Successful Study Habits

It is that time of year again! Final exams are approaching us soon. Do not be afraid because I have some tips for you to use when you begin studying for your exams. Before you start studying find a place where you will not be disturbed. When you are disturbed while you are studying, you lose your train of thought, which will lead to very ineffective studying. It is a stressful time but when it is well planned, you will feel a little more relaxed. You may delay starting your studying because you think you have more time than you do. A delay in studying is called "procrastination." If you procrastinate for any reason, you will find it difficult to get everything done when you need to. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors. If you try to do too much studying at one time, you will be tired and your studying will not be very effective. Space the work you have to do over shorter periods of time. Taking short breaks will restore your mental energy. Simplifying studying without direction is not effective. You need to know exactly what you need to accomplish during each study session. Before you start studying, set a study session goal that supports your overall academic goal. For example, memorize 30 vocabulary words in order to ace the vocabulary section on an upcoming English test. Reviewing your notes will help as a guide to what will be on the test. In the end, you are being tested on what you have learned in class.
Remember:
1) Find a place that is comfortable for you and your need to concentrate
2) Do not do too much studying at one time.
3) Have a planned studying time.
4) Review your notes.
5) Have a specific goal.


Vocabulary:

ineffective- not producing results; incapable
stressful- mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension
delay- to put off to a later time; defer
procrastination- the act or habit of procrastinating; putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention
effective- adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result
restore- to bring back into existence or use
ace- to be successful on a test

Vocabulary exercise:

Match the antonym (the word opposite in meaning) of the vocabulary word below.

ineffective----------------------destroy
stressful-------------------------speed
ace------------------------------- strong
procrastination----------------- useless
restore--------------------------progression
effective------------------------easy
delay----------------------------unskilled

Grammar Point:

Possessive Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun or another pronoun. The word or word group to which the pronoun refers is called its antecedent.

A possessive pronoun shows ownership. The pronouns: mine, yours, hers, his, its, ours, and theirs can be used in place of nouns.

For example: This sandwich is mine.

The pronouns: my, your, her, his, its, our, and their are used before nouns.

For example: This is my sandwich.

Be Careful: Many spelling errors can be avoided if you watch out for its and their. Don’t confuse the possessive pronouns its and their with the contractions it’s and they’re.

Tip: To decide which pronoun to use in a comparison, such as “He likes it more than (I or me),” fill in the missing word(s): He likes it more than I do.

Grammar Exercise

Fill in the blank with the correct possessive pronoun below:

Remember to use these possessive pronouns: mine, yours, hers, his, its, ours, and theirs

1) It belongs to me, it's ___
2) It belongs to my father, it's ___
3) It belongs to her, it's ___
4) It belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, it's ___
5) It belongs to me and my wife, it's ___
6) It belongs to my mother, it's ___
7) It belongs to him, it's ___
8) It belongs to you, it's ___
9) It belongs to the dog, it's ___
10) It belongs to them, it's ___

For more practice and to help you study your grammar and vocabulary in English use this website Activities for ESL to help you: http://a4esl.org/

If you follow this advice, you will be on your way to success!!

Pack your suitcase and let’s go!

St. Augustine said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”. He means there is so much more to see and learn by traveling. Summer is approaching soon and it will be time to get away and travel and explore new places. Whether you are going to the beach, hiking and or just sightseeing you will need to pack essential items in your suitcase. It is imperative that you bring personal toiletries, clothes, comfortable shoes and of course a camera to capture the memories and a map to help navigate. Some toiletries include a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush, soap and a razor. Clothing items to pack include jeans, shorts, t-shirts, camisoles, socks, a formal item such as a dress for women and a pair of slacks and a polo t-shirt for men. An extra pair of underwear is always important. Depending on the duration of the trip and the weather, you may add specific items to your suitcase. For instance, if you are traveling to the beach you will need a bathing suit, a towel and flip-flops. If you are going to a place where it is cooler, you will need a jacket or a sweatshirt. Most importantly, you will need to bring extra money and a form of identification such as a passport especially if you are traveling outside of the country. After you finish packing your suitcase, you are set and ready to go! You can get on an airplane, train, bus, boat or in a car and go to your destination! Relax and enjoy your trip!


Vocabulary
essential- absolutely necessary
suitcase- a piece of luggage used for carrying clothes while traveling
imperative- necessary or required; commanding
toiletries- any article or preparation used in cleaning or grooming oneself, as soap or deodorant.
navigate – to direct or manage to find one’s way
formal- requiring a type of dress suitable for a specific occasion
a pair of slacks- pants that have two parts or pieces joined together
destination – the place to which a person travels to

Vocabulary exercise
Using the vocabulary words answer the questions in complete sentences.

1)What piece of luggage would you bring with you to travel?

2)To what place will you travel?

3)What will you use a map for?

4)When you go out to a restaurant what type of pants will you wear?

5)What type of occasion requires you to wear a dress or a suit?

6)In order to keep yourself clean, what will you bring with you on your trip?

7)What essential items do you need to put in your suitcase?

8)Why is it imperative that you travel?

Geography Matching Quiz: Match the following cities with the country.
Beijing----------------India
Paris-------------------United States of America
Rome-------------------Egypt
Canberra------------------------China
London----------------------Japan
Santo Domingo-------------------France
Washington D.C.--------------------Italy
Cairo------------------------Australia
New Delhi-------------------Dominican Republic
Tokyo-----------------------England

Grammar point
The Conditional Tense: The conditional is used to express probability, possibility, wonder or conjecture, and is usually translated as would, could, must have or probably.
The student said that he would study one more hour. (probability, possibility)
What time could it have been? (wonder, conjecture)
He must have been at home. (wonder, conjecture)
We were probably busy when you called. (probability, possibility)

“If I won a million dollars, I would buy a new house”!
If- condition- result
Past simple- would + base verb
If-I won a million dollars- I would + buy a new house

There is not a real possibility that this condition will happen. For example, you do not have a million dollars or at least not yet. Is it possible to win? No! No lottery ticket, no win! But maybe you will buy a lottery ticket in the future. So you can think about winning in the future, like a dream. It's not very real, but it's still possible.

Grammar exercise
Answer the following question using the conditional tense. Write at least four sentences.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

“April showers bring May flowers.”

“April showers bring May flowers.” Is a popular rhyme to say and hear around the springtime. Not only does it mean that it will rain a lot in April and there will be many flowers in May because of the rain but also there is a deeper meaning behind the words. “April showers bring May flowers” is a reminder that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case the heavy rains of April, can bring about very enjoyable things, such as, an abundance of flowers in May. “April showers bring May flowers” is a lesson in patience, and one that remains valid to this day. Many of life’s greatest things come only to those who wait, and by patiently and happily enduring the clouds and damp of April you can find yourself more easily able to take in the sights and smells of May. After all, it’s easier to love something if you begin with an optimistic outlook! So do not be depressed during these cloudy rainy days because soon the sun will shine and beautiful flowers, plants and trees that will have blossomed into a ray of many colors will surround us. Unfortunately, many people do suffer from allergies but there are special medicines to help you so that one can enjoy nature’s beauty.
Adapted from: http://feelingsandflowers.com

There is some more in-depth information about the meaning of “April showers bring May flowers”, if you follow this link: http://feelingsandflowers.com/136/april-showers-bring-may-flowers-%E2%80%93-discussing-the-rhyme

Vocabulary
unpleasant- not pleasant, disagreeable, offensive
abundance- extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply
patience- quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence
valid-producing the desired result; effective
enduring- lasting or permanent
optimistic- hopefulness and confidence
allergies -an unusually high acquired sensitivity to certain substances, such as drugs, pollens, or microorganisms, that may include such symptoms as sneezing, itching, and skin rashes.

Vocabulary Exercise
Using the vocabulary words above write a complete sentence for each word.
For example: The warm weather of spring brings an abundance of flowers.

Grammar Point
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs by telling where, when, how or to what extent. Many adverbs are formed by adding –ly to adjectives. For example: sweet-sweetly or gentle- gently.

Where: The children played outside.
When: The President spoke yesterday.
How: We walked slowly around the track.
To What Extent: The student worked very hard.

Adverbs of Manner
She moved slowly and spoke quietly.

Adverbs of Place
She has lived on the island all her life.
She still lives there now.

Adverbs of Frequency
She takes the boat to the mainland every day.
She often goes by herself.

Adverbs of Time
She tries to get back before dark.
It's starting to get dark now.
She finished her tea first.
She left early.

Adverbs of Purpose
She drives her boat slowly to avoid hitting the rocks.
She shops in several stores to get the best buys.

Grammar Exercise
Put the correct adverb in the sentence.
often----quickly---rarely---never---extremely---always----loudly
1) The teacher speaks ________.
2) The boy ran __________.
3) He drives _____________ fast.
4) I ___________ buy fruit at the grocery store.
5) We __________ go to the movies on weekends.
6) My friends and I __________ go dancing on Fridays.
7) I __________ eat fast food because it makes me sick.
For more practice on adverbs click on this link: http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz60fck.htm

A River of Seasons

Have you ever wondered about the famous Nile River? Did you know that it is the longest river in the world? The Nile River flows north through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. Yearly floods bring soil rich in nutrients to the Nile Valley.
The river divided the farmers’ calendar into three seasons. The flood time, the “time of inundation” when all work stopped, lasted from July to October. The “time of emergence,” allotted to plowing and sowing, ran from November to February. Finally, “the time of harvest” occupied March to June.
The river was a highway for transport and trade. It provided fish and larger game in the form of hippopotamuses and crocodiles. It sustained marshes where papyrus reeds grew and where waterfowl could be caught for food.
The majority of the people in Egypt live in the fertile areas around the Nile River. This narrow band of farmland is usually less than 24 miles wide! The areas away from the river are desert lands where few humans live. These deserts kept Egypt isolated allowing the civilization to flourish for more than 3,000 years.

Adapted from: Hart, G.(1996). Ancient Egypt. San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen.

To learn more about Ancient Egypt and the Nile River visit this site: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/egypt/nile.htm



Vocabulary
inundation- to flood; cover or overspread with water
plowing- to turn up soil
sowing- to scatter seeds over land for growth
harvest - the gathering of crops
marshes- wetland in which the level of water is shallow
flourish- to be successful; prosper
waterfowl- a freshwater bird; a species of the ducks, swans and geese family.
fertile- producing, or capable of producing vegetation

Vocabulary/Writing Exercise
1) Why was the Nile River so important to the ancient Egyptians?
2) What season according to the farmer’s calendar is occurring now in Egypt?

Match the vocabulary word to the correct definition below:

inundation---- freshwater bird
plowing---- capable of producing vegetation
sowing---- the gathering of crops
fertile---- to turn up soil
flourish---- to flood or overspread with water to
harvest---- scatter seeds over land for growth
marshes---- wetland
waterfowl---- to be successful; prosper

Grammar Point

Possessive Nouns: When we want to show that something belongs to somebody or something, we usually add 's to a singular noun and an apostrophe ' to a plural noun,
For example:
The farmer’s calendar (one farmer)
The farmers’ calendar (two or more farmers)

The structure can be used for a whole phrase:
Ancient Egypt's Nile River (the Nile River of Ancient Egypt)

Note: Although we can use of to show possession, it is more usual to use possessive 's. The following phrases have the same meaning, but #2 is more usual and natural:
1. the boyfriend of my sister
2. my sister's boyfriend

Irregular Plurals
Some nouns have irregular plural forms without s (man > men). To show possession, we usually add 's to the plural form of these nouns:

singular noun---- plural noun
my child's dog------ my children's dog
the man's work------ the men's work
the mouse's cage------ the mice's cage
a person's clothes------ people's clothes

Grammar Exercise
Choose the best word that fits in the sentences and write it in the correct way to show possession.
For example: I met_ Frank’s______ sister at the party last week. (Frank)

singer--women--student--grocer--man--children--swan--Maria--baby--father

1) This is the _________glasses.
2) The ___ rooms are upstairs.
3) That is my ___ umbrella.
4) The ________ neck is long.
5) The ________ bathroom is occupied.
6) ________camera is broken.
7) The ________ eyes are blue.
8) The _________voice is loud.
9) The ___________books are on the desks.
10) The __________ shop is round the corner

Why is it hard for us to learn a new language?

What language (or languages) do you currently speak? The language you speak depends on how difficult it is to learn a new language. If you speak Spanish or Italian, learning Portuguese or French will be relatively easy because they are known as Romance languages. If you speak Czech, learning Russian will be simple because they are considered Slavic languages. Of course, if you speak Spanish and try to learn Russian, it will be more challenging. Learning a new language always takes time and effort, but some languages are easier to learn than others. The left hemisphere of the brain is typically associated with language because it understands the components of language – like vocabulary and syntax, while the right hemisphere helps us with inferences. The right hemisphere also helps us comprehend music. The scientists discovered that some languages, like English, can be read with only the left hemisphere, while others rely on both hemispheres. A tonal language, like Chinese, utilizes both hemispheres because the left hemisphere focuses on the characters, while the right hemisphere sounds them out. Learning a language that requires both hemispheres may be harder for people whose native language relies on the left hemisphere only.
Adapted from http:///hotword.dictionary.com




Vocabulary
Romance languages- group of related languages all derived from Vulgar Latin within historical times and forming a subgroup of the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family. (The major languages of the family include French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.)
Slavic languages- group of Indo-European languages spoken in most of eastern Europe, much of the Balkans, parts of central Europe, and the northern part of Asia. ( Some include Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian, Slovenian, and Macedonian.)
Left hemisphere- left side of the brain which is used for language, math and logic.
Right hemisphere- right side of the brain is used for spatial abilities, face recognition, visual imagery and music.
Inferences- the act or process of arriving at a conclusion
Comprehend- to understand or take in the meaning of something
Tonal language- a language in which pitch is used as a part of speech, changing the meaning of a word. (Tonal languages are found primarily in Asia, Africa, and South America.)

Vocabulary Exercise- Writing activity
After reading the article, think about your first language you speak. Why is it hard for you to learn English or a second language other than your own? Which hemisphere(s) of the brain does your first language require?

To read about more information of the brain go to: http://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/brain http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.html

Grammar Point
A preposition is a word governing, and usually coming in front of, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element, as in:

To express one point in time English uses the following prepositions: On is used with days: I will see you on Monday. At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day: The movie starts at 6 p.m. In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons: He likes to read in the afternoon.

To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in.

To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at

Grammar Exercise
Decide which preposition belongs in the sentence.
1)She has been gone ______yesterday. (for/since)
2)I'm going _____ Paris for two weeks. (to/at)
3)Put the present _________ the box. (on/inside)
4)I left your keys ______ the table. (on/in)
5)The week begins _____ Sunday. (in/on)
6)The movie starts ______ 6 p.m. (at/on)
7)The book was published ______ 1999. (by/in)
8) She was waiting ________ the corner. (on/at)

Springtime!!

What is Springtime all about? It has been a week since the first day of Spring. March 21st has been marked the first day of Spring in the United States which is located in the Northern Hemisphere. The astronomical term for the first day of Spring is called the vernal equinox. Spring is one of the four temperate seasons. It is a transitional period between the cold winter and the hot summer. Spring occurs in the months of March, April and May. It is known as a time of rebirth and renewal. Everything is coming back to life. Flowers, plants and trees are blossoming. Babies and animals are being born. Spring is also the most important time of the year in the Christian religion because Easter is celebrated. Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead and they celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday. This year for Catholics, Easter is celebrated on April 8th. Easter customs vary across the Christian world, but decorating Easter eggs, egg hunting and awaiting the Easter Bunny is a common motif.



Vocabulary

Northern Hemisphere- the half of the earth that is north of the equator.
astronomical- having to do with astronomy, which is the study of matter outside of the atmosphere of the earth including the stars and the planets.
vernal equinox- the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator, making night and day of approximately equal length all over the earth
temperate seasons- moderate or mild in temperature and climate throughout all four seasons
rebirth- a new or second birth
renewal- a time of awakening or revival
blossoming – to develop or grow
Easter - an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
resurrected- to raise from the dead; bring to life again.
motif - a recurring subject, theme, idea

Vocabulary exercise

Complete the sentence with the correct vocabulary word in bold from the paragraph.
1)___________ is a holiday during spring to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2)Christians believe that Jesus Christ was_____________ from the dead and brought back to life.
3)The ______________ is located north of the equator and includes all of North America, parts of South America, Africa, all of Asia and Europe.
4)_______________ Observatories are able to study stars through telescopes.
5)After a cold winter, there is a_________________in the life of a tree.
6)It is so beautiful to see flowers and trees____________ during Spring.
7)Bunnies and chicks are a common __________ of the secular Easter festival.
8)The first day of spring is also called the ____________________.
9)Spring, summer, fall and winter are known as ____________________.
10)During springtime, there is a ____________ of flowers and plants.

Grammar Point
Regular verbs in English consist of three main parts: the root form (present), the (simple) past, and the past participle. Regular verbs have an -ed ending added to the root verb for both the simple past and past participle. Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern, and instead take on an alternative pattern. Here are some common irregular verbs:
Base form Past Simple Past Participle
awake-- awoke-- awoken
be-- was-- been
choose-- chose-- chosen
do-- did-- done
go-- went-- gone
know-- knew-- known
take-- took-- taken

Grammar Exercise
Are the following forms of the irregular verbs used as Infinitive, Simple Past and/or Past participle?

1) have -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
2) went -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
3) slept -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
4) come -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
5) do -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
6) met -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
7) say -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
8) put -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
9) seen -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
10) caught -
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
For more practice on irregular verbs click on this link: http://a4esl.org/q/h/irv001-ck.html

Is texting messaging healthy?

In today’s society with the advancement of technology, communication is no longer face to face, it’s becoming digital. No more phone calls at home or passing notes in class. Text messaging is becoming out of control. Teenagers, adults and even children are excessively texting. This may cause potential health risks. Physicians and psychologists, are beginning to worry because they believe it is leading to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, repetitive stress injury and sleep deprivation. Phone carriers such as AT&T and Verizon offer unlimited texting plans, which makes teenagers more susceptible to text 24/7. Teenagers are too attached to their cell phones that they are texting during class. They are being rude to the teacher and missing the lesson. In 2009, the NY Times published an article, Texting Until Their Thumbs Hurt , referring to teenagers. It stated “American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Nielsen Company — almost 80 messages a day, more than double the average of a year earlier”. Four years later, I can only imagine how many texts are being sent now. I am sure the number has quadrupled by now.

Vocabulary
digital- to manipulate with your fingers
text messaging- communication by sending messages through mobile phones
excessively- going beyond the usual or proper limit
anxiety-distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear
unlimited- not limited or unrestricted
susceptible- capable of being affected by
quadrupled- four times as great

Vocabulary exercise
Circle the word that does not belong:
1. four doubled fourfold quadrupled
2. digit finger digital face
3. immoderate extravagant reasonable excessively
4. fear worry anxiety tranquility
5. resistant influenced gullible susceptible
6. endless restricted unlimited boundless
7. mobile text messaging email talking

Grammar Point
Contractions are created to shorten or combine words.
To make a contraction, remove a letter or letters from a word and replace the letter(s) with an apostrophe (').
For example: "He is feeling ill" to "He's feeling ill."
Some other common contractions include: aren't for are not, can't for cannot, he'll for he will, and won't for will not.

Can you think of any other contractions?

Grammar Exercise

Put the following words in parenthesis into contractions:
1. (You are)__________ a great friend.
2. (I have)_______finished my homework.
3. (I will)__________meet you at 6:00pm.
4. (It is)________great that you love to go to school.
5. (Do not)_________text during class!

To read more about texting being related to health go to this website: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html?8dpc

President’s Day

What is the meaning of President’s Day? Why is it a national holiday? Tomorrow February 20th, 2012 the United States of America celebrates President’s Day to commemorate the birthdays and lives of all 44 U.S. presidents. It was originally recognized as honoring George Washington’s Birthday, who was the first president of the United States. George Washington was born on February 22nd in the year 1732. In the 1880’s during the American Revolution it was first celebrated as a federal holiday. This day also honors the 16th president of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, which is February 12, 1809.
In the 1970’s Congress proposed that Washington’s Birthday be renamed Presidents’ Day to honor the February birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln. Presidents’ Day became the commonly accepted name and currently, many retailers have used this special day to promote sales.

Vocabulary
national- involving or relating to a nation as a whole
commemorate- to honor the memory of by some observance
president-the highest executive officer
revolution- an overthrow or replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.
federal-pertaining to a union of states under a central government
proposed- to offer or suggest
retailer- businesses that sell goods to individuals

Vocabulary Exercise
Complete each sentence with the correct vocabulary word.
1) Barack Obama is the 44th _________of the United States.
2) Every year during the third week in February we _____________ the lives and birthdays of the U.S. presidents.
3) The President can _________ a bill to Congress.
4) During the holidays, ___________make most of their money.
5) The American __________ occurred during the late 1700’s in which the thirteen colonies joined to break free from Britain and become the United States of America.
6) Under the U.S. Constitution, both the _________ and state governments are granted certain exclusive powers.
7) The _________ government includes three branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary.

Grammar point
The past tense is used for completed actions that happened in the past.
To form a regular verb in the past tense you add the suffix –ed to the ending.
For example: discover > discovered.
Verbs that end in –e just add a –d.
For example: decide> decided.
Grammar exercise
Put the correct form of the verb in the past tense.
Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call)_________. She (want)__________to go see a movie. I (decide)_________not to go because I had too much work to do. I had (work)_______all day at the studio and I was tired. Later that night I (watch) ______the news. It (start)__________to rain and thunder and then the electricity (turn)________off. I (hope)______it would come back on but it didn’t so I went to sleep because I could not see anything.

To learn more about the presidents of the United States of America go to this History Channel website page: http://www.history.com/topics/the-us-presidents

No Kidding, Me Too!!

On Thursday, February 16, 2012, I had the chance to meet an acclaimed actor, producer and best-selling author Joe Pantoliano at Molloy College. Some of Joe Pantoliano’s famous theatrical works include such films as “The Fugitive”, “Risky Business”, “The Matrix”, “The Sopranos”, and “Memento”. He debuted his documentary, “No Kidding, Me Too”, on mental illness to the Molloy community at The Madison Theatre. Pantoliano dedicated this film to removing the stigma associated with mental illness. Nearly 100 million Americans suffer from mental illness. Some of the conditions include clinical depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) . On Joey’s Page he quotes, "Mental Illness is the only disease that you can come home with... and get yelled at for having it." In the film, he discusses his struggle with clinical depression, as well as the stories of six other people who were also affected differently by mental illness. Not only do they discuss their fight with mental illness but they also tell how they are recovering and realizing that they are not alone and that together they can help fight against the stigma and shame of mental illness. If you have not already seen the documentary, I recommend that you and your friends watch it and spread the word to help end this deadly disease. As Joey quotes on his webpage, "By Surrendering To Your Shame, You Obliterate The Blame."

National Alliance on Mental Illness Website: http://www.nami.org/
No Kidding, Me Too! Website:http://nkm2.org/

Vocabulary
acclaimed- to welcome or salute with shouts or sounds of joy and approval
debuted- to perform something for the first time before an audience
stigma- a mark of disgrace on one's reputation
schizophrenia- a mental disorder usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations
post-traumatic- occurring after physical or psychological trauma or injury
shame- the painful feeling of something dishonorable, done by oneself or another
obliterate- to remove or destroy completely

Vocabulary Exercise
Match the definition in the second column with the word in the first column.
1. acclaimed a. mental disorder in which a person see things that are not real
2. debuted b. feeling of dishonor because of something bad you have done
3. stigma c. first appearance
4. schizophrenia d. to get rid of
5. post-traumatic e. to joyfully salute or welcome
6. shame f. mark of disgrace one’s status
7. obliterate g. mental disorder occurring after a trauma or injury

Grammar Point
The difference between the words “Too, To, and Two”. How do we know when to use them?

Too is an adverb meaning a lot or in addition. For example: I like to eat chocolate, and Sally does too.
To is a preposition that expresses motion or direction toward a point, person or place. For example: I go to school on every day.
Two is a noun that is a cardinal number. For example: I have two puppies and one kitten.

Grammar Exercise
Put the correct form of Too, To, or Two in the correct blank space below.
I have ____ dogs. I like ___ take them for walks through the park. Many people walk their dogs in the park_____. One day I went ____sit down on a bench and I saw _____squirrels jumping around while my dogs were playing fetch. The squirrels came over ____ my _____ dogs and wanted ____ play_____.

A Mother's Love

A mother’s love is a special gift sent from God. It is a twenty four hour,seven days a week job of deep devotion to one’s children made up of sacrifice and pain but full of endless and unselfish love. I am everything I am because of my mother’s love and devotion to me for the past 23 years. She was my biggest supporter of all my undertakings. She went to all my dance recitals, sports games and concerts. She was my motivator throughout my education and raised me in the Catholic faith. My mother was totally devoted to my well-being and happiness. She helped me live my life to the fullest and gave me whatever I needed to succeed. My mother was a wonderful person. She was beautiful inside and out. She was a caring, courageous, humorous, loving mother, nurse and friend. I am a proud legacy of my mother. I am honored and so grateful that I had my mother’s love and I will continue to hold on to the love she has given me from now on until eternity.

Vocabulary
devotion- a profound dedication to a cause or person
sacrifice- to surrender or offer something up
unselfish- a generous person who doesn’t just think of themselves
motivator- a person who encourages you and helps you to move in the right direction
courageous- a person who is brave or fearless
humorous- a comical or funny person

Vocabulary Exercise
Directions: Put the correct vocabulary word in bold into the best sentence.

1.Maria has a great__________to her baby sister because she changes her diaper every day.
2. Micheal will__________ watching TV for playing baseball outside with his friends.
3. Gina was so ___________that she gave her last cookie to her best friend.
4. My coach is my __________ while I am playing soccer.
5. Joe was ____________ when he jumped high off the swing.
6. Comedy central shows are always so _______________.

Grammar Point/ Exercise

What are adjectives? Adjectives are words that describe nouns because they provide information about the qualities of something described in a noun. Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. How would you describe your mother or mother like figure using five adjectives?
2. What are some adjectives that describe you?
3. Can you think of some adjectives that describe the word love?