Homework for Monday from Clare

Presentation #2 is on Monday. Do these things to get ready:

1. Rehearse your presentation again. If the whole group can't find a time to meet, you can meet with just two of you, or use Skype, email, or phone to get ready for the presentation.

2. If anybody in your group was absent Wednesday, or if they miss a rehearsal, call them or email them to make sure they know what your group is doing.

3. Decide what each group member will say. Every group member should talk during the presentation.

PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
-Don't read your presentation. Say if from memory.
-Describe your product.
-Explain who the market is.
-Convince the audience that your product is a good idea.

Homework for Friday

1) Final draft of Essay #2, which is a response to "The Values Americans Live By", is due Friday.

• Please put all drafts, exploratory writing, listing, and/or proof of visit to the writing lab, etc. together in a folder.
• Put the final draft on top. Don't forget to put a title/label each thing so that I can easily identify the parts.

2) In class we started talking about adjective clauses, Unit 13 in Focus on Grammar. We did p. 190-196 in class. For homework, do p. 197-198.

3) Independent language learning: I forgot to check in about this today. Please be prepared to share one thing that you did last weekend to practice English. (See homework from 10/23 for details.)

4)EXTENDED DEADLINE: Artist Autobiography revision (optional, for a higher grade) is due by Friday, 10/30. Please turn in with resubmission sheet and all required parts (on sheet).

Halloween Tips from Clare

BABY COSTUME

Saturday is Halloween. In San Francisco, Halloween is the biggest holiday. Lots of people wear very creative, home-made costumes. Here are LOTS OF PHOTOS OF COSTUMES. Here's a DOG COSTUME.

It's fun to go out on Halloween night and see everybody's costumes. It's even more fun if you wear your own costume. You could buy or make a costume, or just wear something funny, like face paint or a wig. Get professional face paint at the Kryolan store, only 7 blocks from AAU. Or get cheap costume parts at the Goodwill store, Community Thrift Store, or Thrift Town.

Three good places to see costumes: The Castro (Saturday early evening), the Mission (Saturday evening-nighttime), and Critical Mass (5:30-6:30 Friday).

Directions:
The Castro: I suggest going there between 7 and 8pm. The party gets too drunk and crazy later, and the police will tell everyone to go home. Lots of people make good COSTUMES IN THE CASTRO neighborhood. To get there, take a Muni train to Church Street Station, then walk up Market street to Castro street.

The Mission: From around 8pm to midnight, people walk around the Mission neighborhood wearing good costumes, and going out to bars, clubs, and restaurants. You'll see some good kids' costumes there too. Valencia street between 18th and 24th streets is the best place to see costumes. To get there, if you're already in the Castro, you can walk down 18th street from Castro street. Or, take BART to 24th Street Station and walk down 24th to Valencia.

Critical Mass: This is a monthly giant bike ride around San Francisco, with usually over 1000 bikes. It happens on the last Friday of every month. This Friday, a lot of people will be wearing costumes on their bikes. Here's a VIDEO OF THE 2008 HALLOWEEN CRITICAL MASS. Even if you don't have a bike, you can go between 5:30 and 6:30 just to see the costumes.
Where: Justin Herman Plaza, a park on Market St. at Embarcadero St. (Right where Market Street meets the bay.)
When: FRIDAY. Gather and look at costumes from 5:30 to 6:30. At 6:30, the bike ride starts.

Presentation 2 Schedule:

On Wednesday, you will rehearse your presentations in class. This will be a rough rehearsal, because you haven't finished writing your presentations and you haven't practiced very much yet.

On Monday, presentations are due. Each group will give a presentation. I will video the presentations.

Clare's Homework for Wednesday

1. Grammar: On pages 35-36 of the grammar book, do Exercises 3 and 4. I won’t collect this homework. We will review it in class.

2. Colors: Study for a short quiz on how to describe colors.

3. Presentations: Watch the video you made of your presentation rehearsal.

Write down 3 suggestions for how to improve your presentation. Keep it short and simple. Here's an example of 3 suggestions written in one sentence:

"To improve our presentation, we should make more eye contact with the audience; use the Internet to find more words; and practice pronouncing the key words."

I will collect this homework.

Shalle's homework for next week

1. Final draft of Essay #2 is due next Friday, 10/30. Make an appointment with the Writing Lab to get extra help if you need it. (There are new tutors on the schedule now.) Bring the assignment sheet and your work so far so that they can help you.
2. Finish reading the chapter, "Entering the Conversation" from They Say, I Sayby Graff & Birkenstein. I passed this out in class, but you can also find a copy of this chapter in the downloads of our online course resources.
3. Learning English independently. Based on today's writing and discussion activity, do something to practice English. It must involve some speaking or writing -- productive skills. Be prepared to tell the class specifically what you did. Here's the link to the Academic Word List if you are interested in learning these words.

Shalle's Midterm Info and Homework Reminder

On Friday, you took the practice midterm. WED will be the actual Midterm Exam for my part. I hope it helped you find out what to study. Some of the questions will be like those on the practice midterm. Others will be like past quizzes or homework. Here's what will be on the test.

Grammar & Proofreading

• dependent and independent clauses, finding subjects and verb p. 93, top
• sentence types: simple, compound and complex p. 91 (top)- 92
• connecting word: coordinators, subordinators and transition words/phrases p.94-100
  
• parts of speech (noun, adjective, verb, preposition, etc.) p. 49-52 and 87-88
  
• irregular verbs, past tense and past participles, lists #1-9 & 17-18
  
• identifying the subject, main verbs and time words/phrases in sentences
• using the proofreading strategies p. 103 #1 & #2 to help you find and correct mistakes.

Writing

• developing ideas with examples, details and explanation p. 18-19
  
• paragraphing ideas and using topics sentences p. 13-14

Intercultural Communication

• identifying and explaining concepts from the reading/discussion of "The Values Americans Live By"

Also, check your class notes and handouts for additional information about these topics.

Let me know if you have questions about my feedback on the practice midterm. Here are some typical problems with the writing and how to solve them:

• Didn't completely answer the question. Did 1 part of the question (not both), or misunderstood question. (Underline the direction verbs. Note the TENSE and TIME PHRASES/WORDS in the question.)
  
• Didn't save time to proofread for grammar - especially verb tense (VT) and sentence structure (SS). (Use the proofreading strategies from class.)
  
• Didn't take time to plan the organization of the response at the beginning. (Spend at least 5 minutes brainstorming/planning.)

ALSO - 1st draft of the essay (Writing Assignment #2) is due WED. Print out a copy. Put it in a folder/envelope with all earlier drafts and pre-writing. Please name/title all drafts, e.g. 1st draft, brainstorming, exploratory writing.

Clare: Homework for Monday, Oct. 19

1. Talk Like Obama
Watch the Obama video again and practice your second phrase from the Talk Like Obama handout. Your second phrase is the one that's underlined in blue in part 3 of your handout.

On Monday, everyone will perform your second phrase, just like we performed the first phrase.

To prepare, you should listen to all of part 3 five times. Then listen to Obama saying your phrase. For each word in your phrase, write down the vowel key word that has the same vowel sound. Then listen to your phrase again, and repeat it out loud. Listen and repeat your phrase 20 times.

2. Grammar: Simple Past, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Progressive practice.
There is no grammar homework for Monday, but be sure to bring your Grammar book to class, or just bring pages 19-27.

Clare: Midterm and Grade Info

I will not be giving a midterm exam for my part of the class, listening and speaking. Your only midterm will be for Shalle's part of the class, reading and writing.

For listening and speaking, your final grade will be based mostly on Oral Presentations 1, 2, and 3, and the final exam. The rest of your grade will come from homework, quizzes, and class participation.

On Monday, I'll give you written feedback on Oral Presentation 1, and a grade for your first presentation.

Oral Presentation 2 is due on Nov. 2 and Nov. 4. Instructions for Oral Presentation 2 are in the Reader, on pages 235-237. Starting next week, we will begin to prepare and practice in class for Oral Presentation 2.

Clare: Map for Field Trip

View Larger Map

Clare: Field Trip Info

When: Saturday, October 17, 2-5 pm

Where to Meet: 2pm, in the lobby of 79 New Montgomery.

Destination: Coit Tower, a historic observation tower on a Telegraph Hill, a big hill between the SF Bay and the North Beach neighborhood.

What to Bring: It will be a long walk, and the weather could range from sunny and hot to foggy and cold. I recommend:

comfortable shoes
water bottle
money
an extra sweater and jacket
a camera!

Also you can bring a friend if you want to.

Route: We will walk down Mission Street to Embarcadero Street, which runs along the bay. Then we will walk along Embarcadero Street to the Ferry Building. If anyone is hungry or thirsty, we’ll stop there for a snack, coffee, or tea. Then we’ll continue along Embarcadero Street to Greenwich Street. We’ll take a left on Greenwich Street and follow it until it turns into a long stairway. We’ll climb up the stairway until we get to Coit Tower.

After we spend some time at Coit Tower, I’ll go home and leave you on your own. If you need directions to get home or to go somewhere else, I’ll give you directions before I leave, or I’ll go with you back to the Academy of Art.


Highlights of our route:
Coit Tower is on Telegraph Hill, a hill made famous in the movie The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. If we’re lucky, we might see some wild parrots on our way up the staircase.

Telegraph Hill has great views of the city. To get even better views, you can pay $4.50 to go up to the top of Coit Tower and look out.

On the ground floor of Coit Tower, all the walls are covered with murals, painted in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. They were paid for by the US government as part of an effort to create jobs for people during the depression. The Coit Tower murals are considered one of the best examples of depression-era art. They show scenes of daily life in California in the 1930s.

Coit Tower is in the North Beach neighborhood, an Italian neighborhood with a lot of cafes, restaurants, bars, music clubs, parks, and gift shops. It’s known as a place to get great Italian food and pastries. It also has art galleries, clothing stores, and jewelry stores that have hand-made jewelry.

If you feel like walking even more, you can walk down Grant Street all the way back to 4th and Market Streets. Grant Street starts in North Beach, goes through Chinatown, and ends up in Union Square. It’s a great street for people-watching and all kinds of shopping.

See you Saturday!

Shalle's Homework for Friday

Good work on presenting and discussing the ideas in "The Values Americans Live By" today. For homework:

1. Choose 1 - 3 values that interest you. They could be from your section or something else you heard about today. Here are some reasons that you might pick a particular value:

• You want to ask Kohls questions because your experiences/knowledge contradict this idea.
• You want to share what you learned with Kohls. His ideas helped you to understand something about Americans that you didn't understand before.

Here's the link to the whole article if you want to read all or part of it. There is also a summary you might find interesting.

2. Do some "thinking on paper" to prepare for the next major writing assignment. (See handout from class which is also posted online.) In other words, use one of the idea generation strategies we've talked about in class: exploratory writing, listing, or idea maps. Bring it to class on Friday. You should spend at least twenty minutes on it. (A 20-minute exploratory writing/listing activity should more than just 2 or 3 sentences. ) Handwritten is okay.

Here are some possible topics for exploratory writing, listing or idea mapping:

• Argue for one of Kohls ideas. Explain why you agree with him.
• Argue against one of Kohls ideas. Explain why you disagree with him.
• Explain how his ideas connect to your experience or knowledge. (Think of more examples that support or contradict Kohls ideas. )
• Ask questions about ideas you don't understand.
• Describe Kohls ideas in your own words.

We will also have a "practice midterm" on Friday. The actual midterm exam (Shalle's content) is WED, 10/21. It covers things we have worked on so far in writing, grammar, and reading. You'll have some practice questions to prepare for next week.

Clare: Field Trip Reminder

The field trip will be on this Saturday, October 17, from 2-5pm. We'll go to Coit Tower. Tomorrow in class I will explain more about the field trip.

Clare: Homework for Wednesday

Here's a recap of the homework I assigned for Wednesday.

1. Watch the Obama video again and keep on practicing your phrase from the Talk Like Obama handout. Your phrase is the one that's underlined in blue in part 2 of your handout. It's the same phrase that you already performed in the Multimedia Lab on Monday. (The handout says to do part 3 for homework, but I changed my mind and assigned you to keep on practicing your phrase from part 2.)

On Wednesday, you will perform your phrase again.

To prepare, you should listen to all of part 2 five times. Then listen to Obama saying your phrase. For each word in your phrase, write down the vowel key word that has the same vowel sound. Then listen to your phrase again, and repeat it out loud. Listen and repeat your phrase 20 times.

2. Study for the quiz on composition vocabulary. The quiz will be on the vocabulary from pages 145, 146, 150, 153-155, 161, and 162 of the Reader.

3. Bring your Grammar book to class on Wednesday, or just bring pages 19-23

Clare: Summary of Monday Class

What we did on Monday:
-We practiced talking about art composition and the effect of composition on the viewer, by discussing a Van Gogh painting.
-We reviewed art vocabulary from the Reader.
-We learned some new art vocabulary by making the drawings on pages 153-155 of the Reader.
-We reviewed the grammar homework, from pages 21 and 23 of the Grammar book.
-We discussed the field trip
-In the Multimedia Lab, we reviewed the 15 Key Words for Vowel Sounds and put them on the Vowel Chart. Then we watched a video of a speech by President Obama, and did a speaking activity called "Talk Like Obama." Each of you divided Obama's speech into chunks, then practiced one phrase, then performed your phrase.

1. Artist Autobiography: Today we talked about grades and feedback. Remember you can rewrite for a higher grade. Use the Artist Autobiography Resubmission Sheet. I posted a copy in the downloads if you missed class or need another copy. Rewrites due on or before 10/23. Use the Writing Lab. (180 NM, 1st floor, rooms 107 & 109. OPEN Mon. - Sat.) In the Writing Lab, a student meets with a tutor to work on a writing assignment. Tutors teach students composing, organizing, and editing skills. If you need help making an appointment, the ARC Reception (180NM, room 201) can help you.
2. Connecting Words and Sentence Types - Finish p. 99 and do p. 100.
3. "The Values Americans Live By" - Today you worked in groups to prepare a summary with examples from the reading and your own experience. On Wednesday, each person will explain your section to a small group of your classmates. You can have some notes (one notecard) but don't read. Be able to explain the main ideas and examples from your sections orally. Use "Reporting Language", on p. 43. If you missed class today (Ariel, Doven, Luna), email which section you have. Contact other people in your group or work with each other outside of class to prepare. Assignment sheet also posted in the downloads.

• Group A (Values #1-4): Kelly, Lisa, Lynn
• Group B (Values #5-7): Charles, Elain, Seol Kee
• Group C (Values #8-10): Elina and ....
• Group D (Values#11-13): Heather, Haddad, Walt, Gloria

Homework Reminder from Friday 10/2

Here's what we did Friday:

1. Proofreading skills: We discussed clauses (a group of words containing a subject and a verb) and a strategy for marking sentences to help you find your own errors. (Circle the subject, underline the verb and wavy line under time words. See p. 89 & 90, Identifying Sentence Parts.)
2. Paraphrasing: What it is, why it's important and strategies to help you do it ( See p. 39 & 40.)
3. The Values Americans Live By (Kohls) : You took the quiz. You were put in a reading group and given a part of the article.

Your homework for WED, 10/7:

1. Finish p. 40. Write a paraphrase for each sentence. Be sure to use at least one synonym and at least one of the other strategies for paraphrasing (p.39).
   
2. Read your section of The Values Americans Live By. Try to understand it the best that you can. You will be working with classmates who read the same section to write a summary. Come to class prepared to work. Look up words that you need to understand the section. Be prepared to share which words you looked up and why they were important. Also, read p. 41, Summarizing.

Next quiz FRIDAY, 10/9. It will be on:

• irregular verbs lists 1-9 and 17 & 18
• parts of speech - including noun and verb suffixes (p. 51)
• identifying subjects, verbs and time words in sentences