Design a trip (Ampliación 1ºA)

Hi, more info about the project you have to do over Christmas:

-The deadline is January 25.

-Evaluation: 2 points. One point will go for the brochure or powerpoint presentation, so that mark will be shared by the three members of the group, and another point for the oral presentation of each member of the group, that mark will be individual. For the brochure or powerpoint presentation I´ll take into account the design, pictures used and the elaboration of the information. The powerpoint presentations will get extra marks (if they are good enough, of course!).

-The brochure or powerpoint presentation must have a minimum of 6 pages plus a cover page. Include a map of the country/city with the route you have chosen drawn on it so that we can follow your presentation. You can´t copy and paste texts from the internet (and I´ll notice that!), elaborate the information using your own words. Remember to make four copies of the brochure to hand out in the class.

-Good pictures are very important. Search the internet for them, you can begin in Google images.


Good luck and Merry Xmas to you all!

Comparative and superlative

Now, people of 2ºC+D, you are going to practice with the comparative and superlative forms!

Click on this link to practice with comparative forms.
Next, click here.
Now, click here.
More practice here and here!
Check also this link.

Jobs

1.Click here to practice on line vocabulary exercises about jobs.

2.More exercises about jobs: now a multiple choice exercise, find it here.

3.Now you are going to work with a list of jobs. See the list here. Ready now? Do these activities:
-Word drop game. Great fun. Click here to play.
-Find the missing letters. Click here to play.
-Find the missing letters (you only have now the first and last letter). Click here.
-Linked letters game. Click here.

4.Unscramble the letters to find the word: click here. You must choose the topic Occupations, then choose the level you prefer.

-Click now here to do a hangman on professions.

The Present Simple & Continuous

Time to revise the Present tenses!! Do the following activities online. Click on the link to go to the website:
1. Present Simple (affirmative): click HERE and HERE
2. Present Simple (negative): click HERE and HERE
3. Present Simple (questions): click HERE
4. Present Simple Mix: click HERE
5. Relax now. Do this online hangman.
6. Present Continuous (affirmative): click HERE
7. Present Continuous (negative): click HERE
8. Present Continuous (questions): click HERE
9.Present Continuous Mix: click HERE.
10.Good work! Try another hangman now, about Halloween!

Online crosswords.

Try these crosswords. Click HERE to go to the website.

H.G.Wells´ Quiz (Ampliación)

Remember that, in groups of 3, you must answer a series of questions about H.G.Wells in a quiz on Monday October 26. Find the info on the internet. The winner group will get extra marks. These are the questions in the quiz:

1.When was H.G.Wells born?
2. What was his first job?
3.When did he begin to enjoy reading?
4. Explain briefly the plot of The War of The Worlds, a novel by H.G.Wells.
5.Say two novels by him that have been taken to the cinema recently.
6.Watch this trailer of a film based on one of his novels. Who stars in the film? Who directed it? This is the link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV5NbdpZZYo
7. Describe what you can see in the trailer.
8.What were his political ideas?
9.What job did he get in 1889 after studying at the university?
10.Who directed The Time Machine 2002 film? What is his relation with H.G. Wells?
11.Where did Wells die?
12.When did he write The Invisible Man?
13.Who are the Morlocks? In which year do they live?
14.Who do the Morlocks hunt for eating?
15.Which book did H.G.Wells write in 1930?
16.How old was Wells when he died?
17.H.G.Wells is considered, together with Jules Verne, as....
18.What happened on the night of Halloween of 1938 in relation with H.G.Wells´novel The War of the Worlds?

Good luck!

"The world in 2050"

This was one of the topics you had to write about in the writing exercise of the last exam. This is what Carlos S. (3ºB) wrote:

"Today I was bored in Biology and I started to think how the world will be in forty-one years. It will be beautiful, a lot of technology... There won´t be anything manual, all things will be automatic, digital and eco-friendly. There will be robots which will help at home, there won´t be any wars, maybe there will be a law: Peace and Love. In school, we will have electronic chairs and tables. If you have glasses, maybe you you will see the TV [through them]. You will go to the moon on holidays. Our playstations will be portable, and you will play anytime. There will be digital books...maybe cars will fly and I hope there´ll be teletransporters, there will be funny activities, and everything will be fantastic. The world will be better than now".

Gattaca

Remember next Tuesday May 17 we´ll do the quiz about the film. These are some of the questions I´ll make (the other questions are secret, but they all are about the plot):

-Would you like to live in a world like the one the film shows? Why/why not?
-What is Vincent´s key to success?
-Why hasn´t Vincent´s brother reached as far as Vincent having better genes?
-Why does Jerome commit suicide at the end of the film?
-Why does Vincent leave hair at his desk every day? Whose hair is that?
-What is special about the pianist in the film?
-What does Jerome have round his neck when he dies? Why?
-What is a "borrowed ladder"?
-What is a "God-child"?
-According to the trailer of the film, which you can watch HERE (go to "CLIPS" and then "TRAILER"), how many cells do we shed every day?
-What do we discover about the doctor at the end of the film?
-Who murdered the man in Gattaca? Why did he do it?
-Watch the alternative ending of the film HERE and explain it.
-Which moment makes Vincent think he can achieve anything if he fights for it?
-Who is a "Valid"? and an "In-Valid"?
-What is the difference between Vincent and his brother Anton?
-Why was Vincent operated on his legs?
-Search for this information in the internet: Who is the director of this film? Say two other films he has directed. When was this film released?

We´ll do the quiz in groups (I´ll organize them), the two groups which get the most points will get extra marks.

Remember also that on Thursday May 19 we´ll do the exam (I´ll play some extracts of the film and you´ll have to comment on them, like we did with Blade Runner).

"There is no gene for the human spirit"

Time for revision! (3ºESO)

The end of the course is getting near now, what about some on-line revision exercises? Click on the links to go to the websites and do the exercises there!

-Present Perfect practice and Present Perfect/Past Simple contrast: click HERE, in this page you can find the theory about this tense and several links to exercises.

-Since and for are so tricky! Do an exercise about them HERE.

-Past Continuous practice: click HERE. (Theory and links to several exercises). For the contrast Past Simple/Past Continuous: click HERE and HERE.

-Conditionals (1st type): click HERE and HERE.

-Comparative and Superlative exercises: click HERE.

-Practice with irregular verb forms: click HERE.

-Time for relax now after so much hard work. Why don´t you play a hangman? Click HERE and have a good time! Once you have finished, you can try a new game (scroll down and click on the link for a new word below: you can keep the same topic or change it).

Shakespeare on love: Sonnet 116

For this very special optional activity you have to memorize the sonnet 116 I gave you and recite it to your classmates. It´s essential to know what you are saying, so have a go and translate it! In the internet you have lots of translations that can help you, have a look at this one for example. The pronunciation is of course very important too: listen to this recitation here. Deadline: June 1st.

Shakespeare is waiting for you!

Let´s debate! (Ampliación)

Instructions for the debate:

-You must gather in groups of 2. There will be a group with 3 people.

-In groups of students with different levels the stronger student will be rewarded.

-In each group, one member will be for the statement and the other will be against. If you have the same opinion on the topic, one will have to pretend.

-The script with the debate must be handed in to the teacher on Friday March 27th, I´ll give them back to you, with my corrections, on March 30th (Monday).

-You must study the corrected script during Easter holidays. When we come back to school we´ll begin the debates (the first ones will be on April 14th, Tuesday).

-Each member in the group must speak at least 5 minutes.

-Participation of the rest of the students in the debate will be rewarded.



-Topics of the debate. Choose one of these statements:

1.All politicians are corrupted. I don´t believe in Democracy.

2.Parents should let teenagers do whatever they want. they are old enough now.

3.A computer with internet connection. I don´t need anything else in my life.

4.I agree with free abortion at the age of 16.

5.I would disconnect a dying but conscious person from the machines that keep him/her alive if he/she asked me to.

6.Spanish educational system doesn´t work.

7.The real crisis is the starving people in the Third World. No more money for banks!

8.Armies should disappear.

9.I believe in death penalty.

10.Sportsmen salaries should be controlled by the state. Nobody should earn more than 50,000 Euros a year.

11.I would manipulate the genetics of my future son to "design" him/her as I like (tall, blonde,intelligent...).

12.All drugs should be legalised.



-Each group must choose a different topic. Choose the topic fast! The first to tell me their choice will get it; if you are too late you´ll have to choose another one.



-Evaluation:1.5 points. The mark will be individual. To get the full mark you must include:

*Vocabulary on agreeing and disagreeing (pp.39 and 41 of our class book)

*Vocabulary related to the topic.

*The following grammar:

*Varied tenses; at least:

+At least 1 Past Simple+Past Continuous sentence with when and while.

+Several Present Perfect forms with for/since/yet/already/ever...

+Several Present Perfect Continuous forms with for/since/how long

+At least 1 Past perfect.

+Several future tenses.

+1 used to

*Several Conditional sentences (of the three types)

*Modals of permission and obligation.




And be controversial!

The Present Perfect (Desdoble 3ºA)

Do these activities on line about the Present Perfect:

1.Check the form here:
http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/form/perfectform.htm

2.Check the use here:
http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/use/perfectuse.htm

3.Now do these exercises:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/prperf1.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/exercises/present_perfect_1.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/exercises/present_perfect_2.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/exercises/present_perfect_mistakes.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/exercises/pres_perf_1.htm

4.Listen and do the activities on line:
http://www.mansioningles.com/nc_lec18_1.htm

5.What has just happened in these pictures? (Oral pairwork)

1.Example: Someone has just told her amazing news.

2.The girl.......................................................................................

3.The tennis player..........................................................................

4. ............................................................................................

5. ..................................................................................................
6. ...........................................................................................
7. ...............................................................................................

You have already finished the exercise...

Blade Runner quiz (Ampliación)

You have to prepare the following questions for a class quiz contest next Friday about the film we are going to watch next week, Blade Runner.

1. Instructions to prepare the quiz:

-You have to prepare this quiz individually.
-You can find the answers to the questions and loads of extra info on the film in the internet. You can begin here: http://www.brmovie.com/
-The winner will get a special prize.

2.The Questions:

a)When was this film released?
b)Who is its director? Say the names of three famous films he has directed.
c)Why were there problems with the release of the film?
d)When and where is the film set?
e)Which book is the film based on?
f)Say the name of another film based on a novel by this author.
g)What is the name of the actress who performed the role of Rachael?
h)What is "Cityspeak"?
i)Who made the score of the film? What is the last film music he has composed?
j)How old was Harrison Ford when he played this role?
k)Where is the actor who plays Roy´s role from?
l)Watch this trailer of the film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_hYs1jBy8Y
Now, answer the question: What is the only animal you can watch in it?
m)What is the "Final Cut" of Blade Runner?
n)What is a "spinner"?
o)Who are the replicants?


There will be four more secret questions about the film cast and crew (not about the plot), you can bring to the quiz all the information you want.

Good search!

"Deep Trouble" puzzle

This exercise is for my students of ESO 3 D+E. You had to describe several situations of the short story Deep Trouble using the Past Simple and Past Continuous. These are some of them, but I´ve put them here in the wrong order; can you find the correct order according to the story? (I´m sure you can!):

A: "The boat started to move while the two friends were hiding". (by Emilio E.)

B: "Matt and Amy were walking in the airport when a policeman stopped them".(Laura M.)

C: "Matt and Amy were speaking in a room when Brad came. They were amazed when he said to them he was an undercover agent".(Belén R.)

D: "They were thinking how to escape when a man discovered them hidden in the boat".(Violeta G.)

E: "While the drug traffickers were telling Matt what to do to bring out the drugs, Sharon was telling Amy they had to seem like a happy family".(Marta L.)

G: "Matt and Amy were walking along the marina when Matt saw a big white boat".(Adrián O.)

H: "While the policemen were studying the case, Matt and Amy were waiting in an office". (Alejandro S.)

I: "Sharon shot Luis while the boys were looking at her".(Laura M.)

J: "The drug traffickers and Amy were waiting on the boat when Matt took up the drug."(Violeta G.)

K: "Jessica was thinking she had to study for her exam when Amy and Matt decided to do something different".(Marta L.)

L: "While they were hiding, Matt´s phone rang".(Adrián O.)

M: "While Matt and Amy were talking on the boat they heard a noise". (Laura M.)

N: "When the police found the drug in their bags, they arrested them". (Belén R.)

First situation: K. Now you continue!

Spot the difference!

Alba R. (3ºA) has written a summary of the story "The Vampire" (from "Vampire Tales") for us, BUT she has changed the original story! Can you find the two differences she has included?

In the year 1888 in London, there was an aristocrat called Lord Ruthven. He was a strange person with a pale face and he had very big cold eyes. The same year, a young man called Anthony came to London with his family. He lived with his uncle, sister and aunt. Anthony thought Lord Ruthven was an interesting person, and they went to travel together, but Anthony didn´t know Lord Ruthven was a vampire. In one of their journeys, when they were in Rome, Anthony received a letter from his uncle and aunt. They told him that Lord Ruthven was dangerous and he mustn´t travel with him. After that Anthony went away from Lord Ruthven and travelled to Greece.

In Greece Anthony met a woman called Calida and fell in love with her. One day Anthony decided to go to an archeological site some distance away. Calida told him it was dangerous, because there were vampires in the ruins, but Anthony went to the ruins in spite of that advice. When Anthony was in the ruins and it was dark, he heard a woman´s crying. he went into a house and saw Calida on the floor. She was crying. When she saw Anthony she went out of the house and Anthony never saw Calida again. After that, she was very ill.

One day Lord Ruthven travelled to Greece and met Anthony, and they went to travel together again. In another of their journeys, while they were in the mountains, a group of thieves hit Anthony in the arm and hit Lord Ruthven too. Lord Ruthven died. Anthony made a promise, he wouldn´t tell anything about the death of Lord Ruthven and his crimes. Anthony decided to go back to London and when he arrived, his sister was going to marry. His sister showed him a photograph of her future husband. Anthony saw he was Lord Ruthven, but he couldn´t tell anything. After the marriage nobody saw Lord Ruthven and his sister again.
Now try to find the two differences.

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

1.Check the theory about the Past Continuous and Past Simple here:

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/use/pastcontuse.htm

2.Now do these exercises on line:

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/exercises/past_cont_3.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/happy/tenses/exercises/pastsimple_conti_2.htm

3.Now, you have to watch a video and write at least 7 situations using Past Continuous and Past Simple (on a separate sheet):

For example:

"A boy was driving his toy car when he lost control and crashed against a mail-box".

Here is the video, click on this link to watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMlJElz5u3w

Two scary stories

Ready to feel fear? Read these two stories written by two classmates of yours and do the activities. If you have problems with the vocabulary, go to the web dictionary on your right:

First story: David Linch´s poltergeist

There was a family that moved to a new house near Manchester. This house was bigger than the previous one and it was in a better place. David´s parents chose this house because it was the most peaceful place in Manchester. The house wasn´t strange or gloomy, it was welcoming, but in October, the Linch family started to noticethat something strange happened in the house: strange things appeared and swung.

The first time that they noticed that strange event they found their father´s gun beside the table, the gun was usually in a drawer of the wardrobe between the clothes. The father was surprised and kept the gun into the wardrobe without asking if he had taken the gun to play. During some weeks the gun appeared on the table. He trusted in his son, so he called the police.

The police said that a poltergeist could be responsible for the movement of the objects. They realized that all the objects that moved were related to David. The police advised him to keep David away from the house to check if the objects moved. Nothing strange happened in absence of David, but when he came back the strange things happened again. David´s parents took him to a boarding school but in Christmas holidays the poltergeist returned stronger than the previous time and they felt movements of heavier things.

David heard strange noises,scratches and footsteps. The worst night was the one that he heard scratches in his wardrobe. When he switched on the light, the wardrobe was twenty centimetres nearer to him. He tried to get up but the bed started to move with violence. He got very scared, so he went to his parents´ bedroom and nothing else happened that night.

Since that night they couldn´t stay more in that house because the furniture moved continuously, there were puddles all over the house and they found a message on the wall that said:"David, be careful". The family didn´t stay in the house more, so they sold the house and moved to another one.

They received news that said that in the old house was found the dead body of a boy that was squashed by a wardrobe while he was sleeping.
Story by Eva O. (3ºB)

1.Now answer these questions about the text on a sheet (write only the number, the letter and the answer):
a)Was the new house of the Linch family frightening?
b)Explain the first poltergeist they noticed.
c)When didn´t the objects move?
d)What happened in Christmas? Why?
e)What piece of furniture moved in David´s berdroom?
f)Why did the poltergeists happen?

Second story:The forest darkness

Rachel Cumber was a perfect girl: funny, energetic, beautiful and very attractive. She was seventeen years old.

Rachel was living in a small village called Dimmesdale. There,the people were very friendly with her, because her parents died when she was five, and now she was alone.

One day, Rachel went out of her sweet home. She walked for a long time and when she was tired she thought of coming back home. Her house was on the other side of the forest, and it was very dark, but she wasn´t scared. She started to walk among the trees but suddenly a young man appeared in her way. He was very handsome and Rachel looked at him for a long time.

"Hi, Rachel",said the man,"I´m Jack". Rachel walked towards the man. Slowly,she touched his pale face. His skin was very cold. The man smiled, and then she could see his white teeth."I´m Jack",he repeated,"Jack the vampire". Rachel looked at him again, for a second. Then she started to run, but the vampire was faster than her. Now, she was very frightened."Please, don´t kill me",shouted Rachel. But it was too late. The vampire bit her neck and absorbed her hot blood. After some minutes, Rachel fell to the ground. She was dead.

Two weeks later, a village neighbour found her. After that moment there are many legends about the "forest darkness".

Story by Celia N. (3ºB)

2. Say if these sentences are true (T) or false (F) according to the text. Write the evidence from the text

a)Rachel is a teenager ( ) :
Evidence:.........................................................................................
b)She´s an orphan ( ):
..................................................................................................
c)Jack had an awful appearance ( ):
..........................................................................
d)Rachel didn´t die ( ):
................................................................................................
e)Nobody found her body ( ):
.....................................................................................


3. Which story did you like best? Why? (60 words minimum).

4. Click on the link and watch this trailer. Which film is it? Do you recognize it? Describe what is happening in the trailer using the Past Continuous (60 words minimum).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4inLY7YmNI

Desdoble 3ºA (units 1-3 check)

Do the following activities (you have to write some of them on paper and give it to the teacher at the end of the lesson).

1)What are the names of the places you can see in these pictures? (write them on the sheet):

Picture 1:


Pic 2:



Pic 3:



Pic 4:

2.Click on these links and watch these videos. Write on the sheet what´s happening in them using the Present Continuous tense! Don´t be too lazy and write *at least* five sentences for each one!

Video 1:http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=mji82PQTYeo
Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t88LH84m3pg
Video 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhfEGKc7PLQ

3.Click on these links and do these Comparative and Superlative exercises on line:

http://www.speakspeak.com/html/d3a21_english_grammar_practice_comparatives.htm

http://www.rong-chang.com/ex/exerciselow09.htm

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-48230.php

4.Click on this link and complete the text about Shakira with the Past Simple form:

http://www.isabelperez.com/shakira.htm

5.Now make the questions for these answers about the text (in the sheet):a)...................................................................? She plays latin pop/rock music.
b)....................................................................? She began to sing when she was 8.
c)...................................................................? Her first album was "Magia".
d)...................................................................? "Pies descalzos" sold 4 million copies.
e)...................................................................? Yes, she worked as an actress.
6.Try this listening now. Click on the link and do it on line.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/london/unit2/listen1_js.shtml

Finished now? Good work! Now don´t forget to give your sheet to the teacher!

Some help with "Vampire Tales" for my students of 3ºB

These are some of the questions I´ll include in next Thursday´s oral exam of "An Evil Spirit" from "Vampire Tales":

1)How old is the protagonist?
2)Where can he see the river Seine from?
3)Where is he from?
4)How many ships appeared on the river at 11 0´clock on May 8?
5)Were all the ships British?
6)Why did Pierre go to the doctor on May 12?
7)What does he dream every night?
8)Where did he go on holiday?
9)Who did he meet there?
10)What is the most curious legend of the town he told Pierre?
11)What is the name of Pierre´s servant?
12)What strange thing happened in Pierre´s room a few days before June 10?
13)Why did he put charcoal on his lips?
14)When did he go to Paris?
15)How did he feel there?
16)Why were there problems in Pierre´s house when he returned?

There are more questions, but those are secret...

More websites for the Ireland project (APL)

The snow has given us an unexpected holiday today... Why not using it to work on your Ireland project? More useful websites:

-Here you can find the 10 most interesting places to visit in the country. Very clear info:
http://goireland.about.com/od/preparingyourtrip/tp/top10sights.htm

-Try this one too, also interesting and with very clear tips:
http://www.thereareplaces.com/Guidebook/pdest/eipts.htm

-This site is good too, just click on the area of Ireland you are interested in and get the best places to visit:
http://www.irishtourist.com/directory/places_to_visit/

Happy 2009!

I really wish you all a happy, productive and exciting new year. The ICT course is over, and from now on I´m alone here. I want to thank Ana for her input in the blog (I´ll keep our original design) and also Harriet Thompson for teaching us all this interesting hich-tech stuff. Good work Harriet!