APC Blog Assignment 6 - The History of English

English used to look like this!

The English language has a very long and confusing history. Before English was spoken in England, there were many different languages of the people living there. Eventually, around 450 A.D., Germanic people came to England and the language of Old English was created. Old English is very different from English today- American and British people can't read it! Look at this example:

Hwæt! Wē Gār-Dena	in geārdagum,
þēodcyninga,	þrym gefrūnon,
hū ðā æþelingas	ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scēfing	sceaþena þrēatum,
monegum mǣgþum,	meodosetla oftēah,
egsode eorlas.	Syððan ǣrest wearð
fēasceaft funden,	hē þæs frōfre gebād,
wēox under wolcnum,	weorðmyndum þāh,
oðþæt him ǣghwylc	þāra ymbsittendra
ofer hronrāde	hȳran scolde,
gomban gyldan.	Þæt wæs gōd cyning!

This is from a famous poem called Beowulf, which was written around 900 A.D. The time of Old English ended around 1066 A.D., when the Normans came to England. The Normans were a French speaking people, and there is an area of France called Normandy where they are from. This is what started Middle English, which started to add many French and Latin words, and the grammar became simpler. Here's an example of Middle English:

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open yë
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages

That is from The Canterbury Tales, written in the 1300s, A.D., by Geoffrey Chaucer. It is a very famous book. I can understand most of it, but the spelling is very different. Some of the words are very close to German and Dutch words, too. Middle English ended in the 1400s, when Modern English was created. Printing and adding lots of words from other languages helped create Modern English. Shakespeare was one of the first famous writers of Modern English, and English speakers today can understand his work.

Even though English got many of its words from Germanic languages, French, and Latin, it has also received many words from Arabic. The Arab world has a long history with Europe, so many words were shared. Look at this list of Arabic words that came to English:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arabic_loanwords_in_English

Notice that some of the sounds or spellings seem different. This happens a lot when words are shared between languages.


Choose 3 words from the list that are interesting to you, and tell me why you think they are interesting. Then, make a new English word using an Arabic word, and give the definition. Be creative!

APC Journal #9: July 27, 2009

1. This is the last journal topic of the summer. Write about your learning experience this summer, and talk about your goals for next semester.

2. Write a paragraph about your daily life.

APC Blog Assignment 5 - Counterfeit Products

Counterfeit products make millions, maybe billions, of dollars every year. A product is an item made by a company, but counterfeit products are not made by the real company. They are fake items that are made illegally.

However, the people who make counterfeit products are very good at it! They use advanced technology, like scanners, computers, and professional equipment to make the fake items. Because of that, it can be very difficult to know if something is counterfeit or real. There are some general tips, though:

1. Think about the price. If something is too cheap, it might not be real. For example, a real Coach purse will not sell for 35 bucks.

2. Look at where the item is. Real products are sold in legal stores. Counterfeit products might be sold on the street. For example, real iPods are not legally sold on the street.

3. Try to notice very small flaws (mistakes) in the designs. Sometimes, a designer name can be spelled differently. For xample, if a shirt says "Georgio Armani" instead of "Giorgio Armani", it is a fake!

Do you think you can decide if a product is real or fake? Take this quiz:

http://www.walletpop.com/quizzes/spot-the-fake-product


Take the quiz and tell me your score. Then, tell me which product was the most difficult. Why was it difficult to tell if it was real or counterfeit?

APC Jounral #8: July 26, 2010

1. You have taken many tests at PIE. Which parts are easy? Which parts are difficult? How can you do better on future tests?

2. Write a paragraph about your daily life. Maybe you could write about the weather today! Remember, we've learned words like lightning and thunder.

APC Journal #7: July 22, 2010

1. Have you ever seen or bought fake (counterfeit) things? Tell about what it was, where you saw it, and when you saw it.


2. Write a paragraph about your daily life. Remember, you can just write about a movie you watched, or an activity you did, or anything else you want to write about.

APC Blog Assignment 4 - Webcomics

www.axecop.com

What is a webcomic? Well, it comes from two words: web ("world-wide web," which is the internet) and comic (a story told with drawings).

Webcomics are comics that can be found on the internet. Unlike normal comics, you can't hold a webcomic: you read them on your computer monitor. As the internet has spread, so have webcomics. Some are very popular!

Making webcomics can even be a career. Most webcomics are made as a hobby, but the best ones can make enough money to be a full-time job. Creators of webcomics are very independent; they make the comics all by themselves.

The best thing about webcomics is that they are free! Creators get money from ads on their websites, and selling items like t-shirts. You should try reading some webcomics- they have fun stories and are a relaxing way to practice reading. Try one of these links:

http://axecop.com/
http://pajamaforest.com/

You can also find comics from newspapers on the internet. Try this site:
http://comics.com/




This blog assignment is easy- just find a webcomic, read it, and tell me about it. I hope you find something you like!

APC Journal #6: July 20, 2010

1. If you had 1,000,000 dollars, what would you do?

2. Write a paragraph about your daily life.

APC Journal #5: July 19, 2010

1. Write about your favorite book. Tell about the story and characters, or whatever it is about.

2. Write a paragraph about your daily life. Remember, you can write about movies or TV you saw, things you did, etc.

APC Blog Assignment 3 - Smartphones

How can a phone be smart? It's only a machine!


Nevertheless, "smartphones" are one of the best-selling items on the market. Even though they are not "smart" like people are, they can do lots of very useful things. You can check your email, call friends around the world with Skype, play games, and even watch YouTube videos. Millions of people own smart phones.

There are many different companies that make smartphones. Apple is probably the most famous. Their iPhone is a best-seller for the company, and their AppStore (where users can buy applications for their phones) makes lots of money. But there are competitors: HTC, Samsung, Motorola, LG, BlackBerry, and others. Many of these companies make phones that use programs by Google. You might say that there is a battle between Google and Apple programs for smartphones!

Even though smartphones are very popular these days, not everyone wants one. Some people prefer simpler phones- they like e-mailing and watching videos on their computers, not their phones. Also, smartphones are expensive: a new phone costs hundreds of dollars, and the monthly phone bill is also much more expensive than a normal phone.

How do you feel about smartphones? Do you have one? Do you want one? Tell me about your ideal phone. To find more information about cell phones, try this website: http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/

APC Jounral #4: July 15, 2010

1. Do you prefer living in a big city or a small city? Tell why.

2. Write about something in your daily life.

APC Journal #3: July 13, 2010

1. You have been away from home for over 1 month now. Write a paragraph about what you miss the most. Give reasons and details.

2. Write about your daily life. Remember, you can write about a movie you saw, something you did, or things like that.

APC Journal #2: July 12, 2010

1. What is your favorite way to travel? (bus, plane, train, car, etc.) Tell why.

2. Write about your daily life.

APC Blog Assignment 2 - Famous Bandits

Recently, a man called "The Barefoot Bandit" has been in the news. A bandit is a criminal, like a thief (someone who steals things). But the word bandit is more positive than thief or criminal- some people think the Barefoot Bandit is very entertaining! His story is like an adventure movie. The Barefoot Bandit has stolen planes and boats, and he used them to travel many places. The most shocking fact about the Barefoot Bandit is that he is only 19 years old! And he never took lessons for flying a plane.

The story of the Barefoot Bandit has come to an end. The man was caught by police yesterday in the Bahamas. He stole a boat, but crashed it, and the police surrounded him. Even though his adventures are now over, there are already plans for his story to be retold. A book and a movie are going to be made. While many people do not like the Barefoot Bandit, many people do: his Facebook page has over 70,000 fans. He's very popular!

You can read more about the Barefoot Bandit here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/12/barefoot-bandit-arrest-reaction

The Barefoot Bandit is not the first popular bandit. In Western culture, there is a long history of popular bandits: Robin Hood, Billy the Kid, Bonnie & Clyde, and now the Barefoot Bandit. Choose one of those famous bandits, or one from your own culture, and tell me about what they did. Try searching on www.wikipedia.com to find information.

APC Blog Assignment 1 - Travel as a Career

Many people love to travel. Some people work all year so that they can go to very special places for a short time! Like most people, I want to travel more. However, I can't do that, so I watch television shows about people who can: they travel as a career.

You might ask, "Who will hire me to travel?" The answer is The Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com). It is a popular TV channel all about travelling. Two of my favorite shows on The Travel Channel are "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain and "Bizarre Foods" with Andrew Zimmern.

Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have an ideal job. They get to travel all over the world and get paid to do it! They are never out of work because the world is a very big place. On their shows, they interview people about local, traditional food. Anthony Bourdain visits lots of restaurants and finds out how they make food. Andrew Zimmern finds the strangest, most bizarre food in every place he travels, and he eats it!

Their jobs may seem easy, but you need some important skills to do their jobs: you must be good at interviewing people, and you must be brave enough to try new, different things.



Would you like to travel as a career? Why or why not?


Go to www.travelchannel.com. Find the show "Bizarre Foods." Tell me about a place that Andrew Zimmern traveled to, and tell me what he ate there.

APC Journal #1: July 08, 2010

1. Write one paragraph about your dream job (ideal career). Tell what you do in the job, where the job is, and so on.

2. Write about your daily life.

Journal #9: June 22, 2010

1. Write about your favorite TV show. Tell why you like it, and who your favorite person on the show is.

2. Write about your daily life.

Journal #8: June 21, 2010

1. What kind of fashion do you like?

2. Write about your daily life.

Fire! (Blog Assignment 6)

You have probably seen the smoke, or maybe you have seen the white and orange helicopters flying around the city. Over this past weekend, two fires were started very close to Flagstaff. Forest fires, also called wildfires, are common in northern Arizona. This is because the weather is very dry in the summer. Dry trees and grass burn very easily, and fires can move fast.

The first fire started on Saturday. It happened near the Country Club and Sinagua Heights neighborhoods of Flagstaff. It burned about 600 acres (and acre is a measure of area, like km^2). Around 200 homes were evacuated. Those people had to leave their homes for a day.

The second fire started on Sunday. It is still burning. It's located near Schultz Pass and going to the San Francisco Peaks. Last night, I could see the fire on the mountain. It was interesting to see, but a bit sad. Like the Country Club fire, many people have had to evacuate their homes. This fire, the Schultz Fire, has burned a much bigger area: over 6,000 acres. There is so much smoke, people can see it from 40 miles away!

I hope the fires end soon.


How big was the first fire? How big is the Schultz Fire? Have you seen any smoke? Have you seen any helicopters or planes that are fighting the fire?

Internet Directions (Blog Assignment 5)

For this blog assignment, you will follow some directions and tell me about what you find at the end! Try to do this by yourself.

Directions

1. Go to www.google.com

2. Type "interesting facts" and click the I'm Feeling Lucky button.

3. Type "greatest scientist" and click the Find It! button.

4. Under "Find Facts", click the words People Facts.

5. On this page, click on an article about a person.






After following the directions, tell me about the article you find. Who is the person? Why are they famous? How old are they? Do you think this person is interesting? Why?

Journal #7: June 17th, 2010

1. Write about the clothes you wore in high school. (use a dictionary or write the Arabic word in English letters if you don't know the name of something!) Do you wear different clothes now?

2. Write about your daily life.

Journal #6: June 15, 2010

1. Write about a holiday in your country. Tell the date/time of year and what the holiday is for.

2. Write about your daily life.

The Gulf Oil Spill (Blog Assignment 4)

As you may have heard, there is a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the biggest oil spill in America's history. Many birds, fish, and other wildlife have been hurt or killed by the oil. Many fisherman cannot work because of all the oil. Experts think that the oil spill has caused terrible damage to the environment- the Gulf of Mexico is very sick right now.

Some people volunteer to keep animals safe. Many fish in deep water are OK, but fish and animals that live in shallow water, like the bird in the picture, get hurt by the oil. Volunteers clean the animals and take them to a safe place.

Because of the oil spill, many people are talking about different fuels. Some people think oil is too dangerous now. Other people think we still need it. The US Government is thinking about new rules for oil.

Let's do some research about the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. First, go to www.wikipedia.com and search for "Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill." When did the oil spill start? How many people died? What company owns the oil?

Journal #5: June 14, 2010

1. Write 4 rules for how to be a good student.

2. Write about your daily life.

World Cup 2010 (Blog Assignment 3)

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Every language has a name for it, and in English, we have two names: soccer and football. Soccer is the word used in American English. But, American English isn't the only English! In almost every other English, the sport is called football. As you may know, America uses the name "football" for a very different sport!

This year, the FIFA World Cup is in South Africa. South Africa is located on the southern part of the African continent. It is an English-speaking country, but they also speak many other languages there. The famous cities of South Africa are Cape Town and Johannesburg.

There are 32 teams in the World Cup. The competition to join the World Cup was very intense! America got in, so soccer fans here are very excited to watch. America's first game is on June 12th against England. Everyone thinks it's going to be a great game!



Use the internet to find the score of the United States vs. England World Cup Game and tell me who won! (try Google.com) Also, do you have a favorite team in this year's World Cup?

Journal # 4: June 10th, 2010

Write about your favorite thing. Where did you get it? When did you get it? Why do you like it?

Don't forget, write about your daily life, too.

Journal 3: June 8th, 2010

Write about a place you want to visit. Why do you want to go there?

Journal Topic: June 7th, 2010

Write about your family. How old is each person, and what do they do? (ex. My brother is 15. He is a student.)

Elk (Blog Assignment 2)

Have you seen this animal?

This animal is an elk. Many of them live in Arizona. If you are lucky, you might see one!

Elk are large animals. They are like deer, but much bigger. Adult males can weigh 700 pounds. Elk usually stay with their families, which are called herds. Elk like to eat trees. They usually eat 20 pounds of food everyday.

Because they are so big, most animals do not eat elk. Only bears and wolves can kill them. People hunt elk, too. But elk can be dangerous! The males have large antlers on their heads (the antlers are horns that look like tree branches). Elk can also kick very hard.

If you drive a car in northern Arizona, you must be careful. Elk sometimes walk across the road. This can be very dangerous, especially at night.

My family lives in the country (away from the city), and sometimes elk come near our house. I hope you all get to see an elk- but hopefully from a safe place!



How large are elk? What do elk eat? Who eats elk? Tell me about a large animal from your country. E-mail your answers to me.

Journal Topic: June 3rd, 2010

What is your favorite internet site? Write three things you like about it.


Remember, write your response on lined paper. It will be due in class on Thursday, June 10th.

Welcome to Flagstaff... are you hungry? (Blog Assignment #1)

Welcome to Flagstaff, and welcome to Pre-Academic Reading & Writing. One of my favorite things about new places is eating food. In this article, you can read about some popular restaurants in Flagstaff. I recommend all of them!

Salsa Brava

Salsa Brava is a Mexican restaurant. Mexican culture and food is very important in Arizona. Salsa Brava is known for its great, spicy food and salsa, which is a Mexican sauce. There is a salsa bar in the restaurant where you can choose what kind of salsa you want! I really like the Pineapple Habanero salsa.

I suggest trying the Shrimp Tacos or Chimichanga. Find out more at: www.salsabravaflagstaff.com


Mike & Ronda's The Place

Mike & Ronda's serves classic American breakfast food. If you go here, I hope that you're really hungry! They serve you a lot of food. Mike & Ronda's can be very busy on the weekends, so you might have to wait.

American breakfast food is really great, but be careful: many things have pig meat (pork). Ham, bacon, and most sausage has pig. But even if you don't eat pork, you can enjoy the pancakes, waffles, and eggs!

Read more here: www.yelp.com reviews


Fratelli Pizza

Pizza is a food with Italian heritage, but it was actually created in America. Fratelli Pizza is my favorite pizza restaurant in Flagstaff. It's also the most popular!

They serve huge slices or whole pizzas. You can also get chicken wings, salads, and calzones (like a pizza folded in half). Watch out for sausage and pepperoni toppings if you don't eat pork! I recommend the Buffalo Chicken pizza.

Read more about Fratelli Pizza here: www.fratellipizza.net



What food is popular in your country? Which restaurant from this article would you like to eat at?