Christmas Cookies

Most Americans are busy at this time of year getting ready for Christmas next week... A big part of our preparations is baking a wide variety of holiday cookies. Click here for over 40 common recipes -- plus videos to guide you step-by-step!

We usually give cookies to our teachers, friends and family -- wrapped up nicely with a holiday ribbons and bows. 

Visit the North Pole!

Christmas is fast approaching... Here's a super web site where you can get ready!

Teachers, parents and kids can find all sorts of activities here:

Explore the whole site to meet all of Santa's elves and to find hidden clues -- so you can solve a Christmas mystery!

Practice your Christmas vocabulary by doing crossword puzzles & word searches:

Visit Santa's Workshop to read a virtual library of stories about Christmas; some are interactive:

Practice your skills counting American money by helping the elves in the workshop:

Get a glimpse of what the North Pole looks like by doing various puzzles:

Elementary school children will enjoy Elf Academy, the school where they can practice all kinds of math, spelling and other skills.

Spend some time with Mrs. Claus in the kitchen; she'll teach you all kinds of Christmas recipes.

If you'd like to write a letter to Santa (and get an answer back!), visit the post office: 

Grammar Girl!

I highly recommend Grammar Girl, one of the most popular Engilsh-language podcasts on the web! Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl, hosts this five-minute weekly explanation of useful grammar -- with much humor! She's fun to watch and you learn a lot. Take her quiz on the blog's sidebar to find out what areas of your grammar usage you might need to improve...

grammar.quickanddirtytips.com

Daniel Powter's "Bad Day"... A Good Song!

We watched this video and analyzed the lyrics of the song in Eleventh Grade English today. It's a great song! Catchy and interesting lyrics, good vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, and clear pronunciation make it ideal for inclusion in a high school classroom. As I asked students questions during the discussion, one sang back his answers to me... :-)

After I post the lyrics, I'll discuss the idiomatic expressions we covered. 

"Bad Day"

Where is the moment we needed the most?

You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost.

They tell me your blue skies fade to grey...

They tell me your passion's gone away...

And I don't need no carryin' on!

You stand in the line just to hit a new low.

You're faking a smile with the coffee to go...

You tell me your life's been way off line;

You're falling to pieces every time...

And I don't need no carryin' on!

'Cause you had a bad day!

You're taking one down!

You sing a sad song just to turn it around...

You say you don't know!

You tell me don't lie!

You work at a smile and you go for a ride...

You had a bad day...

The camera don't lie...

You're coming back down and you really don't mind!

You had a bad day...

You had a bad day...

Well, you need a blue sky holiday...

The point is they laugh at what you say...

And I don't need no carryin' on!

You had a bad day!

You're taking one down!

You sing a sad song just to turn it around...

You say you don't know!

You tell me don't lie!

You work at a smile and you go for a ride...

You had a bad day...

The camera don't lie...

You're coming back down and you really don't mind...

You had a bad day...

(Oh.. Holiday..)

Sometimes the system goes on the blink

And the whole thing turns out wrong!

You might not make it back and you know

That you could be, well, oh that strong!

And I'm not wrong...

So, where is the passion when you need it the most?

Oh, you and I...

You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost...

'Cause you had a bad day!

You're taking one down!

You sing a sad song just to turn it around...

You say you don't know...

You tell me don't lie...

You work at a smile and you go for a ride...

You had a bad day!

You've seen what you like!

And how does it feel for one more time?

You had a bad day...

You had a bad day!

Had a bad day...

Had a bad day...

Had a bad day...

Had a bad day...

Had a bad day...

Here are some highlights from our discussion of the idiomatic expressions, with the students' comments included.

the magic is lost: no longer special, idealized, in a sad or disappointing way

When can the "magic be lost"? In a relationship, marriage, friendship... Your new home or job could also "lose its magic" once you realize its not as perfect as you had initially hoped.

to fade to grey: to become old, blurry, not easily visible, difficult to remember

What kinds of things can "fade to grey"? Photographs, obviously, but also our memories and impressions.

to carry on: to have a temper tantrum OR to continue on with one's life in a positive manner when it's hard

In what situations might a teenager "carry on," as in "to have a temper tantrum"? When not allowed to go to a party... When forced to study all weekend... When treated like a small child... 

In what situations might a teenager "carry on" in the second sense of the expression? (This expressions really appealed to the class). After a death in the family... After a divorce... After a bad break-up with a boyfriend or girlfriend... After a bad fight with a friend... After failing some exams... After not getting in to the university of one's choice... After developing problems with alcohol or drugs...

to hit a (new) low: to reach a low point, to fail, to have a very hard time

What could cause someone to "hit a low"? Losing one's job... Financial troubles... Death or sickness... Problems in relationships or friendships...

to fake a smile: to smile when you don't want to, to pretend to be happy, perhaps in a deceitful/insincere way

When might you have to "fake a smile"? At work or school with a teacher or student you really don't like but have to work with... When you know someone doesn't really like you, but they pretend they do -- so you have to pretend, also...

to work at a smile: to try to smile when you're actually feeling sad

When might you have to "work at a smile"? When you're having a very hard time in your personal life, but you want to keep it private... When you're upset  but it's just not appropriate to talk about it...

coffee-to-go: a coffee you purchase to take with you, not to drink at the cafe

What other items might you be able to get "to go"? Pizza... Any meal from a restaurant... (We talked about how the whole concept of "to go" is becoming more popular in Russia). 

to fall to pieces: to have an emotional breakdown

What might cause a four-year-old to "fall to pieces"? Wanting something she is allowed to have... Being overtired... Being hungry... Being jealous of a sibling... Wanting attention... 

to turn around: to salvage, to improve

What kinds of situations can a person "turn around," and how? If someone is alcoholic, he can get treatment and stop drinking. If someone loses his job, he can find a new one. If a close friend dies, you can grieve her death and focus on your other friendships. If you have been getting very bad marks in school, you can study hard and do better.

to go on the blink: to malfunction (something electronic)

What kinds of things "go on the blink" in our everyday lives? Our cellphones... Our computers... Our alarm clocks... Our televisions... Our digital cameras... Our washing machines and microwave ovens...

Origin of the Expression "OK"

Someone just asked me about the origin of the expression "OK" during the last lesson. Good question; I realized that I didn't know! A quick search unearthed the following explanation from National Public Radio; click here to listen to the essay.

Another Essay about the Impact of the Recession on American Teens

This essay was contributed anonymously to Youth Radio.

October 16, 2008

by Anonymous

For many young people around the nation, college was more of an expectation than a dream. That way of thinking is changing each day as our country dives head first into a recession. The New York Times reported that juniors and seniors who had plans on going to well-known universities for top-of-the-line educations are second-guessing the paths they once envisioned for themselves.

Youth Radio talked to Mia-Sarah Abdula, a junior at an art school in Manhattan, New York, called Fashion Industries. She once dreamed of going to Columbia or UC Berkeley, but now she’s thinking that it would be more realistic to go to a state school or a community college. Her mother was one of 11,000 people to get laid off at Citigroup since June. She had been working there for 24 years, and is the family’s sole bread winner since Mia-Sarah’s father passed away when she was little. She says that at least for now, she is thinking of spending her first two years at a cheaper school, and trying to transfer to the school of her choice after that.

My own girlfriend, who has been planning on starting at community college for a while, recently had to take out an emergency loan just to start classes and buy books for her first semester. Community colleges are supposed to be designed for anybody to easily get the education they deserve; it isn’t supposed to be that difficult to get an education.

Teenagers who may be the first in the family to go any college at all might feel discouraged enough to forget about their goals with all these road blocks that keep getting tossed in front of them. And young people like Jane who have worked their butts off all these years* to get in to the university of their choice feel the pain as well. It’s not their fault, but our up-and-coming generations are definitely feeling the repercussions of our economy.

*"To work your butt off" is a slang term that means to work really, really hard at something. "Butt" is another word for "bottom." It's not a harsh swear word, but should be used only in a very informal situation.

Teens in America Are Feeling the Effects of the Economic Downturn

The financial crisis in America is impacting teenagers across the country. All of the sudden (or, not-so suddenly...), families are having a harder time meeting their financial obligations and there's less money for teens to spend. Some families pay their children a weekly allowance, expecting them to use their pocket money to cover the cost of school lunches, outings with friends, and extra clothing.

Most teens, however, also have part-time jobs. Teens can legally work at age sixteen, although they are still expected to finish high school. Even children from privileged families work, often as babysitters, tutors or doing yard work for other families (mowing the lawn, raking leaves, etc). Many teens also work part-time in fast-food restaurants, cafes, bookstores or in retails shops of all kinds.

Since attending a university is expensive in America, most teens start saving for for it when they're sixteen. Money received from relatives on one's birthday is often put away to help cover the costs

Having work experience has long been considered a plus when high school students apply to universities; in addition to proving the student's responsibility, it also teaches the student skills that enrich the student's academic performance.

Think that working at McDonald's is a waste of time for a sixteen-year-old? Well, Americans recognize that a high school senior who has had such experience has probably learned the following things from the experience:

• interpersonal skills (both with customers and with co-workers)
• accountability (your manager is counting on you to be at work when you say you will, and to do what you've been asked to do)
• patience (No one claims that working at McDonald's is going to be intellectually-rewarding and fun, but the patience learned by working there can serve one well in future jobs and in school.)

In addition, if you're headed to a good university, chances are that working in a fast-food restaurant will have made you even more determined to finish your studies and to have better job opportunities available to you. You're much more likely to be a committed student, taking your studies seriously.

Teens are generally expected to earn their own money to cover the items they want: new ipods, music, movie tickets, designer clothing, etc. Other items, considered needs, are usually covered by parents: basic clothing, food, transportation.

Given the downturn in the economy, however, more and more children are having to earn their own money to pay for more of what their parents used to provide. Here is one such girl's radio essay on how the financial crisis in America has transformed her; she's no longer spoiled -- instead she is taking pride in helping her family with the money she earns at her part-time job.

October 11, 2008 at 11:00pm

By Genai Powers

There was a time in my life I described myself as spoiled. Now that the economy has taken a turn for the worst, I don’t feel way that anymore.

I’m Genai Powers with a commentary from Youth Radio.

I was the first person at my school with a cell phone, and my closet was filled with designer brands -- gifts from my older sister and grandmother. But recently my sister was laid off, and now she counts on me to help put gas in her tank

My grandmother was once the financial foundation of the family, but now I see her struggling, too. Previously, if family members needed a loan, she would give it to them. When they ask now, she says, “I can’t, I’m broke,” or “I’m not made out of money.” She doesn’t take me shopping anymore, and sometimes I have to pitch in for groceries.

Helping my sister and grandmother forces me to save any money I earn to make sure we all get through this financial hardship, but I don’t mind helping out because it allows me to repay them for how they used to spoil me.

For Youth Radio, I’m Genai Powers.

Cravings: Women and Food Addictions

Talk about timing! We JUST finished discussing the phenomenon of food cravings in the ninth grade classes; are they biological or cultural? Do they differ between men and women, and why?

This is the featured story in Newsweek today! Enjoy, class!

The Pleasure Factor
Using milkshakes and brain scans, researchers find that some women are genetically predisposed to get less enjoyment from eating and may overeat to compensate.

Sarah Kliff
NEWSWEEK

It was a difficult question for obesity researchers: do some people overeat because they find eating more pleasurable or gratifying than others? Logically, that makes a lot of sense—it's a time-tested principle of psychology: if a behavior feels good, we'll keep doing it. But a new study published today in the journal Science adds to a growing body of research suggesting the opposite: that women who derive less pleasure from eating may eat more to compensate, putting them at higher risk for weight gain and obesity. The research also discovered a particular genetic trait that, when present, is associated with an even stronger relationship between low sense of reward and overeating.

"If you ask overweight individuals if they crave food, I really think they are legitimately thinking it's more rewarding," says study author Eric Stice, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute. "They'll say they're really sensitive to the rewards. But when you look at the brain scans you get a different picture."

Previous brain imaging studies have looked at what happens when we look at pictures of food. In those cases, obese individuals tend to anticipate a higher level of satisfaction of eating the pictured food than lean individuals do, supporting the idea that the people who overeat are the ones who find it more rewarding. But the Science study was the first to do those same fMRI scans while participants were actually eating—or, in this case, drinking a chocolate milkshake. "Nobody had ever administered food to people in a brain scanner and looked at what happens in the brain while you're eating," says Stice. "Now we have evidence that, when you give an obese individual a chocolate milkshake, there's less of a response going on."

What they found had a lot to do with dopamine, a neurotransmitter typically released in response to a pleasurable experience. Using an fMRI machine, the researchers measured the activity in an area of the brain that tends to be a hub for dopamine, called the dorsal striatum, when women had either a pleasurable food (the chocolate milkshake) or a control food (a tasteless solution). Obese women showed less activity in that region of the brain when they drank the milkshake compared to their leaner counterparts. And when researchers followed up with their participants a year later, they found those with decreased activity were also more likely to have gained weight. The more an individual overeats, the less potent the rewards from eating become and that creates a pattern of overeating. "The new bit is that once you start down that obesity track, it's hard to get back off," says Stice.

That risk was particularly pronounced among individuals with a particular genetic variation known as the Taq1A1 allele, suggesting a genetic disposition for weight gain—what other researchers call the most significant finding of this study. "What this research does to move things forward is identify a genetic component to brain functioning in obese people," says Gene-Jack Wang, a scientist with the Brookhaven National Laboratory. "This is a gene that can go any direction and these people are potentially more vulnerable [to having lower levels of dopamine]."

The study results reinforce the notion of obesity as similar to drug addiction, a comparison that researchers have been toying around with for the past few years. Dopamine has played a critical role in addiction research, where researchers have seen a similar pattern. "This research follows what we have seen in addictive people," says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "At first we thought they were more sensitive to pleasurable responses. But research has shown exactly the opposite, that they have a blunted response to drugs and release much less dopamine. With obesity, it took everyone by surprise."

Researchers know that these findings of a genetic basis for low-reward overeating are important, but there's still a lingering question: how this research can best translate into obesity-prevention efforts. "A lot of things come out of this, a lot about future applications, possible drug treatments," says Wang. "It provides answers, but is also a bit of another Pandora's box." Wang and others know genetics is definitely not everything—rates of obesity have skyrocketed in the past century, far too quickly to be attributable to genetic variation alone—and that our nutritional environment plays an extremely significant role.

Still, if doctors can pinpoint genetic risk factors for obesity, it could reshape treatment: by, for example, identifying high-risk individuals early on or using pharmacologic interventions that could counterbalance low dopamine levels. Stice says he's not an advocate of genotyping, which he says would be "infeasible." Instead, he sees the main message of his study as a public-health warning, a strong reminder of why it's important to avoid overeating in the first place. "The more you eat, the less reward you get and the worse the problem is going to get," says Stice. Talk about a no-win situation.

Spotlight on Contemporary American Music: Jason Mraz

By popular request, here's some music!


Today I'm featuring Jason Mraz, an American musician who has been topping the charts this year.


I picked these two songs because of their current popularity in America, catchy tunes, easy-to-understand lyrics, the clear diction of the singers, and... well, because they're simply FUN!


According to Mraz's official website, "I'm Yours," the first single off of his latest album, is "a warm breeze of a song about finally giving into love and life's possibilities set to a lilting island tempo. " "Lucky" is another fantastic song about being in love with your best friend, performed with American singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat (another hot talent).


Go to his website to learn more about him and discover more music.

I'm Yours

by Jason Mraz

Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it.

I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted.

I fell right through the cracks, now I'm trying to get back.

Before the cool done run out, I'll be giving it my best test

And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention.

I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some.

But I won't hesitate no more,

no more... It cannot wait...

I'm yours.

Well, open up your mind and see like me.

Open up your plans and darn* you're free!

Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love...

Listen to the music of the moment! People, dance and sing!

We're just one big family,

And it's our godforsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved...

So, I won't hesitate no more,

No more. It cannot wait; I'm sure.

There's no need to complicate; our time is short.

This is our fate...

I'm yours.

Dooo dah doo.. Do you want to come on, schooch on over closer dear

And I will nibble your ear...

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror

And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer...

But my breath fogged up the glass

And so I drew a new face and I laughed.

I guess what I'd be saying is there ain't no better reason

to rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons.

It's what we aim to do;

Our name is our virtue.

But I won't hesitate no more,

No more... It cannot wait...

I'm yours.

Well open up your mind and see like me!

Open up your plans and darn* you're free!

Look into your heart and you will find that the sky is yours!

So please don't, please don't, please don't,

There's no need to complicate...

'Cause our time is short...

This, this, this is our fate...

I'm yours.

*He sings a stronger word here, but not actually swearing. I didn't want to put it on our blog, though. The overall song is very popular with all ages and such a positive, happy song that I included it despite the word.

Lucky

by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat

Do you hear me,

Talking to you?

Across the water, across the deep blue ocean,

Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying.

Boy, I hear you in my dreams.

I feel your whisper across the sea.

I keep you with me in my heart;

You make it easier when life gets hard.

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend!

Lucky to have been where I have been!

Lucky to be coming home again...

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh...

They don't know how long it takes,

Waiting for a love like this.

Every time we say goodbye,

I wish we had one more kiss.

I'll wait for you I promise you, I will...

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend!

Lucky to have been where I have been!

Lucky to be coming home again...

Lucky we're in love every way!

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed!

Lucky to be coming home someday...

And so I'm sailing through the sea

To an island where we'll meet.

You'll hear the music fill the air;

I'll put a flower in your hair.

Though the breezes, through trees,

Move so pretty, you're all I see.

As the world keeps spinning 'round,

You hold me right here right now.

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend!

Lucky to have been where I have been!

Lucky to be coming home again...

Lucky we're in love every way!

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed...

Lucky to be coming home someday...

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh...

Ooooh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh...

Cross-Cultural Cuisine in America: Mexican and Thai Communities Learn More about Each Other through Food

We've been talking a lot about cross-cultural exchanges in all classes this year -- and we will be for the rest of the year... After all, that's the whole point of the new sections of "American Culture" that we introduced in the 9th and 10th grades. The focus on "food" in the ninth grade classes offers us many yummy ways to delve into the topic!

This following radio broadcast and essay tastily sums up how such exchanges are taking place within American cities, where people of all cultures are neighbors. Click on this link to hear how Mexican and Thai immigrants are discovering each others' languages and culture through a shared love of food. 

Here is the transcript of the radio program, as heard on Youth Radio:

August 13, 2008 at 11:00pm

By Evelyn Martinez, Youth Radio Los Angeles

SCRIPT:

EVELYN:  What's the new what?  Check this out, I say that Thai is the new Latin Flavor.

SURIYANEE: We're gonna have some Thai food today.  Siete Mares sea food soup and we have arroz frito con camaron.

EVELYN: Yep. You heard right. "Camaron" is a Spanish word for shrimp.

That's Suriyanee Phongpian (), co-owner of Khun Dom Thai restaurant in Hollywood, where she says at least 70% of her customers are Latino. And that's why she translates her whole menu into Spanish!

It turns out that Thai restaurants all over Los Angeles are making adjustments for their growing number of Latino clientele.

AMBI: Street noise, door chimes, walking into restaurant…

Here at Lerd Rod Thai restaurant in Koreatown, they have a huge neon sign that reads in Spanish "Sopa de Siete mares". According to a waitress, 90 percent of their customers are Spanish-Speaking Latinos. Marta Jimenez is one of them.

MARTA: Me gusta por la manera de cocinar y el sabor que tiene.

EVELYN:  Marta Jimenez loves this restaurant. Why? Because she likes that it serves dishes similar to ones she cooks at home. 

So why are Thai restaurants all the rage among Latinos in Los Angeles?

Suriyanee Phongpian says there are tons of parallels between Thai food and dishes from different Latino cuisines including Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian. Even the spicy, sour and sweet flavor profiles are similar. My aunt started cooking Thai at home-and she didn't even need to buy new spices!

But Phongpian says the similarity goes beyond the food.

SURIYANEE: I always think about I went to Latinos they say "Su casa es Mi Casa" your house is my house… right

She tells me there's actually a similar saying in Thailand!

I totally get what she means: that Thais and Latinos are teaching each other a lot about language and culture - like Phongpian learning her menu in Spanish.

Mark Pandoognpatt is studying the role of food in L.A.'s Thai community at the University of Southern California.

He tells me this cross-cultural exchange in restaurants could be a sign of even bigger alliances.

MARK: The restaurants themselves are political spaces. Just by her learning Spanish, that's already a political commitment, as much as it can also be a marketing commitment for her its still a strong statement that she's making.

AMBIENT: RESTAURANT AMBI

Mark says these kinds of exchanges are how multicultural communities evolve. And I'm all for it, especially if that evolution means more sweet and spicy lunches like this one.

AMBIENT: mmmmm. Pouring sounds.

And as long as it tastes good, why not let Thai be the new Latin flavor?