Today, teacher Abbie led us to read through the thought-provoking article "A Farm Boy Reflects http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/opinion/31kristof.html?_r=2&hp" written by Nicholas Kristof of NY Times. I was late again and we had finished the first 5 paragraphs when I arrived. However, it was wonderful that Abbie helped us to go through every word and every sentence. Anyone was welcome to read any paragraph as a volunteer, and we stopped to express our own perspectives and ask questions at each end of the paragraph. It was FABULOUS and it was one of the great ways of learning English reading!
It took much longer to discuss the article than we had expected so we decided to continue the second half of the article next week. We learned that pigs, geese and many other animals have great intelligence just like us humans but we have to accept the fact that more or less we have been consuming their meat. I think the paragraphs about the geese really impressed each of us. The Chinese white geese that the writer's family raised on the farm had distinctive personalities. They mate for life and adhere to family values that would shame most of those who dine of them.
Ching was the first to share the video that was about the specialty of geckos. Geckos have very special feet to let them stick to the walls and scientists have tried to create the artificial gecko feet device to let humans climb the walls just like them!
Jerry shared the amazing facts and abilities about the crows. They are not just birds. They are the experts of using and making tools and they have excellent memories. They are also able to learn to survive in the modern world by dropping the nuts in the street to let the cars crack the shells of the nuts for them, and wait for the traffic lights on while cars are stopping to get the meat of the nuts safely. Barrett said that he had watched all of the videos but he appeared to have trouble memorizing any of them!Kurt expressed his ideas about the short video "I'll be the hummingbird" that we watched last week. He said that he and his friends drove a car and rushed to Taipei to give supports to those people whose houses were destroyed by the Taipei City Government. Although they couldn't arrive there earlier, they felt that they were the hummingbirds to show their strength and faith no matter how much they were able to help with them.
Ammar watched all of the videos and he recalled the childhood when he was still a kid living in Nepal. He was more impressed by these two videos about the big cats and the poachers to be caretakers. Jessica shared the video "How I taught rats to sniff landmines" and said that she was really surprised by the specialties that rats have. They aren't the ones that we hate but the ones that can help us! Ming, Humor, Nana and Tina all shared their own impressions about the videos briefly and bravely and Tina was willing to share all of the videos with her friends to let more people learn the amazing facts of the animals! Kafei told us that we all learned from nature and the animals living in it to be more creative to solve our own problems. But she also emphasized that we humans are like outsiders to the nature and have been the roles who keep taking advantage of it. We have to admit that in a way, we humans are like the viruses or even the cancer to our precious planet! Taiya added the information about the crisis that penguins are facing due to the dramatic climate changes. They have to go much farther for food that is decreasing.
Tonight, we all got to share something and of course, we all absorbed the ideas shared by each other. The more we know, sometimes the sadder we feel, but maybe in other way, the more we are able to do for our planet or at least for the ones we love and care. Being willing to make a change is the key!
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