reading

Entries Tagged as 'reading'

Forces of Change

June 30th, 2009 · No Comments

The Smithsonian’s Forces of Change online exhibit has lots of accessible information on various changes taking place on the Earth, especially those related to the climate. It has sections on the Arctic, the atmosphere, El Nino, and soils.
If I were using this in my class, I would probably first look under the “media library” […]

New Internationalist: Global Issues for Learners of English

May 22nd, 2009 · No Comments

The New Internationalist has a collection of global issues articles written specifically for learners of English. They have articles on globalization, the environment, human rights and war. They haven’t updated the articles for several years, but the topics are still very relevant.
One example that I like is a series of 5 stories told […]

Environmental Racism Activities from Teaching Tolerance

April 9th, 2009 · No Comments

As Earth Day approaches, one topic that is often left out of the discussion is environmental racism. Teaching Tolerance has three lesson plans designed for different grade levels.

Fair is Fair (K-5) is a good introduction to the concept for children.
Progressive City Planners (6-8) puts students in the role of urban designers, and includes some […]

The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day

April 8th, 2009 · No Comments

In The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day, Kathy Freston gives a variety of interesting statistics on the consequences of all Americans not eating meat for just one day. Any serious discussion of climate change has to include diet, and this short article could be a great starting point.
Some highlights:
If everyone […]

Meal Plan: Resources for Teaching and Learning about Food

April 2nd, 2009 · 3 Comments

Yes Magazine has a collection of articles on food that would be great to use with students. Some might need to be adapted, but the topics are good and there is a nice variety. One deals with bringing fresh, healthy food to an urban environment, another with 8 ways to join the local […]

Peace Corps Challenge Online Game

March 12th, 2009 · No Comments

I just came across a Flash-based game that simulates what it’s like to be a Peace Corps volunteer. I haven’t played it a great deal, but it seems like a decent game for language learners. You start out in a village, trying to solve a problem with their water supply. The bulk […]

The Newseum - Newspaper Front Pages from Around the World

March 6th, 2009 · No Comments

The Newseum has a flash feature that displays newspaper front pages from around the world. Simply hover over a city on a map and see a photo of today’s front page. This could be a great and quick way to get a sense of what stories are being covered where on a given […]

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Tags: pictures · visual prompts · vocabulary · global issues activities · reading · blog

Global Issues — Week 2

September 27th, 2008 · No Comments

Materials Used

Reading Circle Assignment Sheet
Reading Circle Demo
Miniature Earth / World Wealth Handout
Economics Reading

First, let me give a little background on this class. It is an elective for level 4 and 5 students, our top two levels. We meet twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday, for an hour and fifteen minutes each time. […]

Global Issues — Week 1

September 20th, 2008 · No Comments

For now, instead of doing podcasts, I’m going to type up reflections of my current teaching and make materials available via the blog. It’s faster than making podcasts, and probably just as useful/useless. Plus, I can do it from work.
Week 1: Materials Used

syllabus
icebreaker
general global issues discussion / freewrite activity
vocabulary journal
label reading […]

Facebook Newsfeed Summarizing Activity

July 31st, 2008 · 3 Comments

I just read this piece over at McSweeney’s. Basically, it is Hamlet written via Facebook newsfeed messages. A sample:
Hamlet wonders if he should continue to exist. Or not.
Hamlet thinks Ophelia might be happier in a convent.
Ophelia removed “moody princes” from her interests.
Hamlet posted an event: A Play That’s Totally Fictional and In No […]