Monday, June 17, 2024

The Hobbit 1: An Unexpected Journey: Movie Review


Links to stuff mentioned:

This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:

Playlist HERE

Sunday, June 16, 2024



 

Book Haul: Mighty Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four Volume 2, Swamp Thing The Bronze Age Volume 3
Books (130 pages this week--the goal is 200 pages)
1st Chronicles p.438-442 (1st Chronicles 9-12) (From The Bible) (4 pages)
Comic Books (Comic Books don't count towards weekly page counts)
From: Section 2, Unit 24, Level 3, Lesson 3 To: Section 2, Unit 25, Level 1, Lesson 2 (My Duolingo profile is hereHere is the quizlet I use to practice all of the vocabulary I've learned in Duolingo.  I had to create a second one once I got to 2000 words.  Second quizlet here.  And here is a smaller quizlet I use to consolidate the new or difficult vocabulary.  And here is a quizlet I have with only the most recent 100 words I've learned.)

Videos from this week:

For more information about what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE.

Saturday, June 15, 2024


Here is a Kahoot I made up for separable phrasal verbs: Separable Phrasal Verbs.
The sentences used in this Kahoot all come from the list of phrasal verbs and example sentences from Impact 3 and Impact 4.  (Both books use the same list).  But I believe this Kahoot could also stand on its own for any general lesson on phrasal verbs.

I've made up a couple of quizlet sets for studying phrasal verbs.

First, here is a set I made for the list of phrasal verbs in Impact 3: Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
I took some of the separable verbs from Impact 3, and some of the inseparable.  There are a few words that are both separable and inseparable but with different meanings, so if you play any of the game modes, students will have to distinguish between the separable and inseparable meanings.  
e.g. calm down (inseparable): relax after being angry
calm down (separable): help relax


I made another set when I was teaching from Impact 4.  This list contains just the separable phrasal verbs.  (I originally intended to do both separable and inseparable, but the list was so long I just got halfway through the inseparable verbs, and then stopped.
That quizlet is here: Phrasal Verbs: Inseparable


I think the Impact 3 and Impact 4 books actually use the same list of phrasal verbs, so I could have re-used the same quizlet for both books.  I just forgot that I had already made up a quizlet, and so ended up making another one needlessly.  But now I've got them both made, so here they are.

I believe these quizlets can also stand as independent resources for any lesson on phrasal verbs in general.

In the previous post, I lamented that it was hard to get AI to make a good model text for phrasal verbs.
The British Council, however, does have a good model text on their website.  
Unfortunately it's not the same set of phrasal verbs that are covered in the textbook I'm using.  But it's a good text for introducing students to the concept of phrasal verbs in general.
The link is here: Making it up - Phrasal verb stories.  Click on that link for instructions on how to do the lesson.  The model text itself is here.

Phrasal Verbs: Model Text created by AI


Google: docs, pub

[Notes: I'm not 100% happy with this, but I want to save it here anyway.  I may come back and try to improve it at some point in the future.
I would be embarrassed to tell you how much time I wasted trying to get AI to create the perfect model text.  I had about 40 phrasal verbs from the Impact 3 textbook, and I wanted them all in the story, but none of the AIs I tried (Gemini, Poe, ChatGPT) were able to make a story that used all 40 phrasal verbs.  (I have previously praised AI as a great way to create model texts for vocabulary, but perhaps I should include a caveat.  It has its limits.  If you try to cram in too much vocabulary, the AI appears to just ignore most of the vocabulary.)  I also wanted the story to include both examples of separated  and unseparated phrasal verbs, but I couldn't get it to make examples with separated phrasal verbs.  Even after using multiple platforms, and changing the prompt several times.
All that being said, for all its faults, this model text is better than what I had before--which was nothing.  So I want to hang on to it, and possibly fix it up someday, and maybe even use it in the classroom.]

Once upon a time, in a magical forest, there lived a group of animal friends. There was Sammy the squirrel, Benny the bear, and Lila the rabbit. They loved to explore and go on adventures together.

One sunny morning, they decided to go on a picnic near the sparkling river. They knew they had to plan everything carefully, so they asked around the forest for suggestions on the best picnic spots. They came across a friendly owl who told them about a beautiful meadow with a breathtaking view.

Excited about their picnic, the friends got up early and started to get ready. They dressed up in their finest clothes and packed delicious treats for their adventure. Sammy brought nuts, Benny brought honey, and Lila baked carrot muffins.

As they made their way to the meadow, they came across a fallen tree blocking their path. They didn't want to give up on their picnic, so they decided to work together to break down the tree and clear the way. Benny used his strong paws, Lila used her sharp teeth, and Sammy used his nimble fingers. With their combined efforts, they successfully cleared the path and continued their journey.

When they arrived at the meadow, they were amazed by its beauty. The friends set up their picnic blankets and enjoyed their delicious food. They laughed, shared stories, and even engaged in a friendly game of tag.

After their meal, they decided to explore the meadow and its surroundings. They discovered a hidden trail that led to a magnificent waterfall. Excitedly, they climbed up the rocks and enjoyed the breathtaking view. They realized that their picnic adventure had turned into something even more special.

As the day went on, the sky started to darken, and the friends knew it was time to head back. They packed up their things and made their way home. On their journey, they encountered a small lost fox. The fox looked scared and worried, so the friends decided to help.

They asked the fox where it came from and found out that it had been separated from its family. The friends knew they could count on each other to help the fox find its way back. They decided to go ahead and guide the fox to its family.

After a long journey, they finally found the fox's family, and everyone cheered up in joy. The fox and its family were reunited, thanks to the kindness and determination of the animal friends.

As they said their goodbyes to the fox, the friends realized that their picnic adventure had become an incredible day filled with unexpected twists and turns. They learned that when they worked together, they could overcome any obstacle and make a difference in someone's life.

With their hearts filled with happiness and gratitude, the friends returned to their forest home. They knew that no matter what challenges they faced, they could always rely on each other and count on their friendship. And so, they fell asleep, looking forward to their next adventure, knowing that their bond would never fall apart.

 
Started: Antigone by Sophocles (from Classical Tragedy - Greek and Roman: Eight Plays in Authoritative Modern Translation).  This is a rereadAntigone was part of the 12th grade curriculum in my high school, so I did once read this play back in my school days.

Oedipus the King (1968): Movie Review


This is my first time watching this movie, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review. 

Oedipus the King (1968): Movie Review




Friday, June 14, 2024

Robin Hood by Henry Gilbert: Book Review


On My Shelves: May 12, 2024 
Started: May 14, 2024

(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.) 



[This is, alas, yet another video review that isn't very good.  As is so often the case, it was late at night and I was tired when I filmed this.  Plus, I had the camera facing at the book, because I wanted to show things from the book while I talked.  But I'm beginning to think this style doesn't suit me so well.  I have a hard time maintaining my train of thought and flipping through the book at the same time.  I think I'm probably more coherent when I'm just talking to the camera.]

Links to stuff mentioned:
My previous reviews of Robin Hood books:

Links to the other booktuber I mentioned: 
Such a disappointment | Robin Hood by Henry Gilbert | Book Review: https://youtu.be/0QAAXG8vN1k?si=xg_1lXLfrwAphYa0

May 19, 2024 Robin Hood p.1-52
May 26, 2024 Robin Hood p.52-118
June 2, 2024 Robin Hood p.118-152
June 09, 2024 Robin Hood p.152-238

Playlist HERE

Started: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (On my shelves since June 09, 2024)

Links to stuff mentioned:
My ongoing progress on The Russian Revolution by Mike Duncan: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2024/04/started-revolutions-season-10-russian.html

Monday, June 10, 2024




This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:

Playlist HERE

Sunday, June 09, 2024



 

Book Haul: Invincible Ultimate Collection Volume 1, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Books (139 pages this week--the goal is 200 pages)
Robin Hood by Henry Gilbert p.152-238 (86 pages)
2nd Kings p.420-425 (2nd Kings 22-24) (From The Bible) (5 pages) (finished and reviewed)
1st Chronicles p.426-438 (1st Chronicles 1-9) (From The Bible) (12 pages)
Comic Books (Comic Books don't count towards weekly page counts)
Revolutions Season 10: The Russian Revolution by Mike Duncan  2nd Listening FromSNEAK PREVIEW: Hero of Two Worlds Chapter Four To: 10.72- The Decision (from Revolutions Podcast)
From: Section 2, Unit 24, Level 2, Lesson 1 To: Section 2, Unit 24, Level 3, Lesson 3 (My Duolingo profile is hereHere is the quizlet I use to practice all of the vocabulary I've learned in Duolingo.  I had to create a second one once I got to 2000 words.  Second quizlet here.  And here is a smaller quizlet I use to consolidate the new or difficult vocabulary.)

Videos from this week:

Links to things mentioned in the video:


For more information about what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE.

Saturday, June 08, 2024

Is the Deuterocanonical Referenced in the New Testament?

(Commonplace Book)

All seven of the deuterocanonical books, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Judith, Tobit, Baruch, Sirach and The Wisdom of Solomon, are known and referred to by authors in the New Testament...
Strange, I had learned that one of the reasons that the Protestants rejected the Deuterocanon is precisely because it wasn't ever referred to in the New Testament.  Is Lawrence Boadt right?

Well, I googled it, and came across this website: Deuterocanonical References in the New Testament.
It looks like, from what I can tell, there are no direct references to the Deuterocanon in the New Testament, but there are several passages which might be references.

Friday, June 07, 2024

Oedipus Rex (1957 film): Movie Review


This is my first time watching this movie, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.





Started: Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction by Lawrence Boadt




Thursday, June 06, 2024

Started: 1st Chronicles (This is a reread. It's also part of my project to read through the Bible.)

2nd Kings (The Jerusalem Bible): Book Discussion

Started: May 20, 2024

(This is a reread.  I originally read this book in 7th grade.  But since this is my first time reviewing this book on this blog, according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.) 



Unfortunately, this video is not very good.  I had a lot of things I wanted to say, but I had trouble getting them from my brain into my mouth.
So, I'm sorry if the video is a bit difficult to watch.  What can I say?  I wish I was better at this.  I wish I was more articulate and smooth, but I'm not.
I also suspect (and I mentioned this in the video a couple of times) that the fact that I was filming the video right before bed meant that my brain was tired and I wasn't as switched on.  I often feel that when I film a video in the afternoon, it goes better.  Unfortunately, though, my schedule doesn't leave me free during the afternoon, and I usually have to wait until the kids have gone to bed to film a video.  And as I explained in this blog post, under my current system, the priority is just to get the video done as soon as possible, even if the conditions aren't ideal.
I feel bad that this video wasn't better, because there were a lot of interesting things that I wanted to say about 2nd Kings.  (Although most of the information that I wanted to get across, I did manage to say--it's just that it came out in a jumbled and disjoined fashion that's not very good to listen to.) But, on the bright side, I may go back and reread 2nd Kings one day, and if I do, I'll have another chance to express my thoughts.

I explain about my background with the Bible and my reasons for doing this read-through in this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-book-of-genesis-from-jerusalem-bible.html

Here are links to some of the stuff mentioned in this video:

May 26, 2024: 2nd Kings 1-11

Playlist HERE:

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

Sunday, June 02, 2024



 

Books (115 pages this week--the goal is 200 pages)
Robin Hood by Henry Gilbert p.118-152 (34 pages)
2nd Kings p.406-420 (2nd Kings 11-22) (From The Bible) (14 pages)
Oedipus the King by Sophocles p.184-251(from Classical Tragedy - Greek and Roman) (67 pages) (finished--review coming soon)
Comic Books (Comic Books don't count towards weekly page counts)
Revolutions Season 10: The Russian Revolution by Mike Duncan  2nd Listening From10.40- Relaunch and Recap To: SNEAK PREVIEW: Hero of Two Worlds Chapter Four (from Revolutions Podcast)
From: Section 2, Unit 24, Level 1, Lesson 3 To: Section 2, Unit 24, Level 2, Lesson 1 (My Duolingo profile is hereHere is the quizlet I use to practice all of the vocabulary I've learned in Duolingo.  I had to create a second one once I got to 2000 words.  Second quizlet here.  And here is a smaller quizlet I use to consolidate the new or difficult vocabulary.)

Videos from this week:

For more information about what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE.

Saturday, June 01, 2024

Retell the Story from a Different Perspective: Communicative Follow Up

(TESOL Ideas--Communicative Follow Up)

Sample: docs, pub

One communicative follow up for reading or listening lessons is to retell the same story from a different perspective.  This, obviously, is most appropriate for reading or listening texts that have some sort of a narrative element to them.
Here is an example from the Impact 3 textbook.  In this listening, the students have to watch a video in which explorer Paul Nicklen is talking about his encounter with a leopard seal.  For the communicative follow up, the students have to write the story from the perspective of the leopard seal:

You have listened to a video describing the story from the perspective of Paul Nicklen.  But how do you think the story would sound if it was the leopard seal who was telling the story?  Write the same story, but from the perspective of the leopard seal.


Hello.  My name is Sally, and I’m a leopard seal from Antarctica.  One day I was swimming, when I saw this strange looking human in the water…


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