Category Archives: Psychology

How To Help Kids Cope With Anger…How to help Parents Cope with Angry Kids

“Anger has a bad reputation, but it is a basic human emotion like any other. Here’s how to help children cope.” C.Pearson,The New York Times, June 28, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Credit: Tim Lahan

Excerpt: How to Raise Kids Who Are Good at Getting Angry, By Catherine Pearson, The New York Times, June 28, 2022

How to soothe crying babies

“I never really witnessed pure rage up close until I became a parent of toddlers. My children, who are a bit older now, weren’t big tantrum throwers. But when they went for it, they really went for it: screaming, sobbing, full-body shaking —the works…Fortunately, their respective meltdown phases were brief. I say “fortunately,” because I didn’t do much to help tame their outbursts. I was flummoxed by their fits of anger, and sometimes worried about who I was raising.

How to calm your babies. Credit-.Medium

How to soothe crying babies

Parents don’t have to yell. Credit; Healthline

Learning to manage anger is a lifelong skill that allows children to function at home, in school and out in the world without losing control. And it’s a skill that parents can help their kids cultivate, even starting when they are babies and toddlers, by encouraging them to develop outlets and modeling strong coping skills yourself.”

Additional Reading [Excellent article ~ ESL-Voices]:

How Inuit Parents Teach Kids To Control Their Anger, By Michaeleen Doucleff and Jane Greenhalgh, NPR, March 13, 2019

This story is part of a series from NPR’s Science desk called ‘The Other Side of Anger’.

Anthropologist Jean L. Briggs (1929–2016)

“For more than 30 years, the Inuit welcomed anthropologist Jean Briggs into their lives so she could study how they raise their children…Back in the 1960s, a Harvard graduate student made a landmark discovery about the nature of human anger.”

“…Across the board, all the moms mention one golden rule: Don’t shout or yell at small children…Traditionally, the Inuit saw yelling at a small child as demeaning. It’s as if the adult is having a tantrum; it’s basically stooping to the level of the child, Briggs documented.”

Inuit parenting is gentle and tender. They even have a special kiss for kids called kunik. (Above) Maata Jaw gives her daughter the nose-to-cheek Inuit sniff. Johan Hallberg-Campbell for NPR

Maata Jaw and daughter. Credit NPR

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes. 

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing. 

I. Pre-Reading Activities

 Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article.  Examine any photos, then create a list of  words and  ideas  that you  and your group members think might be related to this article.  

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try  to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance. 

  1. I never really witnessed pure rage up close until I became a parent of toddlers.
  2. My children, who are a bit older now, weren’t big tantrum throwers.
  3. But when they went for it, they really went for it.
  4. Fortunately, their respective meltdown phases were brief.
  5. “Fortunately,” because I didn’t do much to help tame their outbursts.
  6. I was flummoxed by their fits of anger.
  7. Anger isn’t bad nor is expressing it inherently dangerous.
  8. Learning to manage anger is a lifelong skill.
  9. It’s a skill that parents can help their kids cultivate.
  10. Anger is a basic human emotion.

 

Whimsical Vocabulary Organizer by Danielle Mays

 

Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage

Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammatical  error.  Identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.

I

  1. How to Raise Kids Who Are Good at Getting Angry.
  2. Anger have a bad reputation.
  3. Anger is a basic human emotion like any other.

II

  1. I never really witnessed pure rage.
  2. I was flummoxed by there fits of anger.
  3. Many of us were taught that anger is bad.

III

  1. Learning to manage anger is a lifelong skill.
  2. Don’t be afraid for tantrums.
  3. Some emotions are really stressful.

 

Reading Comprehension: Identify The Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers. 

  1. “Many of us were taught that anger is bad, and that to show we’re angry and express our feelings is bad…But anger isn’t bad, Dr. McCoy said, nor is expressing it inherently dangerous or disrespectful.”
  2.  “When it comes to kids and anger, it can help to remember a few simple facts: First, anger is a basic human emotion. And second, emotions exist to tell us about ourselves and our relationships.”
  3. “It’s not uncommon for toddlers or preschoolers to have tantrums several times a week…The average length of toddler tantrums is around three minutes but there is a wide range in how long they can go on — anywhere between 1 and 20 minutes.”

III. Post Reading Activities

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the  WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article. 

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

Questions for  Discussion and Comprehension

Directions: In groups answer the following questions:

*[ Please Note: Questions 1 and 2  are from NPR website]

  1. How do you get your kids to do things without yelling or shouting? 
  2. How did your parents get you to do things without yelling or scolding? 
  3. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.
  4. List 3  questions  that you would like to ask any person mentioned in the article. Groups share questions as a class.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Children/Teens, Education, Mental Health Issues, Psychology, Social Issues | Tags: ,

Why We See Faces in Everything

“Your brain is super attuned to see faces everywhere,” says Susan Wardle, a scientist who studies how and why people see illusory faces in objects, a phenomenon known as “face pareidolia.” M. Wollan, The New York Times  March 29, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Photograph by George Etheredge, The New York Times

Excerpt: How to See Faces Everywhere By Malia Wollan, The New York Times  March 29, 2022

“Humans are hypersocial animals. We’re constantly looking for one another out in the world — to find love, avoid danger, connect — so much so that we often see a face where there isn’t one. ‘You only need this minimal information to see a face because it’s more adaptive to make a mistake and see a funny face in a cloud than to miss a real human face,’ says Wardle, who works at the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition at the National Institute of Mental Health… In one study, Wardle asked subjects to look at 256 photographs of illusory faces. ‘Bizarrely, a lot of our examples came from bell peppers cut in half,’ Wardle says… Unlike human faces though, illusory faces, even the scariest-looking ones, don’t pose any real or potential threat.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes. 

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing. 

 Predictions: Using a Pre-reading Organizer

Directions: Examine the title of the post and of the actual article. Next examine  any photos. Write a paragraph describing what you think this article will discuss. A pre-reading organizer may be used.

Pre-reading chart by J. Swann

 

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try  to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance. 

  1. Our brains are super attuned to see faces everywhere.
  2. Susan Wardle is a scientist who studies how and why people see illusory faces in objects.
  3. As humans we want to find love, avoid danger and connect.
  4. You only need this minimal information to see a face.
  5. It’s more adaptive to make a mistake and see a funny face in a cloud than to miss a real human face.
  6. Wardle has colleagues who begin spotting faces in sandwiches.
  7. Growing up, she [Wardle] and her sister gave them their own moniker: “beezups.”
  8. Some saw faces in storm-drain covers.
  9. Wardle says “just stare out, not looking at anything in particular, and allow yourself to see patterns.”
  10. “Bizarrely, a lot of our examples came from bell peppers cut in half.”

Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition

Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.

I

  1. Wardle worry her human subjects would laugh.
  2. M.R.I.s require absolute stillness.
  3. In one study, Wardle asked subjects to look at 256 photographs of illusory faces

II

  1. If you’re not seeing them, try to give yourself the time and space to look.
  2. Just stared out, not looking at anything in particular.
  3. Humans are hypersocial animals.

 

III

  1. You only need this minimal information to sea a face.
  2. We’re constantly looking for one another out in the world.
  3. To see more illusory faces, spend time thinking about them.

 

Reading ComprehensionFill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, have them complete the following sentences taken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.

Brain-imaging ___show that___faces ___up a part of the ___called the “fusiform face area” that is central to all ___recognition. Unlike___ faces though, illusory___, even the ___ones, don’t ___any real or potential threat.

WORD LIST: scariest-looking, faces, human, facial, brain, scans, illusory, light, pose,

III Post Reading

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Have you ever seen faces in clouds?  If not clouds, have you seen faces in any inanimate objects? 
  2. Seeing faces in objects is known as what phenomenon?
  3. According to Ms. Wardle, what does it mean to be hypersocial?
  4. How do we see more illusory faces?
  5. What directions does Wardle give on how to see faces in objects?
  6. After reading this article, do you think that you’ll begin seeing faces in objects? Why ot why not?
  7. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

IV Extra Activity

The following photos are from the New York Times article: 

Faces, Faces Everywhere, by Benedict Carey. All photographs are by George Etheredge May 5, 2020

Directions: In groups view all 7 pictures and answer the following questions:

Which pictures are easiest to see a face?

Which pictures are more difficult to see a face?

Why do you think that some pictures are easier than others? 

Go outside and take pictures of your own and share them with the class. 

 

ANSWER KEY

Category: People, Psychology, Social Issues | Tags:

The End of Roe Affects Us All!

“Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will usher in a United States not seen in half a century, in which the legal status of abortion is entirely up to the states. Now that the law has changed, reproductive rights will be rewritten almost immediately.” C. C. Miller and M. S. Katz, The New York Times, June 24, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Abortion rights activists clad in green and carrying green signs protest outside the Supreme Court on Saturday.Brandon Bell:Getty Images

Excerpt: What Does the End of Roe Mean? Key Questions and Answers.By Claire Cain Miller and Margot Sanger-Katz, The New York Times, June 24, 202

“Abortion will remain legal in about half of states, but the rest will probably ban it. The number of abortions will probably fall, particularly among poor women in the South and Midwest…Individual states will decide whether and when abortions will be legal. Many states will continue to allow them, and some have even begun making provisions to help serve women who live in states that are likely to restrict abortion… Some women seeking abortions could obtain them in other ways, including traveling to a state where abortion is legal or ordering pills online from outside the country… Without Roe, abortion will probably decline more because women will have to travel farther to reach a state where it’s legal.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes. 

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing. 

I. Pre-Reading Activities

 Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article.  Examine any photos, then create a list of  words and  ideas  that you  and your group members think might be related to this article.  

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try  to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance. 

Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will leave the legal status of abortion entirely up to the states.

Now that the law has changed, reproductive rights will be rewritten almost immediately.

Abortion will probably become illegal in about half of states, although forecasts differ.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, is a group that fights abortion restrictions in court and closely tracks state laws.

Some states have old abortion laws on the books that were invalidated by the Roe decision.

In September, a law went into effect banning abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks.

Without Roe, abortion will probably decline more because women will have to travel farther to reach a state where it’s legal.

California looks to enshrine abortion rights in state constitution.

Our article from December describes the demographics of the typical abortion patient.

Under Roe, the United States has been unusual in allowing abortion for any reason until around 23 weeks.

Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition

Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.

Without Roe, abortion will/may probably declined/decline more because women/woman will has/have to travel farther to reach a/an state where it’s legal. Many women/woman who get abortions are poor, and long travel distances can be insurmountable. The states likely to ban abortion are/is concentrate/concentrated in the South, Midwest and Great Plains.

Reading Comprehension Fill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, have them complete the following sentences  taken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.

Under___, around one in ___American ___would have been expected to obtain an ____at some point, according to research from the Guttmacher Institute.

That includes___ from all backgrounds. But statistics show women who receive ___ abortions in the United States are more likely to be___; to be in their 20s; to have ___incomes; and to___have a child.

WORD LIST: already, low, unmarried, abortion, abortions, women, Roe, four, women,  

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Will abortion become illegal everywhere in the U.S.?
  2. Where will abortion access most likely change?
  3. What are trigger laws?
  4. How will the number of U.S. abortions change?
  5. Without Roe, why will women’s rights to decline more?
  6. In South Dakota which group of women will be most affected by the new law?
  7. Who Gets Abortions in America?
  8. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Culture, Political Issues, Psychology, Social Issues | Tags:

How To Raise A Resilient Child

“Never has resilience — be it physical, mental, emotional or financial — been more important to our society than in the past year and a half, and never have I been so determined to pass it on to my son.” E. VanceThe New York Times, September 21, 2021

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Raising Resilient Kids Who Are Prepared for the Future-Child Mind Institute

Excerpt: The Secret to Raising a Resilient Kid, By Erik Vance, The New York Times, Sept. 14, 2021

Credit- Joao Fazenda NYT

 

“In my early teens, my dad took myself, my best friend and our neighbor on a grueling backpacking trip connecting California’s Yosemite Valley to Half Dome to nearby Clouds Rest mountain and back again. By the second day — halfway up Clouds Rest, on wobbly legs and besieged by mosquitoes — we finally mutinied. The three of us made it clear to my father that we were done. Nobody had heard of Clouds Rest and nobody had the juice to see the top.

‘OK, I understand,’ I remember Dad saying. ‘You guys stay here. Erik, let’s go.’

There was no point arguing. Even today, my only memory of the top of Clouds Rest is the blue sky I saw flat on my back, panting and praying for a speedy death.

Later, of course, I described the hike as an epic victory of teenager over nature. Which, I suspect, is why my dad pushed me to do it. Whether he knew it or not, Dad was a big believer in the concept of resilience, the ability to engage with a challenge, risk or impediment, and come out the other side with some measure of success…Thankfully, most experts say resiliency is something that can be fostered, nurtured and developed in children from a very young age. You just have to build a safe foundation, find challenges and watch kids thrive.

Credit-schoolbag.edu.sg

Build a stable, safe foundation… “Having a relationship with a caring parent is far and away the most powerful protective factor for children,” said Ann Masten, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesotaand a pioneer in the study of resiliency in children.

Once a kid feels safe, supported and has a good model of resilience, it’s time to challenge her a little…’One of the great skills of parenting is knowing how to challenge, when to challenge, how much to challenge,’ Dr. Masten said. ‘There’s no one right way to foster resilience, just like there’s no one right way to parent.’

If you put the word “resilience” on a poster, it would probably be under a photo of someone climbing a mountain, fighting a forest fire or perhaps tending to patients in a Covid ward. But, in fact, it’s the small disappointments or frustrating moments that truly build resilience.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced


Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.


Time: Approximately 60 minutes.


Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

 Predictions: Using a Pre-reading Organizer

Directions: Examine the title of the post and of the actual article. Next examine  any photos. Write a paragraph describing what you think this article will discuss. A pre-reading organizer may be used.

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

  1. Raising a resilient kid might be challenging.
  2. In my early teens, my dad took myself, my best friend and our neighbor on a grueling backpacking trip.
  3. By the second day  we were besieged by mosquitoes.
  4. We finally mutinied.
  5. Later, of course, I described the hike as an epic victory of teenager over nature.
  6. It’s a psychological principle blending optimism, flexibility, and problem-solving.
  7. It is about the ability to bounce back even when times get tough.
  8. You just have to build a safe foundation, find challenges and watch kids thrive.
  9. Children need to feel they have a stable home base before they can take risks and learn to bounce back.
  10. When we arrived, we learned that the next 48 hours would be plagued with thunderstorms, downpours and even a flood warning.

Grammar Focus: Identifying Prepositions

Directions: The following sentences are from the news article.For each sentence choose the correct preposition from the choices listed. Note that not all prepositions listed are in the article.

Make the most of small challenges. If you put the word “resilience” on a poster, it would probably be under a photo of someone climbing a mountain, fighting a forest fire or perhaps tending to patients in a Covid ward. But, in fact, it’s the small disappointments or frustrating moments that truly build resilience.

When teaching canoeing, for instance, he starts by putting a kid into a boat to see if she can figure it out. Then, after a little frustration, he gives some instruction and lets her try again.

Reading Comprehension: Identify The  Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

  1. “Whether he knew it or not, Dad was a big believer in the concept of resilience, the ability to engage with a challenge, risk or impediment, and come out the other side with some measure of success.”
  2. “Resilient people not only bounce back, but also thrive in the best of times.”
  3. “Creating resilience in children isn’t just chucking them into the deep end of a pool to see if they can swim, it’s about the bedrock of support you give them every day. Having a relationship with a caring parent is far and away the most powerful protective factor for children,”
  4. “It’s not just about being tough — that’s not resiliency. It’s about doing things that you’re not sure you can do. And with other people.”

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. According to experts, how is resiliency acquired?
  2. How does Dr. Masten,  describe resilience?
  3. What must parents do before attempting to teach resilience to their children?
  4. Why is it important to ‘regulate’ your own emotions around your children?
  5. The article states that if some people place the word ‘resilience’ under a poster, it would probably be under a photo of someone climbing a mountain, fighting a forest fire or perhaps tending to patients in a Covid ward. The article continues to state, “But, in fact, it’s the small disappointments or frustrating moments that truly build resilience.” What photo or image would you place under the word ‘resilience’?
  6. Explain ’cause and effect’ as applied to a child coming home with an F in math.
  7. According to Dr. Masten what is one great parenting skill?
  8. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.
  9. List 3  questions that you  would like to ask any person mentioned in the article. Share questions as a class.

 

Photo Activity for speaking or Writing

Place students in groups and have the cut out or take pictures describing what they think resilience means. Share pictures as a class.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Children/Teens, Culture, Education, Psychology, Social Issues | Tags:

The Negative Effects of Permanent Daylight Savings Time!

“The U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time in the 1970s — then quickly rejected it.” S. Davis, NPR March 19, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Permanent Daylight Savings Time would have Negative effects on everyone.

 

Excerpt: — By Susan Davis, NPR March 19, 2022

“The Senate gave itself a pat on the back earlier this week when senators voted without objection to make daylight saving time permanent… However, America tried this before — and the country hated it. In the early 1970s, America was facing an energy crisis so the government tried an experiment. Congress passed a law to make daylight saving time permanent year round, but just for two years...It didn’t work, said David Prerau, one of the nation’s foremost experts on the issue. ‘It became very unpopular very quickly,’ he told NPR.

DST is unhealthy

Americans do not like changing their clocks, but they disliked even more going to work and school in the dark for months…It also didn’t reduce energy consumption as intended. In 1974, Congress repealed the law — before the two-year experiment was even up. Nearly 50 years later, Congress is back at it… Dr. Beth Malow, a neurologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, also testified…She thinks permanent Standard Time is a better choice.

“Zombies? No, IT’S THE FIRST MORNING OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.” Scholastic Scope

‘It’s called Standard Time because ST lines up with our natural, biological rhythms,” she said. Permanent standard time with sunnier mornings and darker evenings would be healthier, especially for front-line workers and school students with early waking hours.”

Related Articles:

5 Deadly Reasons Why Daylight Saving Time Is Bad for You, By Richard E. Cytowic M.D., Psychology Today, March 6. 2020 “The shift disrupts circadian rhythm and raises the risk of stroke and depression.”

Why Daylight Saving Time is unhealthy. A Neurologist explains-By Beth Daley, The Conversation

The Dark Side of Daylight Saving Time, By  Maham Javaid, The Boston Globe, March 19, 2022

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced


Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.


Time: Approximately 60 minutes.


Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.


Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

KWL Chart

The K-W-L chart is used to activate students’ background knowledge of a topic in order to enhance their comprehension skills.

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart to list the information they already know about daylight saving time. Next, have students list the information they would like to learnLater in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

  1. The U.S. tried permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the 1970s and failed.
  2. In 1974, Congress repealed the law — before the two-year experiment was even up.
  3. Although the Senate voted for permanent DST, many Americans are against it.
  4. The Senate gave itself a pat on the back earlier this week.
  5. The senators voted without objection to make daylight saving time permanent.
  6. Rubio,said  his legislation to end the need to annually change the clocks in March and November was a good one.
  7. The thinking was more sunlight in the evening would reduce the nation’s energy consumption.
  8. In the 1970s the idea of Permanent DST became very unpopular very quickly.
  9. The U.S. tried permanent DST in the 1970s — then quickly rejected it.
  10. Some people are hoping for a compromise between the Senate and the House.

Grammar Focus: Identifying Prepositions

Directions: The following sentences are from the news article.  For each sentence choose the correct preposition from the choices listed. Note that not all prepositions listed are in the article.  Some Examples of Prepositions:  at,  as, across, around,  by, during,  for, from, in, into,  of, on,  over,  off, to, through,  up,  with, since,

Additional Prepositions:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_prepositions

However, America tried this before — and the country hated it. In the early 1970s, America was facing an energy crisis so the government tried an experiment. Congress passed a law to make daylight saving time permanent year round, but just for two years. The thinking was more sunlight in the evening would reduce the nation’s energy consumption. The House has no immediate plans to take up the Senate-passed bill, but there is bipartisan support for it. The Biden administration hasn’t taken a position on it yet.

Reading Comprehension: Identify The  Speakers

image cosmopolitan.com

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

  1. “It didn’t work… It became very unpopular very quickly.”
  2. “Today the Senate has finally delivered on something Americans all over the country want: to never have to change their clocks again.”
  3. “It’s called standard time because ST lines up with our natural, biological rhythms. Permanent standard time with sunnier mornings and darker evenings would be healthier, especially for front-line workers and school students with early waking hours.”
  4. “I don’t have a specific position from the administration at this point in time.”

 

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have  students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards,  students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

  1. Do you like the idea of making Daylight Savings Time permanent? Why or why not?
  2. In your opinion, should we keep Standard Time or continue turning the clocks back and forth during the year? Explain your reasons.
  3. According to some senators what is the good news about making daylight savings time permanent?
  4. When was the last time Americans attempted to make daylight saving time  (DST) permanent?
  5. What was the thinking behind this idea at the time?
  6. What were some of the problems with making DST permanent?
  7. According to Americans who experienced DST permanently what was the worst part for them?
  8. Was energy consumption reduced during this time?
  9. When did Congress repeal the law?
  10. What important information did Dr. Beth Malow provide about our health need for  permanent Standard Time?
  11. According to Prerau, what is the best solution?
  12. What opinion does President Joe Biden have about the change?
  13. Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of permanent DST.
  14. List three new ideas  that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading,  two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you  would like to know that the article did not mention.  Share your responses with your class.

ANSWER KEY

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