Final Test We took our final test for this course. M Reader & Extensive Reading You can continue to read from your graded readers to help reach your goal of 100,000 words. If you have failed a quiz you can write a book report and submit it using Turnitin on Blackboard. I will receive quiz scores and book reports until:7/26 23:59
Also, remember, you can add me as a friend or follow me by clicking the links below:
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 22: Learning a Foreign Language. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Speed reading is good for fluency practice. Make a spreadsheet to show your progress in your reading speed. Follow these steps: Go to your RF Log.
Highlight the cell for 4/19 in column A.
Shift-click on the cell for 7/12 in column B.
From the Insert menu, click on Chart.
From the Chart editor choose Stacked area chart from the Chart type menu.
From the Chart editor on the right side, click on Customize.
From the Horizontal axis menu choose Treat labels as text.
From the Series menu click on Trendline.
Quizlet After taking a quiz and entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet.
Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning. SR We checked our answers for p. 109. Test Preparation We talked about the test to help you prepare for it. Here is what you should review before the test:
Our Quizlet Vocabulary Set
The Four Strands
Reading Skills
Previewing
Scanning
Skimming
Discovering the Topic Sentence of Paragraphs
Identifying the Main Idea
Making Inferences
Summarizing
Paraphrasing
Note-taking
Annotating
The test will also include a speed reading section. Extensive Reading (ER) We are using MReader.org to keep track of our words read for ER (graded readers). If you fail a quiz, you will need to write a book report for the book you read. Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input. I have made a Turnitin assignment on Blackboard for those who failed a test on MReader or don't have enough time to wait for a quiz. Follow the instructions on writing good paragraphs on p. 12 of RtF. Be sure to include your name, the title, the author, the publisher, and the number of words in your report.
Write all of your reports in one document and upload it after you are finished.
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Study for the test.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class (you may have time to read if you finish the text early).
The video we watched an original tune by The Piano Guys: All of Me. Jon Schmidt (the pianist) wrote this song years ago and many people have performed it on YouTube. Finally, he recorded his version for YouTube. Enjoy the video again.
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 21: Meaning Without Words. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Speed reading is good for fluency practice.
Quizlet After taking a quiz and entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning. We also took a quiz.
SR We checked our answers for 138-139 and 103-107. We also began the Reading Skill section on pp. 108-109.
Homework Read Chapter 5: Annotating (pp. 20-21) in RtF and annotate pp. 103-104 in SR. Write the following in a Google Doc for your homework:
Write your paraphrase for p. 139 in SR in Google Docs. As always, check p. 12 in RtF to check your paragraph writing skills.
Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L12 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L12): Due 7/11 23:59
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Study the NAWL 5 set and the RW1 L13 Set.
Do pp. 109 in SR.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
Book Report If you fail a quiz, you should write a book report. Follow these steps:
Write a summary of the book including the:
title
the author's name
the main characters
the plot
your opinion about the book
You should write in paragraph form (see RtF p. 12)
Paradise is a popular song by Coldplay. In this version, the Piano Guys join with Alex Boye, an African singer who is a YouTube performer. He uses the Swahili word peponi which means paradise. They shot this video somewhere near the Four Corners, a place where four states connect in the Southwest part of the United States.
Here is the original version with the original video.
In my opinion, the cover version and video are better. :) Here are the words:
When she was just a girl she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes
When she was just a girl she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach and the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly every tear a waterfall
In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly
And dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
She'd dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She'd say, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh, oh
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 20: Strange Things on the Wall. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Speed reading is good for fluency practice.
Quizlet After taking a quiz and entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning. We also took a quiz.
SR We checked our answers for 118-119 and 133-137. We also began the Reading Skill section on pp. 138-139. Finally, we did our previewing for p. 102. RtF
We checked our answers for Chapter 11: Summarizing (pp. 39-41). Homework Write the following in a Google Doc for your homework:
Fill in the handout to prepare for Chapter 5 of RF. Do not check your dictionary or app before doing Task A.
Copy your sentences for RtF Chapter 11 into Google Docs.
Write your summary for p. 119 in SR in Google Docs. As always, check p. 12 in RtF to check your paragraph writing skills.
Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L11 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L11): Due 7/6 23:59
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Study the NAWL 5 set and the RW1 L12 Set.
Do p. 139 and 103-107 in SR.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
Indiana Jones Rocks Petra with this Arabian Classical Remix! (The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series) This is the fourth in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World. In this video, they go to Petra a city built into the rock in Jordan. The name Petra means rock. Because Petra was a location in the 3rd Indian Jones movie, they use music from the soundtrack in this tune. Enjoy the video again. You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here: New 7 Wonders of the World
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 19: The History of Paint. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Speed reading is good for fluency practice.
Quizlet After taking a quiz and entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning.
SR We checked our answers for 68-69 and 115-117. We also began the Reading Skill section on pp. 118-119. Finally, we did our previewing for p. 132. *Remember, if the spaces in the textbook are too small, you can mark your textbook in another way to show the answers (underlining, writing the question number next to the answer). Homework Write the following in a Google Doc for your homework:
Write your summary for Task C on p. 119 of SR. As always, check p. 12 in RtF to check your paragraph writing skills.
Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L10 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L10): Due 6/27 23:59
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Study the NAWL 4 set and the RW1 L11 Set.
Do pp. 118-119 and 133-137 in SR.
Read Chapter 11: Summarizing (pp. 39-41) in RtF and do Exercise 1.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 18: Aztec Art. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets. Speed reading is good for fluency practice. Quizlet After taking a quiz and entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning. SR We checked our answers for pp. 63-67.
We also used our previewing, skimming and scanning skills on p. 112 to prepare for the next reading. RtF We checked our homework on pp. 31-32 of RtF Chapter 9: Making Inferences. Studying reading skills is a form of language-focused learning. Extensive Reading (ER) Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input.
Homework Write the following in a Google Doc for your homework: Write a paragraph for Task 2 on p. 70 ofSR. As always, check p. 12 in RtF to check your paragraph writing skills. Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L9 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L9): Due 6/20 23:59
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Study the L10 Study Set and the NAWL 3 set.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
Finish pp. 68-69 in SR before class. Also, do the tasks on pp. 113-117 as well as Task A on p. 112.
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 17: Cartoons as Art. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets. Speed reading is good for fluency practice. Quizlet After entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet.
We also had another vocabulary quiz using Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning. RtF We checked our homework on p. 27 of RtF.
Studying reading skills is a form of language-focused learning. SR We checked our answers for pp. 15-17. We also looked briefly at the reading skill of making inferences on p. 18.
We also did Previewing for Before You Read on p. 62 to get ready for Chapter 7. If you didn't write an answer for #4 on the Previewing Chart, do that before you read the passage.
Extensive Reading (ER) Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input. Homework Write the following in a Google Doc for your homework:
Write a paragraph for Task 2 on p. 20 of SR. As always, check p. 12 in RtF to check your paragraph writing skills.
Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L8 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L8): Due 6/13 23:59
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Try our class set.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
Read more about Making Inferences in RtF (pp. 31-32). Do the exercises.
Do the tasks on p. 19 in SR before class. Also, do Task A (p. 62) and pp. 63-67.
I Won't Give Up (Jayesslee Cover of Jason Mraz) Jayesslee is the artist who sang the Gangnam Style cover we watched before. Jayesslee means J S Lee. Their names are Janice (Jay for J) and Sonia (Ess for S) and their last name is Lee. I love their harmonies. It must have been difficult to perform this on one take at the beach. See the lyrics below the video.
When I look into your eyes It's like watching the night sky Or a beautiful sunrise There's so much they hold And just like them old stars I see that you've come so far To be right where you are How old is your soul?
Well I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up
And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find
'Cause even the stars they burn Some even fall to the earth We've got a lot to learn God knows we're worth it No, I won't give up
I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not and who I am
I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love I'm still looking up, still looking up.
I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up) God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved) We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved) God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)
I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up
RF We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 16: Art in the Age of Computers. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets. Speed reading is good for fluency practice.
Quizlet After entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. We also had another vocabulary quiz using Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning. SR We checked our answers for pp. 55-57. We also did Previewing for Before You Read on p. 12 to get ready for Chapter 2.
Reading Skill Chapter 6 Answers Extensive Reading (ER) Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input. Homework Write the following in a Google Doc for your homework:
Write your answers for RtF p. 27.
Write an "email" for Task 3 on p. 60 of SR. As always, check p. 12 in RtF to check your paragraph writing skills.
Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L7 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L7) Due 6/6 23:59
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
The Mission / How Great Thou Art (The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series) This is the second in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World. In this video, they go to the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). They also visit Iguazu Falls near the border of Argentina. The music is a mashup (mix) of two tunes. One is called Gabriel's Oboe. It is the most famous music from the soundtrack of the movie The Mission. The setting of the movie is at Iguazu Falls. It is a wonderful movie and I strongly recommend it. It has a beautiful theme about love (not romantic). I cry every time I see it. The other music is a Christian hymn called How Great Thou Art. Enjoy the video again. You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here: New 7 Wonders of the World
We did reading fluency practice today by reading Reading 5: How Teachers Are Viewed. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Speed reading is good for fluency practice.
Quizlet
After entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. We also had a vocabulary quiz using Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning.
RtF
We learned about the discovering the topic sentence of paragraphs (pp. 23-24) reading skill.
SR
We checked our answers for Comprehension (p. 55) and filled in the chart on p. 56 with a partner. We also applied our learning skill with p. 59 in SR.
Extensive Reading (ER)
Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input.
Next Week
To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Our quiz will be on the NAWL 2 Set. But, be sure to keep studying our class set also.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
Fill in your answers for the Chapter 4: Fine Arts handout before the next lesson.
Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends (The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series) This is the first in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World. In this video, they go to the Great Wall of China. Enjoy the video again.
RF We did reading fluency practice today with Reading 4: Defining Education. You entered today's time on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Speed reading is good for fluency practice. Quizlet After entering your scores into your RF Log, you spent some time studying vocabulary on Quizlet. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning.
SR We tried scanning and skimming skills with pp. 28-29 in SR. Then we tried previewing and skimming for Task C on p. 52. Practicing reading skills is an example of language-focused learning.
Send your answers for SR: Task 2 (p. 30) using Google Docs. Check RtF p. 12 about how to write a good paragraph.
Follow these steps:
Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.'
Give it the title of your full name + RW1F + L5 (Taro Suzuki's RW1F L5). Due 5/23 23:59
I recommend also downloading the Google Docs app for your smartphone.
Extensive Reading (ER) Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input.
Next Week To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Try our class set. We have a quiz next week.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
Do the tasks in RtF: scanning (pp. 15-16) and skimming (pp. 17-18) reading skills.
We watched the Piano Guys play Mission Impossible, a popular TV show turned into a movie series. This time they were joined by another YouTube star, Lindsey Stirling. She is known for playing violin while dancing. Enjoy it again below:
We began with speed reading for Reading Fluency (RF): Technology in the Classroom. You entered today's time and score on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets. Could you increase your speed?
Speed reading is good for fluency practice.
Quizlet
You had some time to practice vocabulary study with Quizlet. In two weeks (5/24) we will have a quiz on the NAWL 1 set and our class set.
Vocabulary study is language-focused learning.
SR
We checked our answers for pp. 8-9. We also practiced using our previewing skills again on p. 22. Practicing reading skills is a form of language-focus learning.
Four Strands of Language Learning
I introduced the four strands:
Meaningful input (reading and listening for the message)
Meaningful output (writing and speaking a message)
Language-focused learning (studying the details of language)
Fluency practice (practicing easy language against time pressure)
Extensive Reading (ER)
We had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input.
Next Week
To prepare for next week:
Practice Quizlet 5 minutes (or more!) every day. Try our class set.
Read from your graded reader every day. Don't forget to bring it to class every week.
In SR do Tasks A&B on p. 26 as well as Tasks A&B on p. 27 for homework.
Review the Four Strands before next week's lesson for the quiz.
We watched Jayesslee's (Janice & Sonia Lee) cover of Psy's Gangnam Style. They are a talented pair of Korean-Australian women from Sydney. Enjoy it again below:
We began with speed reading for Reading Fluency (RF). You entered today's time and score on your spreadsheet (RF Log) in Google Sheets.
Extensive Reading (ER)
Your brought your graded reader to class to practice ER. Every lesson we will have some time to read. However, you will need to read outside of class. You have two weeks to finish your book.
You will need to read 100,000 words by the end of the term. Keep a record of your reading. Extensive Reading (ER) We registered for M Reader. You must take and pass quizzes to get credit for your reading. M Reader Log In Some information about M Reader:
Be sure that the quiz you choose in M Reader is for the version from the same publisher as the version you read.
You must get 6/10 to pass quiz.
You cannot take the quiz again for that book if you fail (unless you ask me)
You can only take one quiz every 96 hours (4 days), so don't wait until the last week to begin taking quizzes.
Near the end of class, we had time to read from our graded readers for extensive reading. ER is meaningful input.
SR
We checked our answers for our SR homework pp. 5-7. Write and send your answers for C. Consider the Issues on p. 6. Also, write your answers for Discussion & Writing Task 2 (p. 10). Follow the steps:
The Piano Guys are my favorite YouTube artists. They have great music AND great videos. This one is a parody of my favorite movie from my childhood, Star Wars. Now people call it Episode IV (4) or A New Hope, but it was Star Wars to us when it came out. It wasn't until the stupid prequels (Episodes I, II & III) years later that those names were used. The ideas of lightsabers, fighting ships flying across the screen, laser guns and The Force were all new and very cool. Star Wars was the first real blockbuster movie. If you wanted to see it when it came out, you might have had to wait hours and there were no reserved seats back then. It stayed in the cinemas for over a year. I have included a modern trailer of the movie below the Piano Guys video. The original trailer was not very good. Enjoy!
RF We began with Reading Fluency (RF) practice. Each time you will read a passage for speed and mark your results. You should see your time drop over the term.
RF Log
Follow the steps to set up your Reading Fluency (RF) Log:
We will use Google Sheets (spreadsheet) to keep track of our progress in reading fluency. This makes it easy for me to follow your progress. It also makes it easy for you to see your own progress. You can generate a line graph from the spreadsheet.
In the top left box, give your spreadsheet the title: full name + RW1F + RF Log (e.g., Taro Suzuki RW1F RF Log)
In the top right corner, click on SHARE.
Share it with me. Use my Rikkyo address (danielbeck).
In the A column, write the date of your first RF reading.
In the B column, write the time of your first RF reading.
In the C column, write the number of correct answers.
Repeat for each time.
Enter in your RF score every week.
Homework
Download and log into the Quizlet app and the Google Sheets app for your smartphone (both are free!) and log in.
Read your Graded Reader and bring it to class every week.*
SR**: Do the tasks on pages 2-7 in the textbook.
RtF: Do the exercies for Chapter 2 (pp. 13-14).
Study the NAWL 1 set on Quizlet. We will have a quiz next week.
Bring a computer again next week.
**SR = Select Readings textbook
*How to choose a Graded Reader
Go to the library.
Ask where the graded readers are.
Choose any book from the middle level.
Open the book to the middle.
Read one page.
If there are more than 2-3 new words (except for names of people and places), put it back and choose a lower level. If there are no new words, put it back and choose a higher level.
If the book seems boring, put it back. If the book seems interesting, check it out and bring it to class next week.
