Friday's Field Trip: Plan A

So, as it's not scheduled to rain, it looks like Plan A is on unless you see something different here on Friday morning.

Plan A: Farintosh Farms

Weather permitting, we'll be headed north to one of our favourite agricultural destinations, at Guy and Karen Farintosh's Farm in Gormly/Stouffville, Ontario. Car pooling begins from Don Mills Station at 10 a.m. Don't be late, and be sure to arrange pickup and dropoff times with your rides ahead of time.

Hey look, who was there last year?

Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and the terrain. Entrance is free, but bring cash for purchases and a bag for your harvest.

Plan B: Rain Destination--Honest Ed's

Probably our last chance to say goodbye to this ancient landmark of Toronto's kitsch shopping, Honest Ed's offers discounted stuff that this week features ski jackets, hooded popovers, dress shoes, and shoe racks for those dress shoes! What a great place for a rain destination, eh?

Departure from Don Mills Station is at 10 a.m., and you can start grabbing things off the shelves as soon as you arrive. At 11:55 a.m., let's meet at the west side exit doors for a group photo. Those who wish to go for lunch in Korea Town can proceed down Bloor Street West from there.

Thursday's Assignment

So we have seen religious persecution and sexual abuse around the world this week. What do you think the Canadian government should do?

What's going on? Who are the people in the picture?

Here are your tasks:

1. Take dictation of this excerpt from the video here: 0:27 - 0:49.
1. Publish your first draft.
2. Check with at least 2 partners, and update with a second draft.
3. Discuss with a partner where the differences and difficulties are.
2. Read at least 3 areas of government involvement and discuss which areas to: 
1. Stop, 
2. Start, or 
3. Continue.
3. Check out CHRIO’s causes and decide whether you could volunteer with them. State reasons. Then make a chirbit recording of those reasons.

Wednesday's Assignment

What do these men in the picture have in common? Take a guess, and discuss with a partner.

Are you surprised they won $30 million in a court settlement?

While there was much to clean up in Canada, what is it like in other countries around the world?

Here are your tasks:

1. Check out and take notes on these 3 articles: Boko, individuals, and IS
1. Check out these maps for more ideas.
2. Place the information from the 3 articles on a map, and publish.
2. Leave a comment on your classmates' maps.

Does your map look like something this?

Tuesday's Assignment

One of the most basic rights in countries like Canada is the freedom to believe or disbelieve anything. Is this the same in other countries? Discuss the what is different and why with a partner.

Recognize this document? Remember some of the words in its first few paragraphs?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Seeking Asylum
1. Learn the meaning and pronunciation of key vocabulary.
2. How serious are the people in the dialogue? Keep that in mind.
3. Practise the dialogue out loud.
2. Read and/or listen to information about Baha’i, Muslim, and Christian victims around the world.
1. Fill out this table: 

   Religion of Victims	Countries of Persecution	Type of Persecution	Countries Offering Asylum	Your Comments

2. Check your answers with a partner. 
3. Write an email to or leave a voicemail with Canada's IRCC about your concerns about helping refugees fleeing persecution.
1. Mention what is going well.
2. Suggest a change.
3. State your reason for that change.

Monday's Assignment

Welcome back! This week's LINC theme is Global Issues: International Human Rights.

What do you think of the United Nations and human rights around the world? Is it doing a good job? Read the following cartoon with a partner, and discuss your views:

How well can you tsk?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Limiting free speech
1. Practise listening and speaking out loud by yourself.
2. Then practise role playing with a partner.
2. Canadian Charter: Questions PDF
1. Publish your answers to the questions.
2. Leave a comment on two of your classmates' answers.
3. Learning about Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1. Do this exercise: Audio and MCQ.
2. Find a website containing the text of the Charter, and copy out the first 5 points. (If you have asked a partner and still cannot find it, click here.)

Friday's Assignment

How was the field trip yesterday? Hope you had a great time!

So, we'll be finishing this week's theme on the topic of bad or unhealthy habits. Can you think of any?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role Play: Breaking Bad Habits
2. Write an email to a friend struggling with an unhealthy habit like smoking or alcohol, and suggest a hobby as a replacement, e.g. painting. 
1. Use the lessons you learnt from this week.
2. Publish your writing artefact on your e-portfolio.

Thurday's Field Trip to AGO

 It's time again to raid our beloved Art Gallery of Ontario!

Please be at the entrance by 10:30 a.m. for free entrance. Be sure to acquaint yourselves with the Gallery Guidelines beforehand.

For those who are coming by TTC, here are your directions. Feel free to car pool and find streetside or Green P parking in the vicinity.

Plan B is that we will have a walking tour of the neighbourhood, possibly including Grange, Chinatown, and Kensington Market! In any case, we'll be meeting at the entrance of the AGO at 10 a.m.!

Job Fair not far from Microskills

CPAC’s 2016 Professionals Day is near and we have new employers participating this year with over 800 jobs open in the GTA. Evertz Microsystems, a public engineering firm and leading global manufacturer of broadcast equipment and solutions are accepting resumes on site for DevOps and Cloud Engineer, FPGA Design Engineer, Software Design Engineer, and Embedded Software Engineers. PostBeyond, a venture backed technology company that just raised $4M in funding, are looking for Front and Back End Developers for mobile. Their CEO is one of our breakout session speakers. Professionals Day will also feature government and corporate employers, including the City of Toronto, TD Canada Trust, PwC, Bell Canada, RBC, the Canada Revenue Agency, Sun Life Financial, Canadian Forces, Investors Group, and more.

 

This year’s event will have two keynote presentations and seven great breakout sessions to help you with your career development. Learn how to apply for a job with the City of Toronto, build a bigger professional network, use your skillsets to pursue other careers, and more.

 

For more information and to register, visithttps://www.cpac-canada.ca/2016jobfair/.

 

What: 2016 CPAC Professionals Day Job Fair and Career Development Conference presented by CPA Ontario

When: Saturday, September 24, Registration Opens at 10 am

Where: Armenian Youth Centre of Toronto, 50 Hallcrown Pl, North York, ON M2J 1P6
Cost: Free for CPAC Members (must pre-register online), $5 at the door and for the general public. Free parking!

Register at: https://www.cpac-canada.ca/2016jobfair/. Members can contact the CPAC office at416-298-7885 x101 or office@cpac-canada.ca to get a coupon code to waive the fee.

 

Wednesday's Assignment

How important is mental health? Today, before our trip to the AGO, we consider the work by a Canadian artist who struggled for decades with mental illness.

What do you see in this picture?

What do you think of this famous painting? What does it look like to you? A skull, maybe? What's the name of the artist? What do you think his life was like? What else did he draw?

Here are your tasks:

1. Listen to this lesson. What do we say when we hear a compliment? Take notes.
2. Take dictation from this video's 00:18 - 00:41 about Kurelek’s painting in the UK's Maudsley and Netherne psychiatric hospitals. Check your transcript with a partner before posting.
3. Compare Kurelek’s paintings in Gallery 1 and Gallery 2. Look closely at the details.
1. Can you think of some compliments for each?
2. Make some sincere and insincere compliments and tell a partner.

Tuesday's Assignment

Do you watch what you eat? How careful are you about the ingredients of your food?

To avoid this, is it better to read it in French?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Eating Unhealthy Food
2. Read the labels on this page, and make a list of items you would buy, giving reasons.

Monday's Assignment

Welcome back! This morning, we start off on the theme of health and safety--a healthy lifestyle!

So how often do you see the doctor? Do you visit your family doctor at least once a year? Discuss with your partner how often people should see their doctors.



Here are your tasks:

1. Listening and Vocabulary: A Physical
2. Do these easy exercises for warm-up:
1. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 1
2. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 2
3. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 3
4. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 4
5. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 5
6. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 6
7. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 7
8. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 8
9. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 9
10. Food and Nutrition I – Eli Goes to the Doctor Ex. 10
3. Do this exercise, listening for prepositions.
4. Finally, listen to the following phone message and write down as many details as possible, such as the name of the doctor, the name of the clinic, and opening hours.

Check this out on Chirbit

Friday's Assignment

T.G.I.F.! Having focused on L, R, and W tasks all week, today we finally turn our attention to an S task.

Have you ever made a business introduction by yourself? How long, in minutes, should it take to make a business introduction? What should you include? What should you not?

What's wrong with this lady's self-introduction? Tell a partner one or two of your favourites from among these.

Here are your tasks:

1. Write down a business idea with your partner, practise to get it down to 2 minutes, and record it on chirbit.com.
2. Then take notes on this video, and redo the recording.
3. Post both recordings on your blog, and leave comments on your classmates’ blogs on whether you would invest with them.

Is this any good?

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/15/494043613/syrian-refugee-family-knows-english-is-the-key-to-independence

Thursday's Assignment

Where can you go to meet lots of people in one day to grow your business network?

Check out the following event, which we are looking forward to attending next month!

Look up three new words you heard in the video. Were you able to figure them out using Google Now?

Here are your tasks:

1. Check out the Small Business Forum.
1. Identify 2 great times to improve your business network.
2. Browse the rest of the website, and find two other great reasons for attending the Forum.
2. Write a brief email to a partner on your plan to meet and network at the event.

Wednesday's Assignment

Have you ever been invited to a company function? It could be a BBQ, a picnic, a Dinner and Dance, a gala, or a potluck.

Have you ever invited anybody to one?

Here are your tasks:

1. Check out some examples of invitations, and share two favourites with a partner, giving reasons.
2. Write a formal invitation for a group function (such as a company picnic, BBQ, or potluck).
1. Have two partners check your writing.
2. Add a nice picture that enhances your invitation.

Tuesday's Assignment

Is this a good idea?

We have a special program on immigration today (apologies to Farshad--we'll need to reschedule your presentation), but first, here are our portfolio tasks:

1. Role Play with a partner: Viral Marketing
2. Connect to 5 classmates on Facebook
1. Include at least 2 from a different country from yours.
2. Tell a classmate which 2 classmates you think could most likely become a part of your business network and why.

Monday's Assignment

Welcome back! This week, we'll be talking about business networking. Why do people in business network?

What skills do you need for that?

Do you think they'll be successful in expanding their business network?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role Play: Disagreeing Politely in Business
1. Work on vocabulary: find new words.
2. Find out the pronunciation of the words in bold.
3. Read aloud by yourself. Then read with the class.
2. Listen to one Dragons’ Den pitch, and note down the offer ($ for %), product/service, names, outcome, and any other comments.
1. Include or embed the URL of the pitch you chose to listen to.
2. Discuss with a partner any signs of politeness/impoliteness in the video.

Friday's Assignment

In terms of creativity, how does education in Canada compare with that of other countries? What have you heard or experienced? Tell a partner.

What do you think is the message of this cartoon?

Here are your tasks:

1. Take dictation of this video: 00:48 - 01:08. What kind of task are you doing (L/S/R/W)? Compare your transcript with two partners', and then publish.
1. Discuss with your partner the part parents have in a child’s education. What key words from the video are relevant?
2. Discuss also your response to the video. What are your thoughts about a child's education in Canada? Use key words you learnt from the video.
2. Fill in this form for a fictitious young person.

Wednesday's Assignment

What do you wish someone had told you about school before you went to school?

What about schooling in Canada? Are there any surprises? What tips and secrets about schooling in Canada would you tell a friend who is not from Canada?

Here are your tasks:

1. Write an FAQ of your top 5 questions for a poster in a community development centre, based on this page.
2. Have 2 partners check your draft.
3. Add an appropriate picture before publishing.

Tuesday's Assignment

Welcome back! Hope you've had a great vacation! Are you glad to be back to school?

Which character represents you? Check these other cartoons out and show a partner two other pictures that you like.

Here are your tasks:

1. Read the last paragraphs of pp. 18, 34, and 48 on this document.
1. Read aloud to a partner and check on pronunciation.
2. Identify the voice of verbs.
3. Refer to charts following each of those paragraphs and publish one surprising statement for each.
2. Write an email of fewer than 50 words comparing Canadian education to that of a different country. What concerns you?

Follow-up Practice: 

1. Read this to a partner: "For Canada overall, those in the highest decile (90th percentile) scored 235 points higher in reading and 232 points higher in science than those in the lowest decile (10th percentile). This compares to 242 points in reading and 239 points in science across all OECD countries."
1. Focus on the number of syllables and the th sound in 90th and 10th.
2. Explain the meaning of the paragraph in your own words.
2. Record your reading of the paragraph on Chirbit.com and publish the audio link.

Welcome Back on Tuesday!