March is a great month to be in the midwest. Spring is not just around the corner, it is blowing in. March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.
March Dates
March 7 Full Moon: the Worm Moon!
March 12: Daylight Savings begins! Spring forward one hour.
March 17: St. Patrick's Day
March 20: Vernal Equinox: equal hours of daylight and night...longer days are ahead
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Article. I.
Section. 1.
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom
We had good review of similar signs from our personal lists. Actually, we continued our one similar sign list...The rest of us need to send our lists in! We found some wonderful videos to view that have similar signs and make our lives a little easier.
February 28: Email your similar sign list (indyintlfriends@gmail.com) and we will continue our discovery and refine our signing to improve our vocabulary and "pronunciation".
American English Class: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM, Zoom
We had an impromptu group conversation about language acquisition, translation, regional dialects, and sociolinguistics. We shared openly and deeply in small groups about personal and professional topics.
Common threads were:
Calling—your purpose in life; the thing that you feel is most important for you to do.
Courage—bravery; facing challenges and doing difficult things.
Sacrifice—choosing “to give something up,” often for the sake of someone else.
Resilience—flexibility; adapting to change.
February 2: Let's continue the conversation by exploring what brings you joy and happiness. Think or write freely about this topic using whatever vocabulary and grammar suit you.
American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom
We continue to Chit Chat and sharpen our American Accents.
Kid's Conversation: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM, Zoom
We talked about inventors, and trips to the zoo. We talked about pets. One Friend has 18 of these helmet beetles! We have interesting lives!
March 3: We have been talking about inventors. It's time to invent! Build a wind powered car. Here is an article from Scientific American to get you started. Build a Wind-Powered Car - Scientific American
This week is full of celebrations and beginnings leading up to Easter. Some are secular and some are religious in nature.
Monday: Presidents Day. Celebrate a day off.
Tuesday: Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Celebrate a feasting day before the fasting of Lent.
Wednesday: Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days of Lent in the Christian calendar. Catholic churches and other Christian denominations observe this day. Learn more about the customs and meaning in this Parade article.
The end of the Declaration of Independance wraps up with the actions that the colonists had taken to avoid conflict.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
This is not the end...Read more about the style and the writing of this document in The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence. It is worthwhile to revisit the Declaration of Independence again and examine how it is written and how the arguments are portrayed. Be prepared to spend a long time on this, but it is well worth the while.
American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM EST, Zoom
We are continuing to polish our skills with similar signs. Finding and reminding ourselves of what we know is always useful and helpful.
February 21: We continue our similar sign discussions.
American English: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM EST, Zoom
We talked about everything from grief, to gratitude, to grammar. We continue to broaden our use of the present perfect verb tense, which often includes an adverb or time phrase to set the context. Try to add these words to your conversations about what you have or haven't done: ever, never, for, since, already, yet, so far, just, recently, lately, many times, more than once, this month, this year.
February 23:
Prepare talking points or a piece of writing about one or more of these topics:
What have you done in the past to prepare you for your dream job?
What have you done in your life that you are proud of? OR What has someone else done that you are proud of?
What experiences have you had that make you unique?
Review words beginning with U-Z on the list of "1,000 Words.” As you do, think about how you could use each word in a sentence. Many words in English have multiple meanings.
American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 AM EST, Zoom
Accent concentrated on the long i and low ow sounds.
February 23: Polish your pronunciation and learn a new tip.
Kid's Conversation: 4:30-5:00 PM EST, Zoom
We are talked about inventors. This inventor is very interesting. Momofuku Ando is the inventor of Cup Noodles. We talked about his interesting story in creating this popular and delicious food. Read more about him in the Wikipedia article. He saw a solution to feeding hungry people with the resources available from the American culture to the Japanese culture. His solution was to make noodles with the flour rather than make bread.
February 24: We are continuing to talk about inventors and inventions.
We had a light week of classes, but never fear...All classes meet this week. Don't forget to Zoom in! We did celebrate in Galentine's Day style in person with delicious snacks and a White Elephant gift exchange. It is nice to get together and celebrate.
American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom: Bring your list of similar signs
American English: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM, Zoom: T Words and perfect tenses.
American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom: Bill's Tip and pronunciation precision
Kid's Conversation: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM, Zoom: Tell about an inventor: what makes this inventor interesting?
Superbowl
Superbowl Sunday crept up on us. The big event begins 6:00 PM EST on Fox. The Eagles are playing the Chiefs.
Superbowl is a unique celebration of American culture writes Joey Pagano. Click on the link to read this entertaining opinion piece. Joey is spot on about the appeal of this game. This piece is also chock full of wonderful and colorful terms to spice up your vocabulary.
Valentine's Day Isn't Just for Sweethearts
Valentine's Day with hearts and flowers and chocolate is our opportunity to show our affection to our friends as well as our sweethearts. You may not celebrate with spaghetti, but you can get into the spirit with this classic Disney scene from Lady and the Tramp. School kids exchange little cards. Older kids can buy flowers or Valograms at school to be delivered to friends in class.
This next section of The Declaration of Independence itemizes the grievances the colonists had against England. Would these grievances be toleratedtoday?
--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
crept up on us: sneak up stealthily
Galentine's Day: This term was added to the Miriam Webster Dictionary in September of 2022. The official date is March 13. Read all about it!
Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. These next sentences are the key to the American spirit.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
This episode of Legends and Lies: the Patriots gives insight into Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence.
American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM EST, Zoom
Life intervened and we did not meet.
February 7: Join us as we get back together on Zoom.
American English: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM EST, Zoom
We shared museums (and other places) we have visited. Concentrating on this tense can make people feel a little tense. Talking about types museums we have visited helps us to practically practice. Comparing tenses easily
February 9: Meet up at CLC.
February 16: "T" 1000 Words and work on perfect tenses.
American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 AM EST, Zoom
This week's concentration was on the "er" sound. This sound can be spelled a number of ways:
er as in her, mother, winner
ear as in heard, learn
ir as in first, girl
or as in doctor, worry
ur as in curtain, jury
ure as in culture
ar as in grammar
Our text book has a great little memory quote:
Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.-- Ernestine Ulmer
Bill's Tip
Kid's Conversation: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM EST, Zoom
We had a wonderful conversation about new starts. We talked about visiting seven temples of seven gods for good luck for the school year. Here is a cup that I have that is from a friend's school life that has the seven lucky gods on it!
February 10:Keep your eyes open to observe something in your daily life that you may be not noticing. Let's talk some more about patents. Here is a link for the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
