Wanna be Wednesday 4/13/11

I wanna be good to the earth. Earth Day is on Good Friday this year or April 22nd. This video is called "Give Earth a Hand". The expression 'give a hand' means to help. So you can give earth a hand or help the earth. In this commercial, it shows two very different wants. What is important to you?

We can give earth a hand. We can change some of our actions. Earth Canada suggests four ways:

1. I won't watch TV.
2. I won't use toxic cleaners.
3. I won't buy it.
4. I won't eat meat.

Okay. Maybe, you are not willing to stop all these actions, but you can reduce some of these actions. What are you willing to give up?

Read more on Earth Canada.

Related Posts:

• Music Monday: Disney Nature Earth
• The Next Decade: Renault Twizy
• Wanna be Wednesday 1/13/2010

Endangered Species:Polar Bears

Are polar bears endangered?

Experts in polar bear science believe they are. They predict as the Arctic continues to warm due to climate change, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by mid-century... hope remains if action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

How many polar bears are there?.....In 2008, scientists estimated there might be 20,000 to 25,000 of them. From Polar Bears International

How does global warming affect the polar bears?

The ice in the Arctic is melting.

1. Their population is decreasing.
2. The ice platforms are further apart. Swimming conditions are more dangerous.
3. There are fewer opportunities to hunt and food is more scarce. National Wildlife Federation

A) Here is a video from BBC. It's about polar bears and the summer melt. After you listen, try the listening quiz.

Choose the best answer.

1. You can hear the ice

a) melting

b) creaking

c) cracking

2. This season, the winter ice

a) is stronger

b) is not as thick

c) is not as thin

3. The polar bear is

a) swimming in the water

b) struggling in the water

c) floating in the water

4. The polar bear looks

a) exhausted

b) relaxed

c) tired

5. The polar bear is not able to

a) climb out easily

b) free herself easily

c) find better ice

B) Polar bears are fun to watch. Watch the mother and her cub. Then answer the questions.

Choose the best answer.

1. The cub is on the ice

a) for the fifth time

b) for the first time

2. The mother bear is looking for

a) the sea

b) seals

3.. The mother is wearing

a) a radio collar.

b) a red collar

4. The mother bear is not falling through the ice because

a) she knows how to walk quickly

b) she spreads her weight

5. The young cub is

a) having fun

b) learning to run

6. The mother will teach the baby

a) to swim for fish

b) to hunt seal

More about polar bears:

• Animal Facts
  
  
• Polar Bears International

Listening Quizzes:

• A) 1c 2b 3b 4c 5a
• B) 1b 2b 3a 4b 5a 6b

April: Earth Month

superpoop.com

A Blast From the Past

'Blast from the past' is an expression which means something or someone that returns after a period of time. When you hear an old song, you can say, "That's a blast from the past". Today, I would like to go back in time to one of my favourite posts.

Wanna be 4/1 is two years old today. I hope you enjoy it. Please press here.

April Fools!

April Fools is on April 1st. You can only play tricks on people in the morning. You can make mischief or play jokes on people on this day. Did you like the video? Is it funny?

Remember April 1st and have some fun! Be careful, someone might try to fool you!

Music Monday: Friday

Do you like it or hate it?

This video is popular because some people don't like it. It has more than 22 million views on Youtube. Some people say, "It is the worst song ever". Rebecca Black sings the song, Friday. She is thirteen years old.

What happens in the song?

The teenager, Rebecca, gets up and sings about Friday. It's the weekend. She sings with her friends in cars. At night, they go to a party. The words are simple. Maybe, the story is too simple.

Do I like the video?

I think the video is funny. Real teenagers are smarter than Rebecca.

Watch for one minute and answer these questions. This a beginner ESL quiz.

1. Why does Rebecca study on Sunday?

2. Does she take her essay to school on Thursday?

3. When does she have music practise?

4. What time does she wake up?

5. What colour is her alarm clock?

6. Is her bedroom on the first floor?

7. How does she travel to school?

8. How do Rebecca's friends go to school?

9. Rebecca travels with her friends. Where does she sit?

10 Why does Rebecca and her friends like Friday?

Here's some of the words for the song, Friday.

Rebecca Black - Verse 1

7am, waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal
Seein’ everything, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’
Gotta get down to the bus stop
Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends (My friends)

Kickin’ in the front seat
Sittin’ in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

The Irish have a holiday, Saint Patrick's Day, on March 17. It began as a religious holiday because of Saint Patrick. Now, there are many Irish in Canada and around the world. "You can be Irish for a day" and celebrate Saint Patrick's Day too. In Canada, some people wear green. The Irish restaurants and pubs are full of people celebrating. Irish music and songs are popular. Green beer and Irish beer is the favourite drink.

What do you know about Saint Patrick's Day? Learn more by watching this video.

What about the leprechauns?

Well, leprechauns are Irish fairies that live in Ireland. Try to catch a leprechaun. Why? Because they can take you to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Leprechauns don't like to be caught and are full of michief

What is Lucky Charms?

It's a popular cereal. The box has a picture of a leprechaun. Sometimes, he is on television commercials and has an Irish accent.

Related posts:

• Music Monday: Irish Folk
• Wanna be Wednesday 3/11

Monday Music: Michael Buble'

The Juno Awards are coming to Toronto in March! The Juno's are the Canadian music awards. Michael Buble' ("booblay") was at the Juno's last year. He has won multiple Juno Awards.

Last year, he won

• Pop Album of the Year
• Single of the Year - Haven't Met You Yet
• Album of the Year - Crazy Love
• Juno Fan Choice Award

Last year, he was nominated for

• Artist of the Year
• Songwriter of the year

Here is Michael Buble' 's song, Haven't Met You Yet. He is singing it at the Juno Awards, 2010.

Here are the words for Haven't Met You Yet. You can listen to the song and follow the words.

Related Posts:

• Music Monday: Junos
• Music Monday: Feist

Preposition Review: Location

The teacher, Steve Ford, explains several location prepositions. Do you know the difference between in and at? Next to and near?

Related post:

• Time Prepositions

Winter in Toronto, 2011

Last week, Toronto had some storms. A walk at Lake Ontario shows the trees and bushes covered in ice. The last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February are usually the coldest part of the winter. This is early February and it was cold! My camera got so cold, it stopped working.

I look at these winter photos, but I know the February thaw will follow. The ice will begin to melt by the end of February. March is always unpredictable. We could get some snow storms in March. We have had a lot of snow this winter and it looks like it will be here for some time.

Check out the weather in Toronto here.

Related posts:

• Speaking: The Weather
• Winter in Toronto 4
• Winter in Toronto 2