Good day Science English students! For this week, we had a little homework to start us off with Unit 11, Agriculture. Agriculture is one of the most important aspects of human life and also a crucial sector of a country's economy. Our ability to work with agriculture, our learning of plants and animals, and growing food, helped us to survive for hundreds of years and grow as humans. We learned to grow plants. Fertilize them, cook them, and eat them. These foods helped us live and survive through wars, freezing cold winters, long harsh summers, drought, and more. These foods gave us nourishment, energy, and sustenance for our brains and bodies to grow strong. With agriculture we were able to eat often and we learned to grow and make many kinds of dishes. With this, eating became very enjoyable!
Agriculture has much to do with food and eating, yes. However, there are many other aspects of agriculture. One interesting aspect is food sustainability. With populations exploding all over the earth, how will we provide enough food for all the humans on the earth? Some people believe that we can genetically modify food to be able to create foods that are easy to grow and last long. Some other believe that this process is actually very detrimental to humans. Perhaps there is much we do not know about genetically modifying food, and some aspects may be dangerous. Another aspect is adding chemicals to food to help lengthen shelf-life and to make foods last longer. This, too, may be dangerous because we don't know what effects these chemicals may have on the body.
With all else in mind, one thing is for sure...if we don't start planning now, we may have very serious problems in the world to come if food shortages happen. If food becomes unavailable, it would cause world disasters because people indeed end-up doing anything for food, including killing. For this reason, we must think of how to create food sources for the future before it is too late.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Audio Presentations
Good day students! This week for a change we had no homework, so I have less items to put on the blog. However, I do want to say that I have edited, added music, and mixed all of the audio presentations. We will listen to them all in class this week, and you will be scoring all of the pairs or small groups. In this way, you all will be responsible for scoring your classmates. the scores will be given on three points: content (idea), pronunciation, and music. In addition, all students must give comments to the others students. I will inform you all of the grading/marking procedures in this week's class. I have made a print for this purpose and will hand it out in the next class. We will also continue to work on the next topic design project, underwater living habitat. See you all next class.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Getting Colder!
Hello students. It is certainly beginning to feel like winter here in Kumamoto. Last week and this week I saw you all in my office for recording the audio presentation. I am editing them and mixing them to make MP3s right now. It will take me a few more days. Then we will listen to them all in class one day. I think they are all interesting! While we listen, I will give you all a judgement paper so you can write your score and also give comments. Thank you!
For this week, we had homework of 10.1 E. This went well, except, many people could't find a good marked word for challenging. I know this word itself is challenging. Also, some of you didn't realize you had to take the words from the blue box. I will explain this more in the next class. In addition, we had 10.2 A, B1,2 D 1,2,3,4,5. These seemed to go well, but some of you used box b for A which you didn't have to. I gave you extra points for this. Most of you did parts B and D very well. I have returned the google docs to most of you, and will finish it soon.
In the next class we will do more reading about pollution, but first we will watch a video regarding pollution to check our comprehension and listening. We will probably move on to 10.3 Reading in class and may have some homework from 10.4. We may also move on to unit 11 a bit, Agriculture. In economics, agriculture is known as the 'primary sector' industry because all countries have started with agriculture and in many developing countries, Agriculture is still a very important industry.
That's all for this blog! Until next time, stay warm, be safe, and don't forget to at least try English a little bit every day. Even a little bit a day will help you become good speakers in the future.
For this week, we had homework of 10.1 E. This went well, except, many people could't find a good marked word for challenging. I know this word itself is challenging. Also, some of you didn't realize you had to take the words from the blue box. I will explain this more in the next class. In addition, we had 10.2 A, B1,2 D 1,2,3,4,5. These seemed to go well, but some of you used box b for A which you didn't have to. I gave you extra points for this. Most of you did parts B and D very well. I have returned the google docs to most of you, and will finish it soon.
In the next class we will do more reading about pollution, but first we will watch a video regarding pollution to check our comprehension and listening. We will probably move on to 10.3 Reading in class and may have some homework from 10.4. We may also move on to unit 11 a bit, Agriculture. In economics, agriculture is known as the 'primary sector' industry because all countries have started with agriculture and in many developing countries, Agriculture is still a very important industry.
That's all for this blog! Until next time, stay warm, be safe, and don't forget to at least try English a little bit every day. Even a little bit a day will help you become good speakers in the future.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Pollution
Greetings Science English students! So far I have had most of you come to my office to record your "audio presentations." They have been quite good, although a few of them were somewhat short. I know English pronunciation is difficult, but I think you all tried very hard to be understandable, and you all had very good topics, which is the important thing.
This week I have 2 homework assignments to give back to you - one we did 2 weeks ago, and one for this week. They were quite good, although some of you had a lot of trouble finding the different form of the words from page 70. Sometimes there are more than 1 correct answer, so I gave you credit for many forms that I may not have thought of. Some forms, don't work, however. I will explain why in the next class, and give some examples of some of the correct/acceptable forms.
As for scoring, the homework from 2 weeks ago was quite short and easy, so this was scored on a "checkmark" basis. If you completed it, you receive a check, those who did above average received a check-plus, and those who needed to do a little more received a check-minus. The homework for this week was scored on a basis of 20 full points. However, some of you did not do so well on the word forms, and because of this lost some points. I would't worry though - this homework was not worth so many points to begin with.
In the next class we will start Unit 10, Pollution, and what a serious problem it is. We will probably do 10.1 Vocabulary in class, A, B, C, D, and E. Then we will move on to 10.2 Reading. We may have some of this section in class, and may have some for homework. I haven't decided yet. The following 10.3 and 10.4 may also be for in-class/homework over the next 2 weeks. This unit is important, so I want to spend quite a bit of time on it.
That's all for this blog, troopers! See you in the next class, and don't catch a cold.
This week I have 2 homework assignments to give back to you - one we did 2 weeks ago, and one for this week. They were quite good, although some of you had a lot of trouble finding the different form of the words from page 70. Sometimes there are more than 1 correct answer, so I gave you credit for many forms that I may not have thought of. Some forms, don't work, however. I will explain why in the next class, and give some examples of some of the correct/acceptable forms.
As for scoring, the homework from 2 weeks ago was quite short and easy, so this was scored on a "checkmark" basis. If you completed it, you receive a check, those who did above average received a check-plus, and those who needed to do a little more received a check-minus. The homework for this week was scored on a basis of 20 full points. However, some of you did not do so well on the word forms, and because of this lost some points. I would't worry though - this homework was not worth so many points to begin with.
In the next class we will start Unit 10, Pollution, and what a serious problem it is. We will probably do 10.1 Vocabulary in class, A, B, C, D, and E. Then we will move on to 10.2 Reading. We may have some of this section in class, and may have some for homework. I haven't decided yet. The following 10.3 and 10.4 may also be for in-class/homework over the next 2 weeks. This unit is important, so I want to spend quite a bit of time on it.
That's all for this blog, troopers! See you in the next class, and don't catch a cold.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Ecology and Conservation
Good day students. Last week and this week we have been discussing biodiversity. We watched a short video last week which introduced the concept of biodiversity and the goal of preserving the natural world around us. This week we will further discuss biodiversity and its role in the ecosystem; we will also touch upon ecology and conservation. If you notice, the two words preservation and conservation are somewhat similar. However, they have slightly different nuances. Conservation was a word used in the 1970's, and largely means to make sure that something is not wasted. Therefore, you must use it wisely. Preservation, on the other hand, means to keep something as it is, without making any changes. You keep it intact and protect it from danger.
Thank you for your homework which was 9.1 Vocabulary on page 70. We did part A in class, so you didn't have to do it. However it you did, I will give you credit. Next was part B 1 and 2, part C 1,2,3, and 4, part D 1 and 2, and part E. It is now 15:50 on Thursday, and I have not received all homework papers as of yet. However, it's ok. I said last week that if you turned it in by today you will get extra credit. Those of who did turn it in by now did quite well, and will get extra points. I will go over the answers and address any problems I found in class this week, as usual.
This week I would like to talk about an extension project we will do in pairs. I believe I told you this once several months ago. The next project will entail creating a short audio presentation, along with your partner, about an environmental issue with which you are concerned. Together you must write the script and give the presentation. We will start this in class this week, and it will be instead of a midterm test. It will be very good and useful for you to give your presentation in English. After you have finished, you will feel great!
Also this week for homework, we will probably do 9.3 Extending Skills D, E, and F 1, 2 and 3. The following week we will do 9.4 Extending Skills D and F 1, 2, and 3, and read page 75. These exercises will help you learn more environmental vocabulary in English and will help you speak and write effectively in the future. Please give it a try! See you in class.
Thank you for your homework which was 9.1 Vocabulary on page 70. We did part A in class, so you didn't have to do it. However it you did, I will give you credit. Next was part B 1 and 2, part C 1,2,3, and 4, part D 1 and 2, and part E. It is now 15:50 on Thursday, and I have not received all homework papers as of yet. However, it's ok. I said last week that if you turned it in by today you will get extra credit. Those of who did turn it in by now did quite well, and will get extra points. I will go over the answers and address any problems I found in class this week, as usual.
This week I would like to talk about an extension project we will do in pairs. I believe I told you this once several months ago. The next project will entail creating a short audio presentation, along with your partner, about an environmental issue with which you are concerned. Together you must write the script and give the presentation. We will start this in class this week, and it will be instead of a midterm test. It will be very good and useful for you to give your presentation in English. After you have finished, you will feel great!
Also this week for homework, we will probably do 9.3 Extending Skills D, E, and F 1, 2 and 3. The following week we will do 9.4 Extending Skills D and F 1, 2, and 3, and read page 75. These exercises will help you learn more environmental vocabulary in English and will help you speak and write effectively in the future. Please give it a try! See you in class.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Biodiversity
Life is full of diversity, and therefore so is the biology of living things. Hence, we have the word, biodiversity. Biodiversity is a wonderful concept and displays the various facets of life on the earth as we know it. This week we will learn a bit more concerning the biodiversity of life in Unit 8, and then move on to Unit 9, Preserving Biodiversity, which focuses fully on the question of the variety and number of organisms in the world today.
The homework for this week was 8.2 Reading A1; B1, 2, 3; C 1, 2; E 1, 2; F 1, 2. Most of you did quite well on A and B1 and 2, a few of you couldn't quite finish B3. I wrote many comments on your homework in google drive, and I'll explain them to you in class. In addition, C2 seemed to confuse a lot of people, but it is really not that hard. I'll explain that to you in class as well. E was not a problem for most students; however F both 1 and 2 seemed to a bit problematic. I will explain these in class to you as well.
In addition to checking the homework, we will probably read the Biosphere and Ecosystems together. Then we will move on to Unit 9, Preserving Biodiversity, which will help us learn about the fragile systems of the biological world. Preserving biodiversity is akin to saving the environment or conserving the natural world for other after us. We will learn about the fragmentation of habitats and about problem with exploiting our natural resources. We will also learn about a change in the gene population and preserving the natural habitats on the earth.
The homework for the following week will probably by 9.1 Vocabulary (what we don't do in class), 9.3 Extending Skills (not sure what sections yet), and perhaps some on 9.4 Extending Skills, which is particularly interesting and useful. It looks like a lot of reading but it is very useful for you. Please keep on trying! See you in the next class.
The homework for this week was 8.2 Reading A1; B1, 2, 3; C 1, 2; E 1, 2; F 1, 2. Most of you did quite well on A and B1 and 2, a few of you couldn't quite finish B3. I wrote many comments on your homework in google drive, and I'll explain them to you in class. In addition, C2 seemed to confuse a lot of people, but it is really not that hard. I'll explain that to you in class as well. E was not a problem for most students; however F both 1 and 2 seemed to a bit problematic. I will explain these in class to you as well.
In addition to checking the homework, we will probably read the Biosphere and Ecosystems together. Then we will move on to Unit 9, Preserving Biodiversity, which will help us learn about the fragile systems of the biological world. Preserving biodiversity is akin to saving the environment or conserving the natural world for other after us. We will learn about the fragmentation of habitats and about problem with exploiting our natural resources. We will also learn about a change in the gene population and preserving the natural habitats on the earth.
The homework for the following week will probably by 9.1 Vocabulary (what we don't do in class), 9.3 Extending Skills (not sure what sections yet), and perhaps some on 9.4 Extending Skills, which is particularly interesting and useful. It looks like a lot of reading but it is very useful for you. Please keep on trying! See you in the next class.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Ecosystems
Thank you all for your comments on the video, "Exporting Harm." This video is very strong because the problem is very deadly, and can harm the fragile ecosystem. This is why I wanted to show it to you, because the next unit, Unit 8, will cover that topic, Ecosystems. In this unit we'll learn about the connection between animals and plants and focus on biodiversity. We'll also examine the biosphere and its relationship with the ecosystems of the world. We'll focus on the food chain and food webs, and we'll also learn about the planet's life support system.
In today's class, we'll review the homework regarding the Internet Research Log. In the log, you had to focus on recycling issues. The particular issue you wanted to research was up to you. Many of you wrote about recycling problems and demerits. From this I hope you could learn that recycling is not a perfect science, and there are many insufficiencies. In addition, recycling things can sometimes cause other waste to be generated.
A few others wrote about special recycling efforts around Kumamoto, some of which I wasn't aware of. For instance, Kumamoto has the least quantity of garbage per person in all of Japan. Reducing garbage bags, and repair person where one person uses 230 garbage bags for one year. In addition, some PET bottles were made into carpets, uniforms, and seats. I think it's a very good way to recycle things we use every day. Also paper is made into solid fuel. Garbage diet pride is also in Kumamoto to promote the reduction of garbage in Kumamoto. That's good news. Way to go Kumamoto!
In today's class, we'll review the homework regarding the Internet Research Log. In the log, you had to focus on recycling issues. The particular issue you wanted to research was up to you. Many of you wrote about recycling problems and demerits. From this I hope you could learn that recycling is not a perfect science, and there are many insufficiencies. In addition, recycling things can sometimes cause other waste to be generated.
A few others wrote about special recycling efforts around Kumamoto, some of which I wasn't aware of. For instance, Kumamoto has the least quantity of garbage per person in all of Japan. Reducing garbage bags, and repair person where one person uses 230 garbage bags for one year. In addition, some PET bottles were made into carpets, uniforms, and seats. I think it's a very good way to recycle things we use every day. Also paper is made into solid fuel. Garbage diet pride is also in Kumamoto to promote the reduction of garbage in Kumamoto. That's good news. Way to go Kumamoto!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
The Earth's POWer!
Yes, the earth does. Have power that is. Hello SE II students. Thank you for the homework. I am checking it as the day wears on. Most of you have good answers, so to save paper and ink, I will not print out the answers as I was originally intending to do. I will go through the answers and only if you have mistakes will I edit your answers in drive. If you receive no notification, then your answers are fine. This week's homework by the way was 7.3 Extending Skills C, D as well as 7.4 Extending Skills A, B, C.
In addition to this homework, you were to make your own Science English blogs. I hope your blogs went successfully. I will give you an opportunity to work on/touch them up in the next class. I would also like to get your blog addresses.
Also in the next class I would like to devote a bit more time to the recycling issue. We will do another recycling activity and perhaps some reading, and then we will move on to Unit 8, Ecosystems. This is a very important unit as well because ecosystems are the system of natural life around us. Ecosystems consist of food chains and food webs, as well as the biosphere where all life exists. Hence, what a very important topic this is.
In the next class as well, we may talk about the next project. I am thinking about having you make a podcast or short video on the topic of your environmental interest as you sent my several months ago. This is a good opportunity for you to think about sharing your ideas with the rest of the world.
Until next time, young environmental-English-using students! I bid you a fine farewell.
In addition to this homework, you were to make your own Science English blogs. I hope your blogs went successfully. I will give you an opportunity to work on/touch them up in the next class. I would also like to get your blog addresses.
Also in the next class I would like to devote a bit more time to the recycling issue. We will do another recycling activity and perhaps some reading, and then we will move on to Unit 8, Ecosystems. This is a very important unit as well because ecosystems are the system of natural life around us. Ecosystems consist of food chains and food webs, as well as the biosphere where all life exists. Hence, what a very important topic this is.
In the next class as well, we may talk about the next project. I am thinking about having you make a podcast or short video on the topic of your environmental interest as you sent my several months ago. This is a good opportunity for you to think about sharing your ideas with the rest of the world.
Until next time, young environmental-English-using students! I bid you a fine farewell.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
October and Fall
Hello all students. This week's homework entailed preparing your answers in the book on 54, letters C, D, E and F. We will check those in class tomorrow. In addition, we will practice reading page 55 together, and do a little bit on page 57 and 58. Interestingly, a recycling 'sorting' facility is offered on page 59, which is similar to the project we did in class. I think this unit is very useful and practical because recycling should be continued by every country far into the future. One worthwhile project of course is: how to create new energy resources from the recycling process itself. If you were to figure this out, you would make big inroads into both recycling and energy creation. Let's work on it.
In addition, tomorrow we will do some reading about the recycling industry and learn some new vocabulary. We will also view 2 or 3 videos relating to recycling waste. They are in English, but the speaking is slow and clear, and will be good for your English listening and speaking practice. These videos are also informative and interesting and shed some light on the problems with recycling waste in this day and age.
The homework for next week will probably be to write a short paragraph on how you think various kinds of waste should be collected and how you think this waste could be recycled. We will think deeply about the problem of recycling waste.
In addition, I would like to introduce blogging to the class. I will explain how to make a blog if no one has done this yet. Then I will ask you to follow this blog. This can help you read this blog automatically. When you create a blog, you can share your ideas easily with the class members. I may ask you to comment on this Environmental Science blog from time to time as well. We will start to make blogs tomorrow.
That's all for this blog. See you all tomorrow.
In addition, tomorrow we will do some reading about the recycling industry and learn some new vocabulary. We will also view 2 or 3 videos relating to recycling waste. They are in English, but the speaking is slow and clear, and will be good for your English listening and speaking practice. These videos are also informative and interesting and shed some light on the problems with recycling waste in this day and age.
The homework for next week will probably be to write a short paragraph on how you think various kinds of waste should be collected and how you think this waste could be recycled. We will think deeply about the problem of recycling waste.
In addition, I would like to introduce blogging to the class. I will explain how to make a blog if no one has done this yet. Then I will ask you to follow this blog. This can help you read this blog automatically. When you create a blog, you can share your ideas easily with the class members. I may ask you to comment on this Environmental Science blog from time to time as well. We will start to make blogs tomorrow.
That's all for this blog. See you all tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Back to Science English Class!
Good afternoon Science English students! Today is Thursday, October 1st. Your next semester of Science English begins tomorrow. Here is a new blog entry to help you get adjusted to the new semester.
As for last semester, almost everyone passed with grades of S, A, B, a few C's, 1 D, and some others. As you know your grades are based on the homework, the designs and presentations, the quizzes, and the examination scores. Actually, the exams were not as good as I thought they may be. This was probably due to the Acronym/Abbreviation section, where most students had trouble. The other sections were quite good, and most of you wrote and answered appropriately. The tests weren't fantastic, but since the grades were based on many facets, including homework, designs, presentations, and volunteering, almost all of you passed the course in the 1st semester.
This semester we will be doing somewhat similar things in the class, although I would like to give more attention to creative Science English work, including more designs, more group work, and even short audio/video presentations regarding science topics in English. We will use the book and still have homework. I'm not sure how much homework we will have, but whatever we do will be useful for you in the future.
Tomorrow we will begin with Unit 7 Recycling Waste. We have already talked about recycling centers so this topic is already familiar to you. Recycling is a very important aspect of environmental conservation. Many things can be recycled, but some things cannot. Things can also be recycled in two ways: making something new from something old, or using something old in a new way. In this unit we will discuss recycling waste and begin to understand more about the recycling process.
That's all for this blog! See you in class tomorrow!
As for last semester, almost everyone passed with grades of S, A, B, a few C's, 1 D, and some others. As you know your grades are based on the homework, the designs and presentations, the quizzes, and the examination scores. Actually, the exams were not as good as I thought they may be. This was probably due to the Acronym/Abbreviation section, where most students had trouble. The other sections were quite good, and most of you wrote and answered appropriately. The tests weren't fantastic, but since the grades were based on many facets, including homework, designs, presentations, and volunteering, almost all of you passed the course in the 1st semester.
This semester we will be doing somewhat similar things in the class, although I would like to give more attention to creative Science English work, including more designs, more group work, and even short audio/video presentations regarding science topics in English. We will use the book and still have homework. I'm not sure how much homework we will have, but whatever we do will be useful for you in the future.
Tomorrow we will begin with Unit 7 Recycling Waste. We have already talked about recycling centers so this topic is already familiar to you. Recycling is a very important aspect of environmental conservation. Many things can be recycled, but some things cannot. Things can also be recycled in two ways: making something new from something old, or using something old in a new way. In this unit we will discuss recycling waste and begin to understand more about the recycling process.
That's all for this blog! See you in class tomorrow!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Summer is Here!
Hello everyone, welcome to Science English. Thank you all for your homework. It was very good. The total points were 30. The top score was 26. The average score was 23. Some things were slightly hard in this homework. For example, the Extending Skills section 6.3, part B was difficult for some people. I think if you read carefully you will find that some words don't work grammatically. In addition, 6.4 was a bit difficult I know. Part B was not easily understandable. You were to divide the notes (in blue) to make paragraphs, and then you had to describe which ideas were good topic sentences for paragraphs. I think it's best if you write complete sentences for this part. Finally, in part 3 you had to write full sentences from the notes and put them into one larger paragraph.
In today's class we will go over the homework, and then basically review the information we learned to get ready for the test. We will go through each chapter and I will tell you the important parts in each chapter. We will in a sense, follow this outline below:
This outline will stay on this blog through until test time so you can always refer to it. Some of these items may be on the exam, but some may not be. The order might change. We may use pictures. We may use listening. To study, just please review the textbook as well as your homework so you can find your mistakes. If things are used from the textbook, they will be used as is, and the question itself won't change. Most of you are doing very well in the class. I think if you do the test like you do the homework, there is no need to worry about failing.
In addition, I'm thinking about making one section to have you write one open ended-question on a particular topic. This will a topic with which you are all familiar; it will not be anything you don't know. I will, hopefully let you know what this topic is in tomorrow's class.
By the way, in tomorrow's class we will also have the questionnaire since it's the last day. Unbelievable how fast time flies! See you tomorrow!
In today's class we will go over the homework, and then basically review the information we learned to get ready for the test. We will go through each chapter and I will tell you the important parts in each chapter. We will in a sense, follow this outline below:
Science English review for exam.
1) What is environmental science?
1.1 Vocabulary A, B (1-8), C, D; 1.3 Extending skills A, B, D.
2) What do environmental scientists do?
2.1 Vocabulary B (1-10), C H. Page 15 (top and bottom);2.2 Reading A; 2.3 Extending skills
3) The Atmosphere
3.1 Vocabulary B, D, F (pictures); 3.2 Listening B, C, E, G; 3.4 Extending Skills A, C, D, G, H.
4) Computer in ES
4.1 Vocabulary A, B, C, D, E; 4.2 Reading A, B, C, F;4.3 Extending skills; A, B, C 4.4 A, B, C
5) Energy Resources
5.1 Vocabulary B, D, E (picture); 5.2 Listening A, B, C, D D, F; 5.3 Extending skills D; 5.4 A, E, F
6) Soil as a resource
6.1 Vocabulary A, B, E; 6.2 Reading A, B, C, E, F; extending skills A, B, C, D; 6.4 A, B
This outline will stay on this blog through until test time so you can always refer to it. Some of these items may be on the exam, but some may not be. The order might change. We may use pictures. We may use listening. To study, just please review the textbook as well as your homework so you can find your mistakes. If things are used from the textbook, they will be used as is, and the question itself won't change. Most of you are doing very well in the class. I think if you do the test like you do the homework, there is no need to worry about failing.
In addition, I'm thinking about making one section to have you write one open ended-question on a particular topic. This will a topic with which you are all familiar; it will not be anything you don't know. I will, hopefully let you know what this topic is in tomorrow's class.
By the way, in tomorrow's class we will also have the questionnaire since it's the last day. Unbelievable how fast time flies! See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Resources!
Hello. Today is already July 9th. In fact, I thought we had class util the 24th of July; however, according to the schedule, our last class is the 17th. The 24th is a make-up class day, which we will not need. In this case, we have only 2 more classes - July 10th, and July 17th. Therefore, July 17th will be our last day, and on that day we will practice for the examination. I will also explain what to do to prepare for the test.
This week we will finish the work allotted to the book, which includes going over the homework, and continuing with the reading in class. We will complete part G on page 48. We will read page 49 together for both reading and pronunciation practice. We will then move on to page 50, and complete much of 6.3 and 6.4 Extending Skills. This is a very important part of the text, as it helps prepare you for longer writing for your future. What we can't finish in class will be your homework for July 17th. We will also examine part of page 52 and 53 for useful help for your future.
As you know, this semester will contain material only up to Unit 6. Units 7-12 will be covered in the Fall Semester in Science English 2. After reading and completing the material in Units 1-6, you will learn about recycling staring in October. This is a very important part of this class, and a useful tactic to protect our environment. Like recycling, repurposing is also very useful for environmental protection.
Today's homework was short, worth a total of 10 points. Most of you did quite well, although many of you did not write enough for the section on paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is important because this is a technique you can do instead of copying, which is unethical. Paraphrasing is similar to the original work, but different words and different sentence structures are used. If sentences and words are too similar; however, this may be considered plagiarism, and this could lead to your trouble. You should be careful not to write things too similarly. In fact, may of you chose answer A on Part F, number 2 as the paraphrasing you like better because they are shorter sentences. However, some parts are very similar to the original. they both use "although we can see...system....natural." and in addition, "...farming practices...soil erosion." and "number of factors." In these cases, most words are like the original, and this is not good.
It is best to stay away from any part of the original. For this reason, Student B's paraphrasing, while longer, is actually safer. Please remember this point, and remember to be careful when you write, especially long research papers.
That's all for the blog today. See you in class tomorrow, and have a nice day.
This week we will finish the work allotted to the book, which includes going over the homework, and continuing with the reading in class. We will complete part G on page 48. We will read page 49 together for both reading and pronunciation practice. We will then move on to page 50, and complete much of 6.3 and 6.4 Extending Skills. This is a very important part of the text, as it helps prepare you for longer writing for your future. What we can't finish in class will be your homework for July 17th. We will also examine part of page 52 and 53 for useful help for your future.
As you know, this semester will contain material only up to Unit 6. Units 7-12 will be covered in the Fall Semester in Science English 2. After reading and completing the material in Units 1-6, you will learn about recycling staring in October. This is a very important part of this class, and a useful tactic to protect our environment. Like recycling, repurposing is also very useful for environmental protection.
Today's homework was short, worth a total of 10 points. Most of you did quite well, although many of you did not write enough for the section on paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is important because this is a technique you can do instead of copying, which is unethical. Paraphrasing is similar to the original work, but different words and different sentence structures are used. If sentences and words are too similar; however, this may be considered plagiarism, and this could lead to your trouble. You should be careful not to write things too similarly. In fact, may of you chose answer A on Part F, number 2 as the paraphrasing you like better because they are shorter sentences. However, some parts are very similar to the original. they both use "although we can see...system....natural." and in addition, "...farming practices...soil erosion." and "number of factors." In these cases, most words are like the original, and this is not good.
It is best to stay away from any part of the original. For this reason, Student B's paraphrasing, while longer, is actually safer. Please remember this point, and remember to be careful when you write, especially long research papers.
That's all for the blog today. See you in class tomorrow, and have a nice day.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Soil as a Resource
Thank you for your designs last week. I think they were all quite good and imaginative. I hope you learned a lot from doing these designs. Such a process can only help you learn and to share your ideas. I decided not to have presentations during class because it takes much time, and this is our last month of classes. As you know your exam will be on Friday, July 31. So that only leaves several more classes to get book work completed.
This week we will move onto Unit 6 - Soil as a Resource. Most people do not think of soil as a resource, but we should remember, as the book says, that all things come from the earth. Soil is important for life and provides shelter for microorganisms that break down plant and animal material which becomes part of the earth and soil once again. As a result, soil becomes very important for human, animal, and plant life, and for the existence of the earth.
This week's classwork for tomorrow's class (7/3) will be Part 6.1, Vocabulary, numbers 1, 2 and 3; Part B, numbers 1 and 2; and Part E, numbers 1, 2, and 3. We may go over the other parts briefly as well. In addition, we will examine page 47.
Homework for the class of the following week 7/10 will be: Part 6.2 Reading, A, numbers 1 and 2; B, C, numbers 1 and 2; E; F, numbers 1 and 2, and G. It may seem like a lot of work but it is not really. In addition, it give useful information on paraphrasing part of a text, which means to write in your own words. This is much better to do that copying directly! So this activity will help you in this class and in your other English writing as well.
See you all tomorrow!
This week we will move onto Unit 6 - Soil as a Resource. Most people do not think of soil as a resource, but we should remember, as the book says, that all things come from the earth. Soil is important for life and provides shelter for microorganisms that break down plant and animal material which becomes part of the earth and soil once again. As a result, soil becomes very important for human, animal, and plant life, and for the existence of the earth.
This week's classwork for tomorrow's class (7/3) will be Part 6.1, Vocabulary, numbers 1, 2 and 3; Part B, numbers 1 and 2; and Part E, numbers 1, 2, and 3. We may go over the other parts briefly as well. In addition, we will examine page 47.
Homework for the class of the following week 7/10 will be: Part 6.2 Reading, A, numbers 1 and 2; B, C, numbers 1 and 2; E; F, numbers 1 and 2, and G. It may seem like a lot of work but it is not really. In addition, it give useful information on paraphrasing part of a text, which means to write in your own words. This is much better to do that copying directly! So this activity will help you in this class and in your other English writing as well.
See you all tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Energy Source Designs
Hello ESE, Environmental Science English. This week as you know the only homework was to practice designs...I hope everyone had a chance to at least sketch your ideas on paper. In tomorrow's class we will begin the design process. I will show you some examples of some designs of "future transportation systems" which was done in another class at a different university. These designs were completed by 3rd year Engineering students, so you and they are similar ages. They were very good designs, and the students put a lot of effort into them. I would like to have you do this as well, if possible. However, your designs do not have to be completed on power point, they can also be designed on paper. I will leave it up to you.
The designs must be original, include explanations and parts labeled in English. They must include at least 4 stages or parts of the system. They must be located sensibly, useful, and above all, environmentally friendly. Other important factors are that they must be cost effective and produce energy to make them feasible enough to operate. They must also be sustainable enough to be used for years to come. Please think about it!
Renewable energy is perhaps one of the most important topics in the world today. Only through thought and support can we solve the problem and come up with new solutions for renewable energy. That is one purpose of this lesson - to help you bring forth your ideas to share with other people. Your ideas can be shared with masses of people if they are in English! Yes, everyone in this class has the ability to write ideas, put them on paper, print them, send them, and share them with the world.
That's all for today's blog. It is quite a short one this time. However, I hope this blog is useful for you. I think some of you do read it all the time. I'm sorry it doesn't occur more often. If you do read it, please click below on the "comment" button. Please write any comment you wish - a comment on the environment, the class, the book, the blog, anything! Until next time...signing off.
The designs must be original, include explanations and parts labeled in English. They must include at least 4 stages or parts of the system. They must be located sensibly, useful, and above all, environmentally friendly. Other important factors are that they must be cost effective and produce energy to make them feasible enough to operate. They must also be sustainable enough to be used for years to come. Please think about it!
Renewable energy is perhaps one of the most important topics in the world today. Only through thought and support can we solve the problem and come up with new solutions for renewable energy. That is one purpose of this lesson - to help you bring forth your ideas to share with other people. Your ideas can be shared with masses of people if they are in English! Yes, everyone in this class has the ability to write ideas, put them on paper, print them, send them, and share them with the world.
That's all for today's blog. It is quite a short one this time. However, I hope this blog is useful for you. I think some of you do read it all the time. I'm sorry it doesn't occur more often. If you do read it, please click below on the "comment" button. Please write any comment you wish - a comment on the environment, the class, the book, the blog, anything! Until next time...signing off.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
New Energy Sources!
Hello Environmental English students! Thank you all for your mails along with your answers and your choices for the upcoming project. I'm not sure that everyone understood fully what you were supposed to do. On part E, page 42, number 1, you were to choose ONE of the renewable energy sources on page 43: Solar or Hydro. Then you were to study the information and answer number 2 from part E. Most of you did this well, although a few of you didn't write enough, or wrote answers for both. Thank you for this, but you didn't need to do it. Part E, 3 says to conduct a seminar on your decisions. We will change this slightly and you have an opportunity to choose a topic from which to complete a bigger, more challenging project. This leads us into...
...the second part of the homework, which was to choose your renewable energy source for the Topic Design/Presentation similar to design your own recycling center. This project will be similar to that one, except I will give vocabulary and sentences for each topic in class. Then you should write the Japanese meanings of the words, answer the questions, and finally design your topic. A few of you did not give me your topics yet. We will finalize the topic selection, as well as the vocabulary and questions, in class tomorrow. After that, you and your partner will need to design your own topics in class and for homework.
Again, for your reference, the topics to choose from are: 1) solar power, 2) wind power, 3) hydro power, 4) geothermal power, or 5) wave power. The words under these are the vocabulary for that topic, not other choices. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about this, but we will give the topic more attention in tomorrow's class. In addition, we will begin to design the topics in class as well. Everyone's topic and theme may be different; however, this is a very interesting chance to see many students' ideas for such an important topic. This project will be more open-ended than the first one, but it will give you more flexibility to be creative with your designing process. Your ideas are very important, and it is a good chance to let others share your thinking.
Thank you for reading. If anyone has not sent me your homework, please do so. We will continue to focus more on the topic of renewable energy for the next two weeks. Any question, please mail!
See you tomorrow.
...the second part of the homework, which was to choose your renewable energy source for the Topic Design/Presentation similar to design your own recycling center. This project will be similar to that one, except I will give vocabulary and sentences for each topic in class. Then you should write the Japanese meanings of the words, answer the questions, and finally design your topic. A few of you did not give me your topics yet. We will finalize the topic selection, as well as the vocabulary and questions, in class tomorrow. After that, you and your partner will need to design your own topics in class and for homework.
Again, for your reference, the topics to choose from are: 1) solar power, 2) wind power, 3) hydro power, 4) geothermal power, or 5) wave power. The words under these are the vocabulary for that topic, not other choices. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about this, but we will give the topic more attention in tomorrow's class. In addition, we will begin to design the topics in class as well. Everyone's topic and theme may be different; however, this is a very interesting chance to see many students' ideas for such an important topic. This project will be more open-ended than the first one, but it will give you more flexibility to be creative with your designing process. Your ideas are very important, and it is a good chance to let others share your thinking.
Thank you for reading. If anyone has not sent me your homework, please do so. We will continue to focus more on the topic of renewable energy for the next two weeks. Any question, please mail!
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Rainy Day
This is Environmental Science English blog for June 11th, 2015. Tomorrow will be week 10 of the class. It's unbelievable how fast time flies. Today is a rainy day, and many trains were stopped. As a result, many of you couldn't turn in your homework. For this reason, I will collect it in class on Friday this week. For those of you who did it and made it to E-Learning Lab to drop it off, thank you very much. Your efforts will be remembered. By the way, rain is something that is necessary to a normal environment. Sometimes it is troublesome, but we need rain. In fact, having no rain is more problematic that getting enough rain. Too much, however, can be equally troubling because it is dangerous and can cause power outages and landslides.
The homework I have checked so far is quite good, and I will hold off checking and giving answers in class until I am sure everyone was able to turn it in. This Friday we will do a bit of Extending Skills on page 41, and then move to pager 42 where we will look at a renewable energy supply graph and discuss two kinds of power: solar and hydro. As you know, we will soon begin another Topic Design Project, and in this project, you will be asked to design your own renewable energy source. At first I was going to ask you to design your own solar energy plant, but I think it's better if you choose your own topic to design. I will give you some ideas in class tomorrow, and then you and your partner can take some time to choose the topic from the list of choices that you will complete. As last time, I would like you to practice some vocabulary, write some sentences, answer some questions, and finally, design your project which I would like you to present to the class. I will explain this more later.
The homework for the following week will be completing the topic design projects parts 1-3: vocabulary, sentences, and answers to questions. Then, we will begin designing your topics the following week in class. We will probably begin the presentations at the end of June or the beginning of July. I will let you practice for this exercise, and will give you some hints and points. This is a very good opportunity for you to practice spoken English in front of people. It may make you nervous, but after it is over, you can relax. Then you will feel as if you've accomplished something.
That is all for this blog for this rainy day. It seems to have stopped raining now (it's 14:08 now), but it may start again. Don't get stuck in the downpour! See you all tomorrow.
The homework I have checked so far is quite good, and I will hold off checking and giving answers in class until I am sure everyone was able to turn it in. This Friday we will do a bit of Extending Skills on page 41, and then move to pager 42 where we will look at a renewable energy supply graph and discuss two kinds of power: solar and hydro. As you know, we will soon begin another Topic Design Project, and in this project, you will be asked to design your own renewable energy source. At first I was going to ask you to design your own solar energy plant, but I think it's better if you choose your own topic to design. I will give you some ideas in class tomorrow, and then you and your partner can take some time to choose the topic from the list of choices that you will complete. As last time, I would like you to practice some vocabulary, write some sentences, answer some questions, and finally, design your project which I would like you to present to the class. I will explain this more later.
The homework for the following week will be completing the topic design projects parts 1-3: vocabulary, sentences, and answers to questions. Then, we will begin designing your topics the following week in class. We will probably begin the presentations at the end of June or the beginning of July. I will let you practice for this exercise, and will give you some hints and points. This is a very good opportunity for you to practice spoken English in front of people. It may make you nervous, but after it is over, you can relax. Then you will feel as if you've accomplished something.
That is all for this blog for this rainy day. It seems to have stopped raining now (it's 14:08 now), but it may start again. Don't get stuck in the downpour! See you all tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Energy Resources
Hello! Thank you all for your homework this week. They all look very good. Just so you know, your homework was 4.2 Reading, A: 1,2; B: 1,2,3; C: 1,2; and F: 1,2,3, in addition to 4.3 A: 1,2; B; C: 1,2,3; and 4.4 A: 1,2; B: 1,2; and C all! I am checking them now and found most of you did very well. I told you several weeks ago about plagiarism. Of course, copying something and saying that it is yours is not right, and that is plagiarism. It is best to be avoided. Paraphrasing, or writing something in your own words, is best. If you do use someone's idea, you must acknowledge that in your work. For example, "this was taken from the book, page 3."
This week we will start unit 5 in the book, Energy Resources. For me, this is probably one of the most important units in this book. The book contains some useful information, such as worldwide energy use between 2008 and 2030, as well as information on the formation of coal, a widely used energy source in almost every corner of the globe. Energy resources are depleting, and we must find solutions for clean and sustainable energy.
This week we will begin another Topic Design Project called, "Design Your Own Solar Energy Plant." Here you will have the opportunity to think about the uses of solar energy and the impact it will have on the future of our environment when you design your own plants. There are some problems associated with solar energy however! We will talk about them in class, but please think about them. What are they?
The homework for next week will probably be Extending Skills 5.3 and 5.4 in addition to some work on the Topic Design prints and your designs. We will learn new vocabulary such as renewable, velocity, replenish, solar, fossil, pollution, and more. Please try to understand the book as we go, and try to understand the listening and my speaking. Remember, you don't have to be perfect, you just have to try! See you in class tomorrow!
This week we will start unit 5 in the book, Energy Resources. For me, this is probably one of the most important units in this book. The book contains some useful information, such as worldwide energy use between 2008 and 2030, as well as information on the formation of coal, a widely used energy source in almost every corner of the globe. Energy resources are depleting, and we must find solutions for clean and sustainable energy.
This week we will begin another Topic Design Project called, "Design Your Own Solar Energy Plant." Here you will have the opportunity to think about the uses of solar energy and the impact it will have on the future of our environment when you design your own plants. There are some problems associated with solar energy however! We will talk about them in class, but please think about them. What are they?
The homework for next week will probably be Extending Skills 5.3 and 5.4 in addition to some work on the Topic Design prints and your designs. We will learn new vocabulary such as renewable, velocity, replenish, solar, fossil, pollution, and more. Please try to understand the book as we go, and try to understand the listening and my speaking. Remember, you don't have to be perfect, you just have to try! See you in class tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Computers in Environmental Science
Good day! This week we will begin Unit 4 in the textbook, Computers in Environmental Science. Computers are very important in all sciences, but can be extremely important in Environmental Science because we can browse and search for unique, new, and informative research much more quickly than in the past. We can look up words in search engines, find interesting databases, open websites, cross-reference information, and modify search engine results. In a sense, with the advent of computers, the information world is at our fingertips.
Thank you for your presentations last week. They were very good. We will have at least one more similar project again in this semester, and I am already planning it. That topic will be based on Unit 5, or Energy Resources, and will probably concern designing your own solar energy plant. I will speak more about this in the next few weeks.
For this week, the homework was to prepare 4.1 vocabulary on page 30. You did not have to turn this in early. We will check it in class this Friday. However, I hope that you come to class with it prepared! That homework was: 4.1 A: 1 and 2; B all; C: 2; D: 1 and 2, and E all.
This week we will check the homework and review page 30. Then we will examine page 31 and learn computer words, abbreviations (short forms), and jargon. Jargon is specialized words or phrases relating to a certain topic or theme. We will also practice reading on page 33 and move onto the 4.2 reading section. We will do A, B, C, and F in class. Homework for next week will probably be 4.3 and 4.4 extending skills. I will talk more about that this week.
I will probably ask you to follow this blog so you know more of what will happen in each class. In addition, I will ask you to make at least one comment on this blog during the upcoming week. In fact, I will give one extra point today, tonight, or tomorrow morning for all of you who write one comment on this blog post before class tomorrow. See you then!
Thank you for your presentations last week. They were very good. We will have at least one more similar project again in this semester, and I am already planning it. That topic will be based on Unit 5, or Energy Resources, and will probably concern designing your own solar energy plant. I will speak more about this in the next few weeks.
For this week, the homework was to prepare 4.1 vocabulary on page 30. You did not have to turn this in early. We will check it in class this Friday. However, I hope that you come to class with it prepared! That homework was: 4.1 A: 1 and 2; B all; C: 2; D: 1 and 2, and E all.
This week we will check the homework and review page 30. Then we will examine page 31 and learn computer words, abbreviations (short forms), and jargon. Jargon is specialized words or phrases relating to a certain topic or theme. We will also practice reading on page 33 and move onto the 4.2 reading section. We will do A, B, C, and F in class. Homework for next week will probably be 4.3 and 4.4 extending skills. I will talk more about that this week.
I will probably ask you to follow this blog so you know more of what will happen in each class. In addition, I will ask you to make at least one comment on this blog during the upcoming week. In fact, I will give one extra point today, tonight, or tomorrow morning for all of you who write one comment on this blog post before class tomorrow. See you then!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Design Presentations!
Thank you all for your mail this week. I enjoyed reading your interests and concerns regarding environmental problems. They were all very important problems. Many environmental problems can be solved, but there are many more that need the attention of researchers who want to put time and effort into creating a better world, especially for the next generation.
You may be wondering why you had to tell me your concerns with the environment. Well, I would like you to do a short video presentation about these problems, and some solutions you can think of. Don't worry, this is not an assignment for this week. I will let you know how and when we will complete the assignment.
Tomorrow I would like to finish detailing your design projects, and as I said last week, I would like for each pair to present your ideas to the class using the overhead camera. This is a very useful project because you are putting your ideas out so people can see them and learn more about your thinking. Please don't be nervous. You don't have to be perfect, and for these projects, I'm not that concerned with perfect grammar or even spelling. Your ideas are very important to share, and if you have passion about your ideas, you can share them with the world and learn English naturally, without even feeling like you're studying.
After the presentations we will move onto unit 4 in the book - Computers in Environmental Science, and spend a little time becoming familiar with computer terminology, usage, and activities associated with computers and science. We will use the book a lot for this lesson, and probably do quite a bit of reading. There will probably be book homework for next week.
That's all for this blog! See you tomorrow.
You may be wondering why you had to tell me your concerns with the environment. Well, I would like you to do a short video presentation about these problems, and some solutions you can think of. Don't worry, this is not an assignment for this week. I will let you know how and when we will complete the assignment.
Tomorrow I would like to finish detailing your design projects, and as I said last week, I would like for each pair to present your ideas to the class using the overhead camera. This is a very useful project because you are putting your ideas out so people can see them and learn more about your thinking. Please don't be nervous. You don't have to be perfect, and for these projects, I'm not that concerned with perfect grammar or even spelling. Your ideas are very important to share, and if you have passion about your ideas, you can share them with the world and learn English naturally, without even feeling like you're studying.
After the presentations we will move onto unit 4 in the book - Computers in Environmental Science, and spend a little time becoming familiar with computer terminology, usage, and activities associated with computers and science. We will use the book a lot for this lesson, and probably do quite a bit of reading. There will probably be book homework for next week.
That's all for this blog! See you tomorrow.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
This Week
Thank you for your homework, and most of you did it. A few of you answered the wrong question for A, 1. You looked at page 24 by mistake, and a few of you didn't write enough. You could answer all the question by looking at the tape-script on page 113 if you couldn't understand the listening. I will explain the details of this homework in class. Most of you did well with C, D, and G. A few of you skipped or forgot to do H.
This week in class we will have a quiz first! Don't forget. I told you last week. In addition, we will continue to work on the topic project, "Design your Own Recycling Center." I will give explanations in class, and you will have a chance to work on it with your partners. You must draw a detailed picture of your recycling center and label the parts in English. Then you must write an explanation to explain it to your classmates via the overhead projector (hopefully)! Please don't be nervous. This is a good opportunity for you to use and practice practical English for your future. Good luck!
After we finish the atmosphere unit and the design project, we will move on to unit 4 in the book, entitled, "Computers in Environmental Science." This will be an interesting unit on searching for and using English related information in the learning of Environmental Science.
That's all for this blog! See you in class tomorrow!
This week in class we will have a quiz first! Don't forget. I told you last week. In addition, we will continue to work on the topic project, "Design your Own Recycling Center." I will give explanations in class, and you will have a chance to work on it with your partners. You must draw a detailed picture of your recycling center and label the parts in English. Then you must write an explanation to explain it to your classmates via the overhead projector (hopefully)! Please don't be nervous. This is a good opportunity for you to use and practice practical English for your future. Good luck!
After we finish the atmosphere unit and the design project, we will move on to unit 4 in the book, entitled, "Computers in Environmental Science." This will be an interesting unit on searching for and using English related information in the learning of Environmental Science.
That's all for this blog! See you in class tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Topic Design Project
Good morning! I hope you all had a nice Golden Week. I went to Okinawa with my family, and we had a great eco-tourism adventure! At first we went to a jungle walk, and walked through some caves. We also saw trees that were over 300 years old. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. She provided us with tea to drink in thermos containers rather than pet bottles. To walk through the caves, we could use real lanterns that used kerosene instead of batteries. She spoke in a loud voice and did not use a microphone with batteries, either. I thought this was very good because it focused on saving the environment.
There are many things we can do to save the environment. For example, we can turn off electricity when we are not using lights. Japan's censor lights used in university bathrooms are good for this. We can re-use pet bottles or use other containers. We can use public transportation, and purchase hybrid cars.
One other thing we can do to save the environment is to recycle. Recycling is very important for the future of the earth. Japan is quite good at recycling from what I have read. Other countries are now becoming better and better at recycling. Some companies manufacture clothing from used pet bottles. Others make new paper from old. A simple way to recycle is to use something old for a new purpose, such as making a handbag from an old pair of jeans.
To help you understand recycling more, and to think about it for our futures, we will do a project in class called, "Design your Own Recycling Center." This will be a pair project in which you will learn vocabulary, practice English sentence writing, and then become creative and design your recycling center with a drawing and an explanation in English. There will some guidelines and you will be provided with prints.
The project is intended to be creative and realistic. Please think seriously about the future of the environment when designing your recycling center. Let's learn English while we learn about science and the environment.
There are many things we can do to save the environment. For example, we can turn off electricity when we are not using lights. Japan's censor lights used in university bathrooms are good for this. We can re-use pet bottles or use other containers. We can use public transportation, and purchase hybrid cars.
One other thing we can do to save the environment is to recycle. Recycling is very important for the future of the earth. Japan is quite good at recycling from what I have read. Other countries are now becoming better and better at recycling. Some companies manufacture clothing from used pet bottles. Others make new paper from old. A simple way to recycle is to use something old for a new purpose, such as making a handbag from an old pair of jeans.
To help you understand recycling more, and to think about it for our futures, we will do a project in class called, "Design your Own Recycling Center." This will be a pair project in which you will learn vocabulary, practice English sentence writing, and then become creative and design your recycling center with a drawing and an explanation in English. There will some guidelines and you will be provided with prints.
The project is intended to be creative and realistic. Please think seriously about the future of the environment when designing your recycling center. Let's learn English while we learn about science and the environment.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
The Atmosphere
Thank you for turning in your homework...mostly on time! The homework will be explained and examined in class, as will the grading system.
As for the homework, most people did a fine job on the Science Topics in English prints. A few people were confused by ST 2, number 3. The third question was to write what 5 elements you would include in your sustainable community. Maybe it was a little unclear by the question, but I gave examples as well. I did not mean to include 5 chemical elements. I meant to include 5 man-made items which can contribute to a sustainable community, such as: a composting station, a dam creating hydroelectric power, a man-made stocked fish pone, a solar power plant, vegetable gardens, and the like.
In addition, for ST 1, I wanted to read a definition of what environmental science means deeply to you. For example, tell me why and how you became interested in environmental science. Were you shocked to see global warming? Do you have a love for nature and want to save the environment?
As for the book homework, most of you did a fine job with the first 3 parts: letters A, B, and C. In part C, you were to write each topic sentence and give information that comes after each topic sentence, hopefully in your own words.
Speaking of your own words, in part D you were to summarize the reading on page 17. Summary means a shortened version of something you have read, in your own words. I noticed that many people copied directly from the textbook. It is not enough to just know where the information came from. You have to be able to understand it in English briefly as well. Copying paper directly and handing them in as your own is called plagiarism, and it is very bad. I don't care if you make many mistakes, or if your writing is short. It is better to write your own work, than to plagiarize! I had to take off some points if you copied.
This week we will be examining the atmosphere and I hope to do a pair Topic Project related to the atmosphere in class. Your homework for next week will include some information from the Topic Project, as well as: 3.4 Extending Skills, A, C, D, G, and H. Please do on a separate sheet of white paper with names and student numbers. See you in class!
As for the homework, most people did a fine job on the Science Topics in English prints. A few people were confused by ST 2, number 3. The third question was to write what 5 elements you would include in your sustainable community. Maybe it was a little unclear by the question, but I gave examples as well. I did not mean to include 5 chemical elements. I meant to include 5 man-made items which can contribute to a sustainable community, such as: a composting station, a dam creating hydroelectric power, a man-made stocked fish pone, a solar power plant, vegetable gardens, and the like.
In addition, for ST 1, I wanted to read a definition of what environmental science means deeply to you. For example, tell me why and how you became interested in environmental science. Were you shocked to see global warming? Do you have a love for nature and want to save the environment?
As for the book homework, most of you did a fine job with the first 3 parts: letters A, B, and C. In part C, you were to write each topic sentence and give information that comes after each topic sentence, hopefully in your own words.
Speaking of your own words, in part D you were to summarize the reading on page 17. Summary means a shortened version of something you have read, in your own words. I noticed that many people copied directly from the textbook. It is not enough to just know where the information came from. You have to be able to understand it in English briefly as well. Copying paper directly and handing them in as your own is called plagiarism, and it is very bad. I don't care if you make many mistakes, or if your writing is short. It is better to write your own work, than to plagiarize! I had to take off some points if you copied.
This week we will be examining the atmosphere and I hope to do a pair Topic Project related to the atmosphere in class. Your homework for next week will include some information from the Topic Project, as well as: 3.4 Extending Skills, A, C, D, G, and H. Please do on a separate sheet of white paper with names and student numbers. See you in class!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
What Do Environmental Scientists Do?
Thank you for last week's homework! This Friday will be the first day you will see this blog as I will introduce it for the first time, but please check back often. I will also introduce the website for this class, EcoEnglish, which can be found on the URL: http://jeffmorrow.wix.com/ecoenglish
Please check the website too, and feel free to leave comments. In fact, a portion of homework may be done using comments on the blog or website.
This week we will discuss what environmental scientists do, and examine how they can help with environmental problems. This week's work will use a handout I have made for this class. It will be similar to last week's, and it will be finished in class. We will also practice using an English to English dictionary, and will also learn more environmental science vocabulary. You will also consider making a sustainable community in Mt. Aso with your research team.
The homework will be page 18, 2.3 extending skills, A-D. Please do this on a separate sheet of white paper with your names in romaji and student numbers. Just write the letter, number, and your answers. You do not have to write the questions. Turn it in to the E-learning office on the 5th floor of the South Building by Wednesday, April 29th. Good luck!
Please check the website too, and feel free to leave comments. In fact, a portion of homework may be done using comments on the blog or website.
This week we will discuss what environmental scientists do, and examine how they can help with environmental problems. This week's work will use a handout I have made for this class. It will be similar to last week's, and it will be finished in class. We will also practice using an English to English dictionary, and will also learn more environmental science vocabulary. You will also consider making a sustainable community in Mt. Aso with your research team.
The homework will be page 18, 2.3 extending skills, A-D. Please do this on a separate sheet of white paper with your names in romaji and student numbers. Just write the letter, number, and your answers. You do not have to write the questions. Turn it in to the E-learning office on the 5th floor of the South Building by Wednesday, April 29th. Good luck!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Welcome to the Environmental Science English Blog
This is the first post on the new blog created for students of the Environmental and Symbiotic Science department at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.
As you learned last week, my name is Jeffrey Morrow, and I have been living in Kumamoto for a long time. I taught English for Biochemistry and English for Engineering at Kumamoto University for around 14 years. I also taught English to Agriculture department students at Tokai university, Aso Campus. I have been teaching as a part-time instructor in this department for about 7 years. Now I am happy to be full-time at PUK teaching English to this wonderful department.
This blog will cover all aspects of the Science English class, held on Fridays, 2nd period in room 3. I will put reading and homework assignments here, as well as quiz and test information, quiz and test answers, student information, and other interesting and useful details. Please check this blog often for recent posts. Some posts will be very important and will contain important advice, guidance, and instruction.
This week's homework: page 9, 1.3 parts C and D and page 10, 1.4 part A. If you have any problems with this assignment, please e-mail me.
As you learned last week, my name is Jeffrey Morrow, and I have been living in Kumamoto for a long time. I taught English for Biochemistry and English for Engineering at Kumamoto University for around 14 years. I also taught English to Agriculture department students at Tokai university, Aso Campus. I have been teaching as a part-time instructor in this department for about 7 years. Now I am happy to be full-time at PUK teaching English to this wonderful department.
This blog will cover all aspects of the Science English class, held on Fridays, 2nd period in room 3. I will put reading and homework assignments here, as well as quiz and test information, quiz and test answers, student information, and other interesting and useful details. Please check this blog often for recent posts. Some posts will be very important and will contain important advice, guidance, and instruction.
This week's homework: page 9, 1.3 parts C and D and page 10, 1.4 part A. If you have any problems with this assignment, please e-mail me.
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