Groundhog Day

     Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the US and Canada. The holiday is celebrated on February 2nd. It comes from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. The belief is, if the groundhog sees his shadow there and runs back into his burrow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If the groundhog does not see his shadow, then spring will arrive early. There is no correlation between the groundhog's shadow and the duration of winter. However, the holiday remains popular despite this fact.

                                                            Vocabulary list:
groundhog-(noun)-rodent belonging to squirrel group marmot. Another name for woodchuck.
tradition-(noun)-custom or belief passed on from generation to generation.
superstition-(noun)-widely held belief lacking support, may be based in supernatural.
correlation-(noun)-connection or relationship between two or more things.
duration-(noun)-the time in which something occurs, length of time.
burrow-(noun)-a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal to create a living space.

Vocabulary exercise:
 Which vocabulary word matches the clue provided?
1) This animal's shadow is said to determine the length of winter.
2) Holidays are filled with these, such as specific food and music.
3) Black cats are bad luck, is an example of this.
4) They say that there is not one of these between the groundhog and winter's end.
5) The length of time of an event.
6) This is the groundhog's home.


Grammar concept:
The post above contains several tenses. Let's focus on the present tense which indicates something is occurring in the present or now. For example: "She speaks softly."

Grammar practice:
Change the verb to present tense to complete the sentences:
1) He _____(run) late to work.
2) She _____(do) her homework.
3) They _________(watch) TV.
4) I _________(drive) to school.
 

Further Reading:
http://funeasyenglish.com/new-american-english-reading-holidays-groundhog-day.htm
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Nl4JFDLOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkY4mo0VcIQ



Comments

  1. Teacher: JackieNovember 26, 2018 at 8:56 AM

    Very informative about another silly holiday! Many people are fascinated by this American folk tradition, so it is fun for ESL students. You have a good choice of vocabulary, grammar, and video activities.

    ReplyDelete

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