April 28, 2016 Blog Discussion

This is an interesting and maybe uniquely Canadian story.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yellowknife-kfc-wedding-anniversary-1.3547659

Please read the whole article (it is not long) and consider the questions below. I have linked some of the perhaps tougher words to the dictionary. Just click to see the meaning.

1) What is your opinion of having KFC at a wedding?

2) What uncommon wedding food would you like at your wedding?

3) Would you drive that far to get a type of food?

4) What is the craziest thing you have done (or a friend has done) to satisfy a craving?

5) What are some foods (or clothes, or clubs) that you must travel a long distance to get in your home country?

April 20/16 Blog Discussion!

Howdy everyone,

Please have a look at this article. When you read it, make sure to read the statistics at the very bottom of the page. Even if you do not read the entire article, make sure to read the first half and the statistics at the bottom.

Questions:

1) Is it important to students/children to be physically active?
2) Do you think physical education class is more important or equally as important as some other subjects? Which ones? No? Why?
3) Does exercising or just taking a walk help you to study better?
4) How much TV or internet do you watch each day?
5) Which is more important, physical health or high academic achievement (good grades)?
6) How many hours of physical activity each day do Korean/Japanese students get? Is it enough? How many hours do you think they should get?

April 13/16 Blog Discussion

Please have a look at this short video and think about the questions below. Please be prepared for class.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/tokyo-opens-its-1st-hedgehog-caf%C3%A9-1.3525480

1) Why do you think people like these kinds of cafes? Have you ever been to a cafe like this?
2) What kind of animal cafe would you open?
3) Do you think these cafes teach people to respect nature or view it carelessly?
4) Would you prefer to go to an animal cafe or the zoo?

See you in class!

Matthew

April 7 2016 Blog Discussion

This is today's article. Please read and understand it before Wednesday's class. The difficult vocabulary is defined at the end of the article. Try to read it first before studying the vocabulary.

Don't forget the questions below the article.

See you in class!

More than 100,000 of these baby turtles have been released into a river near the Bolivian Amazon. 

Bolivia's President, Evo Morales, along with Alexandra Moreira, Bolivian Minister for the Environment and

Water, attended the releasing ceremony.

The goal is to repopulate the area with the small turtles. These can eventually measure up to 3.2 feet (1

 metre), weigh up to 154 pounds (70 kilograms) and live for up to 100 years.

The repopulation plan dates from 2007 and has the support of Brazil. According to Moreira since they 

started, 10 million baby turtles have been released back into the wild near the border with Brazil.

River turtles inhabiting the rivers of the Bolivian Amazon are endangered due to the high demand for 

their meat and eggs which are high in protein.

Morales praised conservation work being carried out for the turtles, pointing out how more than ever 

there are new generations joining political projects that allow us to take care of Mother Earth. The 

president of the ecological association in the area, Jose Suarez from Brazil, said conservation work was

 important for the biodiversity in the region. He pointed out that turtles have no nationality. They belong

 to nature and it is imperative, therefore, that projects like this are undertaken.

The turtles live in the rivers of the Departments of La Paz, Pando, and Santa Cruz. They play an 

important role in the ecosystem there, as they help to save flooded forests by digesting food which can

 clean the rivers.

Difficult words: the support of Brazil (the people in Brazil want this plan to happen), inhabit (to live somewhere), endangered (at risk of dying out), due to (because of), praise (to say good things about), ecological (studying plants and animals), biodiversity (the different living things in a place), imperative (very important), therefore (for that reason), digest (to eat).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com

1. Do you think it is humans responsibility to replace extinct or endangered animals?
2. Are there any animals in your country you think should be re-populated?
3. Do you think re-populating just encouraged polluters to pollute more?
4. What actions do you do to conserve the environment?
5. Who do you think should pay the money to clean the environment? Government? Taxpayers? Companies? Why?
6. In your opinion, do animals have a nationality? Do they belong to a certain country or are they world citizens?