Friday, October 31, 2025

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man: Movie Review

(Movie Reviews--Horror, My Favorite Movies)

As I mentioned in the video, this is a rewatch.  But this is the first time I'm reviewing it on this blog,  so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.



At one point, I put this movie on my list of my favorite movies of all time.  Upon rewatching this movie, I'm now pretty sure that it doesn't deserve a place on my all time favorite list, but I'm not going to redo that list now.  (Maybe once I finally get around to rewatching and reviewing all the movies on my all time favorite list, it'll be time to do a re-evaluation of that list.)

Links to stuff mentioned:
My previous reviews: 

Other Youtube videos on Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man that I watched:
* Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / Deleted Scenes: https://youtu.be/ivHQg2kdvPU?si=GeGVUvSgcz9k5yoN
* Cinemassacre Monster Madness 2011. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man: https://youtu.be/iSEw7u0I0jo?si=PEP4GrgkmoHUX76F



Related Playlists:





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Thursday, October 30, 2025



I used this video in my classes to help students learn the -un word family.  
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* Sun and Fun
* Both storybooks created in this chat here. 

These are storybooks I created using Google Gemini Storybook for reviewing the -un word family. The prompts were "create a storybook for new readers based on words: bun, fun, nun, run, pun, sun. Keep the language as simple as possible so that it can be read by beginning readers" and "Create a story book for young readers based on CVC words ending in -un".
I'm not terribly happy with either book.  They're okay, I guess, but not great.  But here they are anyway.
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Matching Cards for CVC words with -un

(TESOL Worksheets-- -un Word Family)

Google: docs, pub

I use these cards in several stages.
I start out with some of the alphabet cards from this previous activity.  I take the "U" card, and ask students what sound it makes.  Then I take the "N" sound, and ask what sound it makes, and then put the two cards together, and try to get students to tell me the sound.
I then take out several consonants, and get the students to tell me the sound, and then put these consonants together with the -UN to make different words, helping students to sound them out.  
At this point I put out the picture cards, and as we do different CVC -at words, I get students to identify the pictures.  
Once all the words and pictures have been identified, then we play a memory card game to match the words and pictures.  
Lastly, I put away the word cards, and just show students the pictures.  The students have to write down the word on their mini-white boards.

bun

fun

nun

pun

run

sun



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-un Word Family (CVC words)

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)


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Wednesday, October 29, 2025



I used this video to supplement a lesson on Daily Routines for Young Learners.
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* Rumi's Routine Day / Created in this chat

This is a model text for vocabulary about daily routines.  It was created by AI, specifically Google Gemini Storybooks.  The prompt was: "Write a storybook to teach daily routines to young esl students. Include: wake up, take a shower, get dressed, comb my hair, eat breakfast, do homework, brush teeth, go to bed".  That prompt and the chat can be viewed here.  I used this story to supplement Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific vocabulary that I choose comes from that textbook.  But I believe this can also be used independently for any lesson on daily routines.
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Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids (Supplementary Materials Index)

(Supplementary Materials for Specific Textbooks Subdivisions)--This index uses the style described in this post here.

Google Drive Folder HERE

Unit 1: At Home Folder
1 Every Day p.12-13 Folder
* Sorting sheet for daily routines: docs, pub  (cut up the pictures on p. 12 and 13, and have students sort into what they do and what they don't do.)
* Wake Up! Daily Routines Song for Kids
2 Friends p.14-15 Folder
4 Home p.18-19 Folder
5 The Bedroom p.20-21 Folder
6 The Bathroom p.22-23 Folder
7 Breakfast in the Kitchen p.24-25 Folder

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nwtCTA          (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Starting: The Complete Dick Tracy Volume 19: 1959-1961

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oeFGdl          (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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Object Pronouns from English World 2

(TESOL Materials--Object Pronouns)

Google drive folder HERE
Video HERE
PowerPoint: drive, slides, pub
Slideshow new version: slides, pub  (Contains some material borrowed from colleagues)
Write the word: docs, pub

[I originally posted this material as supplementary material for English World 2 Unit 10 Grammar p.104, but I've decided much of it can also work independently for a lesson on object pronouns.  You can either skip over the stuff that is from the English World 2 textbook, or if you want to use the material, this Youtube video has the necessary audio.]




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Classroom Management Rewards Chart

(TESOL Worksheets--Classroom Management)

Google: docs, pub
[A very simple chart.  5 smiley faces means students get a reward.  5 Frowny faces means they owe me some of their recess.]

Get a prize🙂













Owe me recess 🙁













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Monday, October 27, 2025

* Object Pronouns Kahoot

I found this Kahoot game for object pronouns. I used it in my class, and it worked well.
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Object Pronouns: Model Text and Worksheet

(TESOL Materials--Object Pronouns)


[Notes: This model text was created using AI, specifically Gemini Storybook.  The prompt was: "Create a storybook to introduce object pronouns to ESL students. Remember to use simple English, and be sure to include all the object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them"  The chat can be viewed here.   In my classes, I read the story with my students once for general understanding, then I handed them the worksheet, and asked them to identify the referent for each underlined word.  Then we went through it together in feedback.  This worked fairly well in my class, although there is one weak link--in the sentence "Zara pushes the wagon to Tashi. She pushes the box to them" .  It's not entirely clear just from this sentence alone who "them" refers to. ]

This is Pip. Pip has a big red box. It is heavy! Pip needs help to share the box with everyone.


Pip speaks: "The box is too big. Can you pass it to me?"


Pip sees his friend, Sage. Sage is standing right there. "Sage, I will give the box to you."


Pip steps back. "I give the box to him."


Sage sees his friend, Zara. He gives the box to her.


Zara sees a little red wagon on the path. She puts the heavy box in it.


Zara pushes the wagon to Tashi. She pushes the box to them.


Tashi and Lila speak to Pip and Zara. "The path is too long to walk alone. Come with us!"


Pip speaks to all the friends. "Thank you all for helping! We are a good team.”


Everyone helped deliver the box to the school children. "They gave the box to them! We did it!"



Subject pronouns

Object pronouns

I love you,

and you love ___.

You love me, 

and I love ____.

He loves me,

and I love ____.

She loves me,

and I love ____.

It loves me,

and I love ___.

We love you,

and you love ____.

They love me,

and I love _____.


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Object Pronouns Index

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)

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Sunday, October 26, 2025

I Can Also Like Current Music

(Sharing Music I Like)

I talk on this blog a lot about my obsession with oldies, and in real life, my constant talking about older songs drives my wife a bit crazy.
But I can also dig some of this newer music you kids are listening to.
We've been doing a lot of family car trips on the weekends, and I've been constantly scanning the radio searching for good music, and occasionally even find music I like.
I thought I would note down a few songs I liked here--mostly just to note them down for myself (so I don't forget about these songs).  







Addendum: Now that I'm listening to these songs while I'm sitting at my desk, I do have to admit that I don't find them quite as good as I did when I was driving.  Maybe these songs are best enjoyed as cruising songs when you're in the car.
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Royal Flash: Movie Review


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:
In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2013/11/royal-flash.html



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Saturday, October 25, 2025

Gremlins: The Wild Bunch (Gremlins TV Show Season 2): Review

Started: October 4, 2025

This is my first time reviewing this series, so according to my new rules, I am doing this as a video only review.





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Friday, October 24, 2025

My Thoughts on AI Videos

I'm not sure if there was ever a good time for this technology to come out, but it's particularly unfortunate that it had to be developed right at the exact time we are witnessing a complete lack of scruples by our politicians when it comes to honesty.  One can only imagine what dishonest use AI generated videos could be put to in the future.
Or more likely, in the future we are going to see politicians claim that real video footage is actually AI generated whenever the news shows something they'd rather we didn't see.  And in fact, Trump has already started doing this.  (Because, of course he has.)
A democracy cannot function without accurate information.  The potential for this technology to undermine our shared consensus about factual reality is frightening.


And the benefits of this technology are... what exactly?  How will these AI generated videos benefit our society in any way?

I've normally got a fairly libertarian streak in me, but in this case I think we need strong legislation to control what is coming. I think the best future would be if this technology was outlawed, and these machines were physically destroyed.











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Thursday, October 23, 2025

Lesson on Comparative Adjectives

(TESOL Materials--Comparative Adjectives)

Google Folder HERE
Review of Adjectives: docs, pub
Lesson Plan: docs, pub
Slideshow: slides, pub
Controlled Practice: docs, pub
[Notes: The lead-in contains a picture of my family.  Anyone else who wishes to use this lesson will want to change the lead-in to something that reflects their own family.
This lesson contains material previously published on this blog in different forms:


Review

Go through adjective pictures to review previous lesson


Lead-in:

Slideshow

Set-up: Slide 1:Display picture of the teacher on a picnic with his family.  

T: Who is this?  What am I doing?  (Elicit answers from students.  If needed, supply language for “picnic”).  

CCQs: Do you eat a picnic outside or inside?

Talk to your partner. Have you ever gone on a picnic?  Where did you go?  

Task: Students talk in pairs.  Teacher monitors to make sure students are on-task. 

Feedback: Teacher nominates 2 students to share their answer with the class.


Model Text:

Set-up: “This is Barnaby the Bear and Pip the Squirrel.  They are going on a picnic.  Listen to the story.  What things do they see?”

Task: Teacher reads model text. Slides 2-8.  Students listen and note what the animals see on their journey

Feedback: Students volunteer answers in openclass feedback


Clarification: meaning
Display picture of two trees.  Slide 9
Concept Checking questions: “Are they both tall?” (yes)

“Is the green tree taller than the blue tree?” (no)

“Is the blue tree taller than the green tree?” (yes)


Clarification: Form

Show slide 10.  Display several sentences.  Elicit from students the form of the sentences.

Checking questions: How many trees are in this sentence?  (two)  What happened to tall? (became taller)

What happens to big? (It becomes bigger)  Draw student’s attention to the double consonant, and explain the rule for doubling consonants


Clarification: Pronunciation

Drill slides 11-17


Time allowing: Controlled practice

Check slides 14-17 again.   Give students paper. The students write in the missing words in the blanks


Semi Controlled Practice:

Uses slides 18-27.  Slides are printed out on paper for students.  They discuss them and make sentences.


Time allowing: Freer Practice:

Teacher goes back to the initial photo of his family, and makes sentences concerning them.  (e.g. “I am taller than my children.  They are younger than me.”)  Students are then encouraged to share about their own families using comparative sentences

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Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Pictures for Adjectives

(TESOL Worksheets--Adjectives)

Google: docs, pub

[These were all taken from the web using a google image search.  In my class, I print these out on paper, and then use them as flashcards for teaching or reviewing basic adjectives.]


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