Life of PI: Is Reason Enough?

"We need an element of faith because the rational tells us how but doesn't tell us why." Do you agree?

Life of PI: Novel and Movie

Task 1: Riddle Writing

Describe an animal that is simliar to you but do not use the animals name. Students need to guess it!

Task 2: Read about the Life of PI novel and listen to an interview with the author by National Public Radio


Host John Ydstie talks to Canadian author Yann Martel about his novel Life of Pi, which won Britain's Mann-Booker Prize this year. It's a meditation on the role of religion in modern life; the story's main character is a practicing Muslim, Christian and Hindu. (Life of Pi is published by Harcourt).

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/martel.html


Task 3: Watch the Trailor

What do you think will happen in the story? How do you like the Trailor? What questions would you like to ask the author if you could?

Tasl 4: Interview with the Author

Check your predictions in Task 3

How did the author grow up and why did the author try to pretend that he had faith in the book?

Does religion interests you? Why? Intellectual? Emotional?

What is the purpose of religion? What are the strengths and weaknesses of relgion?

What does the author mean when he says that while writing his book he found that all religions speak the same language, a personal and evolving language?

What is the author trying to say about faith?

What is faith? Do human being need fiath? What is the difference between believing in something and thinking something?

What is the authors interpretation of Fear and Faith?

What is the relationship between fear and faith?

Task 5: Review the Elements of Fiction

Watch the movie and have the students try to fill in the Elements of Fiction.

Big Yellow Taxi - Earth Day

Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you have got until its gone.

"Big Yellow Taxi"
(feat. Vanessa Carlton)

[Adam Duritz]
They paved paradise and            1          (to put) up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
Don't it always seem to go 
That you          2          (to know/neg) what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

[Vanessa Carlton]
Ooooh, bop bop bop
Ooooh, bop bop bop

[Adam]
They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum
And they        3          (to charge) the people a dollar and a half to see them
No, no, no
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot

[Vanessa]
Ooooh, bop bop bop
Ooooh, bop bop bop

[Adam]
Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT
I don't care about spots on my apples,
Leave me the birds and the bees
Please
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not?

[Vanessa]
Ooooh, bop bop bop
Ooooh, bop bop bop

[Adam]
Listen, late last night, I       4          (to hear) the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took my girl away
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Well, don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not?
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey hey hey
Paved paradise and put up a parking lot

[Vanessa]
Ooooh, bop bop bop
Ooooh, bop bop bop

[Adam, Vanessa]
I don't wanna give it
Why you wanna give it
Why you wanna giving it all away
Hey, hey, hey
Now you wanna give it
I should wanna give it
Now you wanna giving it all away

I don't wanna give it
Why you wanna give it
Why you wanna giving it all away
Hey, hey, hey
Now you wanna give it
I should wanna give it
Cos you giving it all away
Hey, hey, givin it all,
givin it all....away 

[Vanessa]
Why do you want me?
why do you want me?

[Adam]
because          5       (to give) it all away,
Hey, paved paradise to put up a parking lot

Listen to the song @ http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/countingcrows/bigyellowtaxi.html

My Way- Frank Sinatra Past Simple, Present Perfect, and Present Simple

My  Way - Frank Sinatra

 And now, the end is here

nAnd so I face the final curtai 

My friend, I'll say it clear

I'll state my case, of which I                  1           (to be: present) certain

                            
 I             2                (to live: past) a life that's full

I               3           (to travel: past) each and every highway

And more, much more than this, I              4              (to do: past) it my way

Regrets,                5              (to have: past) a few

But then again, too few to mention

I              6              (to do: past) what I had to do and                  6           (to see: past) it 

through without exemption

I                 7                (to plan: past) each charted course, each careful step along the byway

And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there               8                 (to be: past) times, I'm sure you knew

When I                  9                  (to bite:past) off more than I could chew

But through it all, when there was doubt

I                    10                   (to eat: past) it up and spit it out

I faced it all and I                   11               (to stand: past) tall and did it my way

                    12                (to love: past), I've laughed and cried

I've had my fill, my share of losing

And now, as tears subside,                  13                (to find: present) it all so amusing

To think I did all that

And may I say, not in a shy way,

"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

For what is a man, what has he got?

If not himself, then he                  14                 (to have: present) naught

To say the things he truly                  15               (to feel: present) and not the words of one 

who kneels

The record                   16          (to show: present) I took the blows and did it my way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egY8rUpxqcE

Freedom: A Passover Lesson

Domain: Presentation

Level: Foundation -Proficiency

Benchmark: Describe people, places, things and events. React to the content of something seen. Present an argument for or against a particular point of view.

Describe what you see in the picture. Describe a time that you felt freedom. Describe a time when you did not feel free and explain why? Is there such thing as freedom without responsibility?

Task 1) Benchmark: produce a short piece of coherent writing that conveys personal experiences. Express ideas and opinions about general topics and experiences using main and supporting ideas.

 Pick a person who you believe to be free. Describe who he or she is, what his or her responsibilities are and what makes him or her free?

Person:

Responsibilities:

Why is he free?

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/passover/kids-stories/the-story-of-moses.html

Task 2) The following is an interpretation of freedom by pop artist Jewel.

Listen to the following song and try to fill in the missing words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHbQjLc7GXc&feature=related

"Life Uncommon"

Don't worry mother, it'll be alright
And don't worry sister, say your prayers and sleep right
It'll be fine lover of mine
It'll be just                .
Lend your voices only to sounds of freedom
No longer lend you strength to that which you wish to be free from
Fill your lives with love and               .
And you shall lead a live uncommon
I've heard you anguish
I've heard you hearts           out
We are tired, we are weary, but we aren't worn out
set down you chains, until only faith remains
Set down you                    .
And lend your voices only to sounds of freedom
No longer lent your strength to that
which you                  to be free from
Fill you lives with love and bravery
And we shall lead a life uncommon
There are plenty of people who pray for                .
But if praying were enough it would have come to be
Let your words enslave no one and the heavens will hush themselves
To hear out voices ring out clear
with sounds of freedom
sounds of                  .
Come on you unbelievers, move out of the way
there is a new            coming and we are armed with faith
To live, we must give
To live
And lend our voices only to sounds of                  .
No longer lend out strength to that which we wish to be free from
Fill your lives with love and bravery
And we shall lead...
Lend out voices only to              of freedom
No longer lent out strength to that which we with to be free from
Fill you lives with            and bravery
And we shall lead a life                .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHbQjLc7GXc

Vocabulary: prayer/voices/sound/freedom/strength/bravery/uncommon/anguish/cry/weary/worn out/chains/faith/wish/ enslave/heaven/ring/clear/army/faith/lend

Task 3) Using the new vocabulary words from above, choose five words that you think best describe what freedom is.  Find a partner and between the two of you choose the five words both of you agree describe what freedom is best. Justify your answer to the class if chosen upon.

Task 4) Read the following exert of Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech. D o you agree with Dr. Martin Luther king’s dream of freedom? (more advanced levels)

Text:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEVU90fZvr4 Start at 1:50

Task 5) With your knowledge of the Passover story, what do you imagine freedom to be for the Jewish People? Do you believe that this is attainable? What responsibility must the Jewish people take on in order to live this dream?

Eliyahu Hanavi: Glad You Came: A Song about the Passover Seder

 TASK: COMPLETE QUESTIONS 1-20. WHEN COMPLETE CHECK YOUR WORK @ LINK

The Wanted
 
The Wanted is the self-titled debut studio album by British-Irish boy band The Wanted, released on 22 October 2010. The majority of the album was written by members of the band. The album was available in multiple editions which contained two bonus remixes and two videos. The album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart, and at number eleven in Ireland. The album produced three singles which attained UK chart success.(wikipedia)

1) What is "The Wanted"?

2) Where is the band from?

3) What year were they most popular?

4) Who wrote their songs?

5) What does the UK stand for?

6) Do Ireland and the UK share a border?

7) What is a single? What is debuted?


Glad You Came

The sun        8                   (to go) down
The stars            9      (to come) out
And all that                   10          (to count)
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came

You cast a spell on me, spell on me
You          11       (to hit) me like the sky fell on me, fell on me
And I              12         (to decide) you look well on me, well on me
So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me

Turn the lights out now                                                      Find two meanings of the words
Now I'll take you by the hand                                         13  hand 
Hand you another drink                                                  14   drink
Drink it if you can                                                          15    time
Can you spend a little time?                                           
Time is slipping away,
Away from us so stay,                                              
Stay with me I can make,
Make you glad you came

The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came

You cast a spell on me, spell on me
You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me
And I decided you look well on me, well on me
So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me

Turn the lights out now
Now I'll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink
Drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time,
Time is slipping away,
Away from us so stay,
Stay with me I can make,
Make you glad you came

The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came

I'm glad you came
So glad you came
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came

The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came


16) How does this song relate to the Passover seder and Eliyahu Hanavi?



17) If you were to make a music video of this, what would you include and why?



18) Pick a quote and explain its meaning....

“Our lives were just beginning, our favorite moment was right now, our favorite songs were unwritten.”
― Rob Sheffield,   

“It takes a very long time to become young.”
― Pablo Picasso

    

Good things come to those who wait.”
― Jess C. Scott

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUJP9Zt5ZaE

PURIM

1)Taking after the tradition on Purim to send gifts, as a class we will be sending compliments to classmates. Using the vocabulary on page 70, pick a name out of the hat and write a compliment to that person. Give them to teacher who will read the compliment and the students get to guess who the compliment is for. At the end of class, the teacher will pass the compliments out to the students.

2)Taking after the tradition of Purim, we will review the story of purim in illustrated way. In the video, students will have the change to explain each scene and what is being depicted based on the illustratrations. http://www.aish.com/h/pur/mm/Purim_Animated.html

3) Taking after the tradition of Purim, class will be festive. We will play a game. Students will get the change to pull a name out of a hat of one of the key characters in the Purim story. The object of the game is to discover who the person is by asking questions. Rules are that audience can not ask who the person is or if he or she is good or bad.

5) Singing. Listen to the following song below and follow the text as the words a read. When the music stops in the middle of the song, students must guess where. The student waits at the board untill someone elses guesses correctly to take his or her place.

Purim Song - The Maccabeats

Stand stand for a tale so grand
Shushan is the place where it all began
The hidden miracle

One man, second in command
Slay all the Jews was his wicked plan
A scheme so miserable

He chose a day for the disaster
It's ironic what came after
He didn't know a girl named Esther
Would turn it upside down

So raise your glass if you can see the hidden meaning,
it's right in front of you,
we will never be never be anything but proud to tell the story,
v'nahafoch hu (It was turned upside down)
Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass
just come on and come on and raise your glass

Esther became the queen
Cuz' God was pulling strings from behind the scenes
She wore the royal crown

3 days the Jews just prayed,
Queen Esther risked her life went to save the day
She took Haman down

The streets were filled with celebration
Everyone ate Hamantashen
Jubilation for the nation
Ken tihiyeh lanu... (So should it be for us)

So raise your glass if you can see, the hidden meaning,
it's right in front of you,
we will never be never be anything but proud to tell the story,
v'nahafoch hu
Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass
just come on and come on and raise your glass

So get your costumes on
Make noise and drown out Haman
Don't drink like a fool
And remember and remember
What the day's about...

So raise your glass if you see God in hidden places,
He's right in front of you,
We will never be never be anything but proud to tell our story
v'nahafoch hu

So raise your glass if you can see the hidden meaning,
it's right in front of you,
we will never be never be anything but proud to tell the story,
v'nahafoch hu
Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass
just come on and come on and raise your glass...

Lyrics: David Block and Immanuel Shalev
(Lyrics © 2011 David Block and Immanuel Shalev)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtnMMmIqfLU  Lyrics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgJInVvJSZg


STORY OF PURIM

River Song -

River

I was born in the path of the winter wind
And             1            (to raise)  where the mountains are old.
Their springtime waters                  2                 (to come) dancing down,
I                     3                     ( to remember)  the tales they               4                (to tell)
The whistling ways of my younger days
Too quickly                 5                (to fade) on by
But all of their memories linger on
Like light in a fading song.  River take me along in your sunshine,
sing me your song ever moving and winding and free
You are rolling old river,
You            6                (to change) old river,
Let's you and me, river, run down to the sea.   Well, I've been to the city and I've been back again,
I've been moved by some things that                   7                  (to learn)
Met a lot of good people and                8                   (to call) them friends,
Felt the change when the seasons turned.                9             (to hear) all the songs that the children sing,
And                  10              (to listen) to love's melodies
I've felt my own music within me rise
Like the wind in the autumn trees  River, Take me along...  Some day when the flowers are blooming still,
Some day when the grass              11            (to be) still green,
My rolling waters will round the bend
And flow into the open sea. So here is to the rainbow that has followed me here,
And here is to the friends that I               12           (to know),
And here's to the song that           13            (to be) within me now,
I            14              (to sing)  it where ere I go. River take me along...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0zduRJCYQQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UQTJYsK2SM start at 5:30 minutes - 7:30/8:00


1) Introduction to north woods culture. Trip - Word graph with vocabulary.
2) Show the video
3) Play the song
     a) each student stands up when their word or line is said.
     b) each student fills in one of the words
     c) listen and check
     d) Find metaphores
     e) Who wrote this? Why?

French Revolution, Present Perfect and A Musical

Goals: Practice the present perfect, learn about the French Revolution, gain an Appreciation for literature

Task One: Read this short passage about the French Revolution

The French Revolution 1978-1979 was a politically unstable time. The Kings and Queens that ruled France were very rich and the common people were very poor. The picture exemplifies the “baroque” style that was typical of the time when royalty used ornaments and lavishness to show off their wealth. Outside of this castle, the French people were starving.

The French people decided that they were not going to suffer anymore. They revolted and on 1792 they claimed France as a Republic, meaning that it would no longer be ruled by Kings and Queens but by the French people. The French people created a governing assembly and published The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a template for the constitution. It also marked a time for women’s rights.

The song takes place during the French Revolution in the midst of fighting. Eponine is a young women who loves Marius. Marius, however, is in love with someone else. Eponine gets hurt trying to take a letter for Marius. Marius finds her. It is Raining.

A Little Fall of Rain – The Musical of Les Miserables (A Musical about the French Revolution)

Task 2) Fill in the blanks in the song below. Conjugate using the present simple, present perfect or simple perfect

MARIUS
Good God, what are you doing?
'Ponine, have you no fear?
Have you seen my beloved?
Why          1            (come) back here?

EPONINE
I  took the letter like you said
I      2          (met) her father at the door
He       3        (say) he would give it
I don't think I can stand anymore                                what does this phrase mean?

MARIUS
Eponine, what's wrong?
There's something wet upon your hair
Eponine, you       4      (to be) hurt
You need some help
Oh, God, it's everywhere!

EPONINE
Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius
I         5         (feel neg)   any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt me now
You're here, that's all I need to know
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
And rain will make the flowers grow.

MARIUS
But you will live, 'Ponine - dear God above,
If I could heal your wounds with words of love.

EPONINE
Just hold me now, and let it be.
Shelter me, comfort me

MARIUS
You would live a hundred years
If I could show you how
I won't desert you now...

EPONINE
The rain can't hurt me now
This rain will wash away what's past
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close
I'll sleep in your embrace at last.

The rain that brings you here
Is Heaven-blessed!
The skies       6      (to begin) to clear
And I'm at rest
A breath away from where you are
        7         (to come) home from so far
So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius

I don't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt me now

That's all I need to know
And you will keep me safe
And you will keep me close

MARIUS(in counterpoint)
Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine,
You won't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
Can hardly hurt you now
I'm here

I will stay with you
Till you are sleeping

EPONINE
And rain...

MARIUS
And rain...

EPONINE
Will make the flowers...

MARIUS
Will make the flowers... grow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXfqg3ms0gk