Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Abend HTL - Homework for Tuesday, February 7

Let's finish the chapter on food.  To do this:

1) read the article about vegetarianism on page 62-63 and answer the comprehension questions (Leseverständnis) on page 63.

2) read the article on page 63-64.  Write your personal opinion about junk food in your Activity Journal.

3) In class on Tuesday, February 7, you will get time to work on your presentations (including making a poster).  Group presentations should last FIVE MINUTES.  Everyone in the group should speak at least one minute. N.B.  Do not read your presentation.  Be able to speak freely!

Monday, January 30, 2017

7C - Homework for the next week

Soooo, we are making our way, slowly but surely, through the Themenbereiche for Matura.

In this unit we are going to:
a) learn what "Peak Oil" is
b) connect "Peak Oil" with food production and food miles
c) connect "Peak Oil" with the production of plastics

So far we have:
a) read the article "The End of Civilization as We Know It"
b) done some vocabulary work (word forms from verbs)
c) defined what food miles are
d) discussed why you pay more for food that travels long distances
e) discussed the advantages and disadvantages of organic food

For the next week or so, we are going to talk about plastics.  This means jumping from Focus on Modern Technology 3 to Focus on Modern Technology 4/5.

You should:
1) read the articles in Unit 10 of FMT 4/5
   a) Plastics: Convenient but Dangerous, p. 116 (zusätzlich, Ex. 2, p. 115)
   b) Plastic in Cars. p. 118 (zusätzlich, ex. 4, p. 119).
   c) Forming Plastic, p. 122 (zusätzlich ex. 8, p. 118)
2) think of alternatives to plastic that could reduce dependence on petroleum and contribute to saving the planet

5C - Homework for Thursday, February 2 (Groundhog Day!)

Okay, folks!  No more messing about!

1) Symposium - Gregor, Kivanc
2) Look at the chapter on Surveillance and Security in FMT 4/5 - Read the articles:

a) Britain is "A Surveillance Society", p. 30 (zusätzlich: exercise 2, p. 29)
b) Biometric Identification Methods, p. 31-32 (zusätzlich:  ex 2 p. 31, ex. 4 p. 33)
c) E-Passports - More Secure? p. 35-36 (zusätlich:  ex. 9, p. 35)

These will provide talking points for the topic of Security and Surveillance which fits into the "Lifestyle" Themenbereich for the Matura.  Consider this question for class:

"Which of the following is the biggest threat to your personal privacy:  CCTV cameras, biometric passwords or the Internet of Things?"


Tuesday, January 24, 2017

1C - Homework for Week of January 30

For January 30 bzw. February 1:

Finish the worksheets that you got in class,  Prepare for a verb revision (all tenses:  present simple, present progressive, past simple, past progressive, and present perfect simple in the positive, negative and question form.

3C - Homework for Thursday, January 26

1) Make corrections to the grammar and text on your Schularbeit in your Verbesserungsheft.  Bring BOTH the SA and the corrections to class on Thursday so I can finish grading this semester!

2) Finish reading the article that was handed out in class (alternatively, read it on page 67 in Focus on Modern Technology 3).  These are talking points that fit in well with our topic of Food Miles.  Make sure you can talk about the topics at the top of the page!

2C - Homework for the Week of January 30

GROUP B:  MAKE SURE YOU FINISH THE CORRECTION OF YOUR SA (GRAMMAR AND LONG TEXT) TO TURN IN ON MONDAY!

Finish the worksheet you got in class and be prepared to discuss the topics under "Talking Points"

N.B. Add to Talking Points:  What are your personal qualities?  What kind of job are you suited for?

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Abend HTL - Homework for Tuesday, January 24

For Tuesday, January 24, start reading the What's Cooking chapter.

1) Learn vocabulary on pages 57-58
2) Learn "Types of Food" on page 60
3) Learn "Ways of Preparing Food" on page 61

4) For your activity journal, watch videos by Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray, Julia Child, Nigella Lawson, or another famous cook!

5) Try to finish the worksheet from class.

Monday, January 16, 2017

7C - Homework for Tuesday, January 17

You got a handout in class on Monday with linking words on it.  Look up the English meaning of these linking words, and prepare to put them into use in class!

3C - Homework for Tuesday, January 17

1) Finish correction of Schularbeit and bring both the Schularbeit and correction to class
2) Finish letter to Philip
3) Start Unit 6:
a) Do exercise 5 on pp. 72-73
b) Do exercises 1-4 on pages 74-75
c) Do grammar exercises 1-3 on p. 78-79
d) do grammar exercise 4 in your HÜ Heft

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

This is why English matters!


Disclaimer:  I am posting this video because it shows how important it is to be able to speak good English in international situations.  The opinions expressed in the video do not reflect the opinions of the blog owner.



A little more about the story: https://kurier.at/politik/inland/fpoe-politiker-johann-ueberbacher-blamiert-sich-mit-russia-today-interview/240.102.176

3C - Homework for Thursday, January 12

1) Bring all your English papers (HW, English Activity Journals, article draft and rewrite, SA and Verbesserung!) to class so we can check Mitarbeit points.

2)  When you write your SA text Verbesserung, don't just correct the grammar and spelling mistakes - really try to improve the Aufgabenstellung (text type, bullet points, details), Organization (paragraphs, linking words), language range (use a variety of words and structures, try to use passive, if-sentences, relative clauses, avoid vague language), and language accuracy (get rid of the careless spelling and grammar mistakes!) 

2)  In your HÜ Heft, write a letter to Philip, your friend from America.  Tell him about your Christmas holidays, using the outline (Vorlage) below.  Make sure you include who, what, where, when why and how.  You should have 5 paragraphs (at least 170 words)

Dear Philip:

- General greeting... why you are writing

- Describe how you spent Christmas. Describe a really cool present you got.

- Describe how you spent New Year's Eve.  Describe how you spent New Year's Day.

- Describe how you spent your last weekend before school started.  Are you you happy to be back in school?  Why or why not?

- General questions about Philip's Christmas holidays and ask him to write you back.

Sincerely,

(your name)


7C - Homework for Monday, January 16

1) Finish writing a summary of the text "Solving the World's Energy Crisis" on p. 65.
2) Finish writing a one paragraph response to the article.  What do you think about it?  Do you need more information to make an intelligent response?  What information would you need?
3)  Do some internet research on "fake news".  What is it?  Why is it a problem?  Give an example (post a link in the comments below!)
4) Is this text (Solving the World's Energy Crisis" an example of "fake news"?

UPDATE:  Spammers found the blog again, so any comment you post will be moderated and show up 24 hours later.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

1C - Homework for Tuesday, January 17

1) In Focus on Modern Technology 1 do
a) the exercise on page 46 (match the pictures with the words - learn the vocabulary)
b) do the survey on page 47 (how many minutes do you spend on these devices?)
c) read the text on page 49-50  and do exercises on page 51.
d) learn vocabulary on page 56

2) Continue with your English Activity Journal - You should have at least 10 entries.  Remember to do ENGLISH Activities (don't just write about your day in English).  You need input from TV, movies, videos, radio, memes, articles, speaking with tourists to learn vocabulary, idiom, pronunciation and to get a feel for the language.

BRING ALL YOUR ENGLISH PAPERS (HW, quizzes, English Activity Journals, etc) so we can check Mitarbeit points!

Monday, January 9, 2017

7C - For Tuesday, January 10

1) Bring all your English papers (HW, EAJ, report/rewrite, tests) to class so you can check your points!

2) Continue with your activity journal (EAJ).  Remember to do ENGLISH activities, and then write about them in English.  You need an input from TV, film, radio, memes, articles, blogs, speaking with tourists, or online! This will help improve your English vocabulary, idiom, feel for the language, etc.

LOOKING AHEAD:  For Monday, January 16, write a correction of the text(s) from the Schularbeit in your Verbesserungsheft.  Don't just correct the grammar and spelling mistakes - really try to improve the Aufgabenstellung (text type, bullet points, details), Organization (paragraphs, linking words), language range (use a variety of words and structures, try to use passive, if-sentences, relative clauses, avoid vague language), and language accuracy (get rid of the careless spelling and grammar mistakes!)

9C - Homework for Thursday, January 12

1) Bring all your English papers (HW, EAJ, report/rewrite, tests) to class so you can check your points!

2) Continue with your activity journal (EAJ).  Remember to do ENGLISH activities, and then write about them in English.  You need an input from TV, film, radio, memes, articles, blogs, speaking with tourists, or online! This will help improve your English vocabulary, idiom, feel for the language, etc.

LOOKING AHEAD:  For Monday, January 16, write a correction of the text(s) from the Schularbeit in your Verbesserungsheft.  Don't just correct the grammar and spelling mistakes - really try to improve the Aufgabenstellung (text type, bullet points, details), Organization (paragraphs, linking words), language range (use a variety of words and structures, try to use passive, if-sentences, relative clauses, avoid vague language), and language accuracy (get rid of the careless spelling and grammar mistakes!)

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

2C - Lehrstoff for Schularbeit, Monday, January 16

FORMAT:
- Reading comprehension
- Grammar
- Writing
(we’ll do a separate listening later in the month)

HOW CAN YOU STUDY?
1) Go through your English Activity Journal and make a list of all the mistakes you make regularly.  Then BANISH these mistakes from your writing!
2) Go over the texts we’ve read. Summarize each of them in your own words (summary is Kurzfassung, emphasis on “kurz!”  It should cover the main message of the article and answer the questions Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?
3) Practice grammar on ego4u at this link https://www.ego4u.de/de/cram-up/tests
4) You can also practice the grammar sections in your Essentials of English Grammar book (answers in the back!)

UNITS COVERED
(includes vocabulary, idioms, grammar, Aufgabenstellungen and talking points)

Focus on Modern Technology  1
UNIT  7 . movies, Avatar, Simpsons, how to create an episode, history of film, modal verbs, passive verbs
UNIT  8, energy conversion, after the crash, directions, prepositions, listening strategies, adjectives/adverbs
Do you remember?  (modals, some/any, much/many, a little/a few)

Focus on Modern Technology 2
UNIT 1, Adventure travel, parts of a car, Outback, car troubles, directions, travel idioms, If-sentences
UNIT 2, school, describing pictures, comparisons, pushy parents, school stress, irregular plurals

GRAMMAR
passive voice
adjectives/adverbs (including irregulars, ex. good/well), esp. –ing and –ed adjectives
prepositions
if sentences (types 1, 2, and 3)
contractions
All tenses, active, passive, positive, negative, question,
irregular plurals

TEXT TYPES:
letter/email
review of a movie/series
journal entry
summary

EXTRAS:

Class rules, English activity journal, THINK before your speak, Rube Goldberg, Thanksgiving, Wien Woche

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