SEPTEMBER 2015

TEACHERS’ NOTES

September 2015 tHe WeStCOASt reADer — teACHerS’ NOteS pAGe 1

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THE WCR CELEBRATES 35 YEARS!

Details can be found online at www.thewestcoastreader.comHaiku comic - Big Nate (WCR, p. 4) Practice haiku writing with your students.www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm Help for single parents ... (WCR, p. 1) Single Parent Employment Initiative: www.sdsi.gov.bc.ca/programs/spei.htmlToo much homework (WCR, p. 1) Read the article. Explain the 10-minute homework rule. Do your learners agree with it? Discuss the following questions: Does more homework make someone a better student? What are the pros and cons of homework? What kind of homework is effective? Should it be assigned at all? Some researchers believe that homework can reinforce mistakes if the student has not mastered the skills, and that homework can demotivate the student. Prepare students for a classroom debate. Poll – Discuss the “homework poll” posted on the WCR website. Encourage students to go online and take the poll.Stress-related idioms Arieanna’s mother said: “The poor kid is run ragged.” “She can’t sleep and I am so wired.” “I am at my wits’ end.”Other stress idioms can be found at: www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/feelings-emotions/feelings2-fish-heart.html

I am a neighbour (WCR, p. 2) What is a good neighbour? How would your learners finish the sentence “I am a neighbour who_______________?” Send photos and answers to the WCR by Sept 30/15 (wcreader@capilanou.ca), and we’ll post them on our website in October. Central City Foundation has been helping neighbours since 1907. It is asking people to share their photos and answer the question: “How are YOU a good neighbour?” Encourage your students to go online; explain how to fill in the information: www.imaneighbour.ca

ANSWERS To ExERCISES Use the right word (TN p. 2)(1) was (2) was (3) was/was/were (4) was (5) was or were (6) was (7) wasn’t (8) was (9) were (10) weren’t (11) was

Match (TN p. 2)(1) c (2) d (3) a (4) b

opposite meanings (TN p. 3) (1) difficult (2) many (3) smile (4) residents (5) most (6) different (7) found (8) upset (9) jog (10) friends (11) together (12) big (13) save (14) cities

Big Nate comic (TN p. 3) - Answers will vary.Go over the rules of basic haiku writing. www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm

Birthday contestsThroughout the year, the WCR will have three contests.Enter our first one. Write a haiku about “school”.

Crossword (TN p. 4) G1

U2 B3 R O T H E RN A

S4 C5 O U S6 I N M7

I L O D OS E N F8 A T H E R

A9 U N T A HE T E

G10 R A N D M O T H E RE

D11 A U G H T E R

Write these 11 family words on the board:

grandmother/grandfather

mother/father

daughter/son

sister/brother

aunt/uncle

cousin

apple – istockphoto • birthday cake – public domain

September 2015 tHe WeStCOASt reADer — teACHerS’ NOteS pAGe 2

Use the right word

was were

wasn’t weren’t

photos — courtesy of the purina animal hall of fame

for more animal hero stories go to:www.purinahalloffame.ca

1. Last year Joseph ......was......... 16 years old.

2. Joseph ................ in an accident.

3. Joseph ............. moving. Sako .................... moving, too. They ................. both alive.

4. Sadly, everyone else ................. dead.

5. For three days Joseph’s family ...................... looking for Joseph and the truck.

6. Joseph .............. happy when he heard a car door slam.

7. Joseph covered himself with rocks so that he ....................... cold.

8. Joseph lost hope. He .............. feeling hopeless.

9. The family went to pick potatoes. They .................. near a lake.

10. The family travelled far. They .................... close to home.

11. Joseph’s mother says that Sako .............. a hero.

Match the pictures (1-4) to the sentences (a-d). a. Sako keeps Joseph warm. ___

b. Sako keeps animals away. ___

c. Sako brings Joseph wood. ___

d. Sako pulls Joseph to water. ____

1 2

3 4

September 2015 tHe WeStCOASt reADer — teACHerS’ NOteS pAGe 3

Opposite meanings

Find a word which means the opposite of each word.

Big Nate

1. Here comes ____________________________________ . (5 syllables)

2. I could _________________________________________ . (7 syllables)

3. Who ____________________________________________? (5 syllables)

Complete the two sentences and one question to write your own haiku.

big nate © 2010 lincoln peirce. reprinted by permission of uniVersal uclick for ufs. all rights reserVed.

photo of Jamie shafer, left — steVe bosch/THE VancouVEr Sun photo of inge mueller-langer — les bazso/THE VancouVEr Sun

jog smile residents difficult most

different big upset many together

found save cities friends

1. easy..................................

2. few........many..................

3. frown...............................

4. guests..............................

5. least..................................

6. similar..............................

7. lost....................................

8. calm.........................................

9. walk..........................................

10. strangers.................................

11. apart.......................................

12. little.........................................

13. spend .....................................

14. villages....................................

September 2015 tHe WeStCOASt reADer — teACHerS’ NOteS pAGe 4

Family crosswordChoose the correct family word to complete each sentence:

PHOTO – ISTOCkPHOTO

3. The son of my mother is my .......brother............................

5. My aunt’s daughter is my ........................................

8. The husband of my mother is my ...........................

9. Joseph is with his mother’s sister. Her sister is his .................

10. The mother of my father is my ...............................

11. A man has a child who is a girl. She is his ..............................

1

2 3

4 5 6 7

8

9

10

11

Across

1. My mother’s father is my ........................................

2. My mother’s brother is my ......................................

4. The daughter of my mother is my ...........................

6. A woman has a child who is a boy. He is her ............................

7. The wife of my father is my ...................................................

Down

Across

Down

b r o t h e r