Book Sale at Prologue (ION Orchard)

Prologue will be holding its 2nd birthday bash from 2 to 11 Dec. There will be discounts on books, stationery and DVDs.

For parents who are thinking of buying books for your kids as Christmas presents, you may want to go to the sale.

~ Serena's Greenhouse

Creative Writing Skills - Use Vivid Words (Synonyms for "walk")

There are many ways one can move. A good writer will use vivid words to describe how a person moves.
Here are a few synonyms for the word "walk" or "move". Where do we get the list of synonyms for the word "walk"? We can look up synonyms online (www.thesaurus.com) or buy a thesaurus.


(1) swagger - to walk with a swinging movement, in a way that seems too proud and confident
The notorious bully swaggered towards the quivering girl and demanded money from her.


(2) amble - to walk slowly in a relaxed way
The couple ambled to the beach.


(3) prance - to move quickly with exaggerated steps so that people will look at you
Ben was prancing around on the stage with the microphone.


(4) trudge - to walk slowly or with heavy steps because you are tired or carrying something heavy
The farmer trudged home with the heavy sack of rice.


(5)creep - to move slowly, quietly and carefully because you do not want to be seen or heard
Tim crept up the stairs as he did not want to wake his parents.


~  Serena's Greenhouse

A Word A Week - Week 5

Devastated (adj)

(1) extremely upset and shocked

Dave was devastated when his pet dog was killed in an accident.

Devastate (v)

(1) completely destroy a place or an area

The earthquake devastated the village.

(2) make somebody feel very shocked and sad

Tim was devastated by the bad news.

~ Serena's Greenhouse 

What determines the gender of a baby sea turtle?

 

A baby sea turtle is known as a hatchling. After an adult female sea turtle nests or has laid her eggs, she returns to the sea, leaving her eggs to develop on their own. The developing hatchlings do not have sex chromosomes. Their gender is determined by the temperature of the sand they are found in.

There is a "pivotal" temperature which varies slightly among species, ranging between 28 and 29 degrees Celsius. If the temperature of the sand is above this temperature range, female turtles will result. If the sand is below this temperature range, male turtles will result.

~ Serena's Greenhouse

Good Read - Magic Tree House Fast Trackers

It is important for children to read a wide genre of books and this includes non-fiction books. In recent years, the cloze passages in the PSLE are usually non-fiction or information texts. For example, in the 2011 English PSLE, the cloze passage is based on Egypt, pyramids and mummies.

The Magic Tree House has a series of simple yet informative non-fiction chapter books - Fast Trackers. For example, children will learn how pyramids were built, how and why mummies were made, what hieroglyphics is and many more interesting facts.

For kids who love animals, they can also find out more about dolphins and sharks, polar bears and dinosaurs as there are also books on these animals.

~ Serena's Greenhouse

Places to take the kids to during the holidays!

The year-end holidays are just round the corner. Here are some suggestions of places in Singapore to take the kids to.

(1) Singapore Science Centre
The kids will be thrilled to embark on a journey 250 million years back in time for a prehistoric adventure at the "Dinosaurs-Live" exhibition. There are 50 life-sized dinosaurs on display. The kids can also learn more about Science when they view other exhibits. Click on the weblink below to find out more about the other exhibitions.
http://www.science.edu.sg/exhibitions/Pages/SCSExhibitionsHome.aspx

Venue:
Singapore Science Centre, Annexe Building

Date:
21 October 2011 to 26 February 2012

Admission Charges:
Adult                              $23*
Child (3 to 16 years old) $18*
* Includes Science Centre Admission

Opening Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(2) Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
The kids can look at the interesting and rare mangrove species and find out why mangroves are important, their uses and benefits. Those in the upper primary can also learn how mangroves have adapted to their surroundings. There is also a free wireless trail. It uses ColourCode to enable visitors holding mobile devices with cameras and internet connection such as smartphones to learn about the flora and fauna there. Click on the weblink below to find out more about the wireless learning trail.
http://www.sbwr.org.sg/events/wirelesslearningtrail/

Homepage of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve:
http://www.sbwr.org.sg/aboutus/ourhistory/

Admission: Free entry
                  except on Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays and School Holidays
                  (Adult : $1; Child/ Student / Senior citizen $0.50)

Opening Hours: 7.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Monday to Saturday
                         7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Sunday and public holidays

(3) Farms in Singapore
The kids will enjoy a trip to the farms in Kranji. Hop on the Kranji Express and explore the countryside.
Click on the weblink below to find out about the farms that you can visit via the Kranji Express.
http://www.kranjicountryside.com/

Here are some of the farms that I have visited with my nephews and niece.
(a) Bollywood Veggies
You can lead the kids on a free and easy self-guided farm tour or a 30-minute farm tour on some uses and interesting uses and facts of the fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and other medicinal plants grown there. Tehre are also other activities that are organised by Bollywood Veggies. Click on the webllink to find out more.
http://www.bollywoodveggies.com/pdf/Bollywood%20Farm%20Tours%20and%20Activities.pdf

(b) Hay Dairies
The kids can get to view the goats and observe how milking is done between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Click on the weblink to find out more about Hay Dairies.
http://www.haydairies.com.sg/

(c) Jurong Frog Farm
The kids get to see bullfrogs up close. If they join the Frog Fun tour, they will be able to  hand-feed the bullfrogs, differentiate between a male and a female frog and observe how a frog camouflages in its natural environment.
Click on the weblink below to find out more about Jurong Frog Farm.
http://www.jurongfrogfarm.com.sg/main.htm

~ Serena's Greenhouse

A Word A Week - Week 4

Embezzle
(1) to take (property entrusted to one's care) dishonestly for one's own use
Dave was convicted of embezzling money from his clients.


Word formation:
embezzlement (noun)
embezzler (noun)


~ Serena's Greenhouse 

Phobias

What is a phobia? A phobia is a strong unreasonable fear of something. It comes from a Greek word meaning "to be frightened." 


Below is a list of some phobias:
Arachnophobia - the fear of spiders
Agoraphobia—the fear of being in open spaces
Claustrophobia - the fear of being in a small enclosed place
Glossophobia—the fear of speaking in public
Acrophobia—the fear of heights
Phasmophobia—the fear of ghosts
Zoophobia - the fear of animals
Chromophobia - the fear of colours
Acousticphobia - the fear of sounds and voice
Aquaphobia - the fear of water
Xenophobia - the fear of strangers
Photophobia - the fear of light
Triskaidekaphobia—the fear of the number 13


~ Serena's Greenhouse

A Word A Week - Week 3

Treacherous
(1) cannot be trusted, intending to harm you
Do not believe his treacherous words.


(2) very dangerous as one cannot see the dangers easily
Please drive slowly along the this treacherous mountain road.

Portmanteau Words

During an English lesson today, my pupils came across the word "breathalyser" when they were reading a Comprehension passage about a drunk passenger attacking a taxi driver. I introduced blend words or portmanteau words to them to make them appreciate that the English language can be interesting. 

What is a portmanteau word? A portmanteau word or a blend word is a blend of two or more separate words. 

Examples of portmanteau words:

Brunch           Breakfast + Lunch

Chortle           Chuckle   + Snort

Cyborg           Cybernetic + Organism

Motel              Motor + Hotel

Smog              Smoke + Fog

Infotainment   Information + Entertainment

Camcorder      Camera + Recorder

Emoticon        Emotion + Icon

Pixel               Picture + Element

Twirl              Twist + Whirl

Glimmer        Gleam + Shimmer

Breathalyser  Breath + Analyser
Advertorial    Advertisement + Editorial
Telethon        Television + Marathon
Sitcom           Situation + Comedy
Paratroop       Parachute + Troop
Multiplex       Multiple + Complex
Smash            Smack + Mash
Guesstimate   Guess + Estimate

Camouflage

What is camouflage? Why do animals camouflage themselves?

Camouflage refers to how animals blend into its natural environment. They camouflage themselves as their bodies have colours and/or patterns that can blend into their environment. Animals use camouflage to remain hidden from predators (which primarily hunt using vision instead of smell) or prey. When they are hidden from their prey, they can hunt more efficiently.

Examples of camouflage in nature:

(1) Having body colour that blend into the surroundings

A polar bear has a white coat of fur that blends into the white snow-covered surroundings. In winter, an Arctic fox sheds its brown summer coat and grows a new white coat. 

Polar bear

Arctic fox in the summer versus arctic fox in the winter

                                           Source of image: http://scienceramble.com

(2) Having body colour and patterns that blend into the surroundings

Leaf Insect

Orchid Mantis

 ~ Serena's Greenhouse

                                  

Children's Day

Yesterday was Children's Day. I shared with my kiddos the following quote by John Wooden. 

John Wooden was the most successful basketball coach in the United States of all time. His success philosophy is detailed in his famous "Pyramid of Success". However, the one that stands out most is the advice given to him by his father when he was a little boy - "Make each day your masterpiece."


Why did I share this quote with my kiddos? I hope that they will understand that we cannot change the past. Although we can learn from our mistakes in the past, we should focus on doing our best each day. Are we living each day as though it is an important championship game? Or are we living each day as though it is only a practice for some game in the future? Would we be proud to reflect at the end of each day that we have done our best that day? Would we be guilty and realise that we have wasted a lot of time or we could have better in many areas when we reflect at the end of each day?


Here are some tips that can help everyone of us to create our daily masterpiece:
(1) At the beginning of each day, ask ourselves: What is the most important thing that I can do today to make my life a masterpiece? What are some things that I can do today to make my life a masterpiece? Focus on that single thing or those things that you need to do.


(2) At the end of the day, set aside some time to reflect: Did I do my best today? What did I do right? What did not work? Give yourself a pat on what you did well. Think through what you could have done to improve on what went wrong for the day. 


I hope that all of us remember that we can control the outcomes of the day most of the time. Make each day your masterpiece!



~ Teacher Serena

Synthesis and Transformation questions (Modified based on 2011 English PSLE)

To give parents and pupils an idea of the types of questions tested in the PSLE,  I have modified three of the 2011 PSLE questions so as not to infringe copyright issues.

Examples:

1. The warriors were brave and disciplined. The King was impressed.

The warriors' _______________________________________________.

2. The rabbit disappeared from the stage suddenly. The audience were puzzled.

What puzzled _______________________________________________.

3. Mrs Lee asked Mike if he had taken the book from the table that morning.

Mrs Lee asked Mike, "________________________________________."

Creative Writing Skills - Personification

Good writers often use personification.
What is personification?
 It is giving human traits (qualities, feelings, action or characteristics) to inanimate or non-living objects (things, qualities etc).


Why do writers use personification?
Writers use personification to emphasise something or make it stand out. Personification makes the object more interesting and causes readers to look at the object from a new perspective.


Examples of personification
The sunflowers nodded their heads and greeted the visitors to the park.
The cool water beckoned invitingly to John.
The door groaned as Mike pushed it open.
The basketball was lying forlornly on the floor.
The flames danced wildly in the kitchen.


Serena's Greenhouse

Shake that can of fizzy drink!

Have you ever heard someone say, "Please don't shake that can of Sprite! The fizzy drink will overflow when you open it!" Have you every wondered why a bottle of coke taste flat after you have opened it? 


Materials:

• 1 can of unopened fizzy drink 

Steps:
1. Shake a sealed can of fizzy drink vigorously.
2. Use your finger to tap the SIDE of the can. Turn the can 90 degrees and tap the side of the can again.
3. Tap the side of the can a few times before opening it
4. Open the can and observe what happens. The gas will simply escape and the liquid will not "explode" out of the can.


Teacher Serena's Explanations:
The fizz in the drink is dissolved carbon dioxide gas. When the fizzy drink is bottled or canned, carbon dioxide molecules are forced into the fizzy drink in an amount that is greater than under normal conditions. 


When we shake the can of fizzy drink, it causes the bubbles of carbon dioxide to line the inside walls of the can. When the can is opened, according to Boyle's Law, the pressure in the can decreases and the volume of each bubble goes up. The expanding bubbles force the liquid out of the can, hence we see an "explosion". 


When we tap the sides of the can, we are dislodging the bubbles from the sides and bottom of the can so that they can float to the top of the can. This is possible because a gas is lighter than a liquid. Once the bubbles are at the top of the can, only a small volume of liquid will block their escape when we open the can. Thus the fizzy drink does not "explode".


~ Serena's Greenhouse

Good Read - Anne of Green Gables

This book is a classic written by L.M. Montgomery. I loved reading the series when I was about ten years old.

Anne, a red-headed orphan, was taken to Green Gables to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert.  At first, Marilla did not welcome her as she asked for a boy. Anne had an unbeatable optimism and an unstoppable tongue. Before long, the Cuthberts could not imagine life without Anne. 

Each new day brought a new set of adventures, often hilarious and always uplifting. Anne had a vivid and overactive imagination which caused many mishaps. Fortunately, her saving grace was her heart of gold. 

This is a must-read for girls between 8 and 10 years old.

~ Serena's Greenhouse

A Word A Week - Week 2

Frugal : 

(a) Careful to buy or use only what is necessary

Sentence: Mr Lee leads a frugal life. He only buys what is necessary.

(b) (of meals) small, plain and costing very much

Sentence: I had a frugal lunch of bread and butter this afternoon as I 

did not have much money in my wallet. 

A meaningful quote to share with all of you...

Saw this quote on my brother-in-law's Facebook wall and thought that it is a meaningful quote, especially for educators and parents...

Source of image : http://let-me-say.com/2011/06/20/let-me-say-everybodys-a-genius/

A Word A Week - Week 1

Do you find it easy to learn new vocabulary in English? A word a week is a great way to learn new words. 


Bizarre : Strange, unusual and difficult to explain


Sentence: He was wearing a bizarre outfit and everyone was staring at him. The outfit was made out of recycled drink cans.

Direction of Education in the New Landscape...

During the MOE Workplan Seminar on 22 September, Minister of Education , Mr Heng Swee Keat, announced that that there will be two key emphases for the next stage of development. MOE aims to make our education system even more student-centric and there will be more focus on holistic education - centred on values and character development.

I was glad to read from the Minister's speech that he reiterated that CCAs are an integral part of education, to build character and provide holistic education. The intent of CCAs is "not to win medals per se, but to learn the value of excellence, teamwork and discipline; to be gracious in victory and resilient in defeat." I sincerely hope that all schools remember this intent well. Some of my ex-pupils did tell me about how they could only choose from certain non-competitive CCAs as those that they are interested in only accept pupils who can represent their school on a competitive level. Hence, it is heartening to hear the Minister mentioning that we should "increase our capacity to enable students to participate in recreational sports and other activities."

I also read with delight that MOE is going to remove the Sustained Achievement Awards (SAA). The rationale? It will "free up resources to allow schools to pursue achievements over a broader range of activities, in line with student-centric, holistic education."

The Minister also stated that award assessment will be conducted during the SEM external validation. Many teachers will definitely be saying, "Horray!" Gone are the days when schools need to apply for awards. This will definitely reduce the workload of teachers in preparing the paperwork so as to apply for awards. As an ex-teacher, I definitely applaud this change. This will mean that teachers can spend more time on student-centric activities instead of preparing the paperwork for the application of awards. In the past, a lot of man-hours were spent on preparing the paperwork for the application of awards. Some teachers become jaded and begin to question what their core job is. Is it to be involved in student-centric activities or to be playing the role of an administrator i.e. to prepare reports and evidence for award application?

It was also reported in the newspapers that very often, schools are seen hanging banners outside their school gates to inform the public about the awards that they have attained. Awards are given to recognise schools for their good programmes and systems. Hence, I believe that with the abovementioned change, the education system here will not become a mere chasing of awards by schools.

~ Serena's Greenhouse

Differences between British and American Spelling

Which spelling is correct, "recognise" or "recognize"? What is the difference between "color" and "colour"? Have you ever wondered why there are different versions of a word? Essentially, the differences arise due to the differences in convention between British and American spelling.

Today, I will be listing down some differences between British and American spelling. It is useful for learners of the English language to know the differences. On 6 September 2011, Mr Lee Kuan Yew said at the official opening of the English Language Institute of English (Elis) that there is a need to teach pupils to recognise American English. The growing dominance of the American media means that Singaporeans are increasingly exposed to American English, both in the spoken and written forms. 

Currently, pupils are not penalised for using American English in schools and in national examinations, so long as they are consistent. 

Some differences between British and American spelling:

(1) -our vs -or

British                               American

colour                                 color

favourite                             favorite

honour                                honor

(2) -re vs -er

British                                American

centre                                  center

metre                                   meter

theatre                                 theater

(3) -l vs -ll

British                                American

enrolment                            enrollment

fulfil                                    fulfill

skilful                                  skillful

(4) -ogue vs -og

British                                 American

catalogue                              catalog

dialogue                                dialog                              

(5) - ck or -k vs -que
British                                American
cheque                                check


(6) -ce vs -se

British                                American

defence                               defense

licence                                license

(7) - se vs -ze

British                                American

analyse                                analyze

criticise                                criticize

memorise                             memorize

organise                               organize

(8) - e vs - oe or -ae
British                                American
encyclopaedia                     encyclopedia
maneuver                            manoeuvre


I will be posting an entry on some differences between American and British vocabulary at a later date. 


~ By Serena's Greenhouse

Have fun with REBUS!

A REBUS is a picture representation of a name, work, or phrase.  Here's an example of a rebus puzzle.

                                                                HEAD
                                                                HEELS

                                                    Answer: Head over heels

Here are more rebus puzzles:
(A)
GIVE    GET
GIVE    GET
GIVE    GET
GIVE    GET

(B)

SECRET

SECRET

SECRET

(C) 

HERRING

(D)

TICKLED

(E)

AGEDAGEDAGED

(F)

STOOD

MISS

(G)

MILL1ON

(H)

historyhistory

ANSWERS:

(A) Forgive and forget

(B) Top secret

(C) Red herring

(D) Tickled pink

(E) Middle-aged

(F) Misunderstood

(G) One in a million

(H) History repeats itself

Why can birds perch on power lines without being electrocuted?

One of my pupils asked me this interesting question: why can birds perch on power lines without being electrocuted?

Here's the scientific explanation:
Birds usually perch on a single power line. Hence, there is no potential difference between the two feet and no electric current will flow through the bird.

For the bird to be electrocuted, a potential difference must exist across its two feet. If the bird touches two power lines at a time, or one power line and a ground wire or the Earth, the bird would be electrocuted and die.

Many large birds such as eagles and vultures can be electrocuted when their wide wings touch a power line and a ground wire at the same time.

Let's watch a video that explains this phenomenon through an experiment:

A word of advice:Do not fly a kite near power lines. If the kite gets tangled in the power lines, the kite string acts as a ground and you can be electrocuted.


~ By Serena's Greenhouse

Adaptations - Puffer fish

Watch this video to find out how a puffer fish protects itself from its predators...

Adaptations
When threatened by a predator, a puffer fish will suck in water and sometimes air to inflate itself like a balloon, making itself look bigger. Hence the predator will not be able to eat it as it is too big for the predator's mouth. Some species also have spines on their skin to ward off predators.


If a predator gobbles up a puffer before it inflates, it will not enjoy the food. Most pufferfish contain a toxic substance that makes them taste foul and potentially deadly to other fish. There is enough toxins in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans and there is no known antidote.


Other facts about the puffer fish
In Japan, puffer fish are known as fugu and they are an expensive delicacy. They are prepared only by licensed fugu chefs.

"Passed" vs "Past"

Pupils are often confused about the usage of these two words, "passed" and "past".

I will explain how these two words can be used below.

(A)Past 

Relates to location

The word past locates something in time and sometimes in space. It can be
used as an adjective, noun, or adverb.

(A.1) “Past” as an adjective

Meaning: "Gone by in time; elapsed; done with; over" (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Example:

• The days for celebration are now past.
• I have not heard much of the actor for the past year.

Meaning: "belonging to an earlier time" (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Example:

• Past students attended the school concert.

(A.2) “Past” as a noun

Meaning: “The time that has gone by; a time, or all of the time, before the present” (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Example:

• Many people did not have access to the computer in the past.
• We cannot live in the past

Meaning: "A person's past life or career " (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)'

Example:

May did not know anything about her boyfriend's past.

(A.3) “Past” as a preposition

Meaning: “Beyond in time; after; beyond the age for or time of; (in stating the time of day) so many minutes, or a quarter or half of an hour, after a particular hour.” (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Example:

• It is almost half past six now. Are you hungry?

Meaning: “Beyond in place; further on than; at or on the further side of; to a point beyond.” (Oxford English Dictionary)

Example:

• My house is the one just past the shopping centre.

(A.4) “Past” as an adverb

Meaning:“So as to pass or go by; by.” (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)

Example: I walked past the library just now.

(B) Passed – a verb in the past tense

Passed is the past participle of the verb “to pass”. It can be an intransitive verb (one which does not require an object) or a transitive verb (one which requires both a subject and one or more objects).

“To pass” means “To proceed, move forward, depart; to cause to do this.” (Oxford English Dictionary) This can refer to movement forwards in time, in space, or in life (such as “to pass an examination”).

Example:

• “The months passed quickly.” (Intransitive: subject “the weeks” and no object).
• “I passed all my driving test!” (Transitive: subject “I” and object “driving test”.)
• “He passed the ball during the last five minutes of the game.” (Transitive: subject “He” and object “the ball”.)

~ Serena's Greenhouse