Jean Craighead George  - This is the first part of an episode of American Mosaic.  The audio and transcript include two other stories as well, but you only need to listen to and read the first part for this lesson.

1. Listening/Reading

   1. Prelistening:

      1. What authors do you know who are famous for writing children's books?  What topics and themes are common in the books they write?

   2. First time listening to the audio.  

      1. Write down any words you think you many need, then listen to the audio here:  

         1. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/audio/Audio/85158.html

      2. Second time - Listen to the audio again.  This time feel free to use the transcript as well.  Note you can double click on any word to see a definition. Take notes and write down any words you had to look up.

         1. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/jean-craighead-george-gold-cup-beach-house/940591.html

   3. Comprehension - If you understood the text, you should be able to answer the questions below.  If not, refer to the text again.

      1. Who was Jean Craighead George?

      2. How did she become interested in nature?

      3. She wrote several famous books.  Which one sounds most interesting to you?  What is it about?

2. Speaking

   1. Prepare for a conversation with your language partner.  Write down questions about books they read children.  Who were some of their favorite authors?  Are there authors or books in your partner's country that every child knows?  Describe one of the books?  What makes them so popular?

   2. Meet with your language partner.  Try your best to only speak in English for 30 minutes.  Of course, be sure to then provide your partner with an equal amount of time to practice our native language as well.

3. Writing

   1. Write a summary of your exchange with your partner on the Mixxer blog.  Write a description of some of your partner's favorite books as a child.