Any water that's warm should 'wake' the yeast up. I would soak the dry yeast in the warm water before adding the sugar.
You'll get co2.. but if want to be positive you can make a blow off tube. Basically seal up the container that your yeast/sugar is in with a cap/lid that has a tube running through it. The inside end of the tube should be in the air space above the yeast water. Take the other end of tube and stick it in some other liquid. If it is bubbling it's producing co2. http://www.breworganic.com/tips/Virtual_class/ferment.htm The second pic down shows a blow off tube I tried to describe.
