CLASS CANCELLED. Next class Friday December 14th.

Makeup class = Saturday Dec. 15th 11:00 – 12:30

Express your opinion! Let me know what you think of today's class, the written materials, the activities, the teacher's lecture, etc. Have a question about English or about today's class? Click the words "Leave a comment" below, or send me an email. Thank you for visiting.

Homework

Prepare your book and movie presentation, if you have not done your presentation yet (today, Nov. 30th).  Dec. 7th class has been cancelled.  Makeup class will be on Saturday Dec. 15th (not Dec. 8th as I announced in class.) For presentation guidelines, see last week’s blog post here.

Everyone must do their book and movie presentation twice. If you did your book-and-movie presentation Nov 30th or earlier, please do it again on Dec. 14th.

• You must
  • include historical background and
  • say what readers can learn about American history from the movie or the book (or both).
  • Give the key points.
    • A point is “the important or essential thing”.
    • A key point is “the most important or essential thing” about the movie and the book.

Today’s class

Student “movie and book” presentations.

Express your opinion! Let me know what you think of today's class, the written materials, the activities, the teacher's lecture, etc. Have a question about English or about today's class? Click the words "Leave a comment" below, or send me an email. Thank you for visiting.

Homework

1. Write 3 paragraphs comparing Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and Fred Astaire’s “Girl Hunt Ballet” music videos.  Use your own English. Don’t copy and paste.
   1. Paragraph 1 – introduce Michael Jackson.
   2. Paragraph 2 – introduce Fred Astaire
   3. Paragraph 3- compare the two music videos, focusing on the similar points.
2. Start preparing your book and movie presentation.  All presentations must be done by the next class, Nov. 30th. There is no class on Nov. 23rd, so Nov. 30th is the last chance.  For presentation guidelines, see last week’s blog post here.

Today’s class

• Presentation on chapter 1 question
• Reading and writing summaries about the following items:
  • Manifest Destiny (and in Japanese here)
  • Wall Street (Also a 1987 movie, famous for the line “Greed is good” said by Gordon Gecko.
  • the Appalachian Mountains
  • The Oregon Trail across the Rocky Mountains
  • The purchase of Manhattan: “Manhattan is historically documented to have been purchased by Dutch colonists from Native Americans in 1626 for 60 guilders, which equals roughly US$1050 in current terms.”
  • The murder of John Lennon outside the Dakota Apartment House.

Express your opinion! Let me know what you think of today's class, the written materials, the activities, the teacher's lecture, etc. Have a question about English or about today's class? Click the words "Leave a comment" below, or send me an email. Thank you for visiting.

Homework

1. Read chapter 2 for a quiz next time.
2. Start preparing your book and movie presentation. All presentations must be done by Nov. 30th. There is no class on Nov. 23rd.
3. All presentations should
   1. be 4-5 minutes long,
   2. use Powerpoint or handouts
   3. include 3-5 key points
   4. include a summary of the presentation contents (given at the end)
   5. include a glossary (Japanese explanation) of key words
   6. include a list of references
   7. include some sample scene(s) from the movie and sample quotes from the book.

Today’s class

• 2 book-and-movie presentations
• Textbook, chapter 2 and Comprehension questions on p. 24.
• Topics mentioned today:
  • Manifest Destiry (and in Japanese here)
  • Wall Street (Also a 1987 movie, famous for the line “Greed is good” said by Gordon Gecko.
  • the Appalachian Mountains
  • The Oregon Trail across the Rocky Mountains
  • The purchase of Manhattan: “Manhattan is historically documented to have been purchased by Dutch colonists from Native Americans in 1626 for 60 guilders, which equals roughly US$1050 in current terms.”
  • The murder of John Lennon outside the Dakota Apartment House.

Express your opinion! Let me know what you think of today's class, the written materials, the activities, the teacher's lecture, etc. Have a question about English or about today's class? Click the words "Leave a comment" below, or send me an email. Thank you for visiting.

Homework

1. Read chapter 2 for a quiz next time.
2. Start preparing your book and movie presentation. All presentations should
   1. be 4-5 minutes long,
   2. use Powerpoint or handouts
   3. include 3-5 key points
   4. include a summary of the presentation contents (given at the end)
   5. include a glossary (Japanese explanation) of key words
   6. include a list of references
   7. include some sample scene(s) from the movie and sample quotes from the book.

Today’s class

• Remaining presentations on questions about the textbook
• music videos and questions
  • Watch these two videos (These are different from the ones shown in class – better.) Write your impressions.
    • Video 1 Michael Jackson “Smooth Criminal”
    • Video 2 “Girl Hunt Ballet” — Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, 1953
  • Now watch these videos and write the name of the artist(s) and the title of the song(s), then write your impressions.
    • Elizabeth Cotten “Freight Train”
    • Doc Watson-Deep River Blues
    • Leo Kottke – Deep River Blues
    • Deep River Blues [Feat. Jason Isbell] | Collaborations | Tommy Emmanuel
    • Richard Smith Japan Tour 2017 with Nishi Nishiyama at Yokohama [Jerry’s Breakdown]

Express your opinion! Let me know what you think of today's class, the written materials, the activities, the teacher's lecture, etc. Have a question about English or about today's class? Click the words "Leave a comment" below, or send me an email. Thank you for visiting.