Class Procedures and Reminders:
Storybook Stack. I don't update the Storybook stack as often on the weekends, but you can check there to make sure I received your assignment; I'll update it at least once or twice over the weekend. If you want comments back on your assignment sooner rather than later, turn your work in today or on Sunday morning. If you wait until Sunday evening, you will be farther down in the stack and will have to wait longer for my comments back to you next week.
Working Ahead. For those of you who find yourselves doing the work for this class at the last minute and really scrambling as a result, I would urge you to work ahead this weekend, even if it means just getting a day or two ahead of the deadlines. The class will be so much easier to manage if you create a schedule that is really convenient for you, rather than having me set the deadlines. You might want to review this information from back in Week 1 about Creating Your Own Class Schedule.
The following items are for fun and exploration:
Book Recommendation: The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left by David Crystal. If you are looking for a fun-to-read book that covers the history of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation, Crystal's good-hearted and humorous book is a great choice!
Foreign Words in English: Today's foreign word in English is tank. I'm guessing you did not know that this word comes to English from India. (It was a surprise for me!) For details, see this blog post. So, from water tanks to gas tanks to tank tops, we are using a word from India whenever we say "tank."
Featured Storybook: Tales of Love at Karva Chauth. Karva Chauth is an Indian holiday in which women honor the power of love in their lives. In this Storybook, you will spend the holiday with Sita, Ahalya and Radha as they reflect on the dramatic ways in which each woman's loving devotion was put to the test.
FREE Kindle eBook: Legends of Florence by Charles Godfrey Leland. Here is a link to the book at Amazon, and this blog post provides additional information about the contents of the book. Anyone who has been to Florence will recognize the place names in the titles of these stories: "The Witch of the Arno," "The Red Goblin of the Bargello," and many more.
Words of Wisdom: Today's proverb poster is Beware of Greeks bearing gifts (an English proverb, adapted from Latin). Details at the Proverb Lab. The gift in question is the notorious Trojan Horse!
Ramayana Image: Today's Ramayana image is Rama's Battle with Ravana. As you can see, Lakshmana is standing beside Rama on their chariot, and the brave brothers are facing the demon Ravana as his heads go flying this way and that, chopped off by Rama's arrows.
Saturday Event on Campus: There will be a Dr. Seuss Party in Cate's main social lounge from 7PM-9PM, with a funny sock contest at 7:30PM and a tongue-twister contest at 8PM (details). Find out more about this and other events at the Campus Calendar online.
Note: You can page back through older blog posts to see any announcements you might have missed.
