For homework, please:
- get as much of the preparation for your prepared debate question done as possible (including to preparing arguments, reading background articles, listening to videos/podcasts, etc.), then you can focus on preparing for other exams in January.
- try to send me your prepared debate question with your partner's name before the new year!
For homework, please:
- complete exercises A-J on pp. 188-191 of Destination.
- self-check your work to the Grammar for CAE and CPE singular/plural uncountable exercise using the key below:
3) ...in the dim and distant past...by a man called...but the impact he had in the sixties and seventies was incredible. ...'Blowing in the Wind'...must a man look up before he can see the sky?' I mean, a question like that...'How many times must a white dove fly before it sleeps in the sand' And then the answer to the profound questions: 'The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind'. The generation after mine...'The very thought of you', 'Just the way you look tonight', 'The night they invented champagne'...can a mountain exist before it is washed to the sea?' And there was a whole generation singing along to the song...I say it's a funny world we live in.
4) 1. Thank goodness that she has escaped without harm to life or limb. 2. In times gone by, marriage was often a matter of luck. 3. It was love at first sight that brought the couple together. 4. Man has always struggled with the dichotomy of the security of permanence and the quest for change. 5. Being on duty seventy hourse certainly gives you a taste of what life as a doctor is like.
Poetry Foundation: Collections | Poetry Foundation
Happy Holidays!
For homework, please:
- read the five pages posted under the folder "immigration reading" on Ilias and answer the following questions:
1. Describe the Scots-Irish immigrant experience in the first wave (or "colonial immigration").
2. How did the first wave change the demographics of the US?
3. What sparked the second wave of immigration?
4. How were German immigrants received by non-Germans during the second wave?
5. What primarily distinguished the first wave of immigration from the second wave, other than the years in which each occured?
Links of interest
Hofstede's compare countries feature Compare countries - Hofstede Insights (hofstede-insights.com)
Hofstede's categories National Culture (hofstede-insights.com)
German Letters project German Heritage in Letters (germanletters.org)
Ellis Island passenger search Passenger Search - The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Texas German Project Texas German (tgdp.org)
Wikitongues Texas German WIKITONGUES: Vernell speaking Texas German - YouTube
Wikitongues Pennsylvania Dutch WIKITONGUES: Dale speaking Pennsylvania German and English - YouTube
For homework, please:
- complete exercises B-J on pp. 188-191 of Destination.
- self-check your work to the Grammar for CAE and CPE singular/plural uncountable exercise using the key below:
1) 1. OK, 2. The scissors in the sewing box need sharpening. 3. This pair of binoculars has been in this drawer for as long as I can remember. 4. OK, 5. I can't say that economics is a subject I've ever been interested in. 6. There's one potato and two onions in the recipe. 7. Where have those kitchen scales gone that we used to have?
2) 1. OK, 2. After an interesting trip/journey to Los Angeles, he wanted to live in the USA. 3. An undiagnosed illness in his twenties has left him with virtually no hair. 4. We learn many things throughout life. 5. OK
3) ...in the dim and distant past...by a man called...but the impact he had in the sixties and seventies was incredible. ...'Blowing in the Wind'...must a man look up before he can see the sky?' I mean, a question like that...'How many times must a white dove fly before it sleeps in the sand' And then the answer to the profound questions: 'The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind'. The generation after mine...'The very thought of you', 'Just the way you look tonight', 'The night they invented champagne'...can a mountain exist before it is washed to the sea?' And there was a whole generation singing along to the song...I say it's a funny world we live in.
4) 1. Thank goodness that she has escaped without harm to life or limb. 2. In times gone by, marriage was often a matter of luck. 3. It was love at first sight that brought the couple together. 4. Man has always struggled with the dichotomy of the security of permanence and the quest for change. 5. Being on duty seventy hourse certainly gives you a taste of what life as a doctor is like.
5) 1. from/of, 2. the, 3. has, 4. the, 5. Earth, 6. our, 7. deep/deeper/sound/better, 8. past, 9. the, 10. is/remains, 11. instruments, 12. climate, 13. lakes/rivers, 14. allow/enable, 15. periods/times/eras
Poetry Foundation: Collections | Poetry Foundation
Happy Holidays!
For homework, please prepare the following:
- learn the topic vocab words and the word formation words from Unit 22 in Destination.
- complete exercises A-D on pp. 178-179 and exercises K-M on pp. 182-183. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- read the file "Grammar for CAE and CPE singular plural uncountable explanation" and do all of the exercises on "Grammar for CAE and CPE singular plural uncountable exercises", which can be found in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias.
- do both exercises in the file "noun exercises" in the "Resources for nouns determiners and quantifiers" folder on Ilias.
Student questions:
The verb "enfold" can be used in contexts like recipes when one ingredient is folded into another. (An example of Merriam-Webster: "The vegetables were enfolded into a pastry crust.") It can also be used metaphorically: (Again, from Merriam-Webster: "Darkness enfolded the city.") Merriam-Webster mentions that "enfold" is often replaced by "envelope". The sentences above can also be expressed as follows: The pastry crust enveloped with the vegetables. The city was enveloped by darkness.
Optional essay (do NOT exceed 350 words), due by December 30th at 5 pm to me via email as a .docx file (do NOT send me any other file type, please):
1. When, if ever, is graffiti art?
2. Is it too difficult to become a doctor in Germany? (Feel free to focus on another country instead if you'd like.)
For homework, please prepare the following:
- learn the topic vocab words and the word formation words from Unit 22 in Destination.
- complete exercises A-D on pp. 178-179 and exercises K-M on pp. 182-183. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- read the file "Grammar for CAE and CPE singular plural uncountable explanation" and do all of the exercises on "Grammar for CAE and CPE singular plural uncountable exercises", which can be found in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias.
- do both exercises in the file "noun exercises" in the "Resources for nouns determiners and quantifiers" folder on Ilias.
- self-check the following answers from the "Grammar for CAE and CPE using the or no article" exercises:
1) fun, history, knowledge, progress, life beauty
2) 1. Beauty, 2. advice, 3. poetry, 4. the frustration, 5. violence, 6. chaos, 7. the...strength, 8. progress, 9. the...fortune, 10. dudgeon
3) 1. The death of the President has left the country in chaos.
2. Big business has been hit by inflation.
3. The manager of United is facing the sack after the latest defeat.
4. Computers have been (or: are being) blamed for the / a record number of job losses.
5. Environmentalists say the water people drink is not fit for animals.
6. The level of unemployment is the highest since the mid-nineteen-nineties.
Optional essay (do NOT exceed 350 words), due by December 30th at 5 pm to me via email as a .docx file (do NOT send me any other file type, please):
1. When, if ever, is graffiti art?
2. Is it too difficult to become a doctor in Germany? (Feel free to focus on another country instead if you'd like.)
*** Please be advised that our next session on Zoom will take place on January 6th.***
For homework, please:
- try to make it a priority to register your partner's name and your prepared debate question with me via email by our next session. (Be sure to mention any times at which you and your partner absolutely cannot do the exam. You can also request preferred times, but I cannot make any guarantees.)
- bring your prepared debate question with you to our next class in January.
For homework, please:
- try to make it a priority to register your partner's name and your prepared debate question with me via email by our next session. (Be sure to mention any times at which you and your partner absolutely cannot do the exam. You can also request preferred times, but I cannot make any guarantees.)
- bring your prepared debate question with you to our next class (if you haven't submitted anything by next Tuesday, bring a question that is at least from the topic area (e.g. education, health) you plan to debate from).
- prepare a joke for next class which you will tell your classmates in small groups. Practice it out loud several times and try to memorize it for class.
For homework, please do the following:
- complete exercises J-M from pp. 142-143 of Destination. Self-check your answers and bring any questions to class.
- learn the topic vocabulary and the word formation words for Unit 18 (pp. 144-145) and complete exercises A-E and N-O. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- read pp. 170-171 of Unit 21 in Destination and bring any questions you have with you to class.
- (I have posted a folder entitled "Resources for nouns, determiners and quantifiers" on Ilias with a lot of scans from the Elementary Grammar in Use book for your review. This might help solidify some concepts, esp. if you are a visual learner.)
- do exercises A (pg. 172) and G (pg. 174) and self-check your answers. Bring any questions with you to class.
- check your answers to the following exercises:
Ariane Grande: 1. From 2010 to 2013, Grande played a character in the popular TV series Victorious, which brought her national attention. 2. In 2013 she released her first studio album, which was called Yours Truly. 3. Her second album, My Everything, which made Grande famous, was a huge success. 4. In 2017, Grande, whose third album, Dangerous Woman, was released in 2016, went on a world concert tour. 5. At the end of her concert in Manchester Arena on May 22, a bomb exploded, killing 23 people who were leaving the concert hall. 6. Grande organized a benefit concert for the victims, which took place in Manchester on June 4.
participle clauses
3.1: 2. Covered in oil, 3. Written, 4. Having beaten, 5. Having been shown, 6. Not having, 7. Putting on/Having put on, 8. Not being able to speak / Not speaking
3.2: 2. Seeing the pocket watches, 3. Some being 4. Living in Hong Kong/Having lived in Hong Kong, 5. After looking at/After having looked at, 6. I got there to find / On getting there I found, 7. Having spent, 8. (In order) to get, 9. (When) looked at, 10. Tired, 11. before going out
For homework, please prepare the following:
- read pp. 212-216 of These Truths and answer the questions below:
1. What actions gave Jackson the nickname "King Andrew"?
2. Which groups were specifically the target of the Indian Removal Act?
3. Why were some evangelicals against the Act?
4. How were the States divided with regards to the Act?
- have a look at Trump's inaugural address (posted on Ilias (file name "Trump's inaugural address"; link featured below) and decide whether or not it is a populist text. Support your decision with specific data/categories of data. (Bonus: can you identify any conceptual metaphors in this address?)
Interesting links:
- Atlantic article "What is a populist?" What Is a Populist? - The Atlantic
- Team Populism database Data (byu.edu)
- Cleveland Indians baseball team announce that they will be changing their team's name Cleveland’s Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team Name - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
- Jackson Library Jackson's Papers | Andrew Jackson's Hermitage (thehermitage.com)
- White House page of Trump's inaugural address The Inaugural Address | The White House
For homework, please:
- read pp. 170-171 of Unit 21 and bring any questions you have about these explanations/examples with you to class.
- complete exercises A-I on pp. 172-175 and self-check with the answer key. Bring any questions with you to class.
- read the "Grammar for CAE and CPE using the or no article explanation" file and do all of the exercises in the "Grammar for CAE and CPE using the or no article exercises" file in the "Grammar for CAE and CPE" folder on Ilias.
- self-check the following:
from Grammar for CAE and CPE nominal relative clauses
2) 1. what, 2. that (which), 3. what, 4. which, 5. which, 6. What, 7. what, 8. What, 9. what, 10. which (what)
4) 1. she said was extremely, 2. (best) to break the news to, 3. party wins the election, nothing will, 4. (little) knowledge I have about computers could be, 5. is exactly how I imagined Paris would / to, 6. we were talking about
from participle clauses closer look exercises 2_2
3.4 2. While researching, 3. Although (no longer) involved, 4. Before/Until being made, 5. Without asking, 6. since leaving, 7. once caught, 8. With (the wind) reaching, 9. until/before being woken, 10. If found
For homework, please do the following:
- complete exercises I-M from pp. 142-143 of Destination. Self-check your answers and bring any questions to class.
- learn the topic vocabulary and the word formation words for Unit 18 (pp. 144-145) and complete exercises A-E and N-O. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- do exercises 3.3 and 3.4 from the file "closer look participle clauses exercises 2_2" located in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias
- do exercises 1-4 from the file "Grammar for CAE and CPE nominal relative pronouns" located in the "Grammar for CAE and CPE" folder on Ilias
- and here's a fun article introducing some regional lingusitic differences in the US: Different American English dialects, in 27 fascinating maps - Business Insider
- check your answers to the following exercises:
Ariane Grande: 1. From 2010 to 2013, Grande played a character in the popular TV series Victorious, which brought her national attention. 2. In 2013 she released her first studio album, which was called Yours Truly. 3. Her second album, My Everything, which made Grande famous, was a huge success. 4. In 2017, Grande, whose third album, Dangerous Woman, was released in 2016, went on a world concert tour. 5. At the end of her concert in Manchester Arena on May 22, a bomb exploded, killing 23 people who were leaving the concert hall. 6. Grande organized a benefit concert for the victims, which took place in Manchester on June 4.
participle clauses 3.2: 2. Seeing the pocket watches, 3. Some being 4. Living in Hong Kong/Having lived in Hong Kong, 5. After looking at/After having looked at, 6. I got there to find / On getting there I found, 7. Having spent, 8. (In order) to get, 9. (When) looked at, 10. Tired, 11. before going out
For homework, please prepare the following:
- read the articles (aim for some of this to be out loud) posted on Ilias from the Economist entitled "economist testing testing," "economist testing testing part two" and "papers please" and do the following:
a) highlight/write down the language used in the article that you find useful for a debate on reforming standardized exams
b) highlight/write down the language used in the article that you find useful for debate questions in general, irrespective of the topic
c) highlight/write down which arguments/points used in these articles you find to be the most effective (note: NOT the ones you necessarily personally agree with or not)
- read the files "Phrasal verbs for study 1_2" and "Collocations for student life 1_2" and highlight/write down the expressions that one could use for the debate question "Should we reform standardized testing?" (There is a "2_2" file for each of the files above which contain exercises for reinforcement/extra practice. These are optional.)
- be ready to debate the question "Should we reform standardized testing?" in next week's section (the articles were of course inspired by COVID-19 restrictions, but think about this question in a broader context as well, i.e. general reform)
- here is the make/have/do/take collocation list referenced in class: Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take - Wiktionary
For homework, please prepare the following:
- read the articles (aim for some of this to be out loud) posted on Ilias from the Economist entitled "economist testing testing," "economist testing testing part two" and "papers please" and do the following:
a) highlight/write down the language used in the article that you find useful for a debate on reforming standardized exams
b) highlight/write down the language used in the article that you find useful for debate questions in general, irrespective of the topic
c) highlight/write down which arguments/points used in these articles you find to be the most effective (note: NOT the ones you necessarily personally agree with or not)
- read the files "Phrasal verbs for study 1_2" and "Collocations for student life 1_2" and highlight/write down the expressions that one could use for the debate question "Should we reform standardized testing?" (There is a "2_2" file for each of the files above which contain exercises for reinforcement/extra practice. These are optional.)
- be ready to debate the question "Should we reform standardized testing?" in next week's section (the articles were of course inspired by COVID-19 restrictions, but think about this question in a broader context as well, i.e. general reform)
***As previously announced, there will be NO Zoom meetings on December 10th. Our next Zoom meeting will take place on December 15th.***
For homework, please prepare the following:
- read pp. 138-139 (the first pages of Unit 17) in Destination, paying particular attention to difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses. Bring any questions from these pages with you to class. (The file "intro to relative clauses elementary" in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias Inhalt might be of help.)
- complete exercises A-H on pp. 140-141. Self-check your answers with the key and bring any questions with you to class.
- do number 8 from the file entitled "relative clauses ariane grande exercise" in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias
- read the filed entitled "closer look participle clauses 1_2" and "closer look participle clauses 2_2" in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias. Bring any questions about this content/the examples with you to class.
- complete exercises 3.1 and 3.2 on the "closer look participle clauses exercises 1_2" sheet in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias.
- take the following quiz on avoiding plagiarism: APA Plagiarism Detection Exercise (williams.edu)
- self-check the remaining exercises from the "Grammar for CAE and CPE not using the passive" sheet started in class:
2) 1. The lights dimmed during the last dance. 2. Darren's performance in the 100 metres/meters improved by a tenth of a second. 3. The Titanic sank in 1912. 4. His eyes filled with tears. (This is like the "the hole filled with water" example discussed in class.) 5. The plan gradually developed.
3) 1. Initially, I think the plot unfolds very convincingly. 2. The tension increases in the third scene. 3. But then you change everything. 4. Melodrama replaces real drama, doesn't it? 5. But the first act finishes with only a vague suspicion of murder in the air. 6. You're crazy to/It's crazy that you start the second act with the actual killing. 7. And you end the third act with such an anticlimax. 8. It's difficult to see tickets selling for a play like this.
4) d,b,a,c,d,b
For homework, please prepare the following:
- read pp. 180-188 of These Truths and answer the following questions:
1. What is the Monroe Doctrine?
2. What does Jill Lepore mean by "populism is...at its heart, an argument about numbers"?
3. What was noteworthy/novel about the way in which Andrew Jackson campaigned?
4. How did July 4, 1826 mark the beginning of a new era in US history?
5. U.S. presidents are often compared to their predecessors (parallels were made between Obama and JFK and FDR, for example). Trump has been compared to Jackson. Do you consider this comparison legitimate? If so, in what ways are the two presidents alike? If not, why is this comparison misleading?
Interesting links:
Slave rebellions: Slave Rebellions - HISTORY
Webster's Dictionary: Websters Dictionary 1828 - American Dictionary of the English Language
Full text of the Star-Spangled Banner (the US national anthem): NMAH | The Lyrics (si.edu)
Declaration of Independence (referenced in your reading above): Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives
Who's on US currency? Currency and Coins: Which Presidents Are on U.S. Money? - NerdWallet
Symbolism of horse stances in monuments: The Horse Statue Symbolism... Fact or Myth? (nationsclassroomtours.com)
For homework, please prepare the following:
- read pp. 138-139 (the first pages of Unit 17) in Destination, paying particular attention to difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses. Bring any questions from these pages with you to class. (The file "intro to relative clauses elementary" in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias Inhalt might be of help.)
- complete exercises A-H on pp. 140-141. Self-check your answers with the key and bring any questions with you to class.
- do number 8 from the file entitled "relative clauses ariane grande exercise" in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias
- read the filed entitled "closer look participle clauses 1_2" and "closer look participle clauses 2_2" in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias. Bring any questions about this content/the examples with you to class.
- complete exercises 3.1 and 3.2 on the "closer look participle clauses exercises 1_2" sheet in the "Resources for participle and relative clauses" folder on Ilias.
- self-check the remaining exercises from the "Grammar for CAE and CPE not using the passive" sheet started in class:
2) 1. The lights dimmed during the last dance. 2. Darren's performance in the 100 metres/meters improved by a tenth of a second. 3. The Titanic sank in 1912. 4. His eyes filled with tears. (This is like the "the hole filled with water" example discussed in class.) 5. The plan gradually developed.
3) 1. Initially, I think the plot unfolds very convincingly. 2. The tension increases in the third scene. 3. But then you change everything. 4. Melodrama replaces real drama, doesn't it? 5. But the first act finishes with only a vague suspicion of murder in the air. 6. You're crazy to/It's crazy that you start the second act with the actual killing. 7. And you end the third act with such an anticlimax. 8. It's difficult to see tickets selling for a play like this.
4) d,b,a,c,d,b
**Please don't forget to register for the exam on PSSO by December 7th!!!**
Announcement: there will be no Zoom meetings for our class on Thursday, December 10th.
For homework, please prepare the following:
- check your answers for the "verbs commonly used with the passive" sheet below:
3) d, f, i, a, h, e, g, c, j, b
4) 1. we've been swamped with/by, 2. was completely taken aback by, 3. was disconcerted by, 4. is handed down from generation, 5. was scaled down following, 6. being talked down, 7. was couched in extremely formal
- read the sheet entitled "not using the passive" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder and complete the exercises on the "not using the passive exercises" sheet
- complete exercises G-J on pp. 58-59. Self-check your answers and bring any questions to class.
- learn the Unit 8 topic vocab and word formation words on pp. 60-61 of Destination and complete exercises A-D on pp. 62-64 and L-O on pg. 67. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- read three articles posted on this page and decide which of the three essays is the best in the following categories (there can be different essays that "win" in the different categories, just make sure that you have concrete reason for your decision): 1) word choice, 2) sentence construction/syntax, 3) paragraph organization, 4) thesis/main message What I'm really thinking | Lifeandstyle | The Guardian
- the notes from December 3rd appear on Ilias Inhalt and I have updated the December 1st file to include your contributions (it now appears as "real notes from December 1st" on Ilias).
Optional essay of 250-300 words in response to one of the following prompts (due to me via email by Sunday, December 13th at 5 pm):
1. Write your own "What I'm really thinking" text (you still need a thesis for this essay; notice that all of the good ones on the Guardian website have a clear message that they wish to communicate to the reader)
2. Is the holiday season overrated?
**Please don't forget to register for the exam on PSSO by December 7th!!!**
For homework, please prepare the following:
- check your answers for the "verbs commonly used with the passive" sheet below:
2) 1. dogged, 2. buffeted, 3. haunted, 4. Locked, 5. hounded, 6. handicapped, 7. doomed, 8. blessed, 9. touched, 10. earmarked, 11. destined, 12. possessed
3) d, f, i, a, h, e, g, c, j, b
4) 1. we've been swamped with/by, 2. was completely taken aback by, 3. was disconcerted by, 4. is handed down from generation, 5. was scaled down following, 6. being talked down, 7. was couched in extremely formal
- read the sheet entitled "not using the passive" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder and complete the exercises on the "not using the passive exercises" sheet
- learn the Unit 8 topic vocab and word formation words on pp. 60-61 of Destination and complete exercises A-D on pp. 62-64 and L-O on pg. 67. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- read three articles posted on this page and decide which of the three essays is the best in the following categories (there can be different essays that "win" in the different categories, just make sure that you have concrete reason for your decision): 1) word choice, 2) sentence construction/syntax, 3) paragraph organization, 4) thesis/main message What I'm really thinking | Lifeandstyle | The Guardian
Optional essay of 250-300 words in response to one of the following prompts (due to me via email by Sunday, December 13th at 5 pm):
1. Write your own "What I'm really thinking" text (you still need a thesis for this essay; notice that all of the good ones on the Guardian website have a clear message that they wish to communicate to the reader)
2. Is the holiday season overrated?
Please prepare the following for our next meeting:
- watch the following video and be prepared to debate this question with a classmate next week: Should Chocolate Advent Calendars Be Banned? | Good Morning Britain - YouTube
- have a look at Good Morning Britain's debate playlist and select another video to watch. Bring that debate question with you to class next week: Most Heated Debates | Good Morning Britain - YouTube
- access the "Words for Discussions" folder on Ilias. Read the sheet on vocabulary words/phrases and do exercises 16.1-16.12. Check your answers with the answer key and bring any questions you have with you to class.
- prepare the following debate questions for next week:
1. Should we change the ways we raise children?
2. Is veganism sustainable?
Please prepare the following for our next meeting:
- watch the following video and be prepared to debate this question with a classmate next week: Should Chocolate Advent Calendars Be Banned? | Good Morning Britain - YouTube
- have a look at Good Morning Britain's debate playlist and select another video to watch. Bring that debate question with you to class next week: Most Heated Debates | Good Morning Britain - YouTube
- access the "Words for Discussions" folder on Ilias. Read the sheet on vocabulary words/phrases and do exercises 16.1-16.12. Check your answers with the answer key and bring any questions you have with you to class.
- prepare the following debate questions for next week:
1. Should we change the ways we raise children?
2. Is veganism sustainable?
For homework, please:
- read through the grammar descriptions for passive voice on pp. 54-55 in Destination and complete exercises A-F. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
(In the folder "Resources for passive voice" you'll find a number of scans that might be of assistance in forming the passive, such as the files "passive voice in present progressive" and "passive voice table".)
- read the sheet "verbs commonly used with the passive explanation" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias and complete the accompanying exercises (this is a separate file entitled "verbs commonly used with the passive exercises"). Look up any verbs you don't know (there are quite a few advanced ones here).
- self-check your answers to the future tenses sheet that we started correcting in class here:
2) 1. supposed/due/required/obliged, 2. just 3. point 4. unless 5. be 6. to 7. left/gone 8. leaving /going/off 9. be 10. move
3) 1. the point of, 2. would do his/was doing his 3. as we've paid, 4. is going to have (or: will have) an, 5. will have been studying, 6. to be taken/being taken/going to be taken
4) 1. on, 2. OK, 3. now, 4. zone, 5. the, 6. OK, 7. been, 8. course, 9. OK, 10. the, 11. and, 12. OK, 13. will, 14. OK
The notes from today's class appear under the file name "Notes from December 1st" under Ilias Inhalt.
For homework, please:
- read pp. 168-173 of These Truths and answer the following questions:
1. Why did Jefferson consider farmers to be the best citizens?
2. How did the States benefit from Haiti's independence?
3. Why did the Louisiana Purchase divide Federalists and Republicans?
4. Why did the United States declare war on Britain in 1812? Which states supported this move and why?
5. What is the three-fifths clause of the Constitution?
- have a look at the Thanksgiving cartoons posted on Ilias and see what categories we addressed today from the cartoonist's toolkit you can apply to the images (if you need a reminder, consult my article here: Political Cartoons in the EFL and American Studies Classroom | American Studies Journal (asjournal.org)
Topics from class:
- the following page gives you an overview of the voting rights of felons (people convicted of a felony crime) and demonstrates how state laws can dramatically differ: Felon Voting Rights (ncsl.org)
- Puerto Ricans can vote in presidential primaries (meaning which candidate will represent each party in the general election), but can only vote in the general election if they have residency in a US state. Thank you for mentioning this, J.G.!
Interesting links:
- an interesting documentary on how the Whitney Plantation (located in Louisiana) has been made into a museum about slavery: America's First Museum Dedicated to Telling the Story of Slavery | The New Yorker - YouTube
- article "What We Learn from the Big Bad Wolf" referenced in today's class: ic-lippi-green-1997-teaching-children-how-to-discriminate.pdf (wordpress.com)
- YouTube channel for the Jim Crow Museum: Jim Crow Museum - YouTube
For homework, please:
- complete exercises A-J for Unit 7 in Destination. Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- read the sheet "verbs commonly used with the passive explanation" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias and complete the accompanying exercises (this is a separate file entitled "verbs commonly used with the passive exercises"). Look up any verbs you don't know (there are quite a few advanced ones here).
- self-check your answers to the future tenses sheet that we started correcting in class here:
2) 1. supposed/due/required/obliged, 2. just 3. point 4. unless 5. be 6. to 7. left/gone 8. leaving /going/off 9. be 10. move
3) 1. the point of, 2. would do his/was doing his 3. as we've paid, 4. is going to have (or: will have) an, 5. will have been studying, 6. to be taken/being taken/going to be taken
4) 1. on, 2. OK, 3. now, 4. zone, 5. the, 6. OK, 7. been, 8. course, 9. OK, 10. the, 11. and, 12. OK, 13. will, 14. OK
The notes from today's class appear under the file name "Notes from November 30th" under Ilias Inhalt.
**Please be advised that we will not have class during the project week. Our next Zoom session will take place on December 1st. Have a lovely project week!**
For homework, please:
- complete exercises G-K on pp. 42-43 of Destination (Unit 5). Self-check your answers with the key.
- complete both pages entitled "future" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias
- learn the topic vocabulary and the word formation words for Unit 6 on pp. 44-45 and complete exercises A-E and M-O on pp. 46-47 and 50-51, respectively (see what I did there?)
- read through the article posted under the file name "martin scorsese" on Ilias (the director celebrated his birthday on November 17th). What is the thesis of the article? In your opinion, does the director successfully defend it? (Notice that I did not ask whether you agree with him or not.)
Optional essay (due Sunday, November 29th by 5 pm, send your essay to my email address as a .docx file)
In an essay of 250-300 words (please stick to these word limits), answer one of the following questions:
1. Has the pandemic affected your career goals? (Bear in mind that for this essay, your thesis statement would need to be something along the lines of "Yes, it has because..." or "No, my goals remain unchanged because..." with details/examples to support this thesis.)
2. Are Marvel movies cinema? (You're welcome to reference the Scorsese article when responding to this, but please don't restrict your line of argumentation to points mentioned in his article.)
**Please be advised that we will not have class during the project week. Our next Zoom session will take place on November 30th. Have a lovely project week!**
For homework, please:
- complete exercises G-K on pp. 42-43 of Destination (Unit 5). Self-check your answers with the key.
- complete both pages entitled "future" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias
- learn the topic vocabulary and the word formation words for Unit 6 on pp. 44-45 and complete exercises A-E and M-O on pp. 46-47 and 50-51, respectively (see what I did there?)
- read through the article posted under the file name "martin scorsese" on Ilias (the director celebrated his birthday on November 17th). What is the thesis of the article? In your opinion, does the director successfully defend it? (Notice that I did not ask whether you agree with him or not.)
Optional essay (due Sunday, November 29th by 5 pm, send your essay to my email address as a .docx file)
In an essay of 250-300 words (please stick to these word limits), answer one of the following questions:
1. Has the pandemic affected your career goals? (Bear in mind that for this essay, your thesis statement would need to be something along the lines of "Yes, it has because..." or "No, my goals remain unchanged because..." with details/examples to support this thesis.)
2. Are Marvel movies cinema? (You're welcome to reference the Scorsese article when responding to this, but please don't restrict your line of argumentation to points mentioned in his article.)
***Please be advised that, due to Project Week, there will be no class on November 25th. Our next meeting will be on December 2nd.***
For our next session, please prepare the following:
- hopefully, many of you will have found your partners for the exam by now. If not, please make this a priority in the next couple of class sessions. Even if you don't have a partner yet, have a look at this site and browse the topics on the right-hand side of the page: https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate. (If had me for Komp I/II, you will be familiar with this page. For these students, I encourage you to look at new topics. The site is huge.) Write down three questions (or create ones inspired by the questions you see on the page) that you can see yourself using as a prepared debate question.
- if you have a partner already, try to videoconference with them during the Project Week and practice two debate questions of your choice.
- read through the pro/con debate "Should there be billionaires?" posted on the Ilias Inhalt page out loud and answer the following questions: which points mentioned in the article are reminiscent of the points one could use for if celebrities deserve high paychecks (a debate from this past Tuesday's class)? Which points from the article are not relevant?
- read through the pro/con debate "Should there be a meat tax?" Who argued their position more strongly? (Note: the question is not which side do you agree with) Why?
- now develop a question that takes the structure/template of "Should there be a/n ______________ tax?" (you can insert many things into the slot, such as sugar, inheritance, luxury) and prepare this debate for our next session.
***Please be advised that, due to Project Week, there will be no class on November 24th. Our next meeting will be on December 1st.***
For our next session, please prepare the following:
- hopefully, many of you will have found your partners for the exam by now. If not, please make this a priority in the next couple of class sessions. Even if you don't have a partner yet, have a look at this site and browse the topics on the right-hand side of the page: https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate. (If had me for Komp I/II, you will be familiar with this page. For these students, I encourage you to look at new topics. The site is huge.) Write down three questions (or create ones inspired by the questions you see on the page) that you can see yourself using as a prepared debate question.
- if you have a partner already, try to videoconference with them during the Project Week and practice two debate questions of your choice.
- read through the pro/con debate "Should there be billionaires?" posted on the Ilias Inhalt page out loud and answer the following questions: which points mentioned in the article are reminiscent of the points one could use for if celebrities deserve high paychecks (a debate from this past Tuesday's class)? Which points from the article are not relevant?
- read through the pro/con debate "Should there be a meat tax?" Who argued their position more strongly? (Note: the question is not which side do you agree with) Why?
- now develop a question that takes the structure/template of "Should there be a/n ______________ tax?" (you can insert many things into the slot, such as sugar, inheritance, luxury) and prepare this debate for our next session.
For Thursday's session, please prepare the following:
- read the grammar descriptions for future time on pp. 38-39 of Destination (first two pages of Unit 5). Bring any questions with you to class.
- complete exercises A-E on pp. 40-41 of Unit 5. Check your answers using the key and bring any questions with you to class.
- bring a list of 10 false friends between English and either Spanish or French to Wednesday's session (whichever you study at the TH)
- make an additional list of 5-10 of your favorite false friends between English and German or another language you speak (other than Spanish or French).
I encourage you to have a look at some of the resources I posted under the "future tenses" folder on the Inhalt page to visualize the difference between "will" future and "going to" future. More on this on Thursday.
For auditory learners, the BBC Learning English channel has video explanations of all of the grammar topics we've addressed and will address this semester, so it might be worth checking out for review: https://www.youtube.com/user/bbclearningenglish
Student questions:
"When does one use the word substitution?"
In the following cases:
- in mathematics (as in substituting a value for x in algebra)
- in restaurants ("no substitutions" means if your burger comes with fries, you can't get onion rings instead)
- in sports (one player replaced by another)
- in chemistry and psychology to describe distinct processes
- in legal language/legalese (substitution of one party for another)
**Please be advised that we will NOT have class on November 23rd (which is Monday of the project week). Our next session will be on November 30th.**
For homework, please:
- read pp. 154-157 (stopping at "The evolutions of state government and federalism in the USA"), which is posted on Ilias under the folder "reading for November 30th" and answer the following questions:
1. At the beginning of the reading, a comparison is made between the US and the EU. In what ways are these entities similar and at what point is a comparison between the two no longer possible?
2. Why would Puerto Rico be interested in statehood?
3. What are states prohibited from doing?
4. List three powers "reserved" for states and the implications of states having these powers themselves.
5. What is meant by "concurrent powers"?
6. What is noteworthy about the wording of the 14th Amendment?
- have a look at one or two of the biographies in the "copies from Founding Fathers" folder on Ilias. These biographies come from a National Geographic magazine publication entitled Founding Fathers. Pay attention to the language used to portray these men. What stands out to you in the way that they are presented? (What I want you to do here is pay less attention to the content of the article and more to the language used to convey that content. This is a skill to hone in this course: examining content on a meta-level as well as gleaning information from it, if there is any to be had.)
- find the document on Ilias entitled "Greek crisis cartoons" and examine the German cartoon and the US cartoon. What evidence of their being created by a German artist and a US artist, respectively, is embedded in the cartoon?
You'll also find our NASA hoodie notes and a file with some paintings by Norman Rockwell posted on Ilias.
Interesting links:
History of the Library of Congress (minutes 3-4 show you its gorgeous and European-inspired interior): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Ze_bpATac
TED Talk with Cartoonist KAL Kallaugher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO_4RfH-_h4
Digital collection of political cartoonist Herbert L. Block's work from the Library of Congress (a site worth investigating/bookmarking; they have hundreds of digital collections): https://www.loc.gov/collections/herblock-cartoon-drawings/about-this-collection/
Quotes attributed to Benjamin Franklin, some of which were featured in Poor Richard's Almanack: https://www.fi.edu/benjamin-franklin/famous-quotes
Thomas Jefferson's home in Montecello (now a museum): https://www.monticello.org/
Complete Federalist Papers: https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text
For Wednesday's session, please prepare the following:
- read the grammar descriptions for future time on pp. 38-39 of Destination (first two pages of Unit 5). Bring any questions with you to class.
- complete exercises A-E on pp. 40-41 of Unit 5. Check your answers using the key and bring any questions with you to class.
- learn the topic vocabulary and the word formation words for Unit 4 and complete exercises A-E (pp. 30-31) and M + N (p 35; in task N, feel free to replace the noun in #9 with something else...you'll encounter narrow-minded sample sentences in textbooks, unfortunately). Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- bring a list of 10 false friends between English and either Spanish or French to Wednesday's session (whichever you study at the TH)
- make an additional list of 5-10 of your favorite false friends between English and German or another language you speak (other than Spanish or French).
The notes from Monday's session have been posted as "Notes from class on November 16th" on the Inhalt page.
I encourage you to have a look at some of the resources I posted under the "future tenses" folder on the Inhalt page to visualize the difference between "will" future and "going to" future. More on this on Wednesday.
For auditory learners, the BBC Learning English channel has video explanations of all of the grammar topics we've addressed and will address this semester, so it might be worth checking out for review: https://www.youtube.com/user/bbclearningenglish
Answers to the Grammar for CAE and CPE Collocationspage, exercise 3: gaining, dead, dying, dim, peak, minute, broken
For homework, please prepare the following:
- complete both sheets uploaded to Ilias on continuous forms in the "Grammar for CAE and CPE" folder. Bring your answers with you to class.
- complete exercises F-J of Unit 3 (pp. 26-27, posted on Ilias) and self-check your answers. Bring any questions regarding these exercises with you to class.
- learn the topic vocabulary and the word formation words for Unit 4 and complete exercises A-E (pp. 30-31) and M + N (p 35). Self-check your answers and bring any questions with you to class.
- in the spirit of learning words pertaining to science and tech, visit Wired magazine's YouTube page and watch two tech-related videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/WIRED/featured Write down the new/interesting/noteworthy vocabulary you hear in these videos.
- on that same main page, find the "5 levels" playlist and watch one of its videos. Then pick a new topic that you know a thing or two about and prepare some notes for explaining it to a 1) fifth grader and 2) a college student.
Here is a nice resource on when nouns are singular or plural (based on the examples of police, government, etc. referenced in today's session): https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv358.shtml
Answers:
Collocations, exercise 3: gaining, dead, dying, dim, peak, minute, broken
Unit 4, Exercise N: changeable, maturity, modernized, persistently, endurance, processed, persistently, endurance, processed, rearrange, renewable, conversion, irreplaceable
For homework, please prepare the following:
- complete exercises M-O of Unit 2 (featured on pp. 18-19, posted on Ilias) and self-check your answers. Bring any questions with you to class.
- complete exercises F-J of Unit 3 (pp. 26-27, posted on Ilias) and self-check your answers. Bring any questions regarding these exercises with you to class.
- read through the sheet on collocation (pg. 28) in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias and complete exercises A-C on the accompanying exercise sheet (pg. 29)
(If you want to do the two other exercises on the Present Perfect page, the answers have been uploaded to the folder.)
A note on the answer to number 8 from exercise number 3 on the Present Perfect page: I mistakenly read this answer out incorrectly in Wednesday's class: answers can include "that's torn/done it" but not"cracked/made". The latter are options for number 9. My apologies for this.
- read the remaining responses to the question "What's the best sense?" (listed on Ilias Inhalt as "best sense other responses"). Write down 10 words that you learned and decide on which text you find to be the strongest (this might not correspond with the text whose answer you agree with most). (Bonus question: who painted the painting featured on page 2 of the file?)
This is a fantastic resource concerning the various collocations in English with have/take/make/do: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Collocations_of_do,_have,_make,_and_take
Student questions:
Here is a nice resource on when nouns are singular or plural (based on the examples of police, government, etc. referenced in today's session): https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv358.shtml
For next week's session, please prepare the following:
- watch the Guardian debate on slang in the classroom and come to class with additional arguments in favor of banning slang in the classroom: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2013/dec/09/should-schools-ban-slang-video-debate
- watch at least 10 minutes of a political debate between politicians and/or people running for political office. (This can be a modern debate, such as any debates in the 2020 presidential election in the US, a debate on the floor of the House of Commons (UK) or the House of Representatives (US), or a famous debate from the past (e.g. Kennedy vs. Nixon). Who was the stronger debater in the section of the debate you watched and why?
- read the following article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200527-coronavirus-how-covid-19-could-redesign-our-world out loud and be ready to debate the following question at Tuesday's session (you should mention detail not found in the article; the article is meant to be used as a springboard for ideas/discussion/debate): What is the future of cities after the pandemic?
- please consider the following debate questions in advance of next week's session:
1. Do celebrities deserve high paychecks?
2. Does privacy exist anymore?
For next week's session, please prepare the following:
- we'll start next week's session discussing the Guardian debate questions, so if you didn't do last week's homework, please prepare that for next Tuesday's session.
- watch at least 10 minutes of a political debate between politicians and/or people running for political office. (This can be a modern debate, such as any debates in the 2020 presidential election in the US, a debate on the floor of the House of Commons (UK) or the House of Representatives (US), or a famous debate from the past (e.g. Kennedy vs. Nixon). Who was the stronger debater in the section of the debate you watched and why?
- read the following article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200527-coronavirus-how-covid-19-could-redesign-our-world out loud and be ready to debate the following question at Tuesday's session (you should mention detail not found in the article; the article is meant to be used as a springboard for ideas/discussion/debate): What is the future of cities after the pandemic?
- please consider the following debate questions in advance of next week's session:
1. Do celebrities deserve high paychecks?
2. Does privacy exist anymore?
For homework, please prepare the following:
- complete exercises M-O of Unit 2 (featured on pp. 18-19, posted on Ilias) and self-check your answers. Bring any questions with you to class.
- read through pp. 22 and 23 of Unit 3 on past time (posted on Ilias) and bring any questions you have about these tenses to class.
- complete exercises A-E (pp. 24 and 25 of Unit 3, also posted on Ilias) and self-check with the answer key (in the back of your book/posted as a separate file on Ilias). Bring any questions you have to class.
- read through the sheet on collocation (pg. 28) in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias and complete exercises A-C on the accompanying exercise sheet (pg. 29)
Optional assignment: You can submit a 250-300 word essay that addresses one of the following questions to me via email for feedback and correction:
1. What is the best sense?
2. If you could change one thing about your school in your home country, what would it be?
Make sure that you send me your essay as a .docx file (no PDFs, which I cannot edit) and that it reaches me via email by Tuesday, November 17th at 5 pm. Late submissions will not be read.
For homework, please prepare the following:
- as part of your notes for the year, I recommend printing a list of the US presidents as well as a map of the United States (with major cities, rivers, and mountain ranges) for reference
- read pp. 153-157 from These Truths and answer the following questions:
1. Who were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?
2. How did John Adams and Thomas Jefferson differ in their views towards the role of government?
3. What was the Constitutional Crisis?
4. What "balance" was John Adams concerned about and how did Thomas Jefferson differ in his opinion?
5. Explain how the Electoral College came to be established.
- have a look at the diagram featured on this page which summarizes the checks and balances of the three branches of US government (the executive, judicial, and legislative branches): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38881119
Answers to some student questions:
1. Does the vice president have to be born in the United States (just like the president has to be, a stipulation which is outlined in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the US Constitution)?
Yes, by nature of the fact that the vice president assumes the office of president should the incumbent (meaning active) president be incapacitated.
2. If the president dies, who assumes his/her position?
The presidential line of succession is enshrined in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 6 of the US Constitution. Should the president be incapacitated the line proceeds as follows:
Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senate president pro temporae, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General (continuing with other members of the Cabinet)
Some interesting links:
National Archives: https://museum.archives.gov/
Smithsonian Museums main site: https://www.si.edu/museums
***Yes, there is class on November 11th (for anyone new to the Rhineland, the Carnival season starts on November 11th at 11:11 am)! Feel free to come to your Zoom window in costume; I know I'm going to! Please also try to be in the Zoom waiting room by 1:50 pm, so that we can start promptly at 2 pm. Thank you!!!***
For our next session, please prepare the following:
- read through pp. 22 and 23 of Unit 3 (also posted on Ilias) and bring any questions you have about these tenses to class.
- complete exercises B-E (pp. 24 and 25 of Unit 3, also posted on Ilias) and self-check with the answer key (in the back of your book/posted as a separate file on Ilias). Bring any questions you have to class.
- complete exercises 2 and 3 from the sheet "Grammar for CAE and CPE Present Perfect p 19" in the Grammar for CAE and CPE folder on Ilias.
- read the handout posted on Ilias entitled "Participle clauses" and complete the exercises included on it.
Optional assignment: You can submit a 250-300 word essay that addresses one of the following questions to me via email for feedback and correction:
1. What is the best sense?
2. If you could change one thing about your school in your home country, what would it be?
Make sure that you send me your essay as a .docx file (no PDFs, which I cannot edit) and that it reaches me via email by Sunday, November 15th at 5 pm. Late submissions will not be read.
For our next session, please prepare the following:
- read the remaining responses to the question "What's the best sense?" (listed on Ilias Inhalt as "best sense other responses"). Write down 10 words that you learned and decide on which text you find to be the strongest (this might not correspond with the text whose answer you agree with most). (Bonus question: who painted the painting featured on page 2 of the file?)
- read through the topic vocabulary boxes on p 12 of Unit 2 (Unit 2 has been uploaded in its entirety as scans on Ilias) and make sure you know the meanings of all of these words, i.e. that you can use them correctly in English sentences
- complete exercises A-D on pp. 14-15 of Unit 2 (as mentioned previously, this has been scanned and uploaded to Ilias)
- compare your country's school system with that of an anglophone country of your choice. What are three differences between these two school systems? (This will require outside research. Please do not just rely on Wikipedia for information.)
You will also find the files "by and until as translations of bis in German" and "notes from questionnaire questions using present time" under the "Inhalt" page on Ilias.
For our next session, please prepare the following:
- read the text on Ilias "best sense touch" which was written in response to the question "What's the best sense?" and highlight all of the instances of "-ing" in the text. See if you can define the four functions that "-ing" has in English.
- read through the topic vocabulary boxes on p 12 of Unit 2 (Unit 2 has been uploaded in its entirety as scans on Ilias) and make sure you know the meanings of all of these words, i.e. that you can use them correctly in English sentences
- complete exercises A-D on pp. 14-15 of Unit 2 (as mentioned previously, this has been scanned and uploaded to Ilias)
- compare your country's school system with that of an anglophone country of your choice. What are three differences between these two school systems? (This will require outside research. Please do not just rely on Wikipedia for information.)
**Please be advised that, yes, we will be having a Zoom session on November 11th! Please keep all carnival activities digital, but feel free to show up to your Zoom window in costume (I will be, so you won't be alone :-).)**
For homework, please read the article posted on Ilias under "Inhalt" and in the folder "Readings for Week One" entitled "Financial Advice for Brother":
1) read "Financial Advice for Brother"out loud and bring any questions you might have regarding pronunciation to class.
2) look up the meanings of all unknown words.
3) jot down notes concerning how you would respond to the writer's problem BEFORE you read Ms. Barbieri's response
4) now read Ms. Barbieri's response out loud and a) write down the good vocabulary you find in and b) decide what points you agree with her on and which ones you don't. Bring these notes with you to next week's session.
Watch two of the 5-minute debates on this site https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/series/five-minute-debates and be prepared to debate one of the questions with your partner in class.
Prepare responses to the following debate questions (bring these notes to our next session):
1. Are people ruder today than they were 10 years ago?
2. Is it better to grow up without social media than not?
3. Should we do away with grades and assess performance in all courses on a pass/fail basis?
For homework, please read the article posted on Ilias under "Inhalt" and in the folder "Readings for Week One" entitled "Financial Advice for Brother":
1) read "Financial Advice for Brother"out loud and bring any questions you might have regarding pronunciation to class.
2) look up the meanings of all unknown words.
3) jot down notes concerning how you would respond to the writer's problem BEFORE you read Ms. Barbieri's response
4) now read Ms. Barbieri's response out loud and a) write down the good vocabulary you find in and b) decide what points you agree with her on and which ones you don't. Bring these notes with you to next week's session.
Watch two of the 5-minute debates on this site https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/series/five-minute-debates and be prepared to debate one of the questions with your partner in class.
Prepare responses to the following debate questions (bring these notes to our next session):
1. Are people ruder today than they were 10 years ago?
2. Is it better to grow up without social media than not?
3. Should we do away with grades and assess performance in all courses on a pass/fail basis?
Welcome to the course!
In preparation of Wednesday's session, please do following:
Purchase the textbook (Destination C1 & C2, ISBN 978-0230035409) and bring it with you to each class session as soon as you get it.**If you had difficulty accessing the class on Monday/were not allowed into the session, please send me an email. In some cases, this had to do with not being on my list. I only accept people into the session whose names appear on my list, so please contact me via email so that we can sort out any issues.**
Welcome to the course! For homework, please do the following in advance of next week's session:
- purchase the text These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore (ISBN: 978-0-393-35742-4) and bring it with you to each class session (we will be using this text for the entire academic year)
- as soon as you get the text, read the entire chapter entitled "Introduction: The Question Stated". This is a total of 10 pages and represents academic-style English, so it might be a challenging read at first. Don't be discouraged and do the best you can. As you read, consider and write down notes in response to the following questions:
1. How did the general public gain access to the text of the Constitution in its earliest days?
2. (This requires some outside research) Where is the Constitution housed today?
3. Page xiv features the expression "the American experiment." What do you think is meant by this expression and what is this experiment, exactly?
4. Page xv features as a distinction being made between "sacred & undeniable" and "self-evident." Why was this distinction made and what spirit of its times does this distinction reflect?
5. How does this chapter define "history"?
- this isn't required, but I encourage you to explore the text of the US Constitution available here: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/the-constitution
- follow the election coverage of this week (bear in mind, it's not just the president who is being elected this week!) and bring in one interesting finding from it to class next week (examples include how the way a state voted surprised you, how a media outlet covered the election, reactions to the election both in the US and abroad, etc.)
Welcome to the course! My sincere apologies for the technical difficulties experienced in our sessions today. As I wrote in the email sent via Ilias, I will be zooming from another location and on a different machine in the future to prevent such interruptions.
In preparation of Wednesday's session, please do thing following:
Purchase the textbook (Destination C1 & C2, ISBN 978-0230035409) and bring it with you to each class session as soon as you get it.