The Big Duck

The Big Duck is a landmark that resides in Flanders, New York which is on Long Island.  The name of this landmark is quite frank yet often causes confusion when tourists try to understand why it is so famous in a place that has beaches, mansions, and even Manhattan so close.  When you first visit the Big Duck it is a bit disappointing because it is just a large building shaped like a duck.  The first time I visited this building it was an accident, just a coincidence when my friend Nikki and I got lost on our way to our friend's house.  We decided to go in and try to understand why so many people were crowded around such a strange sight.  We left confused and continued on our way to our friend's house but the trip always stayed in my memory.  I later spoke to some of my friends and family about my accidental stop at the Big Duck and the responses were mixed, some were unaware of the building, and the others spoke of it fondly.  After a long discussion I discovered that the importance of this landmark was the community it has formed.  Long Island is often compartmentalized along side New York City and gets lost in the shuffle of the idea of Manhattan.  This causes many great sights on Long Island to be forgotten about, but landmarks such as the Big Duck keep the community feel of Long Island alive.  It's also just a fun trip to take!

Vocabulary:
Landmark (noun): a building or object that defines or identifies a specific location
Frank (adjective): honest and direct
Confusion (noun): a state of misunderstanding or chaos
Tourist (noun): a person who visits a location away from their home
Coincidence (noun): two or more things relating unexpectedly
Discover (verb): to learn something new or find something
Community (noun): a group of people who share common interests and/or a common living area
Compartmentalize (verb): to group things

Vocabulary Activity:
Highlight or circle the vocabulary words within the word search!

Grammar Point: Pronoun Agreement
Pronouns are often used to avoid repeating information already specified.  In order to keep a continuous understanding the pronouns must match the nouns they refer to.  For example "he" must refer to a masculine noun, while "she" refers to a feminine noun, and "it" can be used for any nouns that are considered objects.
Examples: it, he, she, her, him, they, them

Grammar Activity:
Fill in the sentence with the correct pronoun.

1. Robert enjoys walking.
     _______ enjoys walking.

2. The car came racing out of the parking lot.
     _______ came racing out of the parking lot.

3. The book was very interesting to Rachel.
       The book was very interesting to ________.

4. Rachel and Robert went to the mall to buy new clothes.
     __________ went to the mall to buy new clothes.