Presentation 1 Autumn 2013 Week 8 Final Presentation Part 2

Hello everyone,
Today is the last class! Today we will edit our presentation scripts, make our slides and start to rehearse our final presentations. You will do your final presentations during the exam week from 16 December - 20 December. The day and time of your final presentations will be the same day and time of your class, so the Tuesday 5th period class will do their presentations on Tuesday 17 December during 5th period, and the Wednesday 3rd period class will do their presentations on Wednesday 18 December during 3rd period.
OK, let's get started preparing for the final presentations.
Enjoy!

Integrated English 2 Autumn 2013: Introduction to Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Four

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to start a new detective story, Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Conan Doyle was born in Edinburg Scotland on 22 May 1859. He was a doctor and a writer. He is perhaps the most famous writer of detective fiction ever. He is even well known in Japan. The popular Japanese fictional Detective Conan  (名探偵コナン) was named after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

The Sign of Four is the second novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was written in 1890. The story is set in 1888. The plot is complex. It involves events that take place in India, the Andaman Islands, and England. 

Let's learn some new vocabulary. Please click the link: Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four Vocabulary Flashcards.


OK, now let's read chapters 1 and 2. For homework please read chapters 3 and 4. Also please answer the questions on pages 20,21,28 and 29.
Enjoy!

CE-II Autumn 2013 Week 8: Free Bike Programs

Hello everyone, Last week we talked about trash. Look at the picture on the left. These are abandoned bicycles. Often, abandoned bicycles become trash in Japan. Many of the bicycles are in good shape, and they are still ridable. What a waste? In other cities, abandoned bicycles are reused. Throwing away perfectly good bicycles is a terrible waste and bad for the environment too, don't you think so? Free bike programmes are one example of how abandoned bicycles can be reused. Today we are going to read about a free bike programme in San Francisco.

Bixi, a bicycle sharing programme was developed in Montreal, Canada. Bixi has spread all over the world now. There is a Bixi system in my hometown, Toronto. If you visit Toronto you can get around the city on a Bixi bicycle. The cost is low. It's good exercise, and it's good for the environment.






Are there any environmentally friendly programmes in Japan to reuse abandoned bicycles? Do a Google search. Use these keywords for your search: abandoned, bicycles, Japan, programmes, reuse.
After that, post a comment here. Tell us about the programmes you found.
See ya!

Presentation 2 Autumn 2013 Week 7: Project 2

Hello everyone,
Today we are going to  finish working on our first project and start working on our second project.
First, let's do some speaking practice using English Central.
Now let's finish sharing our first Voicethread presentations with our Tsukubadai Presentation II Autumn 2013 Group, After that, please watch 3 of your classmates' presentations and post 3 comments on each. That's a total of 9 comments.



Next, let's share our presentations with a new group called Gifu and Tsukuba. My friend Clair Taylor has agreed to show your Voicethread presentations to her students at Gifu Shōtoku Gakuen University, and they will post some comments and questions for you too. So please check your Voicethread presentations from time to time to see if you have any new comments.

OK, here are the instructions for our next project:

Your second project is a group project. You should work in groups of four. You will present a text related to your major. I have prepared some texts for you. Here are the steps in the project:

1.     Read the texts

2.     Choose a text related to your major from the choices provided

3.     Listen to the recording and mark the stressed words, the pauses and the full stops. Look at the example below.

4.     Show your paper to the members of your group. Your papers should be the same.

5.     Make slides for the text – 2 slides for each group member

6.     Upload your Powerpoint to Voicethread.

7.     Share your presentation with your group members:

• Go to your My Voice Page
• Click on the gear menu icon in the corner of your Voicethread presentation thumb nail
• Click Share
• Selection our Tsukuba Dai Group
• Scroll down to find the members of your group
• Click the pencil icon to make it turn gold.

  
 8.  Record your presentations

Please finish your presentations by next class.

Enjoy!

Presentation 1 Autumn 2013 Week 7: Final Presentation Part 1

Hello everyone,
Some of the greatest inventions ever were invented by Japanese, instant ramen for example. For final your presentation, you will invent something, and present it. Today we are going to write the script. Please click the link: Final Presentation worksheet.

Please write your presentation scripts and deposit them in my mailbox outside the 4th floor lecturers' room by Monday 25th November.

Enjoy!

Integrated English 2 Autumn 2013: Chapter 6: The story ends and we discover whodunit!

Hello everyone.
Well, we have come to the end of our story. Today we will review the final chapter, and then do the quiz.

First, let's review some vocabulary. Please click the link: Death on U Street Chapter 6 Vocabulary.



Next week we are going to start a new story. Our next story is Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Four. Let's watch a cartoon version of  The Sign of Four. Please click the link: The Sign of Four Part 1. Please study the Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Four Vocabulary List.

See you next week!

CE-II Autumn 2013 Week 7: Down in the dumps

Hello everyone, Last week we talked about endangered and extinct species. Let''s review. Please click the link: CE-II Autumn 2013 Week 6.

Today we are going to read about the largest garbage dump in the Middle East. You can see a picture of Hiriya below. Hiriya is in Israel.

Downloaded from wikipedia

First let's study some vocabulary. Please click this link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2.

You can read more about Hiriya here: Garbage to Green: 10 landfills turned into nature preserves, and here: Trashy Travel: Isreal's new recycling park.

There is a park in Toronto that was once a garbage dump. It's called Centennial Park. You can see a picture of the ski hill in Centennial Park below. 

Uploaded to Flickr by Boblink

So, how do Japanese deal with garbage? According to the New York Times, over 80% of garbage in Japan is incinerated. Click here to see an interesting story about garbage in Japan by the New York Times: Trash in Japan - 44 types of garbage. 

What do you think of the way Japan deals with garbage? What do you think about sorting garbage? Please leave a comment below.

Presentation 2 Autumn 2013 Week 6: Introduction to Voicethread 2

Hello everyone, Today we are going to upload our Powerpoint slides to Voicethread. Look at the image below. Click the tap called "Create". Then click "Upload".

Next, click "My Computer". After that, select your powerpoint file and wait for it to be uploaded.

 When the upload is complete, please record your presentation. You record your presentation the same way that you commented on a presentation. First make a text comment. Copy and paste your text into the comment. Then comment again . This time make a voice recording. When you are finished, share your presentation. Go to your "My Voice" page. Then, drag and drop your presentation into our Tsukuba Dai group. Look at the image below.

Next week we will watch our classmates presentations and comment on them.
Enjoy!

Presentation I Autumn 2013 Week 6: The Comparative Presentation

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to do our comparative presentations. Then we'll start working on our final presentations. Today we'll talk about introductions.
Please click the link to download your final presentation worksheet.


Next week we will talk about the body and the conclusion.


See you!

Integrated English 2 Autumn 2013: Chapter 5 Review

Illustration by Yuji Tachikawa. Copyright 201０　Abax

Hi everyone,
Today we are going to review Chapter 5. After that, we will do the Chapter 5 quiz.

Let's start by reviewing some vocabulary. Please click the link: Death on U Street Chapter 5 Vocabulary.

Next week we will finally find out whodunit.
Enjoy!

CE-II Autumn 2013 Week 6: Going, going, gone

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to talk about endangered and extinct species. Can you name 10 or more extinct species? For example, Tyrannosaurus Rex is an extinct species. Can you name 10 endangered species? For example, the common chimpanzee is an endangered species.

Now let's study some vocabulary. Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2.



Now let's watch another interesting TED Talk. In this talk, Stewart Brand tells us that we now have the technology to bring some extinct species back to life. In other words, the movie Jurassic Park may not be science fiction anymore, but rather "science fact". What do you think? Is "de-extinction" a good idea? Should we bring extinct species back to life? What could be some of the consequences? Post your answer as a comment on this blog.

Presentation 2 Autumn 2013 Week 5: Introduction to Voicethread

Hello everyone,
Today we are finally ready to start making our Voicethread presentations, but first we need to register for VoiceThread. Please click the link: Register a new account. After you have registered please watch this video: What's a Voicethread Anyway?

I have created a group for us on Voicethread. Please click the link to join the group: Tsukuba Dai Presentation II Autumn 2013.

Now, lets learn how to comment. Please watch the Voicethread presentation below. After that please make a comment and ask a question on each slide. To make a comment, first type out your comment using a word processor such as Microsoft Word. Then click "Comment", and then click type. Copy and pate your comment into the text box. After that, click "Record". Read your comment out loud, and record it. Listen to your recording. If you like it, move on to the next slide. If you don't like it, re-record your comment.



Now class we will upload our slides to Voicethread.
See you!

CE-II Autumn 2013 Week 5: A Trapper's Life

Public domain image downloaded from wikipedia

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to finish our discussion of overfishing, and then we'll talk about animal trapping. You can download the answers to the questions about the Jeremy Jackson TED Talk by clicking the link.

Animal trapping is a controversial topic. Organisations including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) campaign against animal trapping. A Japanese celebrity, Aya Sugimoto has participated in PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked anti-fur campaign. On the other hand, some people depend on animal trapping.



Before we read about trapping, let's study some vocabulary. Please click the link: Cross Cultural Awareness and English 2 Vocabulary Flashcards .

What do you think of animal trapping? Post your answer as a comment. Click the link to learn how to post a comment on this blog.

See you next week!