Juneteenth is this Saturday, June 19! To learn more about this holiday, view the video above. And as of the writing of this post Congress is on it’s way to making it an official federal holiday. Read more below…
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a US holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.The legislation has gained momentum since the massive Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd last year and the Democrats’ takeover of the White House and Congress.
The measure needs to pass the House and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer tweeted that the chamber would vote Wednesday.
Earth Day is today! Above you can watch a brief video about the history and importance of Earth Day, while below you can read some helpful tips that will help you to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle:
6. Don’t buy fast fashion. Instead, buy quality clothing that will last. Even better, buy vintage or recycled clothing at consignment shops.
7. Wash your clothing in cold water. Doing two loads of laundry weekly in cold water instead of hot or warm water can save up to 500 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
8. Buy less stuff! Buy used or recycled items whenever possible and avoid buying items with a lot of packaging.
9. Bring your own reusable bag when you shop.
10. Buy a laptop instead of a desktop. Laptops require less energy to charge and operate than desktops.
11. If shopping for appliances, lighting, office equipment or electronics, look for Energy Star products, which are certified to be more energy efficient.
12. Support and buy from companies that are environmentally responsible and sustainable.
13. Do an energy audit of your home. This will show how you use or waste energy and help identify ways to be more energy efficient.
14. Buy LED lights. Though LEDs cost more, they use a quarter of the energy and last up to 25 times longer.
15. Turn lights off when you leave the room and unplug your electronic devices when they are not in use.
16. Turn your water heater down to 120˚F. This can save about 550 pounds of CO2 a year.
17. Take shorter showers and install a low-flow showerhead.
18. Use less air conditioning in the summer; instead opt for fans, which require less electricity.
19. Sign up to get your electricity from clean energy through your local utility or a certified renewable energy provider.
20. Drive less. Walk, take public transportation, carpool, rideshare or bike to your destination when possible.
21. Avoid flying if possible; on shorter trips, driving may produce fewer greenhouse gases.
22. Vote! Become politically active and let your representatives know you want them to take action about global warming and the environment.
This is a short film exploring the identities and stories of University Settlement community members studying English as a second language in the Adult Literacy Program accompanied by music and dance. The film is a culmination of a month-long teaching artist residency with four different Adult Literacy classes. “What Matters to Us” is a virtual reimagination and application of Creative Traffic Flow’s project, Duets of Difference. In this time of heightened xenophobia and political intolerance, The Duets of Difference project explores how people from different communities with different life experiences can connect in their differences. Students in the Adult Literacy program represent many different ages, ethnicities, and experiences. There were at least 11 different languages spoken amongst the class. “What Matters to Us” explores differences in family, relationships, and how to communicate as an English Language Learner.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Learn English with Martin Luther King, Jr. in his most famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28th, 1963. – Watch with big English subtitles.
Here’s a little video for all you teachers out there and others who may not know how to say names in Mandarin. It comes from the East Asian Studies Center at Ohio University:
And here are a few sounds in Chinese pinyin that are different from English. The pinyin is on the left while the equivalent English pronunciation comes after the equal sign:
What is pinyin? Watch the video below from Yoyo Chinese to find out:
