Wednesday, September 30, 2009

How do You Stay Healthy?

We all have stress in our lives, so exercise is a good idea. Exercise helps people control stress, so we can take it easy, and take care of ourselves. It can be easy to get some exercise. We can just take a walk for 15 or 30 minutes every day. Maybe sometimes we can walk for an hour in a quiet place, like Golden Gate Park, or Ocean Beach. We can do some simple stretches so we can relax.

I read story in the newspaper about an exercise we call "push-ups." The newspaper story says it's very healthy for us to do these simple exercises. Push-ups help us have strong muscles in our backs, arms and chests. Also, strong bones! Strong bones are very important for our health. So if we just walk, stretch and try some push-ups, we will take care of our stress. We will have better health and have better minds (for studying English, or other things!)

So here is my question for you today. How many push-ups can you do? You can try a push-up in class, or at home if you do not know now. Then take our poll. I'll tell you later how many I can do today. Let's see if we can do more push-ups on the last day of class. Let's get exercise and be healthy.

Watch this video from the newspaper story. These people can do great push-ups! Click back after you watch.

Next, this week please make a comment about health. Answer these questions:
  1. What do you usually do to be healthy?
  2. What should you do more often?
  3. What should you do less often?
Finally, you can click this link to listen, watch and learn more about health.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Sunrise, Sunset: Time Passes By

This week we read a story about how families can help each other. Who helped you in your family when you had a problem? Who did you help? Everyone needs a lot of help. Everyone can help other people. Families and friends are so important to us.

This week in our computer class, watch this video from a movie, Fiddler on the Roof. You will see a traditional wedding. You will hear two parents think to themselves, "When did they grow up?" Listen to the past time questions and the past time, present time and future verbs.




After you watch, you can make a comment.
  1. Who did you help this week?
  2. Who helped you?
  3. Did you have a good week, or a bad week?
  4. Did you do anything special?

Next, please click and begin to watch this video story. Probably your parents had a different life than you do. Everthing changes as times goes by.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

First Days in San Francisco

I hope you like San Francisco! Some of you will live here a long time. Some of you will go back home to your country to live. I think you miss your home sometimes, and I think sometimes you enjoy learning about your new home here in San Francisco. I hope you have many good memories of our beautiful city.

This week let's listen and learn about a young woman, Anita, who came to San Francisco with her parents for a vacation. She came here when she was young. She had a good time here.

Click here to listen to her talk about her visit. She will answer some questions.
  • You can listen.
  • You can listen and read.
  • You can listen and answer questions.
When you finish listening, click back. Come to our blog page (this page).

Click below on comments. Write your answer for these questions. Write carefully in past time.
  1. How was your first week in San Francisco?
  2. When did you come here for the first time?
  3. Where did you go? Golden Gate Park? Golden Gate Bridge? Chinatown?
  4. What did you eat?
  5. How did you feel?
  6. What did you think of San Francisco?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Goals and Plans

We are reading about goals and plans in our book. What do you want to do next year? What do you want to do before 2019? Ten years is a long time! Will you remember our school?

Look at the survey on the right. Click on your most important goal. We will learn about each other.

I think many people share one goal: we want to have good friends and good memories. Here is a song for this week. This song is about remembering people. Who will you remember?


Watch and listen. Watch again with these lyrics (words to song) or with the lyrics from class. Then read my story about my grandmother. It is under the song video. Click on comments. Write about someone you will remember.







Read about my grandmother:

Many people are important in my life. I will remember my grandmother, Zelma Cook. She was my father's mother. She helped my family in many ways. She lived with us, and took care of me, my brother, and my sister when my father was a single parent. She was very patient with me. She taught me how to cook and how to sew. Sometimes I thought she had too many rules when I was young. Sometimes I was a difficult teenager! Now I know she wanted to me to be a strong, good person. She was great! She gave us love and attention. I will always remember her in my heart. By Venette Cook

Who will you remember?
  • Click on comment and write. You can be anonymous. Type your name after your story.
  • Tell us about someone you will remember and why.
  • Write about a friend, neighbor, or someone in your family.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Sitting in San Francisco

Welcome to your first computer lesson with me! Today we have two things to do:

  1. Read about Labor Day and answer some questions.
  2. Listen to a song and write some words.
Part One: We have a long weekend coming up. We call this Labor Day weekend, to thank American workers for everything they do. Some people will go shopping for back to school clothes and things. Some people will have a delicious barbecue with friend or family. Banks, post offices, school, and government offices will be closed. Maybe you will work on Labor Day. Then you will get double pay, so that will be good.

Part Two: Here is an old song about sitting near the water in San Francisco. I hope you like it! You can listen more than one time by clicking on replay. Try to write all the missing words on the paper I will give you in class.





Where do you like to sit in San Francisco? What will you do this weekend?
Do you have a favorite park? Do you have a favorite beach? Do you have a favorite room at home? I love to sit or walk near the ocean. What about you?