UNIT 2

EDUCATION
Text book by Aj. Tipawan Prasertphan
Power Point version
by Aj Seksan Tappadoong
TALK ABOUT IT
Work with a partner.
1. If you could choose, would you like to study at home instead
of at school?
2. If you have children of your own, will you let them study at
home instead of at school? Why? Why not?

Before You Read
Look at the title of the reading. Look at the pictures. Guess the
answers to the questions
1. Why are parents in the U.S. choosing to teach their kids at
home?

While You Read
1. Read this article. Think about your guesses while you read.
Homeschooling - a Better Way to Learn?
Increasing numbers of parents in
the U.S. are choosing to teach their kids
at home. In fact, the U.S. Department of
Education estimated that, in 1999,
around 850,000 children were being
homeschooled.
At one time, there was a stigma
1

associated with homeschooling; it was
traditionally used for students who could
not attend school because of behavioral
or learning difficulties.
Today, however, more parents
are taking on the responsibility of
educating their children at home due to
dissatisfaction
2
with the educational
system. Many parents are unhappy about
class size, as well as problems inside the
classroom.
Advocates
3
of homeschooling
believe that children learn better when
they are in a secure
4
, loving environment.
Many psychologists see the home as the
most natural learning environment, and
originally the home was the classroom,
long before schools were . Parents who
are homeschooled argue that they can
monitor their childrens education and
give them the attention that is lacking in a
traditional school setting. Students can
also pick and choose what they want to
study and when to study, therefore
enabling them to learn at their own pace.


[Adapted from: Anderson, J. (2003). Active skills for
reading: Book 3. NY: Thomson & Heinle.]
Vocabulary
Stigma
Dissatisfaction
Advocates
Secure
Establish
a) To start or create an organization or
system
b) Feeling happy about yourself or a
particular situation
c) Feeling of disapproved
d) A person who believes in something
and strongly supports and promotes it.
e) A feeling that you are not pleased
C
E
D
B
A
Interesting vocabulary
Estimate -
Homeschooled -
Traditionally - , ,
Behavioral -
Difficulties -
Responsibility -
Psychologists -
Originally - ,
Argue -
Monitor - , , ,
Lacking - ,
Setting - , ,
Enabling - ,
What did you read?
Circle the main idea.
a. Many parents are unhappy with the educational system.
b. The reason why parents use homeschooling.
c. The home was the classroom long before schools were
established.
Read again
Are these sentences true? Find the answers in the reading. Circle yes or
no. Check your answers with a partner.
1. Traditionally, homeschooling was used for students who had
behavioral problems. yes no
2. Today parents homeschool because they are happy with the
educational system. yes no
3. People who like homeschooling believe that children learn better
when they are in a loving environment. yes no
4. Before there were schools children studied at home. yes no
5. Students cannot choose what they want if they study at home.
yes no
Words, words, words
A. Write the letters of the correct meanings in the blanks.
Use clues in the reading to help you.

1. _C_ stigma a. to start or create an organization or system
2. _E_ dissatisfaction b. feeling happy about yourself or a particular
situation
3. _D_ advocates c. feeling of disapproval
4. _B_ secure d. a person who believes in something and
strongly supports and promotes it
5. _A_ establish e. a feeling that you are not pleased
WRITE ABOUT IT
1. What do you think the little boy in the first picture is
doing?
..
..
..
2. What do you think the boy in the third picture is
doing?
...
...

A Family Sees America Together
TALK ABOUT IT
A. Work with a partner. Look at the photograph of the family.
1. What are they planning to do?
a. take a weekend trip
b. take a short vacation
c. take a long vacation
B. Look at the title of the reading on page 15. Guess the answers.
2. Where does the family plan to travel?
a. Canada
b. the United States
c. Mexico
3. How long will their trip be? (Write a specific amount of time.)
..
4. How many miles will they travel? (Write a specific number of
miles.)
..
One year
45,944 miles
READ MORE ABOUT IT
Before You Read
Look at the pictures. Look at the title
of the reading. Guess the answers
to the questions.
The Graham family of Wichita, Kansas, did something very
unusual last year. Mr. and Mrs. Graham did not go to work, and their
children did not go to school. Instead, Craig and Marlene Graham
and their children, Courtney, 12, and Collier, 4, traveled together in a
van and drove across America for a whole year.
A Family Sees America Together
First, Craig and Marlene sold their businesses. Craig had a
real estate business, and Marlene owned a small newspaper. Then
they sold their large house. Finally, Courtney said goodbye to her
classmates, and their dream trip was ready to begin. The Graham
family started their trip on July 4, Independence Day. They visited big
cities and small towns in all 50 states. They also visited the
Birthplaces of all the United States' presidents. They wanted to visit
many interesting places, parks, and zoos in the United States, but
they also wanted to meet the American people. The Grahams had
many wonderful experiences. Many people were very friendly and
helpful to them. Some people invited the Graham family to stay in
their homes with them. Everyone signed their "guest book."
Every day, Marlene wrote reports about her family's trip. She
described the family's daily experiences, where they went, and what
they did. Courtney kept a journal of her life on the road. Marlene
and Courtney put their writing on their website. Schoolchildren from
all over the United States followed the Graham family's trip by using
computers at home and in school. Some children wrote letters to the
Graham family. American newspapers published stories about the
Grahams, and people interviewed the family on television shows.
At the end of the year, Craig said that they all had a
wonderful trip. Courtney said that she missed her friends at school,
but also enjoyed the trip very much. The Grahams traveled a total of
54,944 miles. They returned home on the same date that they left:
July 4. They plan to write a book about their travels to describe
everything they learned about their country and the American
people.
What did you read?
Circle the main idea.
a. The Graham family liked to drive very far in a large van.
b. The Graham family left their home and their jobs to travel across
the United States for one year.
c. The Graham family wanted to leave Kansas to find a new place to
live.
Read again
A. Are these sentences true? Find the answers in the reading. Check
whether they are True or False.
1 __ True __False The Graham family traveled across America together in a van.
2 __ True __False Graham family did not meet many friendly, helpful people.
3 __ True __False Craig and Collier wrote reports about their trip every day
4 __ True __False Graham family had a wonderful trip.
5 __ True __False Schoolchildren used computers to follow the Grahams trip.





Craig Marlene Courtney Collier
Is this person an adult or
a child?
What did he or she do
before the trip?
What did he or she do
during the trip?
What did he or she say
after the trip?
B. Work with a partner to complete the chart below
about the Graham familys trip.
(Reference: Smith, L. & Mare, N. (2004). Insights for today. MA: Thomson &
Heinle.)
adult adult child child
He sold
his
business.
She sold her
business.
She said
goodbye to her
classmates.
Courtney kept a
journal.
She and her mother
put their writing on
their website.
Marlene wrote
reports about
her familys
trip.
He said that
they all had a
wonderful
trip.
She missed her
friends at school
but also enjoyed
the trip very much.
READ MORE ABOUT IT
Before You Read
Look at the picture. Look at the title of the reading. Guess the
answers to the questions. Circle them.
1. You will read about a teacher. yes no
2. This reading happens now. yes no
While You Read
Read this biography. Think about your guesses while you read.
1) Socrates was born in Athens, Greece, around 470 B.C. We don't
know much about his early life. He is remembered as a great
thinker and teacher and is regarded by many people as one of
the wisest men of all time.
2) Socrates didn't think he knew the answers to all the great
questions in life, such as what is right and what is fair. He
believed that answers came from thoughtful discussions. Crowds
used to gather around him on the streets of Athens and listen to
him talk with people who thought they knew everything. For
example, he might ask someone, "What is courage?" Then he
would examine the answer by asking another question. He
would continue asking questions about each response
1
until the
person finally realized that his first answer had not been fully
correct. This method of teaching by questioning is still called the
Socratic Method.
3) Socrates's guiding rule was "Know thyself." He believed that
goodness comes from knowledge and that wrongdoing is the
result of ignorance
2
, so no one knowingly does wrong. He also
taught that people have a duty first to themselves rather than to
the gods of the city or to the government.
4) Unfortunately, Socrates's teachings offended
3
several important
Athenians. He was arrested on charges of corrupting the youth of
Athens and not believing in the gods of the city. He was tried and
condemned
4
to death. Socrates was willing to die rather than give
up saying what he believed. He died in 399 B.C., leaving behind a
wife and three children.
5) Although Socrates never wrote down his ideas, his most famous
student Plato published many books about Socrates and his
philosophy. The books are in the form of dialogues in which
Socrates talks with others. Plato's most renowned
5
book is the
Republic. The book is about justice
6
. It is still widely read and
taught in schools today.
6) Socrates used to say that he had no teachings to offer, only
questions. Every time a teacher teaches by asking question after
question after question, the spirit of Socrates lives on.

(Source : http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/guides/educator/rpte1_update.pdf)
Early , ,
Regarded
Wisest wise wiser wisest
Right ,
Fair ,
Thoughtful
Discussions ,
Crowds
Gather , ,
Courage
Examine , , ,
Realized , ,
Fully
Thyself (yourself)
Goodness
Knowingly
Duty ,
Rather than
Unfortunately
Athenians
Arrested
Charges
Corrupting the youth ,
Tried
Published ,
Philosophy
Dialogues
Renowned
Republic
What did you read?
1. The reader can tell from the passage that the write probably.
a) thinks Socrates was dangerous
b) admires Socrates
c) has often traveled to Athens
d) d. teaches using the Socratic method

2. The purpose of this passage is to .
a) encourage the reader to ask questions
b) tell about life in ancient Greece
c) tell the reader about an outstanding thinker
d) persuade the reader to read the Republic
After You Read
Words, words, words
Match the words and phrases from the reading with their
definitions/ meanings

2. response a. to make somebody feel upset
3. ignorance b. to say what somebodys punishment
will be
4. offend c. answer
5. condemn d. a lack of knowledge or information
about something
6. renowned e. the fair treatment of people
7. justice f. famous and respected
c.
d.
a.
b.
f.
e.
The end of UNIT 2