Monthly Archives: July 2012

Education Focus: Field Trips / Class Trips

Posted on 2012/07/09
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Field Trip

Field Trip

Sometimes it is helpful for students to see something or experience something themselves, instead of just reading about it in a book.  To help students learn something firsthand, many teachers will take a class of students on either a field trip or a class trip.

Field Trip

A field trip is a special outing.  The purpose of a field trip is to help students better understand the material being taught.  So, field trips are often tied to material that is being studied in a particular subject.  For example, a class studying the period of the American Civil War might take a field trip to Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln’s house is, as well as Lincoln’s Tomb.  On the other hand, a class of younger children learning basic biology might go on a field trip to the zoo.

Field trips are usually only for the day, during school hours.  So, the places a class might go on a field trip are limited to those places within a reasonable driving distance.  That way, the school can have the students back in time for the closing bell at the end of the school day.

To go on a field trip, a student must have a parent’s permission.  Before the field trip is scheduled to take place, the teacher will hand out permission slips to the students.  If a parent consents to the student going on the field trip, the parent should sign the permission slip, and the student must bring it back to the teacher.  The teacher will not allow the student to go on the field trip without a permission slip signed by the parent.  If a student does not go with his classmates on the field trip (whether because of the lack of a parent’s permission, or some other reason), the student will stay at school and be given other work to do under the supervision of one of the other teachers.

Sometimes a few parents will go on the field trip along with the students.  These parents are called “chaperones.”  The teacher usually likes to have chaperones on a field trip, because it helps to extra adults helping the teacher to organize the excursion and make things run more smoothly.

Students often ride a school bus when they are going on a field trip.  American schools generally have buses that transport students to and from school when students live too far away to walk, so it makes sense to use the school buses during the day for things like field trips.  This also helps to keep the cost of participating on a field trip down, so often the only fees a student would have to pay for a field trip would be any admission costs, or personal expenses (for example, snacks or souvenirs).  If a field trip includes the lunch hour, most students will bring a sack lunch for the trip.

Class Trip

A class trip is also a special outing, but it is generally an overnight trip (or over several nights).  Class trips usually involve more traveling than day trips – for example, students might go on a class trip to Washington, D.C.

Class trips also require parental permission, particularly in light of the fact that they cover one or more days away from home.  Chaperones often go on class trips as well, especially since the trip covers several days.  Also, because a class trip is longer than a field trip, they have more expenses – travel, admission fees, hotel, food – than a field trip, and they therefore cost more.  Traveling by coach bus is one way to keep expenses reasonable, but the cost of a class trip can still get fairly high.  Consequently, a class might hold fundraisers, such as bake sales or car washes, to generate money to help offset costs and enable more students to participate.

Class trips are often done as a special trip for a graduating class.  For example, an 8th grade class might go on a class trip in the spring as a kind of final trip together before the class graduates and moves on to high school.  Likewise, high school seniors might go on a class trip in the spring of their final year before they all graduate and go their separate ways to college or the world of work.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 21 (solution)

Posted on 2012/07/09
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crossword puzzle solution

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 21

Posted on 2012/07/08
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crossword puzzle
Across
1 frozen water (3)
3 a piece of farm equipment used to turn over the earth so that seeds can be planted (6)
6 a heavy object that is tied to a rope and used to keep a boat from floating away (6)
9 used; previously owned by someone else (10)
11 to make something press against something else and move it around (3)
12 what you hear with (3)
13 a thought or suggestion (4)
14 a word used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something; auxiliary verb (2)
16 something that you mention or add later because you did not think of it or plan it before (12)
18 the part of your body that is at the end of your leg (4)
20 to receive something that someone gives you or sends you (3)
21 a statement that is not strong enough to express how good, bad, etc something really is (14)
24 the state of existing (9)
26 the early part of the night between the end of the day and the time you go to bed (7)
28 a general change or development in a particular direction (8)
31 the direction from which the sun rises (4)
34 to move from one place to another (2)
36 a thing, person, or group that is regarded as one single whole part of something larger (4)
38 smooth and level, without raised or hollow areas, and not sloping or curving (4)
39 a musical play in which all of the words are sung (5)

Down
2 the part of the body that you see with (3)
3 an object that is thrown at someone or is fired from a gun or other weapon, such as a bullet or stone (10)
4 the way that things or events are arranged in relation to each other (5)
5 a metal frame with bars across it, used to cover a window or hole (7)
6 a picture or set of words that is intended to persuade people to buy something (13)
7 to divide something or separate something from its main part, using scissors or a knife (3)
8 a straight, narrow beam of light (3)
9 when someone or something is replaced by someone or something else (12)
10 plans and preparations that you must make so that something can happen (11)
14 a way in which two or more people or things are not like each other (10)
15 to allow someone to do something (3)
17 a preposition used to indicate towards a higher place or position (2)
19 on the outside of something (5)
22 to move quickly by moving your legs more quickly than when you walk (3)
23 a very tall plant that has branches and leaves, and lives for many years (4)
25 at a particular time in the past or the future (4)
27 the importance or usefulness of something (5)
29 what a bird lays and sits on in her nest to make baby birds (3)
30 when tears come from your eyes (3)
32 the number of years someone has lived, or something has existed (3)
33 a hot drink that is not as strong as coffee (3)
35 a preposition used to show what a part belongs to or comes from (2)
37 a preposition used to say where someone or something goes (2)

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 29

Posted on 2012/07/07
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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

sacred cow:    a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be

Example:  

Until the politicians deal with the sacred cow of entitlement programs, the US will not solve its debt problem.

scaredy-cat:    someone who is easily frightened (used by children)

Example:  

Why are you such a scaredy-cat?  It’s just a little old spider!

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Grammar Basics: Unit 50 – Do you know where…? I don’t know what….(Solution)

Posted on 2012/07/06
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Exercise.  Answer the following questions with I don’t know where / when / why / what / etc.

Example:

Is Tom at the gym? (where) ==> I don’t know where Tom is.

1.    Was Miss Jackson in class yesterday?
I don’t know where Miss Jackson was.

2.    Has the lawn mower been broken very long?
I don’t know how long the lawn mower has been broken.

3.    Is the hotel new?
I don’t know how old the hotel is.

4.    Have the children gone to school?
I don’t know where the children have gone.

5.    Will Mother come home soon?
I don’t know when Mother will come home.

Exercise.  Complete the following sentences.

Example:

Why do dogs bark?  I don’t know ==> I don’t know why dogs bark.
When is the next bus?  Do you know ==> Do you know when the next bus is?

1.    What did Tom eat for lunch?
I don’t remember what Tom ate for lunch.

2.    When is Mary going to college?
I don’t know when Mary is going to college.

3.    Why is Jack selling his car?
Do you know why Jack is selling his car?

4.    Where is the hotel?
Do you know where the hotel is?

5.    How did Patrick break his leg?
I don’t know how Patrick broke his leg.

6.    How hot is it?
Do you know how hot it is?

7.    What did Sally get for her birthday?
I don’t remember what Sally got for her birthday.

Exercise.  Write questions using Do you know if….?

Example:

Can Michael come with us? ==> Do you know if Michael can come with us?

1.    Is Jack invited to the party?
Do you know if Jack is invited to the party?

2.    Has Martin booked his vacation?
Do you know if Martin has booked his vacation?

3.    Can Steve fix my broken clock?
Do you know if Steve can fix my broken clock?

4.    Do the twins like chocolate cake?
Do you know if the twins like chocolate cake?

5.    Was the window left open
Do you know if the window was left open?

6.    Does Jill have a key to Dad’s house?
Do you know if Jill has a key to Dad’s house?

7.    Have they picked up the garbage yet?
Do you know if they have picked up the garbage yet?

8.    Did Debbie do the dishes?
Do you know if Debbie did the dishes?

9.    Had the book been checked out of the library?
Do you know if the book had been checked out of the library?

10.    Were there a lot of people at the beach?
Do you know if there were a lot of people at the beach?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 50 – Do you know where…? I don’t know what….

Posted on 2012/07/05
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Sometimes when we ask a question, we can phrase it slightly differently and change it to a yes/no question.  For example,

Where is Kathy?

and

Do you know where Kathy is?

are both asking for information about the location of Kathy.  But the first question is answered differently than the second question:

Where is Kathy?
–    She’s at the bank.
–    She’s at school.
–    She’s sleeping.
–    Etc.

The second question, however, is a yes/no question.  If a person answers “yes,” we must ask a second question to get the information we are looking for:

Do you know where Kathy is?—No (, I don’t know where she is).
•    In this case, we have to find someone else to ask!

Do you know where Kathy is?—Yes (, I know where she is).
•    In this case, we can ask a second question (a “follow-up” question) to get the information we are looking for (Kathy’s location):
Where is she?
–    She’s playing tennis.
–    She’s at the dentist’s.
–    She’s on vacation.

Notice with these questions “Do you know where….is?” the verb comes at the end.  The verb also comes at the end with the answer:

No (, I don’t know where she is).
Yes (, I know where she is).

Instead of “Do you know…?” we can also say “Can you tell me…?”  Both ways of asking have the same meaning:

Do you know where Kathy is? = Can you tell me where Kathy is?

Other questions converted to yes/no questions that would need a follow-up question – note the verb at the end of the question:

•    Who is that man? ==>  Do you know who that man is? / Can you tell me who that man is? / I know who that man is. / I don’t know who that man is. / I don’t remember who that man is.
•    What time is it? ==> Do you know what time it is?  / Can you tell me what time it is? / I know what time it is. / I don’t know what time it is.
•    How tall is Jack? ==> Do you know how tall Jack is? / Can you tell me how tall Jack is? / I know how tall Jack is. / I don’t know how tall Jack is. / I don’t remember how tall Jack is.
•    When is Tom going? ==> Do you know when Tom is going? / Can you tell me when Tom is going? / I know when Tom is going. / I don’t know when Tom is going. / I don’t remember when Tom is going.

For converting questions with do / does / did, use simple present or simple past in the converted sentence, at the end:

•    Where does Mr. Smith live? ==> Do you know where Mr. Smith lives? / Can you tell me where Mr. Smith lives? / I know where Mr. Smith lives. / I don’t know where Mr. Smith lives. / I don’t remember where Mr. Smith lives.
•    How much does this cost? ==> Do you know how much this costs? / Can you tell me how much this costs? / I know how much that costs. / I don’t know how much that costs. / I don’t remember how much that costs.
•    How does rain make a rainbow? ==> Do you know how rain makes a rainbow? / Can you tell me how rain makes a rainbow? / I know how rain makes a rainbow. / I don’t know how rain makes a rainbow. / I don’t remember how rain makes a rainbow.
•    Why do dogs bark? ==> Do you know why dogs bark? / Can you tell me why dogs bark? / I know why dogs bark. / I don’t know why dogs bark. / I don’t remember why dogs bark.
•    When did Jack leave? ==> Do you know when Jack left? / Can you tell me when Jack left? / I know when Jack left. / I don’t know when Jack left. / I don’t remember when Jack left.

For questions beginning with Is….? / Do….? / Can….?, we can also convert, using if or whether:

•    Is Tom sleeping? ==> Do you know if Tom is sleeping? / Do you know whether Tom is sleeping?
•    Have the kids eaten lunch yet? ==> Do you know if the kids have eaten lunch yet? / Do you know whether the kids have eaten lunch yet?
•    Can Jack ride a bicycle? ==> Do you know if Jack can ride a bicycle? / Do you know whether Jack can ride a bicycle?
•    Did Frank call? ==> Do you know if Frank called? / Do you know whether Frank called?

Exercise.  Answer the following questions with I don’t know where / when / why / what / etc.

Example:

Is Tom at the gym? (where) ==> I don’t know where Tom is.

1.    Was Miss Jackson in class yesterday? (where)
2.    Has the lawn mower been broken very long?  (how long)
3.    Is the hotel new? (how old)
4.    Have the children gone to school? (where)
5.    Will Mother come home soon? (when)

Exercise.  Complete the following sentences.

Example:

Why do dogs bark?  I don’t know ==> I don’t know why dogs bark.
When is the next bus?  Do you know ==> Do you know when the next bus is?

1.    What did Tom eat for lunch?  I don’t remember
2.    When is Mary going to college?  I don’t know
3.    Why is Jack selling his car?  Do you know
4.    Where is the hotel?  Do you know
5.    How did Patrick break his leg?  I don’t know
6.    How hot is it?  Do you know
7.    What did Sally get for her birthday?  I don’t remember

Exercise.  Write questions using Do you know if….?

Example:

Can Michael come with us? ==> Do you know if Michael can come with us?

1.    Is Jack invited to the party?
2.    Has Martin booked his vacation?
3.    Can Steve fix my broken clock?
4.    Do the twins like chocolate cake?
5.    Was the window left open?
6.    Does Jill have a key to Dad’s house?
7.    Have they picked up the garbage yet?
8.    Did Debbie do the dishes?
9.    Had the book been checked out of the library?
10.    Were there a lot of people at the beach?

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Culture Focus: 4th of July

Posted on 2012/07/04
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Writing the Declaration of Independence

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of Independence.

Today is Independence Day in the United States.  It is commonly called “the 4th of July” because it was on this date in 1776 when the Continental Congress (Founding Fathers) signed a document at the Pennsylvania State House (now called “Independence Hall”) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  This document, called the Declaration of Independence, was a kind of “open letter” to King George III, ruler of England.

In the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers listed their grievances with the king, and why the colonies were formally separating from Great Britain.  At the heart of the matter were two issues:  the tyranny of the king, and taxation without representation.  Because the British monarch and his government repeatedly ignored these concerns of the colonies, the colonies wanted out from under the boot of Britain.  So, the Declaration of Independence marked the birth of a new nation – no longer colonies subject to the rule of England, but now an independent nation, the United States of America.

Since this happened over 230 years ago, many people tend to forget the history behind the holiday, and focus instead on parades, fireworks, and getting a day off from work.  However, it is said that history repeats itself (largely because people do not learn from history!), and once again the American people find themselves in a situation with conditions that parallel those of colonial America in the 1770s – they find themselves under a government that is becoming increasingly tyrannical, and they are being heavily taxed while their supposed representatives in Congress do the exact opposite of what the people want.  It was this failure of government to acknowledge that its just authority and legitimacy was derived from the “consent of the governed” that drove the first American Revolution – if the current government continues to ignore the will of its citizens, it will bring about a Second American Revolution.

For over 200 years, Americans have always valued Freedom and Liberty over Tyranny and Oppression.  We recognize that any government that attempts to take away our “unalienable rights” – among which are the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” – is an illegitimate government that must be opposed.

The day Americans forget this truth is the day America dies.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 49 – How long does it take…? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/07/04
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Exercise.  Using the given words, write questions with How long….?

Example:

Chicago, New York, car ==>  How long does it take to get from Chicago to New York by car?

1.    How long does it take to get from Hong Kong to Tokyo by plane?
2.    How long does it take to get from the school to the library by foot?
3.    How long does it take to get from home to downtown by train?
4.    How long does it take to get from the island to the mainland by boat?
5.    How long does it take to get from the train station to the airport by bus?

Exercise.  From the following sentences, write questions using How long did it take…?

Example:

Jack painted the picture in the hall. ==>  How long did it take him to paint the picture?

1.    The English class read the book “War and Peace.”
How long did it take them to read the book?

2.    John drove from Atlanta to Dallas.
How long did it take him to drive from Atlanta to Dallas?

3.    Mother made all the bridesmaids’ dresses for Edith’s wedding.
How long did it take her to make all the bridesmaids’ dresses?

4.    Edward finally finished writing the Smith family history.
How long did it take him to write the family history?

5.    Jack and Jill wrapped all the Christmas presents.
How long did it take them to wrap all the presents?

Exercise.  Read the following situations, and write sentences using It took….

Example:

I wrote a term paper.  I started it on March 3, and finished it on April 3. ==> It took me a month to write the paper.

1.    Max weeded the garden.  He started at 9 a.m., and finished at 11 a.m.
It took him two hours to weed the garden.

2.    We drove from Chicago to Los Angeles.  We left on Monday, and got there on Saturday.
It took us six days to drive from Chicago to Los Angeles.

3.    Mary knit a sweater.  She started it at the beginning of October, and finished it in time for Christmas.
It took her almost three months to knit the sweater.

4.    Steve walked home from the train station.  He got off the train at 5:30 p.m., and got home at 5:45 p.m.
It took him fifteen minutes to walk home.

5.    Kevin built his summer cottage.  He started building it in 2008, and he finished it in 2010.
It took him two years to build the summer cottage.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 49 – How long does it take…?

Posted on 2012/07/03
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If we are talking about time, we use the phrase “How long does it take…?”

When we are wondering about the time needed to travel (from place A) to place B, we can ask “How long does it take to get (from A) to B?”:

How long does it take to get from Chicago to Miami? —It takes about three days by car.
How long does it take to get from the library to the museum? —It’s about a ten-minute walk.
How long does it take to get to the airport?—About twenty minutes.

Note:  Many times we also include the method of travel.  For example, traveling by plane is quicker than traveling by car.  This makes a difference how the question is answered.

More examples:

How long does it take to get to school by bus?—It takes 45 minutes.
How long does it take to get from Paris to Frankfurt by train?—About four or five hours.
How long does it take to get to the beach by foot?—About fifteen minutes.  (“by foot” or “on foot” both mean “by walking”)

We can also use “How long does it take…?” if we are asking about doing something:

How long does it take to bake a cake?
How long does it take to build a house?
How long does it take to get a haircut?

Other tenses are possible:

Past tense:  How long did it take….?

How long did it take to knit that sweater?
How long did it take to write the book?

Future tense:  How long will it take…?

How long will it take to mow the lawn?
How long will it take to save enough money for a nice vacation?

We can also make negative sentences (usually in response to one of the above questions):  It doesn’t / didn’t / won’t take long…

It doesn’t take long to get from the library to the museum.
It doesn’t take long to get a haircut.
It didn’t take long to knit the sweater.
It won’t take long to mow the lawn.

The questions can be personalized, as well:  How long does it take you to do something?

How long does it take you to do your homework?
How long will it take Tom to clean his room?
It took me forever to finish that project.

Exercise.  Using the given words, write questions with How long….?

Example:

Chicago, New York, car ==>  How long does it take to get from Chicago to New York by car?

1.    Hong Kong, Tokyo, plane
2.    School, library, foot
3.    Home, downtown, train
4.    Island, mainland, boat
5.    Train station, airport, bus

Exercise.  From the following sentences, write questions using How long did it take…?

Example:

Jack painted the picture in the hall. ==>  How long did it take him to paint the picture?

1.    The English class read the book “War and Peace.”
2.    John drove from Atlanta to Dallas.
3.    Mother made all the bridesmaids’ dresses for Edith’s wedding.
4.    Edward finally finished writing the Smith family history.
5.    Jack and Jill wrapped all the Christmas presents.

 

Exercise.  Read the following situations, and write sentences using It took….
Example:

I wrote a term paper.  I started it on March 3, and finished it on April 3. ==> It took me a month to write the paper.

1.    Max weeded the garden.  He started at 9 a.m., and finished at 11 a.m.
2.    We drove from Chicago to Los Angeles.  We left on Monday, and got there on Saturday.
3.    Mary knit a sweater.  She started it at the beginning of October, and finished it in time for Christmas.
4.    Steve walked home from the train station.  He got off the train at 5:30 p.m., and got home at 5:45 p.m.
5.    Kevin built his summer cottage.  He started building it in 2008, and he finished it in 2010.

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Education Focus: Tutoring

Posted on 2012/07/02
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Private tutoringFor today’s Education Focus I want to take a quick look at tutoring.  When Americans talk of “tutoring,” they generally mean any kind of private, one-to-one academic instruction.  Sometimes, it is possible that a student might be eligible to receive specialized, one-on-one instruction from his own school.  For example, a student might have a lengthy absence from school due to a chronic or long-lasting medical condition.  In this case, the school would assign a private instructor to tutor the student at home or in the hospital to help the student keep up with his classmates and schoolwork so he will not be behind when he is finally able to return to school.

Most of the time, though, tutoring takes place independently of the student’s school.  Because of this, it is the parents’ responsibility to arrange for this independent instruction and pay for it.  There are many options available for parents who wish to arrange to have their student tutored.  It depends on the reason why a parent wants to make such arrangements.

Most Americans view tutoring as a remedial activity.  This means that they are concerned that their student is falling behind in his school subjects, or has difficulty understanding what is going on in class or with doing his homework, and needs extra help beyond what the teacher can provide.  The parents want to make sure that their student can keep up with his classmates, so they enlist the help of a private educational center that focuses on providing remedial instruction, such as Sylvan Learning Centers, Huntington Learning Centers, or Kumon.  Strictly speaking, these places generally provide semi-private instruction rather than true one-on-one instruction, as students usually share an instructor with two or three other students.  In addition to the national franchises mentioned above, there are other private educational centers that also focus on remedial instruction.  Other options for parents in this situation might include hiring a college student or retired teacher to come to the home and provide individualized, independent instruction.  Of course, one-on-one instruction is going to cost more than semi-private instruction at one of the private educational centers, but some parents prefer this arrangement for its convenience and efficiency.

Some Americans, however, view tutoring as an enrichment activity.  They are concerned that their student is not being sufficiently challenged in school, and they wish to provide their student with more intellectual stimulation than is available in a normal school setting.  They might be interested in helping their student to accelerate, or get ahead in school, and thus they seek out tutors who can help their student progress at a faster pace than in a normal classroom.  Most parents seeking such a challenge for their student are generally not well-served by the national tutoring franchises, and so must look elsewhere for private tutors, such as searching online or inquiring at a local college.  It is more difficult to find a tutor for this type of instruction, but once one is found, the parents generally try to retain such a tutor, as they find it to be a worthwhile investment in their student’s education.

Additionally, most parents are concerned that their student get into a good college. To this end, then, many parents arrange for their student to have tutoring that focuses specifically on the SAT and / or ACT, which tests play a major role in the college admission process.  Although many SAT prep classes may claim to guarantee a specific point gain as the result of the student having gone through their program, the fact is that the degree to which a student’s performance will improve depends heavily on the circumstances of the individual student.  For example, a student who is already scoring at the 90th percentile will probably not see a point gain of one hundred points or more.  However, a student scoring at the 25th percentile could very well improve his score by two hundred points or more with practice and training.  It is important for parents and students alike to have realistic expectations from an SAT prep class, and recognize what such a class can and cannot do.

At Summit Language Institute, we provide private instruction for your student, whether you are interested in getting your student up to speed, or you want to help your student prepare for the SAT/ACT.  If you live in the Chicago area and would like more information, please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

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