Tennis is a great sport. You can play either one on one "singles" or you can play with partners "doubles". I have always been a singles player, but I have played doubles when my couch needed me to. Singles tennis is more challenging, because you can only use the inside lines of the court. You have to run a lot more, so it is also better exercise. When you are playing singles, you need to use tactic such as aiming, topspin, bunting, or spiking. Love literally does mean nothing when you are playing tennis. The scoring goes love, 15, 30, 45, game! A deuce means that your opponent and you are tied at 45. You must score twice to win a deuce.
Doubles tennis is a littler easier, because there is not as much running around. However, it takes great teamwork and communication skills. Your partner and you must decide what part of the court each of you are responsible for. You can either do left and right, or front and back. When you play doubles tennis, the outside lines count. This makes it easier to keep the ball in the court. The thing I found most difficult about doubles tennis was making sure not to accidentally spike the ball into the head of my partner. If your partner is standing in front of you while you are serving the ball, it is easy to accidentally hit her in the head.
Tennis is a fun sport. It can get super competitive, and it takes a lot of thought. Although this blog may have taught you a few things about tennis, it is nothing compared to what you can learn playing the game for yourself. So, find someone who knows how to play, and have them teach you! You won't regret it. It may seem hard at first, but once you learn how to hold the racket and aim, you are golden!
Vocabulary-
competitive- when one plays something to win.
reluctant- when someone is unsure of something, or does not want to do it.
singles- when one person plays tennis against one person.
doubles- when two people play tennis against two people.
tactic- different kind of skills, or problem solving.
aiming- when you see a target and shoot to hit that target.
topspin- when you hit a tennis ball with your racket while twisting your wrist, it will make the ball spin and stop wherever you hit it.
bunting- when you hit a tennis ball lightly, popping it into the air.
spiking- when you hit a tennis ball fast and directly to the ground.
racket- the tool which is used to hit a tennis ball.
Vocabulary Practice
Directions- Say whether the vocabulary word in each sentence is being used correctly or incorrectly. If it is being used incorrectly, write a sentence using it in the correct context.
1) My sister is very competitive, whenever we play air hockey, she won't stop until she wins!
_________________ _______________________________________________________________.
2) Judah was reluctant to jump into the water, so he dipped his feet in first to see how cold it was.
________________ ________________________________________________________________.
3) Matt and I were playing a game of singles, we ran around in circles until only one person was left.
_______________ ________________________________________________________________.
4) In the game of doubles, I played with my friend Carl, and we played against Rick and Daryl.
______________ _________________________________________________________________.
5) I used plenty of tactic when I was brushing my teeth.
______________ _________________________________________________________________.
6) It seemed as if my brother was aiming for me, because the lacrosse ball hit me right in the face!
_____________ __________________________________________________________________.
7) My mother put the washing machine on topspin.
_____________ __________________________________________________________________.
8) My Nana made a bunting cake, and covered it in vanilla frosting.
____________ ___________________________________________________________________.
9) My cousin learned a new dance move called spiking.
_____________ __________________________________________________________________.
10) My mother took me to Dick's Sporting Goods to buy a new tennis racket.
____________ ___________________________________________________________________.
Grammar Point: Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same, but they have different meanings. Today we will focus on:
too- also
to- identifying a noun, or directional "going to"
two- the number
and
its- showing ownership
it's- it is
Grammar Practice
Directions- Write a sentence using the proper form of each word.
examples: I like poodles too. I am going to the movies tonight. I have two brothers.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
I think many students would enjoy reading this passage about Tennis! I like that students have to identify and correct the sentences for your vocabulary activity. I think it's great that you have incorporated a lot of writing in your grammar and vocabulary activities. However, sometimes English Language Learners get confused or are uncomfortable diving straight into generating their own writing with a newly learned concept. Try mixing up your activities to have both writing and fill in the blanks - or matching, this will be less daunting for students new to the English language.
ReplyDeleteThe vocabulary is very domain specific. This is good for students to learn. The way you also describe the sport makes the reader want to make use of these new words. I also believe the activities you created are appropriate and challenging enough for students.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marcos. That was my intent when writing about my hobbies. I am constantly trying to convince my students to try rock climbing, hiking, or tennis. I get so excited when they do, and they come back to me with a new love. Although, I am just happy to hear if they have hobbies at all. It is my goal not only to educate academically, but to help ensure my students are well rounded individuals.
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