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Showing posts from November, 2014

Jill Sobule: Global warming's theme song, "Manhattan in January"

Listen to Jill Sobule's Global warming's theme song, "Manhattan in January" and fill in the blanks with the nouns below. This is a great conversation starter about global warming. I ask my Turkish students in Istanbul how climate change may affect Istanbul and Turkey. bloom bring daisies everyone flies friends Frisbees halter January lovers palm tree park picnics preacher scientists skaters spray sunbathers winter 0:20   Strolling along in Central _________ 0:24   _________ 's out today   0:29   The _________ and dogwoods are all in _________ 0:33   Oh, what a glorious day   0:37   For _________ and _________ and roller _________ ,   0:42   _________ and _________ and lonely _________ 0:47   _________ 's out in merry Manhattan in _________ 0:55 (Laughter) (Applause) 1:03   I _________ the iced tea;   1:05   Did you _________ the bug _________ ?   1:07   The _________ are t

Aesop: The Frogs Desiring a King

John Vernon Lord Read "The Frogs Desiring a King", an Aesop fable. Check out some of the illustrations. Here is the story illustrated by Heidi Finn of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Here are more illustrations in the Victoria and Albert Museum. What is the message of the story? The Frogs were living as happy as could be in a marshy swamp that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody and nobody troubling with them. But some of them thought that this was not right, that they should have a king and a proper constitution, so they determined to send up a petition to Jove to give them what they wanted. "Mighty Jove," they cried, "send unto us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order." Jove laughed at their croaking, and threw down into the swamp a huge Log, which came down - kerplash! - into the swamp. The Frogs were frightened out of their lives by the commotion made in their midst, and all rushed to the bank to