This is a blog for my students of ESO and Bachillerato. The idea is to include follow-up on-line materials related to the contents studied in class, to exchange opinions, to carry out projects in common and to receive feedback from students and colleagues, so your suggestions are welcome!
Tuesday, 24 April 2018
More Gulliver´s Travels
In Gleich people are created in factories. "(...) Gleich was a small but beautiful island full of natives who were called Gargeois and had found out the way to build high skyscrapers without damaging the environment. Gulliver loved that place, however, there was a problem: all Gargeois were identical. (...) They had a unique personality: they were kind and competitive at the same time. They could be jealous and ambitious and finally, they were extremely reserved. There weren´t women in the island so babies were created in a factory. (...) Gulliver was going to abandon the city when some men captured him and took him to a prison where many people were caged. The mysterious men were actually the police and called the prisoners "nicht identisch". An old man told Gulliver that the factory where they were created had a virus and sometimes it created someone different. Those babies must be in a special jail until they die because they are defective. Gulliver couldn´t believe what the man told him. (...) They ran away and destroyed the factory so that everyone from that moment on could be different. In his last journey Gulliver learned something unforgettable. He learnt that our world is made up by millions of people who are different and that is possible because our differences make us unique and special. Trying to be another person won´t make us happy, because how would the world be if we were all the same? In my opinion, boring". (Marta G.)
Gulliver´s last voyage. "(...) Gulliver soon found out that the poor and misunderstood people were the ones who ruled while the rich and reasonable people were slaves who spent most of their time in cages. Long ago there had been a war and the rich people, called "Unfogians" drowned the misunderstood ones, called "Disongians". The Disongians survived and adapted themselves to live underwater. Then there was a tornado and the island where the Unfogians lived sank. They were captured by the Disongians and lost the war. The queen taught Gulliver their language and explained him everything, but he didn´t like the idea of of people living in cages. So, one night he set the Unfogians free. That choice was the mistake of his life, because they had been living in cages so long that the Unfogians had gone mad and wild. The second they left the cages they devoured him to death. That´s how Gulliver´s life and voyages ended". (Ana R.)
In Lisistrata women rule. "(...) 'Lisistrata', said an inhabitant of the island to Gulliver, 'is the name of a woman who lived many years ago. She was really intelligent. In those days, there were hundreds of wars and nobody knew what to do to stop them. (...) She said that those MEN in charge of goverments were the ones responsible for everything and they should be dead. She started a strike: women won´t allow any men to sleep with them until wars finished. I don´t know if it worked, but she influenced a lot of people and she was finally killed. (...) [Following her example] in our towns mayors started to be changed by mayoresses and little by little things have been changing until nowadays, where every important position is occupied by a woman'.
-'But', argued Gulliver, 'do they work properly? I mean, men are better qualified for important jobs and they know how things must be done'.
-(...)'Scientific research shows that women have the ability to retain more information in their brains than men. They know how to optimise their time and they are able to coordinate better than men (...)'.
-'Well, but who is going to take care of children all day if women are in such important positions? Who cleans the house? Who cooks?'
-'We both have short working periods and we alternate to do the chores and take the kids where they need'.(...)
And Gulliver left thinking how could such an amazing country be ruled by women. It was so strange for him. But finally he decided to stay. (...)
Sometimes you just need to give second chances and be open-minded, you may discover that women are almost superheroes. Everything thanks to Lisistrata". (Marta O.)
In Wh173 everything is perfect... (or not?). "Gulliver arrived to an island called Wh173 where everywhere he looked he could see how everyone was just exactly alike the rest. It was as if there was a huge printer which made more and more copies of a single design, one for men and another for women. (...) Considering that he would surely get lost in that place where everything was the same, he decided to ask for some information about it. (...) Gulliver was told that they were in a place in which people didn´t have names, they were just designed by numbers, as if it was a new videogame set in a future where robots ruled, they were also born with an already assigned job and couple for their future, as well as the house where they would stay. This was an idea of a ruler who thought that this way conflicts, poverty and inequalities would disappear, and they did, but people were unhappy. They had evolved to become also physically equal, and that had turned them into who they were, robot-like humans whose creativity and abstract thinking was in levels below zero, but whose greatest ambition was to be like "the originals". The "originals" were people like Gulliver and the couple he was talking to, the ones who had ideas, creativity and different ways of thinking and being. (...)
Gulliver had an idea, they would splash the whole island with the brightest and most beautiful colours they had ever seen, so that instead of walking through white streets and sleeping in white rooms, people would be able to see hapier colours which might spark their hidden imagination. (...) The results were better than anyone expected and people started making progresses in every field: science, art, literature, architecture, etc. Because in a world without differences, how could we progress?" (Ana Mª S.)
Fantastic work!
Friday, 20 April 2018
4ºD: I have a challenge for you...
So An Inspector Calls is boring... Yes, probably because, unlike How I live Now and Holes it is a theatre play and not a novel. Plays are not supposed to be read but performed (and watched)... Do you see my point? So what if you make a performance of an act of An Inspector Calls and record it like you did last year for Much Ado About Nothing?
This is a team activity (3-5 students per team), and each student has to assume a role (you organize the groups). Apart from that, you´ll have to carry out different tasks:
1. Director: is primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film. S/he will have to give me a report of what each member has done (similar to the assessment sheet for the Literary workshops).
2. Scriptwriter: the one/s in charge of writing the script for the actors to learn. You can use the graphic novel as a starting point (this year you don´t need to do a storyboard, it´s already done!)
3. Production designer: creates the visual conception of the film and is in charge of the sets, locations, costumes (remember the play is set in 1912), "special effects" and make up.
4. Director of photography: S/he records the film and supervises photography.
5. Sound designer/Composer: chooses (or, why not, creates) the appropriate music and sound effects for the scenes. Ask Paloma for advice...
6. Actors, obviously. Every member must assume a role.
Deadline: May 28 (Monday). You have to send me that day the film (in a common format please) and the directors have to give me their reports (I´ll give you a template).
Ready to boost your speaking mark and have fun?
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Gulliver´s 5th travel (3ºB, 3ºC)
So after going to Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa and Houyhnhnms, Gulliver reportedly visited a fifth country...
Kukui, the island made of trash... "Gulliver´s fifth voyage was to an isalnd called Kukui. When he was arriving, he smelled something very stinky. Once he was there, he was shocked, in that island everything was made with trash. The people were dressed with trash, the buildings, the food, everything was trash. In Kukui there weren´t any animals, no birds, dogs or insects. Also there weren´t any tress, flowers or grass. (...) he also saw saw something strange, the sky was grey because of pollution, it was very hot in that island, but it was snowing. "How can this be possible?", he thought. All the inhabitants of Kukui were happy, they didn´t care about the huge problem they had. (...) "Look kid, we are fine, we are still alive, we don´t care if it´s hot and snows at the same time (...) everything is OK here...". (Laura C.)
Timeland, where time rules... "(...) The city was not very big, and there were millions of people running from place to place, but they were going so fast that they could only see a mass of people moving. (...) There was a big tower, it was the most important place in the city, he thought, because everybody was looking at it at any moment. The tower had a big clock which showed the hour and everyone depended on it. Gulliver tried to ask someone where he was or at least the name of the island, but when he started asking, they interrupted him because they were in a hurry. (...) Days passed and Gulliver planned something to stop that way of living and make people realize about their lives. While everyone was sleeping, he took the big clock from the tower and hid it. The next morning everyone was in the main square nervous and impatient because they didn´t know the time. So Gulliver stood near the clock and said: "Look what is happening, look at the life you are living. (...) Do you like what you are doing? Do the things you do make sense? You don´t know because you live like robots, machines... In conclusion, time has to depend on you and not you depend on time.(...)". Gulliver put then a big banner in the tower in which was written: "As time passes, you get older, so enjoy life as it was the last day". (Alba M.)
Welcome to Wifiland. "(...) Gulliver continued walking and not too far away he saw another restaurant. There was a sign that said "Free Wifi". He decided to enter. he couldn´t believe what his eyes were watching. There were groups of many people, but all those people were with their mobile phone on their hands. They had red eyes and they must have prtoblems in their fingers because they were moving them all the time while using their mobiles. He couldn´t understand why those people, who were surrounded by important people for them, did not speak, they were isolated from the world because of the phones". (Sofía E.)
In Oblivia everybody is hypnotized... "(...) The whole island was an amusement park. (...) Gulliver entered the park, everybody looked so happy, and their clothes were like futuristic and vintage at the same time. In the park there was a song, in repeat mode, all day long. At the waiting line, everyone advanced in the same way, at the same pace. He was the only one who didn´t do the same things as the inhabitants. When he finally got to the ride, he realized that you could only ride in pairs, only women and men, the seats were blue (for boys) and pink (for girls). When the day ended, he went back to his boat, a bit surprised about how those people didn´t realise and wasn´t affected by the problems around them. The next day everybody did the same things, the same song was played, the same problems where there and nobody did anything". (Melissa A.)
Mindless, where people have no bodies... "He travelled to Mindless, a world in which the only important thing is your appearance in the social networks. In this world the human species is disappearing, because people don´t know how to interact among themselves. In this world Gulliver was like a ghost, he could see everybody, but nobody could see him. (...) While they weren´t with the phone, they were preparing themselves to look nice in the photos for the social media or how many likes they have. (...) Rich people are so because they are famous in there. Some people forget to eat because of the net. (...) In this journey he realised what was going to happen to his world in the future. He told this journey to his family, but they thought he was crazy." (Ariadna S.)
In Monkuwoi, people never have enough. "When Gulliver arrived in Monuwoi he saw that there were normal people like him, but when he saw the people more carefully he realized that they had a very angry face, so he entered a restaurant to rest from the long trip and listened carefully to the conversations of the people. Everybody complained about something... all compaints were different... but at the same time they were all the same... they wanted more and more than they had, they never seemed to have enough things. And Gulliver thought if one day the inhabitants of Monkuwoi would realize that there are people who have less and are happier than them. (...) While Gulliver was sailing away from Monkuwoi, he thought that these people would never be happy because they would never have all that they wished...". (Mar R.)
Great work! More travels coming soon.
Sunday, 15 April 2018
3rd term exam dates (B1B/C, 3ºB, 3ºC, 4ºD)
B1B/C
-Thursday May 3: Listening. ( 1.5 points)
-Friday May 11: Reading (1 point) and writing (2 points) exams.
-Thursday May 17: The secret diary of Adrian Mole exam. (1 point).
-Monday May 21: Grammar and vocabulary exam (cumulative). (3 points)
-Final exam (Reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary): pending (week from May 28 to June 1)
3ºB & 3ºC
-Friday April 20 (only 3ºC): Listening exam (10% of the total mark)
-Tuesday April 24 (only 3ºB): Listening exam (10% of the total mark)
-Friday April 27: Reading and Writing exam (20% of the total mark).
-Wednesday May 16: Literature exam (20% of the total mark of the term -*Important: 30% min. correct to pass the term!). Contents:
-The 18th century.
-The Gulliver´s Travels: characters, plot.
-William Blake. The School Boy.
-The Romantic Movement. Frankenstein.
-Friday May 18: Skellig exam. (10% of the total mark of the term -30% min. correct to pass the term).
-Friday May 25: Grammar and vocabulary exam (cumulative, from unit 1 to the one we reach, 20% of the total mark).
-Monday May 28: Literature/Readings Retakes (all terms) for students who didn´t reach the 30% correct in those exams.
4ºD
-Friday April 20: Listening exam (10% of the total mark)
-Monday April 23: Writing exam (The term mark for the writing skill -10% of the total mark- will be the average between this exam and the mark of the compositions assigned as homework).
-Friday April 27: Reading exam (FCE parts 5,6,7; 10% of the total term mark).
-Monday May 7: Inspector Calls exam. 30% min. correct to pass the term. 10% of the total mark of the term.
-Monday May 14: Literature exam. 20% of the total mark of the term. 30% min. correct to pass the term. Contents:
-British novelists in the first half of the 20th century. George Orwell´s 1984 (link to the video we watched in class). Virginia Woolf´s A Room of One´s Own.
-British poets in the first half of the 20th century. The War poets: Wilfred Owen´s Dulce et Decorum Est (link to the video we watched in class). T.S. Eliot´s The Waste Land (extract worked in class).
-Monday May 21: Grammar and vocabulary exam (cumulative). 20% of the total term mark.
-Monday May 28: Literature/Readings Retakes (all terms) for students who didn´t reach the 30% correct in those exams.
Don´t forget that the Speaking mark (10% of the total mark) will be obtained from your participation in the Literary Circles.
-Monday April 23: Writing exam (The term mark for the writing skill -10% of the total mark- will be the average between this exam and the mark of the compositions assigned as homework).
-Friday April 27: Reading exam (FCE parts 5,6,7; 10% of the total term mark).
-Monday May 7: Inspector Calls exam. 30% min. correct to pass the term. 10% of the total mark of the term.
-Monday May 14: Literature exam. 20% of the total mark of the term. 30% min. correct to pass the term. Contents:
-British novelists in the first half of the 20th century. George Orwell´s 1984 (link to the video we watched in class). Virginia Woolf´s A Room of One´s Own.
-British poets in the first half of the 20th century. The War poets: Wilfred Owen´s Dulce et Decorum Est (link to the video we watched in class). T.S. Eliot´s The Waste Land (extract worked in class).
-Monday May 21: Grammar and vocabulary exam (cumulative). 20% of the total term mark.
-Monday May 28: Literature/Readings Retakes (all terms) for students who didn´t reach the 30% correct in those exams.
Don´t forget that the Speaking mark (10% of the total mark) will be obtained from your participation in the Literary Circles.
Thursday, 12 April 2018
The William Blake project (3ºB, 3ºC)
As you know, you have to prepare a videoclip based on a poem by William Blake. Deadline is May 3 and must be made in a common format. Remember what I told you:
-Your voice must be recorded reciting the poem. Check the pronounciation of difficult words (here, for example) Don´t just copy and paste one videoclip from the net (I´ll notice!)
-Each line of the poem (more or less) should be accompanied by an image that matches it. You have to show me you understand the poem.
-It´d great if you could include good background music that relates to the topic of the poem.
-It can be done individually or in groups of 2/3 students (no more than 3 people per group please). The list of teams must be turned in on Monday 16 the latest. (In 3ºC Robert P., your representative, must elaborate it, please tell him ASAP). If you have chosen the poem by then you can also include the name.
-I showed you some examples of videos made by my students from past years. Here you are more.
Two links where you can explore some of most famous poems (but there are many more websites):
-Here you are a list of 10, and they are commented.
-Another website with more poems.
For the people who couldn´t attend Tuesday´s class because you were in the Theatre outing, this is the link for the video about Blake we watched in class (answer the questions in the quiz of the Blake leaflet I gave you, let me know if you have any doubts).
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