Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Christmas Special

Match the Words with the Images









      



                                                                                           

mistletoe / holly
a Christmas wreath
tinsel
a stocking
a Pantomime
poinsettia
crackers
manger





















New Year's Eve!

What to Wear? Here are some tips for women....

Take this Quiz: What Should you Wear on New Year's Eve?

or Check the Vanity Fair's recommendation for that special night.


And for men...
in The Esquireand here as well.


For some vocabulary about clothes you could check the English version of ZARA, Miss Seffridge or monsoon


Whether you're looking for clothes, Christmas decorations or special gifts you could always check
the page of Marks & Spencer








Thursday, December 6, 2012

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: A Webquest


This is a Classroom Project designed to research and explore a few of the sociological, historical and cultural aspects which establish the context in which the adventures told in our book take place. 


Methodology: 


The class is to be divided in five smaller groups of 4 to 5 students. Each group will deal with one of the    FIVE SECTIONS  detailed further below.

Session 1: Distribution of the work in groups: each group will be given a section to explore. The students will distribute the work among its members. They will together or individually follow the links and do some research at home.


Session 2: Group work: the members of each group will put their work together, sharing and comparing their data and material. They will discuss what to include in their group presentation, what further research might be necessary, what aids they'll need to gather in order to present their work, etc. 


Session 3: Oral presentations in groups of all the work done. Students are expected to present their data with the support of the new technologies. Powerpoint, Word, PDF or any other type of supporting material for audio or video are welcome.




SECTION ONE: BOTSWANA - history, politics and economy
Learn more about Botswana.You might want to explore a bit about its recent history since its Independence from the British Empire. You might want to dig into the most relevant aspects of its economy and society: 
What type of political system rules the country? 
What's the country's economy based on? 
What type of society or societies can be found? (rural, urban, tribal, etc.) 
Have you heard of the rock and cave paintings in Tsodilo, declared World Heritage by UNESCO?






SECTION TWO: TRIBAL LIFE - customs, traditions and superstition 
You might want to do some research about tribal life - its customs and traditions.
You may want to look into the relation between magic, medicine and superstition.
Who are the bushmen
What's the population number?
How do they live? How do they support themselves?
Is there an official policy regarding them?
What role does the Kalahari Desert play in their lives?

Sebastião Salgado, Bushmen, Botswana [Bird Man], Africa
Birdman (Sebastiao Salgado)




SECTION THREE: THE GOLD AND DIAMOND MINING INDUSTRY
What's the importance of the mining industry in South Africa for Botswana's economy?
What are the problems and consequences of this type of activity? 
You may want to research about working conditions, health issues, mortality rates, colonisation, etc.

































Gold Mines (Sebastiao Salgado)




SECTION FOUR: THE SITUATION OF WOMEN IN BOTSWANA
A reflection upon the role and situation of women in Botswana permeates almost every page of the book. You may want to explore the sociological, historical and cultural aspects of the current situation of women in this African country.
For example,
How deep, if anything, has the vindication of women changed their traditional roles in cities and villages of modern Botswana?
How visible is the representation of women in the country's politics?
What's their position in the labour market? and in the domestic life?

 

Women and their role in society: what can you infer from the reading?


















Thursday, May 17, 2012



Dear Students,
For those of you who are eager to do extra practice for your exams...
you may want to take a look at some of these links for some models of previous examinations.

Enjoy!


pruebas de certificado de la comunidad de madrid

pruebas de certificado de la comunidad de navarra

pruebas en la comunidad valenciana

pruebas en aragón

Friday, March 16, 2012

2010 and 2011: International Years of Biodiversity and Forests

                   The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. In this link you can, for instance, find information about the animal species which are in the Red List, that is, in inmiment danger of extinction. On the positive side, you can also find, for example, a long list of successful stories of communities, governments or organisations which have managed to reach some of the targets of the Biodiversity Project.


Year 2011 was declared the International Year of Forests. Again, you can find in the webpage of the United Nations lots of information about forests and the people who are working on sustainable ways of using them. 


Saturday, March 10, 2012

An Inconvenient Truth

              

            In 2005 the film An Inconvenient Truth was released. In it the once candidate for the Presidency of the United States Al Gore presents and helps us through much data and evidence that shows that the global temperature of our planet is rising. This has already had dramatic consequences for our lives throughout the globe.
        
            The future prospect seems even more bleak and grim: thousands of animal species and plants will disappear; the coastline of many countries will be altered, resulting in thousands of dead people and refugees; new diseases will spring and even the milder consequences of climate change will dramatically alter our lives and our environment.

             Al Gore claims that to do something about it has become a MORAL ISSUE.
Together WE CAN prevent those dreadful consequences from happening. Only political will and personal commitment is required.
You'll find here 12 tips about things that you could do about your house to help prevent global warming.

The film became a huge success and since its release many actions have taken place. You can read here about the the impact that the movie caused and about the measures taken by the US Government and other institutions after the film was publicised worldwide.




Take a look at the tips above and spend a few minutes giving these questions a thought.

 Have you ever considered doing any of these things? 


Do you think you could try to incorporate some of these actions into your everyday life?

Do you believe we can make a difference?


Do you feel obliged by this moral imperative of saving our planet for our children?


You can click here to calculate your carbon footprint: What is the impact of your lifestyle on the earth in terms
of carbon dioxide emissions?


You might be inspired by the video of the song "I need to wake up", by Melissa Etheridge. The song was a winner of an Oscar and it's the leading song of the movie's soundtrack.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Planet Earth

Hello dear students,
This week we're going to start dealing with a new topic and I hope this will bring us new challenges and tasks to tackle.
In the next few sessions we'll be addressing different aspects regarding our Blue Planet: main problems and challenges for the present and the future, environmental issues, nature and conservationism, animals, etc.

I will ask you to take an active role for some of the activities and topics so be ready to step in with your work, reflection and interactive participation.

Saving the Planet is in our hands.
For some advice  click here

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Back Cover Review



Hello dear students,
Post a comment here with your reviews for the back cover of your favourite books.
Remember to include a brief summary of the plot and 3 or 4 blurbs.

Looking forward to reading them.