Families

We've been talking about family reunions this week and using present perfect to talk about changes that have happened recently. I have a small immediate family and a large extended family. Growing up, my immediate family included just my mother, my father, my brother and me, but I had 9 cousins, 8 aunts and uncles, and 4 grandparents in my extended family. All of us lived in Michigan.

However, things have changed since I was a child. My brother has gotten married and he has had 3 daughters. He has been married for 8 years and his daughters are 7, 6, and 2 years old. Two of my nieces have started violin lessons recently. My youngest niece has learned how to walk and she has started to speak in full sentences. Also, all of my cousins have gotten married and have had children. Now I have over 40 people in my extended family. In addition, 3 of my grandparents have passed away. I have only one grandmother and she is 99 years old. Finally, some of my family members live in Michigan and some of us have moved to different states. We moved because of better job opportunites.

Now I'd like you to describe your family. Also, describe the changes that have happened in the last 10 years. Post your answers and then read your classmates' answers.

1. Describe your family when you were a child.

2. Describe your family now. How has it changed?

3. If you have children, what changes have happened with them recently? (Have they learned to walk, speak English, say their abc's...?)

When you are finished you can go to this reading link
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=activity1&topicID=3&storyID=154 and read about health insurance for families, or you can go to these grammar links and practice "since/for" http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~adelegc/and "present perfect"http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~adelegc/medium.html. If you like singing and learning songs, go to this youtube link http://youtube.com/watch?v=ea2Eh6GWc_U and learn the song "We Are Family".

Have fun!

Safety Programs

Today, you are going to work with a partner. Find your names below and click on the link. Then complete the handout. When you are finished, come back the blog and write your answers to the questions.




Jeoung and Christine http://www.chicityclerk.com/kidsidprogram.php

Marta and Dilcia http://199.253.140.81/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?blockName=Promo+Item&channelId=-536879036&programId=536880019&topChannelName=Government&contentOID=11363&Failed_Reason=Session+not+found&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&Failed_Page=%2fwebportal%2fportalContentItemAction.do

Yan and Margarita http://usa.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=3124

Song and Mija http://www.chicagoredcross.org/general.asp?SN=483&OP=502&SUOP=514&IDCapitulo=VF223FBDFD

Conception and Mary http://www.chicagoredcross.org/general_calltoaction.asp?CTA=2&SN=246&OP=919&IDCapitulo=VF223FBDFD

1. What is the name of the organization?

2. What is the name of the program?

3. Who do you think it is for (children, adults, teenagers, families…)?

4. Describe the program. What do they do?

5. Does it have any activities? If yes, when and where?


Now read the posts your classmates wrote about the programs they found. If you have time, click on the other links so that you can read about these programs. If you run out of time, ask Joanna to help you print a copy of the websites addresses so that you can go to them in your free time.

Health

We are almost finished talking about health. I hope everyone has learned a lot about staying healthy and talking about health issues in English.

After you finish your handout for the Family Doctor website, I'd like you to click on the health link on the right so that you can do some listening practice. First, choose which topic you want to do first: nutrition, diabetes, or high-blood pressure. Then click on the word "English". Listen to the information and then do the quizzes. After you finish one of the listening exercises, you can read the information by finding the same topic at the bottom of the page and clicking on "English". Don't do the quizzes for the readings because they are the same as the ones you did for the listening exercises.

Have fun!