Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aFU2ze (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
Monday, December 08, 2025
Everyday Clothes Vocabulary
(TESOL Materials--Clothing Vocabulary)
* Lin's Day of Clothes Storybook--Created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook). [If you look at the chat, you'll notice I messed up the prompt slightly--I said it was the topic of people at work. This was because of copying and pasting the same prompt from another lesson, and forgetting to change the name of the topic. Thus clothing vocabulary is mixed in with work situations. But I think it still works.]
[Notes: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson Everyday Clothes p.28-29 from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson. However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing homes, and so I'm including them here.]
Mickey 17: 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.
Links to stuff mentioned:
6th day - Clone strips and steals the clothing from his real person: https://youtu.be/sC5gXkf_4h4?si=GWNDaHVeyfGQhZtf
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_17
Related Playlists:
Movie Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6N06WoIoV2fLb6xRYrepTk&si=iWMhXdwlxxKxm6r6
Movies that I watched in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x67grGI4ZJsBc8QYFa5cSvu&si=oZDgEqLXtgLsGB2A
Check out this movie on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KEaYf1 (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
Sunday, December 07, 2025
My Favorite Narrative History Books
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/2013/12/my-favorite-narrative-history-books.html
Links to stuff mentioned:
* Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia by William Shawcross: https://youtu.be/1qJzQ4LTwzQ
* Conspirator: Lenin in Exile: The Making of a Revolutionary by Helen Rappaport: https://youtu.be/QXJAsfU1zgI
* For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette and Their Revolutions by James R. Gaines: https://youtu.be/9YeASwuLEdQ
Related Playlists:
* My Favorite Narrative History Books Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4UNr3YnflpbkIwTpO07ui-&si=QqWoyIomhY7pXUGv
* Scripted Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BKcEIufNKlS58JHU_glyL&si=Pje0KQqIqOgWGGUI
* History Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x52uI39vSXVrJvUFjdN9QkL&si=IkwsRH5HTXptL1kk
Gula Hymn of Bullutsa-Rabi (from Before the Muses by Benjamin R. Foster): Summary and Discussion
From my reading of Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Edited by Benjamin R. Foster
Links to stuff mentioned:
* Wikipedia article on Bullussa-rabi's Hymn to Gula (stub): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullussa-rabi%27s_Hymn_to_Gula
* Wikipedia article on Bullussa-rabi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullu%E1%B9%ADsa-rabi
Related Playlists
* Classic Books Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53EsuWSZ-z0uFGL_0Jl6F1&si=giDKwvKMzCWtXvzl
* Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=kiFeTonJJ3Ux5H1T
* Books I read in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7Fev7Uv6_tzuSf84LtYwQu&si=Im1rdozRXrgGnr99
* Babylonian / Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BtyzrSv3NMPA3VpzLIuq8&si=x0yeQPCkXyxtPCr4
* Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4Cvg1Yw4LQyKEXIwDwo1m0&si=X6OZ7Ectw-fzHbCn
* Akkadian Literature: The Mature Period 1500-1000 BC Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x545tikwEDqcgD_qmFqtLUF&si=XlI2gaYNnh1HGPyf
I was able to read this book thanks to the Michigan statewide state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat, which may be in danger thanks to a Presidential executive order. If you, like me, enjoy using MeLCat, contact your local representatives and let them know.
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4k08VgZ (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
This video is 6 months old, but I just discovered it today.
I don't know how many of these "don't go to graduate school in the humanities" stories I've heard over the years, (and a number of them I've linked to on this blog before in the past), but I still find them interesting. This, for me, is the path not taken. And I sometimes still catch myself feeling regretful that I never pursued a PhD in history. But then I watch a video like this, and I'm reminded of why it would never have been a good idea.
Saturday, December 06, 2025
Yet another song I discovered by listening to community radio (88.1). I liked the sound of it, so I thought I'd make a note of it here so I so I don't forget it.
I'd never heard of this artist before, but she has a Wikipedia page here.
Thursday, December 04, 2025
A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer
I've posted versions of this book twice before (here and here), but I've retooled this for one of my Story Time lessons. I used the images on this youtube video for creating the slideshow.
My materials for this book are below:
Google Drive HERE
A great sequencing activity can be found here on Teachers Pay Teachers. (This particular resource is free, although you will need to create an account and log-in.)
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pPoP0O (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
Vocabulary for Jobs
(TESOL Materials--Jobs)
* Kahoot for Storybook 1: People at Work
* Slideshow for storybook 1: slides, pub (I used this slideshow to present the vocabulary, and also to do a board race)
* Storybook 2: People at Work--Created from this chat here
* Kahoot for Storybook 2: People at Work 2
* Kahoots 1 and 2 combined: People at Work (1+2 combined)
[Note: This vocabulary is based on the vocabulary from pages 20 and 21 of Oxford Picture Dictionary for the Content Areas. But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on jobs vocabulary, so I'm posting it here. Because the lesson contained so many vocabulary words for jobs, I broke the vocabulary up into 2 different lessons, with 2 different presentations. I originally tried to fit all the vocabulary words into one storybook, but that proved too crowded. That storybook is here: Elara’s Walk and the Working Town--created from this chat here. I also experimented with creating a sequel, City Heroes, Special Skills--created from this chat here. FYI: Google Gemini seemed to have a bit of a glitch, so the character designs preserved in the chats are different than the ones in the storybooks. In the chats, at least at the time of posting, the character designs are consistent between the original story and the sequel, but not in the storybook links.]
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Story for -it CVC words
(TESOL Worksheets-- -it Word Family)
[Note: These images were created by Google Gemini using their storybook feature. For whatever reason, Gemini Storybook was fighting me a bit on this story, and I had to go through several versions before I got the story I wanted. That's why the color of the kit changes from picture to picture. I then took the pictures from the storybook, and imported them into Google Slides. A few of the pictures comes from versions I created on my work account, and can't share with you here. But of the storybooks on my personal account, you can see this book here--from this chat here.]
Kahoots for Folk Stories / Fairy Tales
I've recently been using picture books of folk stories or fairy tales in my classes. I've also been using Kahoots as rewards for good behavior. To save time, I try to find premade kahoots.
The picture books I've been using are by Paul Galdone (W), just because that is what's available in my school library. But these Kahoots are generic Kahoots that work with most versions of the folk tales.
Death by Lightning: Series Review
Started: November 27, 2025
This is my first time reviewing this series, so according to my new rules, I am doing this as a video only review.
Links to stuff mentioned:
Related Playlists:
Scripted Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BKcEIufNKlS58JHU_glyL&si=Pje0KQqIqOgWGGUI
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
Big Dog... Little Dog by P.D. Eastman
Once again, I've already done this book before as part of my Storybooks ESL Listening, but I was doing it for a Kindergarten class recently, and so I found it useful to convert it into another format. I found a copy of the book online here.
In my class, we read through the book together as an all class activity. Then we did a compare and contrast worksheet. [It's actually all contrast.] I also created a coloring sheet (using Google Gemini) for fast finishers.
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pKNzHt (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
Etana (from Before the Muses by Benjamin R. Foster): Summary and Discussion
From my reading of Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Edited by Benjamin R. Foster
Links to stuff mentioned:
* Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etana
Related Playlists
* Classic Books Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53EsuWSZ-z0uFGL_0Jl6F1&si=giDKwvKMzCWtXvzl
* Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=kiFeTonJJ3Ux5H1T
* Books I read in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7Fev7Uv6_tzuSf84LtYwQu&si=Im1rdozRXrgGnr99
* Babylonian / Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BtyzrSv3NMPA3VpzLIuq8&si=x0yeQPCkXyxtPCr4
* Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4Cvg1Yw4LQyKEXIwDwo1m0&si=X6OZ7Ectw-fzHbCn
* Akkadian Literature: The Mature Period 1500-1000 BC Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x545tikwEDqcgD_qmFqtLUF&si=XlI2gaYNnh1HGPyf
I was able to read this book thanks to the Michigan statewide state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat, which may be in danger thanks to a Presidential executive order. If you, like me, enjoy using MeLCat, contact your local representatives and let them know.
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4k08VgZ (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
Monday, December 01, 2025
Living Room Vocabulary
(TESOL Materials--Houses)
[Notes: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson The Living Room (p.26-27) from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson. However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing homes, and so I'm including them here.]
Matching Cards for CVC words with -it
I use these cards in several stages.
I start out with some of the alphabet cards from this previous activity. I take the "I" card, and ask students what sound it makes. Then I take the "T" 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 -IT to make different words, helping students to sound them out.
I start out with some of the alphabet cards from this previous activity. I take the "I" card, and ask students what sound it makes. Then I take the "T" 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 -IT 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.
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.
Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore: Book 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/2013/12/young-stalin-by-simon-sebag-montefiore.html
Links to stuff mentioned:
Related Playlists:
Scripted Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BKcEIufNKlS58JHU_glyL&si=Pje0KQqIqOgWGGUI
Scripted Book Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53WSp_2mGcDRHBR7ubQkDa&si=T_0QPBDOZqhqN-oa
History Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x52uI39vSXVrJvUFjdN9QkL&si=IkwsRH5HTXptL1kk
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/48drtb1 (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
Sunday, November 30, 2025
People and Places at School Vocabulary
(TESOL Materials--School Vocabulary)
* Ayla's Wacky Day at School--Created from this chat here
* Slideshow: slides, pub (I used this slideshow to present the vocabulary, and also to do a board race)
[Note: This vocabulary is based on the vocabulary from pages 4 and 5 of Oxford Picture Dictionary for the Content Areas. But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on school vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.]
It looks like one of my reviews got picked up by rightwing Twitter.
I got this comment on yesterday evening on one of my videos:
A brief look at this gentleman's Twitter account shows that he and I are too politically different to ever be friends. And yet, I can't claim to be ill-treated by him. He told me he was going to tweet out my video, was even courteous enough to give me advanced notice of this, and then he did exactly what he said he was going to. So I replied to his comment and said:
I got this comment on yesterday evening on one of my videos:
I do not believe the #globalwarning scam, but I am willing to share your reasoned review on twitter. To be clear, there is no problem to solve. And I do care about the environment. I will share my tweet after I have posted it. It looks like 7:30pm (MT)LASTLY by AL Gore in 2025 => vvvvv >> I watched the whole thing before posting this comment; yelling at the camera is not a positiveWhy Climate Action Is Unstoppable — and “Climate Realism” Is a Myth | Al Gore | TED
...and yes, I did end up yelling at the camera in the course of this review. It seemed natural at the time. But was it cringe? Well, I don't know. I can't judge myself, I'll have to leave that up to your judgment, dear viewer.
An Inconvenient Truth: Movie Review
Anyway, true to his word, he did end up tweeting it out
Video several weeks old. Thinks #globalwarming is real, but watch thru 18:30
— The Border Observer (@borderObserver) November 30, 2025
An Inconvenient Truth: Movie Reviewhttps://t.co/KNoXbFDmIi
By Joel Swagman Reviews/02 Nov 2025
26+ mins
Phrase trouble saying: "Carbon capture and sequestration"#MAGA #BorderObserver qt-maga-9190 pic.twitter.com/4QpZreNc4m
A brief look at this gentleman's Twitter account shows that he and I are too politically different to ever be friends. And yet, I can't claim to be ill-treated by him. He told me he was going to tweet out my video, was even courteous enough to give me advanced notice of this, and then he did exactly what he said he was going to. So I replied to his comment and said:
It was courteous of you to give me advanced notice that you were going to tweet this. Thanks for the heads up.
The Adapa Story (from Before the Muses by Benjamin R. Foster): Summary and Discussion
Summary of:
* Adapa and the South Wind
* Adapa and Enmerkar
From my reading of Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Edited by Benjamin R. Foster
Links to stuff mentioned:
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adapa
Related Playlists
* Classic Books Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53EsuWSZ-z0uFGL_0Jl6F1&si=giDKwvKMzCWtXvzl
* Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=kiFeTonJJ3Ux5H1T
* Books I read in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7Fev7Uv6_tzuSf84LtYwQu&si=Im1rdozRXrgGnr99
* Babylonian / Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BtyzrSv3NMPA3VpzLIuq8&si=x0yeQPCkXyxtPCr4
* Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4Cvg1Yw4LQyKEXIwDwo1m0&si=X6OZ7Ectw-fzHbCn
* Akkadian Literature: The Mature Period 1500-1000 BC Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x545tikwEDqcgD_qmFqtLUF&si=XlI2gaYNnh1HGPyf
I was able to read this book thanks to the Michigan statewide state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat, which may be in danger thanks to a Presidential executive order. If you, like me, enjoy using MeLCat, contact your local representatives and let them know.
Did you enjoy this review? Consider supporting me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/joelswagman
Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/JoelSwagman
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4k08VgZ (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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