Inspiration Lane

Elvis says . . . Sing your grammar lessons!

2007-08-10T00:01:00.007-04:00

Hello to all my friends around the world! I’m glad you’re learning English! To my teacher friends: Did you know using popular culture in your teaching may help motivate your students? (Perhaps you've already read this research article titled: "The use of popular culture as a stimulus to motivate secondary students' English learning in Hong Kong" by Professor CK Cheung at the University of Hong Kong. As you can see here on this Google Scholar page, the above research was published by Oxford University Press.) That’s why every month I invite teachers and students to travel with me on an educational, online field trip.

These past few months we’ve been visiting our friends in Argentina, and teaching English grammar and vocabulary with lessons using: classic movie tunes, songs from the Beatles, Broadway show tunes, and oldies from the café jukebox. Next month we’ll visit friends in Europe, to teach reading comprehension with pop music trivia. I hope you and your students will join us! You can email your teacher friends about our travels, by using my free, singing postcards. My favorite is All Shook Up! (Students, you can email your friends about our travels, too!)

Caption Central - Write a caption!

2007-08-09T23:59:00.124-04:00

Students, these three pictures need your captions!

Ask your teacher to show you how to write a caption. If you learn at home, ask your mom or dad, or whomever takes care of you at home, to show you how to write a caption. Examples of imaginative captions are shown at the bottom right of this homepage in "Daily Slideshow: Beautiful Sunsets."

Then, write your own imaginative captions, and share aloud. [Tip: If you need help thinking of a descriptive English word for a caption, scroll down and use the "Translation Dictionary," below, to translate a word from your language to English. Then, use the "Audio Dictionary," also found below, to hear the English word.]

Three new images will need your captions tomorrow!

Cooking State

2007-08-09T23:59:00.110-04:00

The Newest Recipe Here!

Students, it's lots of fun reading a recipe in English! Simply click on "The Newest Recipe Here!" picture caption, at left, to see the latest recipe.

Or, click on a title of any recipe from the list titled "Your recipes." You choose which recipe you want to learn more about today!

After you read the recipe, write the ingredients on a list. Working with a classmate or independently, decide which category on this grocery shopping list chart is the correct category for each ingredient. Then create your shopping list. When you're finished writing your list, do a buddy-check with a classmate to check your answers, before your teacher checks your answers.

If you're in an English speaking country, bring your written list of ingredients when you shop for food. Then, write the name of the grocery store aisle or section where you actually found each ingredient. Did you know the correct category for each ingredient?

Practice these listing, categorizing and organizing skills again tomorrow, with a new recipe here. Now you're cooking!

Note to Teachers: Create your own ideas for ESL reading, speaking and writing activities by using recipes from the link above -- and the accompanying comments reviewing the recipe. And, remember: each month you'll find a NEW recipe posted!

Building Art - Are you a poet?

2007-08-09T23:58:00.050-04:00

Students, have you ever wanted to write a poem? People of all ages enjoy writing a Japanese form of poetry known as haiku. You, too, may enjoy writing haiku to build your creative writing portfolio.

Haiku is defined as: ...a brief verse which attempts to convey a feeling or experience through the use of images drawn from nature. Instead of merely stating a feeling, it says: "This is what I saw; perhaps it will rouse in you a feeling similar to mine when I experienced it."

The following poem is an example of haiku from Canada, written by Linda Pilarski, with a photo by her, and published in Daily Haiku:

To inspire you to write your own haiku, here is today's nature photo:

(Note: You can click on the above photo to read
the photographer's description of this photo.)

Museum Town: Ready to Research

2007-08-09T23:58:00.036-04:00

Students, let's practice researching and reading for information. We'll research today’s masterpiece artist to find out:

Which museums display this artist's work?

Here is today's artist, and a famous painting by the artist:

To find out which museums you can visit to see this artist's work, look up the artist's name on this search site.

Did you discover which museums display today’s artist? Which of these museums is nearest your town? And, which museum, if any, displays this famous painting?

If none of the museums are close by to where you live, which of these online museums do you think might show this artist's work? Why do you think so?

Elvis says...Sing your grammar lessons!

2007-07-01T08:47:00.002-04:00

Hello to all my friends around the world! I’m glad you’re learning English! To my teacher friends: Did you know using popular culture in your teaching may help motivate your students? (Perhaps you've already read this research from the University of Hong Kong.) That’s why every month I take teachers and students on an educational, online field trip.

These past few months we’ve been visiting our friends in Argentina, and teaching English grammar and vocabulary with lessons using: classic movie tunes, songs from the Beatles, Broadway show tunes, and oldies from the café jukebox. Next month we’ll visit friends in Europe, to teach reading comprehension with pop music trivia. I hope you and your students will join us! You can email your teacher friends about our travels, by using my free, singing postcards. My favorite is All Shook Up! (Students, you can email your friends about our travels, too!)

Comic Creators - Write a comic!

2007-07-01T08:47:00.001-04:00

Let's create! Students, can you identify any nouns, adjectives or verbs from today's "Garfield" comic strip? If so, what other English words have similar meanings as those used in this comic? [Tip: Use the online dictionaries.] Now, let's rewrite this comic, using different nouns, adjectives or verbs. Write your new cartoon using Garfield's Comic Creator! Then create another Garfield comic, using your own ideas!

Teachers, in addition to your own ideas to using comics to teach English, explore Grammarman, a site with comics for EFL/ESL students, and Awesome Comics, a webquest for ESL students. The creator is an ESL instructor and author in Thailand, Brian Boyd. Also, see The Comic Book Project, from Columbia University's Teacher College in New York.

Special thanks to Jim Davis, creator of Garfield.

Caption Central - Write a caption!

2007-07-01T08:46:00.001-04:00

Students, these three pictures need your captions! (To see examples of imaginative captions, scroll down to this site's lower right corner and view the slide show.) Write your own imaginative captions in class, and share aloud. Three new images will need your captions tomorrow!

Photo #1 - How would you describe this picture in English?

Read the photographer's caption here.

Photo #2 - And what's your caption for everything you see here?

Photo #3 - Here's the last photo:

Special thanks to Wikipedia, National Geographic, Sacred Destinations, and Google Gadgets for providing the daily pictures here.

Cooking State

2007-07-01T08:45:00.003-04:00

Today's Recipe:

Students, it's lots of fun reading a recipe in English! After you read today's recipe, write the ingredients on a list. Working with a classmate or independently, decide which category on this "Grocery List" chart is the correct category for each ingredient. Have your teacher check your answers.

If you're in an English speaking country, bring your written list of ingredients when you shop for food. Then, write the name of the grocery store aisle or section where you actually found each ingredient. Did you know the correct category for each ingredient?

Practice these listing, categorizing and organizing skills again tomorrow, with a new recipe here. Now you're cooking!

Teachers, create your own ideas for ESL reading, speaking and writing activities by using today's recipe -- and its accompanying "Nutrition Facts" information chart -- both found above, on the first link. (And, remember: a new recipe photo and link appears here each day!)

Museum Town

2007-07-01T08:45:00.001-04:00

Students, let's practice researching and reading for information. We'll research today’s masterpiece artist to find out which museums display this artist's work. Here is today's artist and a famous painting by the artist:

To find out which museums you can visit to see this artist's work, look up the artist's name on this search site.

Did you discover which museums display today’s artist? Which of these museums is nearest your town? If none are close by, in which of these online, virtual museums could you find today's painting?

Building Art

2007-07-01T08:44:00.001-04:00

Fairy Knitting
Copyright 2007 by
Élena Nazzaro,
frenchtoastgirl.com

Students, the title of this art is Fairy Knitting. Pretend you dreamt you saw this knitting fairy, late one night, when you looked out the window of your home. Now, build your creative writing portfolio, in response to this question: Why were you so surprised when you looked out your window late one night?

Respond by writing a short story, describing this knitting fairy you dreamt you saw.
(Tip: Use lots of adjectives in your story!)

Elvis says...Sing your grammar lessons!

2007-06-06T09:55:00.001-04:00

Hello to all my friends around the world! I’m glad you’re learning English! To my teacher friends: Did you know using popular culture in your teaching may help motivate your students? (Perhaps you've already read this research from the University of Hong Kong.) That’s why every month I take teachers and students on an educational, online field trip.

These past few months we’ve been visiting our friends in Argentina, and teaching English grammar and vocabulary with lessons using: classic movie tunes, songs from the Beatles, Broadway show tunes, and oldies from the café jukebox. Next month, in July 2007, we’ll visit friends in Europe, to teach reading comprehension with pop music trivia. I hope you and your students will join us! You can email your teacher friends about our travels, by using my free, singing postcards. My favorite is All Shook Up! (Students, you can email your friends about our travels, too!)

Comic Creators - Write a comic!

2007-06-01T14:52:00.001-04:00

Let's create! Students, can you identify any nouns, adjectives or verbs from today's "Garfield" comic strip? If so, what other English words have similar meanings as those used in this comic? [Tip: Use the online dictionaries.] Now, let's rewrite this comic, using different nouns, adjectives or verbs. Write your new cartoon using Garfield's Comic Creator! Then create another Garfield comic, using your own ideas!

Teachers, in addition to your own ideas to using comics to teach English, explore Grammarman, a site with comics for EFL/ESL students, and Awesome Comics, a webquest for ESL students. The creator is an ESL instructor and author in Thailand, Brian Boyd. Also see The Comic Book Project from Columbia University's Teacher College in New York.

Special thanks to Jim Davis, creator of Garfield.

Caption Central - Write a caption!

2007-06-01T14:51:00.003-04:00

Cooking State

2007-06-01T14:51:00.001-04:00

Museum Town

2007-06-01T14:50:00.002-04:00

Students, here's a great suggestion for your family's next vacation: visit a museum! Let's identify towns with museums, as we read for information. What town named on this page is home to a museum named after Arthur Griffin, a photojournalist who was the first to provide color photographs to a famous magazine? After you read the page and find the town, check your answer by doing a buddy-check: ask one or two classmates their answers. Did you all find the same town?

Building Art

2007-06-01T14:50:00.001-04:00

Elvis says...

2007-05-30T02:42:00.001-04:00

Hello to all my friends around the world! I’m glad you’re learning English! To my teacher friends:

Did you know using popular culture in your teaching might help motivate your students? (Perhaps you've already read this research from the University of Hong Kong.) That’s why every month we'll take an online educational field trip. This month let's visit our friends in Argentina, and teach with classic movie tunes. (You can email a teacher friend about our travels, by using one of my free, animated “singing” postcards!)

Cooking State

2007-05-30T02:34:00.000-04:00

Students, it's lots of fun reading a recipe in English! Write the recipe ingredients on a list. When you shop at the grocery store, write on your list the name of the aisle or section where you found each ingredient. Practice these listing and categorizing skills again next week, with a new recipe here. Now you're cooking!

And, by the way, what city is known all over the world by this nickname: The Big Apple?

Museum Town

2007-05-30T02:11:00.000-04:00

Students, here's a great suggestion for your family's next vacation: visit a museum! Let's identify towns with museums, as we read for information.

What town named on this page is home to a museum where you can visit our beloved comic strip friends, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and Snoopy?

After you read the page and find the town, check your answer by doing a buddy-check: ask one or two classmates their answers. Did you all find the same town?

Building Art

2007-05-30T01:45:00.000-04:00

Abstract #9 Musical Dance
Copyright 2007 by Michael Coppola,
Warren, Michigan, USA

Students, the title of this art is Abstract #9 Musical Dance. Let's build our creative writing portfolios by using our essay writing skills, in response to this question:

What events do you imagine happened in the life of this artist, before he created this art?

Respond by writing a short biography you invent about this artist's life.

Caption Central - These photos need your captions!

2007-05-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

Photo #1 - Students, how would you describe this photo in English?

Photo #2 - And what's your caption
for everything you see here?

Photo #3 - How would you label
this picture? (Be creative!)

Photo #4 - Here's the last photo for this month:

Teachers: Let your students write their captions in class, and share aloud. At the end of each month the captions by the photographers of these photos are posted here, online. Share these captions with your students, too!

Writer's Way - Are you a writer?

2007-05-20T08:59:00.001-04:00

Students: Share your creative work -- written in English -- by publishing it online! To submit your poem or haiku, just post it online, below, in "comments." Then, watch this front page to see your writing published here! And, remember:
Every successful student is a writer!

Writer's Way - Are you a writer?

2007-04-02T12:33:00.000-04:00

Caption Central - These photos need your captions!

2007-04-01T18:05:00.000-04:00

Photo #1 - How would you describe this photo in English?

Photo #2 - And what's your caption
for everything you see here?

Photo #3 - How would you label
this picture? (Be creative!)

Photo #4 - Here's the last photo for this month:

Writer's Way - Are you a writer?

2007-03-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

Caption Central - These photos need your captions!

2007-03-12T13:24:00.000-04:00

Photo #1 - How would you describe this photo in English?

Photo #2 - And what's this? (Be creative!)

Photo #3 - How would you label this picture?

Students: Write your captions in the "comments" section below, online. Then, watch this front page -- and see your caption posted here, with a credit to you!