The 1900 House You probably live in a comfortable, modern house or apartment. Try to imagine how your life might have been different if you had lived 100 years ago, in the Victorian Era. The 1900 House is an actual Victorian house in London. It's also the name of a TV show where a modern family moves into The 1900 House and lives exactly the way people did 100 years ago. At this site, you can tour each room in The 1900 House. Just click on the house or take the Virtual Tour. You'll find lots of interesting information about how people lived 100 years ago! (You can also watch parts of the TV show by clicking on the videos.) Your Turn: Before you look at this site, make a list of things that you think would have been different if you had lived in The 1900 House 100 years ago. For example...no electricity, no television, etc. Think about things in each room of the house. After you finish your list, look at the site and compare your answers with the information you find. Would you like to travel back in time and live 100 years ago? Be an Architect! Have you ever thought about your dream house? What kind of house would you like to live in? At this site, you can be an architect and design your own house! Your Turn: Read about the different kinds of houses and do the exercises. After that, decide what rooms you want to have in your house. Then find out about how to make a floorplan. You can make it online or on a piece of paper (graph paper works great). After you've designed your new house, show it to your classmates, and describe the different features! Dating Ideas For many people, deciding where to go on a date is a big decision. It's especially important when it's the first date, because you want to impress your date. In North America, the "Big Three" things to do on a date are: -Go to a movie. -Have a nice dinner at a restaurant. -Go to a school dance or game. At this site, you can find a long list of other dating ideas. How about renting a boat and taking it out on a lake? Or maybe you could go rollerblading in the park. Your Turn: What's the most interesting or fun date that you've ever had? Where did you go? What did you do? What's the worst date that you've ever had? What happened? Dear Abby "Dear Abby" is a popular advice columnist in the USA. She answers letters from people who are having problems, and gives them some advice. At this site, you can read lots of letters and "Dear Abby's" advice. To read more letters, use the calendar on the left side of the screen. Just click on a day. Your Turn: Find an interesting letter. What kind of advice would you give to the letter writer? Write your advice, and then read "Dear Abby's" advice. Did you have the same advice? Do you agree or disagree with "Dear Abby"? Why? Hawaiian Shirts Some people think Hawaiian shirts are beautiful and some people think they are really ugly. At this site, you can look at one man's personal collection of more than 100 Hawaiian shirts and read his personal comments about each one. Just click on "Cotton & Silk Shirts" or "Rayon Shirts" to view the photos. (Start with Image 1 and then use the NEXT button. The images load pretty quickly.) Your Turn: What kind of clothes do you like to wear? Write a short report about your favorite pieces of clothing (or style of clothing). Why do you like them? How do you feel when you wear them? Does your clothing match your personality? How often do you change your style? Hazardous Waste in the Home Quiz Do you know how to throw away things in your house like batteries, light bulbs, or cleaning products? Should you recycle them, treat them as hazardous waste, throw them in the trash can, or pour them down the drain? To take the quiz, click on one of the products and read about it. Then choose the best method of disposing of it. Finally, check your answers by clicking on HOW DID I DO? Your Turn: Read more about garbage and ways that you can reduce waste. Life Magazine Dream House What kind of place do you live in? Is it a house or apartment? Is it comfortable? What's the best thing about it? At this site, you can tour the 1999 Life Dream House. Read about the different rooms, and look at the pictures. You can also watch a movie of each room. When you've finished touring the house, you can tour the dream houses from 1994-1998. Your Turn: Get some ideas from this site for your own dream house. Then find a partner and design a house that you would like to live in. Draw a diagram on a large sheet of paper and put in as much detail as you can. What special features will your dream house have? Which features will be practical (useful), and which ones will be just for fun? Show your dream house to your classmates and explain all of its features. The Longevity Game How long do you think you will live? This site will tell you how long you can expect to live! Just answer a few questions about your lifestyle, family history, and driving habits and the computer will tell you how many more years you can look forward to. I found out that I can expect to live to be 87 years old. I'm going to go celebrate with a Big Mac! Your Turn: Are you happy or unhappy about how long you might live? If you're not happy, write a short report about how you could change your lifestye to live a longer life. SeaRoom Habitats I've found my dream house! This very cool residence floats on the water. The lower floor is underwater, so you have a beautiful underwater view from your living room window. The bedroom has a periscope mirror and a jacuzzi with one side providing an underwater view! The upper deck of the house is above water, so you can relax and enjoy outdoor activities like barbeques or sunbathing. Your Turn: Read about one couple's description of their SeaRoom Experience. Would you like to live in this kind of house? Why or why not? Silly Survey -If you had a baby, would you want a boy or a girl? -Would you rather go skiing or snowboarding in the winter? -Do you prefer to use a staple or a paper clip? These are some of the questions on the "Silly Survey." This is a fun survey that's easy to use. Just click on your answer and then compare your answer with what other people think. Each question also has a related "Silly Tidbit." For example, did you know that the depression made in the snow by a skier who has fallen backward is called a "sitzmark?" Well, now you do! Your Turn: All of the survey questions are very short. For example: -Free Time......TV or Book? For each short question, try to ask a complete question. -Do you prefer to watch TV or read a book in your free time? -Would you rather watch TV or read a book in your free time? Now write your own silly survey for your classmates. Try to write them using the short questions. Things Sold in Vending Machines Did you know that there are some places where you can buy poetry from a vending machine? There are other vending machines that sell frogs! At this site, you'll find a long list of things that have sold in vending machines. Just click on the item that you want to read about. Follow the links to find more detailed information about some of the items. Your Turn: Make a list of things that you have seen sold in vending machines. Make another list of things that you haven't seen sold in vending machines, but would like to see sold. Want More? Sign up for the Tower Tipsheet newsletter and get the newest websites sent to you by email! Subscribe! Enter your email to join Tower Tip Sheet today!   Copyright Tower of English 1998-2004. All Rights Reserved.