentialelection/
(For a short and very informative video on presidential elections)

October Days, 7 Weeks

(Week of 10/21/08)

It's a big season for politics with the presidential elections approaching. With college being closed and having the day off from work, I decided to sign up this year to work at the polls on election day. I have always had a healthy interest in politics. I have always loved history and had I not chosen to major in English/ESL education, I would have definitely chosen to major in History education. I have always practiced my right to vote, even in small elections, because I believe it is very important. People fought and died to secure our rights and there was once a time when women could not vote. I believe it is not only our right to vote but a privilege as well. Despite what many believe, every one of our votes does count.
With election day approaching, there is a lot of discussion over politics regarding McCain and Obama and what both of them stand for. Recently, the news has spoken more and more clearly about Obama's views on gun control. He wants to diminish our second amendment in the constitution, the right to bear arms. The facts are out there. What rights will we have left if we allow our constitutional amendments to be taken, one by one? What message will we be sending? The point is not about guns themselves. The point, which I find very important, is the risk of losing one of our constitutional rights. Our constitution consists of seven articles and twenty-five amendments, it has been the supreme law of our nation since its adoption in 1789. Why change something that allows us protection during the difficult times our nation is facing?
As educators, it is important for us to keep guns out of schools and away from children but there is a very large difference between keeping guns out of schools and taking away our rights as American citizens. Taking away our guns and our right to bear arms is not the right answer to the problems in the schools. It will make us as Americans, and as a country, entirely more vulnerable on every level and it will leave us with no way to defend ourselves. As a country at war, I think that's important to consider. Instead, we need to teach our children about safety. The decision to make guns illegal will not make them disappear, nothing else that has been made illegal has disappeared from schools.
When election day approaches, check the facts on the candidates despite what party you are a part of. No matter how busy your day is, practice your right to vote.

Vocabulary
1. polls (pt): a place where votes are cast and recorded.
2. election (n): a choosing or being chosen for office by vote.
3. discussion (n): the act of discussing; talk or writing in which the pros and cons or various aspects of a subject are considered.
4. diminish (vt): to make, or make seem, smaller; reduce in size, degree.
5. amendment (n): a change for the better; improvement; a revision/addition made in a bill, law, constitution, etc.
6. constitution (n): the way in which a government, state, society, etc. is constructed; the system of fundamental laws and principles of a government.

Grammatical Structure: Verbs in the Past Tense
1. loved(vt): a deep and tender feeling of affection or attachment; a strong liking for or interest in something. Past tense of 'love'. I used this word to describe my attachment to the subject of history.
2. died (vt): to cease existing; end; to stop functioning; to pass away. Past tense of 'die'. I used this word to discuss what people went through centuries ago to secure the rights we have today.

*** Fun Facts about American History***
- Did you know Long Island is currently celebrating Theodore Roosevelt's 150th Birthday this yr?
- Did you know Teddy Roosevelt was the only President to ever come from Long Island?
- Did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of Theodore Roosevelt?
- Theodore Roosevelt established the United States as an enduring world power with a world-class Navy that he sent around the world.
- Theodore Roosevelt established the principle that government could and should regulate corporations to protect consumers, workers and the economy.
- Theodore Roosevelt was our nation's youngest president to be elected into office.

Practice Exercise: Questions
1. In the passage, why did I say that I chosen to sign up to work at the polls on election day?
2. What amendment do I mention when I discuss our right to vote?
3. What subject in education would I have studied as a second choice to English/ESL?
4. What amendment is at risk if Obama makes it into the white house?
5. What does our constitution consist of?

www.newsday.com/longisland (a video of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912)
www.RhetoricVsRecord.com ( For Facts about Barack Obama)

Six Weeks

(Week of 10.14.08)

One thing that I absolutely enjoy in my free time, when there is any, is the movies. Recently, I saw two movies that are both out in the theater. My friends and I choose to go to the movies only on Thursdays nights, when we can make it, because a theater near our homes gives student discounts, $7- each ticket. At the cost of a full-priced ticket, most movies don't seem worth seeing. In the style of 'Mr. Movie Phone', I'll give you my opinion on what we saw.

The first movie we saw was, My Best Friend's Girl, with Dane Cook and Kate Hudson. I absolutely loved this movie. Kate Hudson is one of my favorite actresses and I just love Dane Cook. He looked awesome in this movie, as he always does. Isn't he so good looking? It was a movie that kept us laughing the entire time. Dane Cook is absolutely hilarious throughout, as usual. The dynamic between their characters was great. It was adorable, a storyline a girl could enjoy, definitely more of a 'chick flick'. This is a movie I would recommend and a movie I'll definitely buy.

We also saw 'Nights in the Rodanthe' with Richard Gere and Diane Lane. I like Diane Lane. I absolutely love Richard Gere. I think he's so handsome, no matter how old he gets. I hadn't read the book by Nicholas Sparks, nor did my friend. After seeing his movie, I'm not sure his style of writing is what I would enjoy to read. We both went into this movie, having heard so many great things about it, expecting it to be this timeless classic love story. I was very disappointed with it. Although I wouldn't tell people to skip it, the movie was pretty good, I would tell people to wait for the rental. Richard Gere looked good, as always, but the storyline could have been four stars and just didn't make it there. For me, it was perhaps the way that the movie was built up that made it such a let down. On a good note, the scenery was amazing.

If you're anything like me, you'll want to check out both movies for yourselves and form your own opinions.

Vocabulary Words
1. Recently (adj): done, made just before the present time.
2. theatre (n): a place where plays, operas, motion pictures, etc. are presented.
3. movie (n): a motion picture shown on a large screen in a theatre.
4. adorable (adj): worthy of adoration or love; delightful, charming.
5. style (n): a manner or mode of expression of language in writing.
6. scenery(n): general appearance of a place; features of a landscape.

Grammatical Structure: Verbs in the Past Tense.
1. went (vt): to move along, to travel, to proceed. Past tense of 'go'. I used the word 'went' to express what my friend and I did in the passage, 'We went to the movies'.
2. heard (vt): to percieve or sense; to listen or consider. Past tense of 'hear'. I used this word to express what prompted my friend and I to see the movie.
3. disappointed (vt): to fail to satisfy the hopes or expectations of; leave unsatisfied. Past tense of 'disappoint'. I used this word to express how I felt about the movie.

Practice Exercise
1. Who do I try to imitate with my movie reviews? _______________
2. What two movies did I mention in my passage? _________________
3. Did I like both movies? ________________
4. Which movie is based on a book? ___________________
5. Which movie did I enjoy enough to see again? _____________

Closing Exercise
1. ___________, my brother bought a new apartment in the city.
2. I love going to shows at the __________.
3. Would you like to go to a _________?
4. That puppy is so __________.
5. I love that shirt. You've got such great _______.
6. I like this vacation spot. The __________ is worth the price.

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/irpast.htm
(for grammar information on verbs in the Past tense)