CLASSWORK (1)

Daniel can multiply 377 x 795 in his head.

The thought of a mathematical problem with

no solution makes Daniel uncomfortable.
Daniel doesn´t go to the beach because
there are many pebbles to count.

Daniel is able to read a lot of books.

Daniel speaks seven languages.

Daniel can easily remember key dates in

history.
Daniel can recall pi to 22514 decimal points.

Daniel feels uncomfortable in the

supermarket.
It is hard for Daniel to socialize with anyone
outside his family.
Daniel has trouble making eye contact.
Daniel must drink his tea at exactly the same
time every day.
Daniel has trouble making eye contac
Daniel always has to brush his teeth before he
showers.
 CLASSWORK 2

Frank McCourt was 19 years old and wanted to start a new life. He used his
Frank returned to
humor and his storytelling talents to overcome his challenges.
the United States

Frank McCourt He began teaching and using his past to connect with his students. They loved
began teaching at his stories and he understood how his past affected him.
Seward Park High
School.

When his mother was alive, he decided not to write about his past out of
Frank McCourt’s respect for her, but when she died, he had no excuses not to write.
mother died.

He struggled to write his book at first, but then he had to dig deeply into his
Frank McCourt
past.
retired and wrote
his book.

Angela’s Ashes hit He finally finished his book and named it Angela’s Ashes, which was selling at
the bookstores. an unbelievable rate.

The book received the most coveted literary award: the Pulitzer Prize, Frank
Angela’s Ashes
became famous.
received the
Pulitzer Prize.
 CLASSWORK (3)

Poverty, his father Blindness, doing

abandoned, lost his siblings schoolwork

His students and his mother

mother

Humor, storytelling talent, Self-reliance, pride, her

writing accountable

Teaching, writing Becoming an athlete,

coaching, teaching, public
speaking

INDIVIDUAL

In this unit we read two fantastic stories, the first was about Frank McCourt, who
faced many obstacles in his life, such as poverty, the abandonment of his father and
the loss of his brothers. However, he dealt with all that through humor and reading
since he liked to read a lot. When he started teaching at college he began writing
as his students reacted to hearing his stories, it was when he realized his great
talent for writing. His mother was also a great inspiration to him. And as a result of
everything he lived, he had success in writing and teaching. the second story was
also incredible, it’s about an extraordinary woman who doesn’t let her disease define
her, prejudices and doing schoolwork. Her great inspiration for having so many
successes was her mother who always supported her. Thanks to her pride, her self-
confidence and her accountable, she could become a coach, teacher and a great
speaker in public, as well as a great athlete.
 CLASSWORK (4)

confused
Accountable pride
Disability
exalted free
Defeated
struggle laborious
Give up
suffer self-reliance
Misery
inquisitiveness paradise
Darkest
expectations
Hopelessness
yearning for
mortified
 CLASSWORK (5)

Can prevent diseases rather than just treat them. Positive result can be lead to risky, unhealthy decisions.

Positive result can be shattering for patient and family.

Can choose appropriate treatment plan. May threaten employment and insurance.

Can change lifestyle.

Patients may interpret test results incorrectly.

There are other risk factors in addition to genes.

 CLASSWORK (6)

Norman Cousins had a normal life

He became very ill

He was able to walk wearing a metal brace

He was able to return to work

He reached complete recovery

He died at the age of 75

If she hadn´t wanted all the information available, she wouldn´t have chosen to be
genetically tested.

If he hadn´t read The Stress of Life, he wouldn´t have had some ideas about the
mind-body connection.
If he hadn´t tried to cure himself, he wouldn´t have made a complete recovery.

If David Agus hadn´t had a genetic test, he wouldn´t have found out he was at risk for
cardiovascular disease and his children wouldn´t have made him change his diet.

If Kristen´s mom had contacted her biological father, she would have learned that
Huntington´s disease ran in her family.

If Norman Cousins had been satisfied with his doctor´s treatment plan, he wouldn´t
have developed his own Laughter Therapy treatment.
 CLASSWORK (7)

1. Read the opinion essay. Then complete the essay organizer with the
parts of the essay

General information about genetic testing.

I strongly believe that genetic testing should be

used in medical decisions.

Genetic testing can give us different benefits.

people with ALZHEIMER.

Genetic testing can cause emotional distress.

psychological effects.

I believe that this is a good option for doctors

and for us when making decisions.

Genetic tests are of great help to physicians and

allow them to do more effective and improved
work.
 CLASSWORK (8)

revolutionize

Advocates

potential

Risk factors

impact

skeptical

Reliable

consult

linked environment
interaction

consensus

alternative

conventional

D D

D S

D S

S S
S S

D S

S
 impact

interpret

treatment

disagreement

alternative

elicit

diagnosis
 1ST HOMEWORK

prediction predict predictably

estimate estimate
sum

anxiety anxiously

flexibility flex flexibly

interact interactive interactively
Transformable
transformation Transforming
transformed
retention retainable
benefit beneficial
disability disable
expert expertly
expert
persisted
assimilation assimilated
emergence emerge
persistence persist persistently
compensation

transformation

flexibility
predictable

persist

expert
 anxiety

estimate

compensation
interaction
emerge

Many people who suffer from ASD, aren’t flexible.

According to Gladwell, expertise requires at least 10,000 hours of transform of talent.

A lack of structure can make feel anxious to Daniel Tammet.

 For many people with ASD, social interaction is difficult.

Scans of the brains of autistic savants suggest that the right hemisphere

might compensate for damage to the left.

Retain large amounts of information is usually not a problem for autistic savants.

Daniel Tammet memorized pi to 22,514 decimal places to show people that,

although he has a technical disability, it doesn´t stop him from being successful.
 2ND HOMEWORK

Before Marla runs a marathon, she needs to train a long time to get ready for a 26- mile race.

McCourt had no high school education, but he persuaded New York University to allow him.

Marla’s unique story has brought her fans from around the globe. She enjoys inspiring others with
her story.

Frank McCourt was worry about telling his student about his luck of high school studies.

After the boy’s mother read about Marla’s story, she decided to let him skateboard.

McCourts urged his students to write by saying that “everyone has a story to tell”

Because Marla is legally blind, it is hard for her to see the words on a computer screen.
McCourt recalled living in the town of Limerick.

Specialists told Marla she couldn’t expect to get good grades. Despite their predictions, Marla
was able to graduated from the University of San Diego and completed her Master’s degree.
 1ST UNIT PROJECT

ANSWERS:

1.- She lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1952.

2.- Her special ability was removed any ear piece in piano.

3.- When she was sixteen, she developed her ability.

4.-Yes, she was diagnosed with autism and savant development. Also, she got her eyes
removed.
2ND UNIT PROJECT
BIOGRAPHICAL PARAGRAPH:

Obstacles are part of our lives, and it’s by overcoming them that we grow as persons, that´s because
virtually every obstacle can be defeated. For example, there is the life of the great scientist Steven
Hawking. He was born in 1942 in England. He had always been very talented, but he achieved his
fame later in his life because of his important achievements in science and his physical limitations.
The achievements of Stephen Hawking are numerous, but the most important of them are probably
the unification of Einstein´s relativity theory and quantum physics, which is called The Theory of
Everything; Steven Hawking was brilliant since he was very young, prove of this is the fact that he got
his doctorate at the age of twenty-four years old. The biggest obstacles in Hawking’s life were ELA
illness, even though he became so dependable of a computer he survived in a unique way; being a
brilliant and well know person, Hawking received a lot of technological support, not mentioning his
attitude towards life and his will to survive. He had admirable personal traits that helped him to
overcome his illness; his love for science motivated him to keep working, and no matter how
devastating could be ELA condition, he never lost his sense of humor. Researching and
comprehending what had life had brought to this scientist and how he chose to manage his life, not
feeling sorry for him, but always with a reason to smile has taught me that obstacles can’t defeat you
when you choose to struggle and overcome to be better the next day.
 FIRST DRAFT- WRITING 1

Albert Einstein Bill Gates

Steven Jobs Beethoven

Nicolas Tesla Paul Allen

Larry Page Mark Zuckerberg

Michael Jordan Federico Faggin

Michael Jordan - Basketball Player

Michael Jordan (Born 1963; U.S.A.)

Michael Jordan should perhaps be considered a genius in two categories. His physical prowess
on the basketball court was so extraordinary that it defies description and his skills as an
entrepreneur recently made him the very first professional athlete to top $1 billion in net worth.

Brooklyn-born Jordan first gained attention as a young shooting guard for UNC Chapel Hill as
they hoisted an NCAA Championship trophy in 1982. In 1984, Jordan went pro with the Chicago
Bulls and almost immediately set the NBA ablaze with his gravity-defying dunks, shooting
accuracy, and fierce competitiveness.

Over the course of his first decade in the game, Jordan completely redefined the sport, gaining
a level of fame, visibility, and cultural influence never previously seen by an NBA player. He won
his first championship with the Bulls in 1991 and repeated the feat the next two years.

In 1992, Jordan also became an Olympic Gold Medalist, joining fellow NBA superstars like Magic
Johnson and Larry Bird in Barcelona. In addition to dominating the competition in dramatic
fashion, the Dream Team (and Jordan in particular) helped to elevate the global profile of the
NBA and the sport of basketball.

After an abrupt retirement and an aborted baseball career with the Chicago White Sox, Jordan
returned to the court and led his team to an additional three championships in 1996, 1997, and
1998. Jordan finished his career with the Washington Wizards.

Ultimately, Jordan compiled five league MVP awards, 14 All-Star Game Appearances, 10 scoring
titles, six NBA Finals MVP Awards, and a 2009 induction into the NBA Hall of Fame.

As a majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise, lead sponsor of Nike's Air Jordan
sneakers, and a well-loved and readily recognizable icon, Jordan sits atop a business empire as
massive as his athletic accomplishments.
 1ST DRAFT (WRITING 2)

WRITE 4 or 5 OBSTACLES THAT YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW FACED.

1. IMPERATIVE PERSON

2. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

3. SPEECH PROBLEMS

4. PHOBIA TO THE HOSPITAL

5. AFRAID TO WATER

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES IS DIFFICULT FOR MANY PEOPLE, BUT SOMETIMES WE DON’T

HAVE TO GIVE UP AND FOLLOW OUR DREAMS.

HE TALKED BEFORE THIS SITUATION, BUT AFTER HE STOPPED TO TALK AND EVEN, THIS DISABILITY IS REALLY COMPLICATED,
AND SO, HE FOLLOW HAVING PROBLEMS TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF WORDS.

EVERYDAY, HE USED TO SCREAMS OR CRIES ABOUT ANYTHING BECAUSE HE WANTED TO CALLS EVERYONE’S
ATTENTION.

TWICE A MONTH, DEPENDS OF HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE MY MOM TAKES HIM TO REALIZE SOME STUDIES THAT HE NEEDS, BUT HE
DOESN’T WANT TO STAY TO BE INSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL, HE INTENDS TO YEARNING FOR A BEST VERSION OF HIMSELF.

DESPITE ALL THE OBSTACLES THAT HE HAS, HE’S OVERCOMING THESE LITTLE BY LITTLE, SO HE’S GOING TO PLAY IN THE PARK,
TAKING HIS LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIES BECAUSE THESE THINGS ARE HELPING HIM.

WHEN HE WAS LITTLE, HE BURNED HIS HAND ON BOILED WATER. FROM THAT MOMENT ON, HE IS AFRAID OF WATER.

IN CONCLUSION, WE MUST AVOID THINKING ABOUT GIVING UP AND FACING OUR OBSTACLES. SO, WE’LL HAVE A BETTER LIFE.
 1ST DRAFT (WRITING 3)

CHOOSE ONE THESE TOPICS:

REASONS TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH USING GENETIC TESTING TO MAKE MEDICAL

DECISIONS.

REASONS TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH USING LAUGHTER THERAPY AS AN ALTERNATIVE

TREATMENT.

REASONS TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH USING

GENETIC TESTING TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS

AGREE DISAGREE

Reduce the risk of It can help people This can eliminate the
It gives a sense of any disease by to be informed need for unnecessary It may be increase
relief from making certain about how to checkups and anxiety and stress
preoccupation. lifestyle changes on manage their screening tests in for some people.
time. health care. some cases.
 2ND DRAFT (WRITITNG 3)

HOOK: Innovative and effective. Those are two of the words that come to mind
when asking for my opinion on making medical decisions based on genetic testing.

General information of genetic testing.

I strongly believe that genetic testing should be

used to medical decisions.

Benefits of genetic testing.

People with Alzheimer.

Genetic testing can cause emotional distress. Psychological effects

Emotional distress.

I believe that this is a good option for doctors and for us when
making decisions.

Genetic tests have been become a great help to

physicians and allow them to do more effective
and improved work.
 WRITING 3

Innovative and effective. Those are two of the words that come to mind when asking for
my opinion on making medical decisions based on genetic testing. I strongly believe that
genetic testing should be used in medical decisions. This type of method has gained a
great impact in modern medicine since it was a way to revolutionize modern medicine
and the influence of doctors when making decisions.

First, if we talk about the benefits of this method, genetic tests help you identify the
disease and the condition in which it’s found. Thanks to this, doctors will be able to
choose a more appropriate way to treat or prevent the disease you present. If doctors
hadn’t taken this method as a viable option, many people wouldn’t have been aware of
their condition or illness. Another positive side of this method is that it has different
types of genetic tests suitable for each case. For example, for people with ALZHEIMER,
with genetic tests, you can know if you have it but you will not develop it or that your
family members have risks of this disease, even if you haven’t had this but suspect a
mutation runs in your family, it could have been challenged to get a relative with
Alzheimer to have the test first. And, if you hadn’t had a genetic test, you wouldn’t have
been able to know if you were a potential patient for this disease, and with this method,
you may be able to prevent or treat the disease you present.

Genetic testing can cause emotional distress. That is these tests may have notable
psychological effects, such as generating anxiety and depression. And, these effects may
depend on people's perception of risk, severity, and controllability of the disease; and
the availability of treatments. In different situations, emotional distress following testing
is influenced by factors including disease characteristics, test results received, amount
of uncertainty remaining after testing, and the extent to which uncertainty is reduced
by testing. As you and possibly other family members have genetic testing and receive
your results, you can experience a range of emotions. But, to date, there are no reports
that analyze these factors specifically, and their role in influencing genetic test users’
experience.

To summarize, I believe that this is a good option for doctors and for us when making
decisions because if doctors hadn't considered it an option, they wouldn't have been
able to apply it to people. Also, you can consult your doctor about the risk factors that
this method has, he can know what to expect and how to act appropriately at the time
of treatment. And, At last, If people hadn't have taken this genetic test, they wouldn't
have been motivated to change their lives. So, genetic tests have been become a great
help to physicians and allow them to do more effective and improved work.

Vocabulary (3 words at least)

Grammar (3 times at least)