Monday, December 10, 2012

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is often used in English when we are relating two events which happened in the past. It helps to show which event happened first. This page will explain the rules for forming and using the tense.

Use the following links to help you learn and practice using the PAST PERFECT:


Thursday, September 27, 2012

News Media: Sensational News vs. Serious News

Sensational News Media is the type of news that we should not take seriously.  It is crated for entertainment.  Serious News is the news we need to pay attention too, the news that is important to society. 

Check out the list of news sites bellow.  On a piece of paper answer the following questions: Which sites are sensational news?  Which are serious news?  Can you see the difference? 
 
·         www.cnn.com 

·         www.msnbc.com

·         www.bbc.co.uk

·         www.nytimes.com

·         www.cbsnews.com

·         www.abc.net.au

·         http://www.people.com/people/

·         www.newsweek.com


Sunday, July 15, 2012

Fun Things To Do This Summer!


The last day of school already passed and the most asked question was “What will you do this summer?” A similar question will be asked in September “What did you do this summer?” The top three answers I get from my students are:
  1. Nothing, summer is boring.
  2. Work.
  3. I went back to my country.
Is great if we could all travel to another country, but many of us will not. Don’t worry; there are still many things you can do to have a fun and interesting summer without spending much. NO MORE EXCUSES FOR A BORING SUMMER…The following is a list of ideas to make your own summer adventure without spending much and/or going too far!
  1. GOOGLE FOR ACTIVITIES: Find out what summer activities are going on in your town. Google “What to do in West Orange NJ” for example and you will get a list of activities.
    1. Free or Cheap things to do in West Orange: http://attractions.uptake.com/new_jersey/west_orange/cheap_vacations/807893724.html
  2. FREE INFORMATION @ YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY: Libraries are not just for reading books, librarians are full of information. Also, many libraries have free events such as concerts, art shows, movies, and much more. Just visit your library and ask a librarian for a list of summer activities in your area.
  3. VISIT YOUR LOCAL PARK: Many local parks are full of summer activities from free concerts, art shows, movies under the stars and more or go for a picnic, start a soccer game, read a book under a tree, watch the clouds on a summer day, relax…if you don’t know what parks are near by use Google map, type in your address and look for green space or you can Google for parks near your street.
  4. GO TO A FESTIVAL: Summer time is full of festivals ask a librarian or Google summer festivals in your area. I find that Libraries know more about what is happening locally than Google, so I recommend starting at your Library for a list of local festivals.

If you want to travel and spend a little cash…

  1. TAKE A TRAIN or BUS RIDE:
Use NJ Transit (trains or buses) to visit some great places by going on to www.njtransi.com and searching for your destination:
CLOSE TO HOME:
· Newark Museum - http://www.newarkmuseum.org/
· Liberty State Park in Jersey City - http://www.libertystatepark.org/
· Liberty Science Center in Jersey City - http://www.lsc.org/
New York City:
· The Metropolitan Museum of Art - http://www.metmuseum.org/
· The American Museum of National History - http://www.amnh.org/
· Free Things to do in NYC –
JERSEY SHORE (New Jersey Beaches):
· Sandy Hook – Beach and a great Light House - http://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/shumasstransit.htm
· Point Pleasant / Beach, Rides, and a great Aquarium - http://www.jenkinsons.com/
· Ocean Groove / Travel Back to the Victorian Era - http://www.oceangrovenj.com/html/photos.html
AMUSEMENT:

6. IF YOU CAN TRAVEL BY CAR
I recommend the following places for a great day trip or weekend:

· Delaware Water Gap and Pocono Mountains / hiking, river attractions, nature and more: http://www.nps.gov/dewa/index.htm
· Storm King / nature and art together (bring a picnic): http://www.stormking.org/
· Round Valley State Park / great lake for swimming and having a picnic: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/round.html
· Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom: http://www.dorneypark.com/
· Wildwood NJ / beach, rides, and the board walk: http://www.wildwoodsnj.com/

Many attractions (movies, museums, restaurants, even stores) give student discount, just show your student ID and ask if they give a discount; it does not hurt to ask if it will get you a lower price!!!

I hope this inspires you to have your own summer adventure…no more excuses...be prepared because once school starts someone will ask… “What did you do this summer?”

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

ESL 5 Literature Narrative Final Practice:

Moby Dick is a great American novel written by Herman Melville.  It is about the life or sailors on the whaling ship the Pequod.  A whale ship is a large boat used for hunting whales.  The name of the boat is the Pequod and its captain is Captain Ahab.  Two of the mains characters, Ishmael and Queequeg, are first time sailors on this big voyage.  In Chapter 19 the two new sailors are warned about Captain Ahab.
Chapter 19 – The Prophet
Important Characters:
·         Ishmael
·         Queequeg
·         Captain Ahab
·         Pequod – the ship…a big boat
Learn about the characters at:
Read Chapt. 19 and Summarize: