Video – The Piano Guys original tune: All of Me

The video we watched an original tune by The Piano Guys: All of Me. Jon Schmidt (the pianist) wrote this song years ago and many people have performed it on YouTube. Finally, he recorded his version for YouTube.

Enjoy the video again.

Lesson 14 – Chapter 10 (continued)

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) for the last time on the topic of Spring Break Plans. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

We took a quiz on NAWL 1-8 to practice for the test. 


EWr Log (homework)
Make a spreadsheet to show your progress in your writing speed. Follow these steps:

• Go to your EWr Log.
• Highlight the cell A1.
• Shift-click on the cell B14 (or the highest number you reached).
• From the Insert menu, click on Chart.
• From the Chart editor choose Stacked area chart from the Chart type menu.
• From the Chart editor on the right side, click on Customize.
• From the Horizontal axis menu choose Treat labels as text.
• From the Series menu click on Trendline.

Textbook
Do the On Your Own task in Google Docs (p.166).

Homework
Write a new blog post with the topic Spring Break. 

Next Week
You will take your final test.

Final Test
Review the following for the final test:

1. Signal words (pp. 49)
2. Order of importance paragraph writing (Chapter 4)
3. The Writing Process (3 steps from Chapter 6)
4. Supporting the Main Idea (Chapter 7)
5. Verbs, adjectives and adverbs describing change (p. 100).
6. Verbs introducing quotes (p. 107).
7. Expressing Your Opinion (Chapter 10).
8. Vocabulary (from Quizlet NAWL Sets 1-8)

Google Docs Homework

• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L14 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L14).
• Share it with me on Google. 1/21 21:59.

Video — What Makes You Beautiful (The Piano Guys Cover of One Direction)

What Makes You Beautiful 
(The Piano Guys Cover of One Direction)

I wonder how much practice they must have done to make this video. Enjoy it again!

Lesson 13 – Chapter 10 (continued)

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) for the last time on the topic of Winter Food (or drink, or clothes). Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

We took a quiz on NAWL 1-7 to practice for the test. Learn and study NAWL 8 for next week. Take the other quizzes (1-7) to review those words too.


Textbook

• In class, we read each other's Paragraph Practice 1 from last lesson.
• Do Paragraph Practice 2-4 in your textbook.

Homework

• Leave a comment on 2 classmate's blog post A Good (or Bad) Winter Memory. Choose the person 4 below you on the list and one other classmate.
• Finish the textbook homework. Write your revisions for Paragraph Practice 2-4 in your Google Doc.
• Do You Be the Editor (p. 166) and check your answers in the back of the book.

Google Docs Homework

• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L13 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L13).
• Share it with me on Google. 1/14 21:59.

Video — Mary, Did You Know? (Petatonix)

Mary, Did You Know? is a Christmas song written in 1991. It has become a popular song for artists to cover. Maybe the best version so far is the one recorded this year by Pentatonix, a popular YouTube artist. Enjoy the video again. I have included the lyrics below the video.

Merry Christmas!

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.

The lame will leap, the mute will speak, the praises of the Lamb.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great I AM.

Lesson 12 – Chapter 10 Expressing Your Opinion

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of A Good (or Bad) Christmas (or New Year's) memory. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

You took a quiz on NAWL 1-6. You will take the NAWL 1-7 quiz in the next lesson. Study by taking the TEST for each set.


Textbook
In class, we began working on Chapter 10 from p. 148. Do the activities through the first half of page 158 and check your answers.

Answer Key



Homework

• Do Paragraph Practice 1 in your textbook (pp. 158-161). 
• Write your revised paragraph in Google Docs.
• Write a new blog post A Good (or Bad) Christmas (or New Year's) memory.

Google Docs Homework

• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L12 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L12).
• Share it with me on Google. 1/7 23:59.

Video — Angels We Have Heard on High (The Piano Guys)

Angels We Have Heard on High
(The Piano Guys)

Now that Thanksgiving is finished, we can listen to Christmas music! This is a classic Christmas song with a twist by the Piano Guys. They use many GoPro cameras and a drone (indoors!).

Enjoy it again (except for the 3rd period class. We didn't have time during the class, so enjoy it for the first time!).

Lesson 12 – Supporting the Main Idea (continued)

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of A good (or bad) Winter memory. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

You took a quiz on NAWL 1-5. You will take the NAWL 1-6 quiz next week. 


Textbook

• Do Practice A and B in your textbook (pp. 98-99) and check the answers.
• Do Paragraph Practice 1 in your textbook (pp. 99-100) and then in your Google Doc.
• Do Practice A, B and C in your textbook (pp. 101-103) and check your answers for B.
• Do Paragraph Practice 1 in your textbook (pp. 104-105) and then in your Google Doc. Check your answers for Prewriting. 
• Do Paragraph Practice 2 in your textbook (pp. 105-106) and then in your Google Doc. Check your answers for Prewriting. 

Chapter 7 Prewriting Answers

Homework

• Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet. There will be a quiz on the NAWL 1-6 sets next week. 
• Write a new blog post with the topic A Good (or Bad) Winter Memory. Include a photograph or illustration.

Google Docs Homework

• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L12 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L12).
• Share it with me on Google.  12/16 21:59.

Video — Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Pentatonix)

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
(Pentatonix)

This Christmas tune is from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. The story takes place on Christmas Eve. This performance is amazing. I wonder how many hours they must have practiced for this song.

Enjoy it again.

Lesson 11 – Supporting the Main Idea (continued)

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of Describe a good friend. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

We took a quiz on NAWL 1-4. Next week you will take the NAWL 5 quiz next week. 


Textbook
We continued to look at Chapter 7: Supporting the Main Idea in the textbook. 



Homework

• Finish Paragraph Practice 2 in your textbook (p. 93). 
• Do Paragraph Practice 3 in your textbook (p. 94). 
• Do Paragraph Practice 1 in your textbook (p. 96).
• Write your paragraphs in Google Docs after you check the Revising steps (including the checklist on p. 77).
• Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet. There will be a quiz on the NAWL 7 list next week. 
• Leave a comment on your classmate's post OYO. Choose the person 4 above you on the list.

Google Docs Homework

• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L11 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L11).
• Share it with me on Google. 12/10 21:59.

Video — Indiana Jones Rocks Petra with this Arabian Classical Remix! - The Piano Guys (Wonder of the World 4 of 7)

Indiana Jones Rocks Petra with this Arabian Classical Remix!
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the fourth in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to Petra a city built into the rock in Jordan. The name Petra means rock.

Because Petra was a location in the 3rd Indian Jones movie, they use music from the soundtrack in this tune.

Enjoy the video again.


 





You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 10 – Supporting the Main Idea

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of Describe a favorite clothing store. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

We took at quiz. 


Textbook
We looked at the first part of Chapter 7: Supporting the Main Idea in the textbook. 

You did Practice A & B (pp. 88-89) in your textbook. And Using Example for Support.


Homework

• Do You Be the Editor (pp. 86). Check your answers in the back of the book.
• Practice Grammar for Writing in your textbook (pp. 89-90)
• Do the rest of Paragraph Practice 1 in your textbook (pp. 91-92). Write your paragraph in Google Docs.Write your paragraph in Google Docs.
• Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet. There will be a quiz on the NAWL 1-4 set next week. 
• Write a new blog post with the topic OYO: (+ your title). Follow the instructions from On Your Own (p. 86).

Google Docs Homework

• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L10 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L10).
• Share it with me on Google. 12/2 21:59.

Video — The Jungle Book / Sarabande (Mayan Style)

The Jungle Book / Sarabande (Mayan Style)
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the third in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The most famous view is of El Castillo, a big Mayan pyramid.

The music is a medley of tunes from the soundtrack to Disney's The Jungle Book. Did you see the bear and the panther in the video? They are two main characters from the movie

Enjoy the video again.


 



You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 9 – Chapter 6C: Revising

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of My favorite music artist. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

We took another quiz. Study the new set for next week.


Textbook
We practiced revising as the third step in the Writing Process pp. 77-79.

You can check your answers for Task B with the link below:
Chapter 6 Task B Answers



Paragraph Practice 2

• You interviewed your partner as a prewriting activity (pp. 84-85). Write a paragraph about your partner in Google Docs.
• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L9 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L9).
• Share it with them on Google. (Be sure to get their email address). In class.
• Write your paragraph. 11/21 21:59.
• Give suggestions to your partner about their paragraph. 11/23 21:59.
• Rewrite your paragraph and share it with me. Use the Revising Checklist (p. 77). 11/25 21:59.

Homework

• Practice Grammar for Writing in your textbook (pp. 80-83)
• Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet. There will be another quiz next week. 
• Write a new blog post: My favorite music artist.

Video — The Mission / How Great Thou Art - The Piano Guys (Wonder of The World 2 of 7)

The Mission / How Great Thou Art 
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the second in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). They also visit Iguazu Falls near the border of Argentina. 

The music is a mashup (mix) of two tunes. One is called Gabriel's Oboe. It is the most famous music from the soundtrack of the movie The Mission. The setting of the movie is at Iguazu Falls. It is a wonderful movie and I strongly recommend it. It has a beautiful theme about love (not romantic). I cry every time I see it. The other music is a Christian hymn called How Great Thou Art.

Enjoy the video again.


 

You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 8 – Chapter 6B: Clustering

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of A Movie that Moved You. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 


Textbook
We tried clustering as a pre-writing strategy pp. 75-76.

Write your outline from your clustering ideas on your paper.


Homework

• Write your answers in your textbook. 
• Outline for your clustering topic (p. 76)
• Step Two: Writing (for your clustering topic) (pp. 76-77)
• Step Three: Revising (p. 77). Use the checklist to improve your paragraph.
• Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet. Next week is another quiz*.
• Leave a comment on your classmate's (2 below you on the list) topic A place I want to visit. Leave comments on 3 other classmates' posts.

Video — Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends (The Piano Guys – Wonders of the World Series)

Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends 
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the first in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to the Great Wall of China. Enjoy the video again.





You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 6 – Brainstorming (Understanding the Writing Process)

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again on the topic of A place I want to visit. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
We used Quizlet in class to study vocabulary. You should also use it outside of class. 

We also took a quiz with Quizlet on the NAWL 2 set. If your score is 85% or better, you are doing well. If you scored less than 85%, you should study the set again.

Next week's quiz is on the NAWL 3 set.


Textbook
We began Chapter 6: Understanding the Writing Process in our textbooks. We tried brainstorming to practice prewriting. You will write a paragraph using your topic sentence and ideas.


Homework

• Write your paragraph in a Google Docs file (see instructions below). 
• Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet. Next week is a quiz.
• Write a blog post. The title will be A place I want to visit.

Google Docs
For the online part of your homework, prepare a Google Doc and share it with me.

• Go to Google Docs here: Google Docs
• Start a new document.
• Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L6 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L6)
• Share it with me.

Due 11/12 21:59

Video — I Won't Give Up (Jayesslee Cover of Jason Mraz)

I Won't Give Up (Jayesslee Cover of Jason Mraz)
Jayesslee is the artist who sang the Gangnam Style cover we watched before. Jayesslee means J S Lee. Their names are Janice (Jay for J) and Sonia (Ess for S) and their last name is Lee. I love their harmonies. It must have been difficult to perform this on one take at the beach.

See the lyrics below the video.

I Won't Give Up

Jason Mraz

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

Well I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not and who I am

I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up, still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up

Lesson 5 – Chapter 2 On Your Own

EWr
We did Extensive Writing (EWr) once again. Today's topic was A School Festival Memory. Could you beat your best? Enter your score in your EWr Log.

Quizlet

We took a quiz on Quizlet in class: NAWL 1. 

Study the NAWL 2 Set for next week's quiz. 

Textbook

Check your answers for pages 12-31 with the link below.

Chapter 2 Answers

We also began writing On Your Own on page 31.

Homework

1. Write your answers in a Google Docs file (see instructions below). 
1. Task B (p. 14)
2. Writing Topic Sentences (pp. 16-17)
3. Writing Supporting Sentences (p. 18)
4. Writing Concluding Sentences (p. 20)
5. Tasks C-E (pp. 22-23). Write only your concluding sentences.
6. Write your paragraph for Task D on p. 29.
7. Write your paragraph for Task D on p. 30.
8. Write a paragraph for On Your Own on p. 31.
2. Spend 5 minutes or more per day on Quizlet.

Google Docs

For the online part of your homework, prepare a Google Doc and share it with me.

1. Start a new document in Google Docs and share it to my samuraitheologian email address. 
2. Give it the title of your full name + AW06 + L5 (Taro Suzuki's AW06 L5)
3. Due 11/5 21:59

Video — Mission Impossible (The Piano Guys featuring Lindsey Stirling)

We watched the Piano Guys play Mission Impossible, a popular TV show turned into a movie series. This time they were joined by another YouTube star, Lindsey Stirling. She is known for playing violin while dancing. Enjoy it again below:

Lesson 04 – Chapter 2 (part 1)

EWr
We tried Extensive Writing (EWr) again. The topic was Autumn Food and Drink. Could you beat your score from last week? Enter your score in your EWr Log.


Quizlet
After you enter your EWr Scores in your log, study vocabulary on Quizlet.


Blog Set Up
If you have not yet set up your blog for our class, follow these steps:

1. Log in to Google.co.jp .
2. Change language to English to make it easier to follow these instructions.
3. Click on the icon at the top right of the page that looks like a box of 9 squares.
4. Pull down to the More menu item.
5. Click on the Blogger menu item.
6. Click on the New Blog button at the top left of the page.
7. In the Title cell, write, "(your full name's) AW Blog" (ex. Keiko Sato's AW Blog).
8. In the Address cell, write, "(your full name without spaces) + AW05" (ex. KeikoSatoAW06).
9. Choose the Simple template. You can change the template later.
10. Click on Create Blog. This should take you to your Blogger Dashboard.
11. Follow the steps below (from step 2) to send me the link to your blog.

Submit Blog Link
Everyone should send me the link to your blog. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Blogger and log in. This should take you to your Blogger Dashboard.
2. Click on the View Blog button.
3. Copy the URL to your blog.
4. Send it to me by email (samuraitheologian) with "AW06 Blog Link" as your email subject.

First Blog Assignment
Write a blog post introducing yourself. You should include information about:

• Your name.
• Your family (if you feel comfortable)
• Your hometown
• Your school major (Literature, Economics, Politics, etc…)
• Your interests or hobbies
• Your pets

Include photographs or images if you like. Give your blog post the title Self-Introduction. Due 10/29 23:59.

Textbook

We checked our answers for Chapter 1. You can check your answers for Grammar for Writing with the link below:

Chapter 1 Answers

For homework do Chapter 2: Understanding Paragraphs in the textbook. Read, study, and do the tasks from pages 11-20. Be ready to share your answers in the next lesson.

Homework

• RTW On Your Own (p. 10). Write your answers on paper.
• RTW Pages 11-20
• Study for the Quizlet Quiz (NAWL 1)

Canceled Lesson Homework (Lesson 3)

To get credit for the Lesson 3's attendance, completely pages 21-30 in RTW.

Video — Cello Wars (Star Wars parody by The Piano Guys on YouTube)

The Piano Guys are my favorite YouTube artists. They have great music AND great videos. This one is a parody of my favorite movie from my childhood, Star Wars. Now people call it Episode IV (4) or A New Hope, but it was Star Wars to us when it came out. It wasn't until the stupid prequels (Episodes I, II & III) years later that those names were used.

The ideas of lightsabers, fighting ships flying across the screen, laser guns and The Force were all new and very cool. Star Wars was the first real blockbuster movie. If you wanted to see it when it came out, you might have had to wait hours and there were no reserved seats back then. It stayed in the cinemas for over a year.

I have included a modern trailer of the movie below the Piano Guys video. The original trailer was not very good. Enjoy!

Lesson 2 – Extensive Writing & Journals

Extensive Writing (EWr)
We tried Extensive Writing (EWr) for the first time. How many words could you write?

EWr Log

We will use Google Sheets (spreadsheet) to keep track of our progress in extensive writing (EWr). This makes it easy me to follow your progress. It also makes it easy for you to see your own progress. You can generate a line graph from the spreadsheet.

Follow the steps:

1. Sign in / log in to Google Drive.
2. Click on NEW.
3. Choose GOOGLE SHEETS. 
4. In the top left box, give your spreadsheet the title: full name + AW06 + EWr Log (e.g., Taro Suzuki AWO6 EWr Log)
5. In the top right corner, click on SHARE.
6. Share it with me. Use my email address (samuraitheologian).
7. In the A column, write the date of your first EWr.
8. In the B column, write the number of words.
9. In the C column, write the percentage (%) your partner understood.
10. Repeat for each time.

Enter in your EWr score every week.

Quizlet Sign Up

Practice the NAWL 1 set on Quizlet to prepare for next week's quiz.

Homework

Do pages 1~9 in your textbook. 

Video – Tom Sawyer by Rush

As I told you in my self-introduction, the Canadian rock trio, Rush, is my favorite band. Geddy Lee, the bass player, is also the singer and keyboardist; Alex Lifeson is the guitar player; Neil Peart is the drummer and lyricist (writer of the words).

Rush's best-known song is Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer is the name of a famous character is American literature. Mark Twain wrote a few novels with Tom as a character who observes human nature. Tom was a boy and had a friend named Huckleberry (Huck) Finn. Huck had his own novel in which he made a raft (small flat boat) and traveled down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave.

In the introduction part of the video there is an animation with characters from South Park (a popular TV show). The characters have their own rock group called Lil' Rush. They start to play Tom Sawyer, but stop to have an argument. It's because the singer confuses Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

In this song, Peart (the writer) thinks of himself as a "modern-day Tom Sawyer". So, this song is really about himself. I have included the lyrics (words) below the video if you would like to read them. Enjoy!






Tom Sawyer
Words: Peart    Music: Lee & Lifeson

A modern day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride

Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
He reserves the quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide

Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you

No, his mind is not for rent
To any God or government
Always hopeful yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide

Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets by on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to the friction of the day

Lesson 1 – Orientation

Welcome to Academic Writing (Intermediate)!
In this first lesson, we introduced ourselves to each other. I also explained the outline for the course.

Quizlet Sign Up

We will use Quizlet, a free flashcard app to study vocabulary. We registered in class. If you need missed it, you can sign up with the link below.

1. After signing up, click on this link to join our class's group: https://quizlet.com/join/4ASdBqW57.
2. Try the set on our class page.
3. Download the Quizlet app for your phone from your app store (recommended).
4. Practice the different tools on Quizlet this week.

Next Week

1. Buy and bring a B5 Notebook (not spiral).
2. Write your full name in English on the front
3. Write "Academic Writing 06" under your name
4. Write "Daniel Beck" below that.
5. Bring your MacBook to class.
6. Study on Quizlet.