Catalog Search Results
Language
English
Description
Punctuation is something that many people have trouble getting their heads around. This program provides a comprehensive guide to proper punctuation. We examine some common punctuation errors and pitfalls, and explain how to improve our written expression. We'll look in detail at the functions of colons, semicolons, dashes, parentheses and ellipses. These punctuation marks are often avoided in everyday writing, due to confusion about their features...
Language
English
Description
Three versions of the Judgment of Solomon story illustrate the changes that have taken place in the English language across more than a millennium: from Aelfric's 10th-century account of how Solomon's wisdom reached to the truth, through Middle, to Early Modern and Modern English. At each stage, the grammar and vocabulary of the pieces are analyzed, as are the social assumptions of the writers. The Old and Middle English selections are read by scholars...
3) Adverbs
Language
English
Description
How do you do the things you do? Quietly? Loudly? If you want to feel the vibe of your verbs, you need to “add” something: adverbs. They seem easy, but there are a few irregular adverbs lurking out there to trip you up. So listen up and pay attention...carefully, now. Plus we’ll learn about plants and animals and wrap up our story in Part IV of Lost in the Woods.
Language
English
Description
English, an incredibly rich and complex language, also has the largest vocabulary. This program provides an overview of four key periods in the chronological history of the English language and how events in each period shaped the words, spelling, pronunciation, and grammar of English. We explore the cultural and social influences on Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English. Excerpts from Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales,...
Language
English
Description
Voiced by comedian Clive Anderson, this entertaining romp through the history of English squeezes 1,600 years of history into 10 one-minute clips. Bursting with fascinating facts, the clip collection looks at how English grew from a regional tongue into a major global language before reflecting on the future of English in the 21st century. Video clips include: *Anglo-Saxon: The Angles and the Saxons came up with the everyday words we really needed,...
8) Pronouns
Language
English
Description
Your study of English begins with a look at the biggest, baddest verb of them all: "to be". Without this handy verb, you'd never be able to say "This is an English program." Of course, we'll also explain pronouns—those little words like "we", "she", and "I" that take the place of nouns and keep your sentences nice and neat. Finally, we'll teach you all about "pointer" words so you can talk about that thing over there!
Language
English
Description
Recent technological developments such as email, text messages and online instant messaging have required many English expressions to be simplified, prompting people to question whether punctuation is still necessary. This program explores the continuing importance of learning to master punctuation and provides a straightforward review of the five most commonly-used punctuation marks: capital letters, periods, question marks, exclamation marks, and...
Language
English
Description
Recent technological developments such as email, text messages and online instant messaging have required many English expressions to be simplified, prompting people to question whether punctuation is still necessary. This program explores the continuing importance of learning to master punctuation and provides a straightforward review of apostrophes and quotation marks.
Language
English
Description
Engrossed in solving a crossword puzzle, Bertram fails to notice when the evil Sir Professor Teacher kidnaps his loyal customer Polly. Forced to participate in a Deadly Spelling Bee to save her, Bertram has to rely on his knowledge of word patterns, acrostics, and word origins to solve the toughest of spelling challenges. Will Sir Professor Teacher finally fail Bertram—or will Polly’s helpful tips save him from total spelling humiliation?
12) Imaginative
Language
English
Description
With popular examples such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland used to illustrate the concept, young students will discover the purpose of imaginative texts and the features that distinguish them from other text types. Students will discover how language contributes to the reader's experience and learn some techniques they can use to produce more engaging stories.
13) Persuasive
Language
English
Description
Persuasive texts are all around us. They convince us to believe ideas and buy goods and services—but how? Discover the purpose of persuasive texts and the elements that work together to achieve desired outcomes from target audiences in this short Miniclip. Students will deconstruct a hilarious example of a persuasive text and recognize that they encounter them more often than they realize!
Language
English
Description
Bertram’s video blog about spelling for humor and characterization doesn’t seem very popular—until one of his fans invites him to do a stand-up comedy routine! But when Bertram goes missing, his friends Polly and Vocab-bot must follow his trail of spelling corrections around the city to find him. Can oxymoron, malapropism, and eye dialect really lead them to Bertram? And why can’t Vocab-Bot stop laughing?
15) Informative
Language
English
Description
Calendars, instruction manuals, newspaper articles, and dictionaries all have something in common: they are all informative texts. Informative texts are used to provide facts and information, and this purpose is illustrated through the example of a research project on honey bees. By viewing this Miniclip, students will learn about the distinctive features of informative texts through creative animations and amusing examples.
Language
English
Description
Sir Professor Teacher has taken the Internet hostage, and Bertram has to complete a series of complex spelling challenges to stop him from shutting it down. Along the way Bertram relies on helpful spelling rules for vowel pairs, suffixes, compound words, and syllables. There are always exceptions to the rule though!
Language
English
Description
When Bertram’s nemesis Sir Professor Teacher plants a bomb in the school’s boiler system, it’s up to Bertram and his favorite customer Polly to use their knowledge of vocabulary and reading strategies in order to make sense of a partly burned instruction manual. Knowing about synonyms, morphemes, word families, and context has never been more important!
Language
English
Description
Sure, we all know what periods, exclamation marks, and question marks are, but you'd be surprised how often people use them incorrectly! By illustrating all of the rules and tricks, the Standard Deviants show you when and where you should—and shouldn't—use these punctuation marks. You'll also learn about that ever-useful punctuation mark, the comma.