Reading plan for 3rd term 3ºA (Skellig)

Literary circle OR workshop dates (on Tuesdays).  On Thursdays you have to hand in the Literary circle worksheet of the chapters whose LC is scheduled for the following Tuesday. If the activity scheduled is a Literary workshop you don´t have to prepare the worksheet, it will be done in teams in class, BUT you have to read the story before that day. 

MARCH 21: CHAPTERS 1 TO 9 (LITERARY WORKSHOP)
MARCH 28: CHAPTERS 10 TO 15 (LITERARY CIRCLE)
APRIL 4: CHAPTERS 16 TO 20 (LITERARY CIRCLE)
APRIL 18: CHAPTERS 21 TO 28 (LITERARY WORKSHOP)
APRIL 25: CHAPTERS 29 TO 34 (LITERARY CIRCLE)
MAY 9: CHAPTERS 35 TO 40 (LITERARY WORKSHOP)
MAY 16: CHAPTERS 41 TO 46 (LITERARY CIRCLE)

Reading plan for third term 3ºB (Singing for Mrs Pettigrew)

Literary circle OR workshop dates (on Fridays).  On Tuesdays you have to hand in the Literary Circle worksheet of the story/stories whose Literary circle  is scheduled for the following Friday. If the activity scheduled is a Literary workshop you don´t have to prepare the worksheet, it will be done in teams in class, BUT you have to read the story before that day. I highly recommend reading the introduction to each story, but the LC/LW (and the LC worksheet) will only deal with the story itself. Likewise with the exam.

MARCH 24 (you´ll have this lesson, the Music outing is later): MEETING CEZANNE +I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS (LITERARY CIRCLE)

MARCH 31:   THE GIANT´S NECKLACE (LITERARY CIRCLE)

APRIL 21:  MY ONE AND ONLY GREAT ESCAPE (LITERARY WORKSHOP)

APRIL 28: MY FATHER IS A POLAR BEAR + THE SILVER SWAN (LITERARY CIRCLE)

MAY 5: THE MOZART QUESTION (LITERARY CIRCLE)

MAY 12: WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? (LITERARY WORKSHOP)

MAY 19: HALF A MAN + FOR CARLOS, A LETTER FROM YOUR FATHER (LIT.CIRCLE)

MAY 25: EXAM

Some interesting reading

There´s a long weekend ahead, what about reading a couple of your classmates´ compositions for the writing tests? They won´t disappoint you...

About your fears...

*"Being scared is that feeling you´ve got when you realise there´s something that can hurt you. Sometimes it´s good to feel that way because it makes you realise what things are important for you, the ones you would like to have forever. 
I play in a basketball team. Basketball is my way of forgetting my problems for a while, my way of being free. Each year it´s more and more difficult and the idea of not being good enough scares me although my trainer tells me not to worry. (...) Despite all these things, what most scares me is becoming one day what today I hate, I don´t want to be like the people would like me but how I like.
Feeling scared is human, it isn´t something bad, therefore it isn´t something we have to avoid. It´s just a part of life like many others, something that together with other emotions completes us and that in many cases is just in our mind".  

*"There are lots of things that can scare you. The thing that most scares me are clowns. Not the one in the circus but the ones that were so famous this year and scared people in the streets. (...) Once, in Halloween someone played a joke on me. A boy who I knew saw some kids dressed as killer clowns. They had really good costumes. He called them and when I least expected it they came running and shouting at me. Although it wasn´t that horrible, I really worked out. I have never run like that in my entire life!

*"For many people the scariest things are animals or films, but not for me, it´s very different. Firstly what scares me most is not reaching my goals. I would like to go to university and get my degree. Therefore, not getting it would be very frustrating". 

*"When I was 2 years old I was playing, as a child normally does, with a little white dog of my neighbours. In spite of the fact that the dog was taller than me I continued playing with him. Suddenly the dog hit me and I fell onto the floor. In order to call someone´s attention I started crying so that someone could hear me. Although at the beginning I thought it was going to be difficult that someone heard me because my parents and my neighbours were talking very loudly, finally my fater heard me and came running to help me. Despite the fact that I had a bad moment, finally I had a good afternoon.
So in conclusion since that moment I haven´t been able to be near dogs without feeling fear. My parents sometimes say to me they are going to buy a dog to make me confront this fear".  

*"Some months ago, I suddenly got stuck in a very small elevator, so I started to breathe in a faster way because I got nervous and I realize I have not overcome that fear yet". 

*"I personally think that losing your family and friends must be one of the most horrible situations to face. Altough we sometimes get angry with each other or we begin an argument they´ll always be the people who most support and love you. (...) We should appreciate what we have, because we could lose it at any moment". 

About suceeding and failing...

*"As I have already mentioned before, in order to succeed you need to try. In spite of  the fact that you will fall multiple times, you will have to stand up and keep going so that you can reach your goal. I must say that I feel I have suceeded thanks to Global Classrooms. My goal wasn´t winning an award or or going to New York. Of course I would have loved to go to New York  and winning an award was so amazing, but I wanted to participate in Global Classrooms for other reasons. First of all I wanted to have fun (and I really did), secondly I knew it was going to a great opportunity to learn new things (and I did) and lastly I wanted to take part in something important, not only for me, but also for my family and my high school. I also met a lot of incredible people. I basically suceeded, not only because of my award, but also because of the great experience I was able to live". 

About your dreams...

*"Despite the fact that I´m too young, I already know what I want to do in life: be an English teacher, in order to achieve this goal, I know I have to work hard but, why not? However, it,s not the only thing I want to do in life: Setting up a family might be very common, but nowadays many people don´t have future expectations, and having this as a dream is very strange. In addition, in twenty years´ time, being calm, with no worries, having what to eat the following day and seeing my children growing up in good conditions would make me feel very grateful". 

*"You need dreams, it´s a way human beings have to avoid reality, a way of seeing things like we would like them to be and not how they are, a way of feeling that you are here for something, for making them real.(...) Despite in dreams everything seems to be possible, I think dreaming limits us because you focus on making that real without realising that maybe there were better things you could have done. 
It´s good to dream, feeling able to do everything but more important than dreams there´s a reality we have to adapt to, therefore let´s open our eyes, let´s start to live and let´s stop dreaming". 

*"Art makes you imagine and be be open-minded. So the point is that I want to become a professional artist and do things in order to express strong feelings to people". 

*"There are some dreams that we are not able to achieve when we are awake. My dream is that, when I die, people will rememeber me. In other words, I want to be important, relevant for people. (...) As a final phrase, I want you to remember: sleep less and live more!"

About your worst nightmare...

*"Life doesn´t forgive anyone, so that is why I´m really worried about my family. Some parts of me won´t know what to do when I lose them. I´m afraid because maybe the time will come when they´ll be gone. It´ll really break my heart, it´s one of my weaknesses. Since they became part of my life they have been special for me. They are my inspiration and my strength". 

*"Speaking in public for some people is very easy but I am afraid of it because since I was little I have been shy so I don´t like to speak to many people. When I have to do a presentation or a project I get nervous and my heart starts beating faster and faster and as my heart starts beating faster my hands start sweating and I can´t talk well. When I start talking I only hear my heart beating and I think one day it will stop beating because of all the nerves I feel doing it". 

*"It was dark, I couldn´t see anything. I decided to walk but I couldn´t, I was inside a box. In spite of the fact that I couldn´t hear anything, I decided to shout. I wanted to escape, I was frightened, I had to go away from there, so I decided to hit the box so perhaps it broke. Once and again I failed, I couldn´t do it. Therefore I continued thinking and trying to escape. Although I was tired, I decided to hit the box one more time. And finally I broke it. I walked forwards and... there was another box, another one!". 

Future Perfect and Future Continuous

The Future Perfect. Click on the links:
#1
#2

The Future Continuous.
#3 
#4 

Mixed.
#5
#6
#7
#8

Linkers

Do these online drills, click on the links:

Contrast linkers:
#1
#2
#3

Purpose linkers
#4
#5  (scroll down to find the exercises)

So vs Such
#6
#7

Mixed:
#8

3ºA/B Second Term exams

Hi all, as agreed today in class, here follows the exam calendar for 3ºA and 3ºB:


-Friday FEB.24: Literature (20% of the total mark of the term). Contents:
        -The Wife of Bath, The Pardoner´s Tale (from the Canterbury Tales): characters, plot.
        -The Renaissance. "The Impacts of Renaissance"+ 3-page worksheet.
        -Shakespeare. Contents covered until that moment (so far video and PPT about The Globe and the first worksheet about his life and work, there will be a couple more things).
         -Important: 30% min. correct to pass the term!

-Friday MARCH, 3: Grammar and Vocabulary (cummulative, from unit 1 to the one we reach). 20% of the total mark.

-Thursday MARCH, 9: Singing for Mrs Pettigrew (3ºA) / Skellig (3ºB) exam. Again 30% min. correct to pass the term! 10% of the total mark of the term

Don´t forget that the Speaking mark (10% of the total mark) will be obtained from your participation in the Literary Circles. 

There will be a reading and writing exam (20% of the total mark) and a listening test (10%), but you don´t have to study for those. We´ll set the dates later.

And remember: If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail...

The Renaissance test: some tips

1. Links to the videos we watched in class:
-The Impacts of Renaissance.
-The Globe Theatre

Watch them with the worksheets I prepared for them (completed in class), and      don´t forget the other double worksheet (summary with important facts at the end).

2. The test will have the format of a PechaKucha presentation: that is, 20 slides, 20 seconds each. Twenty students picked at random will have to give a presentation in turns about a slide each related to the topic. Here is one of the slides I have chosen for the test, could you speak 20 seconds about it?

Good luck (you won´t need much, it´s very easy... as long as you have studied. Have you?)

Global day!

The A-Team

Today we have spent a fantastic day with eleven of our 3ºA, B and C students. They have played a great role in the Preliminary Global Classrooms conference held by the Comunidad de Madrid. They have had the chance to debate with students from other schools in Madrid about gender violence following the UN model. They have delivered well prepared speeches, exchanged views with other delegations and come up with imaginative resolutions to try and eradicate terrible issues such as acid throwing, female genital mutilation, early marriages or dowry murders among others.
Thank you for your amazing hard work and committment to this project, and don´t forget that without the support of your parents, the rest of your classmates and your teachers (especially Carlos), you wouldn´t have been able to make it!

Thanks to Elena Muñoz for some of the pictures (actually the best ones).

What is that women most desire?

The hag was dreadful but wise...

That´s the million-dollar question. And it´s also the question Queen Guinevere told the lecherous knight to find the right answer for if he wanted to save his life in The Wife of Bath Tale from The Canterbury Tales. An ugly old woman was ready to tell him the difficult answer on condition that he promised to do whatever she asked him to. The knight, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, accepted the deal. You know her answer (that saved his life): what women desire most is to have the upper hand over their husbands... Do you agree? Let´s see what you came up with in your compositions...

"In the Wife of Bath story this question is answered as being superior to men. This must have been the most important thing for women in Chaucer´s time, but this does not apply now. Nowadays this question is answered in many different ways, the answer varies depending on the woman you ask, some of them would answer that what a woman most desires is having a family, others would answer that what a woman most desires is having a steady job. In my opinion, taking into account I am not a woman, what a woman most desires is not being judged, like a book, by its cover". (Sergio P.)

"Saying that what women most desire is power over their husbands is nonsense and sexist. (...) As a woman I would probably say that personal success is one of the few things that we desire most. Being conscious that that you have been capable of reaching that goal that you have always wanted to get is quite satisfactory not just for girls, but for boys too. We are all people and, as humans, we usually have the same feelings and thoughts.(...) Women want the ability to make decisions for themselves instead of being ordered around like servants. They want to be respected as equal companions of men rather than their subordinates". (Carolina M.)

"From my point of view, what women most desire is to have a good family, a family that loves and protects each other. Also they want to the respect of their husbands, their entire love and loyalty (...). The thoughts of women haven´t changed so much from the 14th century (...). The desires of women have always been in relation to their families. What has changed now, in the 21st century, is that their main goal is not to have power but to have love. What is a relationship without love? (Eva  M.)

"Women desire power, money and love, love from their children, from their husbands, but above all that, what women most desire is gender equality. (...) Maybe we don´t say anything because of the fear of ignored or not to be accepted, but we have to join together, because together we can, together we are strong and together we can stop gender violence". (Paula O.)

"Of course that what the hag told the knight is true. Women like to have power over man, but from my point of view, that answer is a little old-fashioned, because what we are trying to create is a society of gender equality where men aren´t superior to women or the other way round. So, in conclusion I think that what women (and in general everybody) most desire is to feel understood". (Irene L.)

"Above all what women desire most is gender equality: going out to the street without being scared, having the idea that at any moment we could be sexually abused. We desire to have the same rights as men, and be treated as equals". (Paula F.)

"I think that what women want is love, (...), or better than that, true love. (...) They want a boy, man or girl that makes them laugh, have a good time, cry or even get angry. And you would say why cry and get angry? It is as simple as this: because true love isn´t perfect, true love is the one in which you are constantly fighting to be with the person you love". (Lorena C.)

"I think women have very different ideas and personalities, so they are never going to agree on anything. But I think that most of them would agree when we talk about inequality. I think women would like to have equal power and equality in general. Although it looks as if it is getting better, in fact it is not, men earn more money for the same job in some places, and people still get surprised by a policewoman or a female soldier". (Eva A.)

"I think one thing women most desire is to destroy the ideal of beauty because all are beautiful in one way or another, but no one has to feel ugly because the society has one ideal of beauty that maybe that woman doesn´t have". (David Q.)

"I personally think that each woman is different and this idea may vary a lot. But in my opinion what women desire most is being independent and being with the person they really love". (Natalia P.)

"If I only had to say one thing, it´d be that what women want is stereotypes to disappear. They don´t want stereotypes because in this society all girls want to be perfect, but  what is perfection? (Ariadna M.)

"In conclusion, women want to be free and not to suffer violence by men". (Jorge C.)

"My conclusion is that women most desire to be respected by everyone, because you can have all the money in the entire world, being sexy as hell and being married to a rich person, but if people don´t respect you, you have all that stuff for nothing". (Delia U.) 

"In the story, what women most desired was to have control over their husbands and over men. From my point of view, they are just looking for feeling comfortable with themselves. They want to learn how to love themselves before loving anyone else. (...) For me, what we most want is to learn how to feel good without the need of having someone next to us, because with ourselves, it should be enough". (Lucía R.)

"(...) women also want protection, someone that protects them physically and mentally, they will always be attracted by the strongest men, but they have to be strong for them, they must be men that understand them and they can trust." (Javier S.)

"I have been thinking for five minutes about a general desire all women could have and I have reached the conclusion that what not only women, but all living things need is love, who doesn´t want to have someone near that loves them?" (Iván F.)

"In many couples, women are supposed to be all day at home doing everything, and the man is supposed to be working all day. Well, that woman cooks for you, cleans the house, gives an education for your children, buys clother for you, and many other  things. I think that a woman works more than a man and she is not paid at all. She only wants to hear a "thank you" and she will be happy". (Stefania E.)

Great work!

Skellig (3ºB)

Watch the video and learn about the book we are going to read.

Grammar review (3ºA,B)

Here you are some extra online practice on grammar contents of the first term. Click on the links:

Tenses Practice. 

-Past simple in the negative (oh yes, you make many mistakes there)
-Past Simple/Past Continuous.
-Simple Past vs Present Perfect
-Simple Past vs Present Perfect(2)
-Past Simple vs Past Perfect 
-Present Perfect Continuous
-Present Perfect Simple vs Present Perfect Continuous
-Past Perfect Simple 
-A bit of everything (don´t do the drills on the Future)
-Irregular verbs forms 
-More irregular verbs 
-A crossword now.


Used to/be used to/get used to:

Try this link to practise these tricky structures.


Comparative and Superlative forms and structures:

-Comparative and Superlative mix (easy warm-up).
-More like the previous one (multiple choice)
-Still another dead easy one.
-Comparative gap-filling exercise 
-Comparative matching exercise  
-A crossword  now
-Let´s focus now on Comparatives  of Equality (as...as) 
-Only Superlatives here. 
-A Superlative quiz
-A Comparative/Superlative mix 
-Correlative comparatives
-A bit more difficult mix now (including Correlative Comparatives).
 -Irregular comparative and superlative forms.


Merry Xmas!!

2nd Term Literary Circles planning (3ºB). Updated

 Literary circles dates (on Fridays).  On Tuesdays you have to hand in the Literary Circle worksheet of the chapters whose LC is scheduled for the following Friday. 

JANUARY 13: CHAPTERS 1 TO 9
JAN. 20: CH. 10 TO 15
JAN. 27: CH. 16 TO 20
FEBRUARY 3: CH. 21 TO 28
FEB. 10: CH. 29 TO 34
FEB.17: CH.35 TO 40
FEB. 24: CH. 41 TO 46 MOVED TO FEB 23 (THURSDAY). CH. 35-46
MARCH 8: SKELLIG RECAP (EXAM ON MARCH 9)

Remember  this book will be included in an exam at the end of the term where you must get at least a 30% correct to pass the subject, just like in the first term. Happy reading!

2nd term Literary Circles planning (3ºA) NEW DATES

Literary circles dates (on Tuesdays).  On Thursdays you have to hand in the Literary Circle worksheet of the story/stories whose LC is scheduled for the following Tuesday. (Obviously except for the first LC worksheet, that must be turned in the day before, January 9). I highly recommend reading the introduction by the author to each story, but the LC (and the LC worksheet) will only deal with the story itself. 

JANUARY 10: MEETING CEZANNE + I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS

JAN. 17:  I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS THE GIANT´S NECKLACE

JAN. 24: THE GIANT´S NECKLACE MY ONE AND ONLY GREAT ESCAPE

JAN. 31: MY ONE AND ONLY GREAT ESCAPE
MY FATHER IS A POLAR BEAR + THE SILVER SWAN

FEBRUARY 7: MY FATHER IS A POLAR BEAR + THE SILVER SWAN
THE MOZART QUESTION

FEB. 14: THE MOZART QUESTION WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

FEB. 21: WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? HALF A MAN + FOR CARLOS, A LETTER FROM YOUR FATHER

FEB. 28: HALF A MAN + FOR CARLOS, A LETTER FROM YOUR FATHER SINGING FOR MRS PETTIGREW

MARCH 7: SINGING FOR MRS PETTIGREW. RECAP DAY (EXAM ON MARCH 9: LAST STORY NOT INCLUDED)
MARCH 14: SINGING FOR MRS PETTIGREW.

Remember  all these stories will be included in an exam at the end of the term where you must get at least a 30% correct to pass the subject, just like in the first term (again, only the stories, not the author´s comments, will appear in the exam). Happy reading!

The Franklin´s Tale (from The Canterbury Tales)

Still another tale from The Canterbury Tales. Watch the story of Arviragus, Doringen and Aurelius and do the quiz.

The Pardoner´s Tale (from The Canterbury Tales)