Week of Nov. 2nd....

A small but vibrant class today!! We are focusing this week on looking at reading/vocabulary building on a multi-dimensional level: When you are reading about something, new words can be better heard and understood when you listen to conversations or watch related videos.

This week:
- Do the last pages of the reading handout, about Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project.
- Finish watching thevideo on Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project. (Link is below) Listen for new vocabulary and listen for vocabulary that is also in our reading about him. As you listen, write down any unfamiliar words that you hear.
You might also be thinking about things such as: People "discovering" their roots; the "Americanization" of other cultures, and the importance of music in different cultures today. I think we can have a great discussion about this next week.

- Watch the short video of him playing classical music, so that you have an idea of his background.

I will bring in more Compass Test practice next week. I am really dissatisfied with the example I brought to class, which seems to be an incomplete reading.  The answers, according to the source, are: 1B, 2A, 3A, 4C, 5C, 6B, and 7A.

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Today in computer lab we worked on several things:
WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? These are the things that should be answered in the first paragraph of every news story.
1. Go to google news.  Look up Silk Road.  What is the latest news about it?

2. At google news,  search for news from your native country.  Find 2-3 articles and scan them for the main ideas.  Then we will print one article to bring to class for discussion. (Cut and paste the article into a word document first.)

3. As our pre-reading project for class, visit Silk Road music project.  Watch the first 7 minutes. (You can watch the rest during the week.)

(IF THERE'S TIME....and you want to hear him play a classical piece, visit youtube)

4. Last but not least, use these stories: visit to asia and The loose button at spreeder.com.