Monthly Archives: February 2016

Summarizing

Posted on by

0

A NYC cop demonstrates the art of summarizing in this simple video:

http://www.tv411.org/reading/understanding-what-you-read/video-summarizing

“…when you tell someone about a movie, you don’t describe the entire movie scene by scene. Instead, you shorten your description to include only the main idea and the important details. In other words, you summarize.”

Source: Pre-GED Critical Reading Skills (31, 1988)

How to Summarize

  1. Find the main idea of the passage and the important details

  2. Don’t include every bit of information, only the necessary ones

  3. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Who/what?

  • Did what?

  • Where?

  • When?

  • Why?

     4. Paraphrase some of the sentences/ideas by using your own words

ONLINE PRACTICE

Click on any of the links below to find different interactive activities on summarizing:

 

King Cakes Around The World

Posted on by

7

Click on the picture to read the article, “Guide to King Cakes Around the World”

There are great recipes, too!!

Rosca_de_reyes_México_04

Photo via Wikimedia Commons by ProtoplasmaKid – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

What are the similarities and differences among these three cakes? Which is your favorite? Why? (Don’t forget to post your comment! 🙂)

Here’s another great article about king cakes:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/02/464764078/new-orleans-a-city-in-the-grip-of-king-cake-madness?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160202

 

Direct and Indirect Questions

Posted on by

0

Do you want to practice making indirect questions? In the month of lovers, I have an activity that you will LOVE♥ to do 🙂  Listen to Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and write at least 5 of the direct questions he asks his lover. By using any of the introductory expressions below, turn the direct questions into indirect questions.

I wonder…                  I want/need to know….           I’d like to know…

Can you tell me …                  Tell me…             Do you know…

CHALLENGE: Write down some of the indirect statements in the song and then turn them into direct question.