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? 

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.

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.
          

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).

An Inspector Calls Reading plan (4ºD) Updated

This is the Literary Circles plan for An Inspector Calls on Thursdays. As usual, on Tuesday you have to hand in the Literary Circle worksheets.

APRIL 12: Act I (to page 25) 

APRIL 19: Act I (to the end)

APRIL 26: Act II

MAY 3: Act III

MAY 7: Exam

Do you have 5 minutes? J.B. Priestley, the author, has something very interesting to tell you.

Skellig Reading plan (3ºB, 3ºC)

Here you are the planning for the 3rd Term Literary Circles/Workshops about Skellig. As usual the Mondays before those dates you must turn in your LC worksheets. Where LW indicated, we´ll do a Literary Workshop (the Literary Circle worksheet is then optional).

APRIL 5: CHAPTERS 1 TO 9

APR 12: CH.10 TO 15

APR 19: CH. 16 TO 20 (LW)

APR 26: CH. 21 TO 28

MAY 3: CH. 29 TO 34

MAY 10: CH. 35 TO 40 (LW)

MAY 17: CH. 41 TO 46

MAY 18: EXAM

"We believe that schools inhibit the natural curiosity , creativity and intelligence of children. The mind needs to be opened out into the world, not shuttered down inside a gloomy classroom".

The Paris agreement

A video about Climate Change first.

Links about the Paris Climate Agreement:

Video 1
Video  2
The US position

Tutoría project (4ºD)

The Tutoría project this year ("El mundo se mueve, movamos el mundo") includes three different parts.

Part one. "A sutainable world": We will watch videos and read documents to later discuss them and come up with specific actions ("ecotasks") we can take on the issue. The Story of Stuff movie is the first video, we will also watch this one in the Educaixa website).

Part two. "A Committed World": What are you doing to make this a better world? An "ecopassport" will be issued where you can jot down different ecofriendly actions you are carrying out (a seal will be stamped on it for each one of the "ecotasks" you are doing). Apart from that I would also like you to share with the rest of the class your experiences in the Aprendizaje Servicio activities you are carrying out, for example teaching English in the Centro de Mayores Primavera.

Part three. We will make an urban garden in the school. Ideas welcome!


(Project designed by our school counsellor Yolanda Gómez)

Grammar revision (3ºB, 3ºC)

Online practice. Click on the links: 

Future Perfect and Continuous:
-The Future Perfect. Click on these links: #1, #2
-The Future Continuous (or "Progressive"): #3 , #4 
-Mixed Future tenses: #5 , #6  

Expressing Ability (can, could, be able to)
#1
#2
#3

Reported Speech (Statements)
#1
#2
#3

(Remember the contents are cumulative, revise also the ones for the first term)

Exam dates (B1B/C)

York

-Friday February 9: Listening Exam (based on Gattaca). 1.5 points.

-Tuesday Feb.13: Reading (1 p.) +Writing exam (2 p.). (EvAU model). 

-Thursday Feb. 22: A Foreigner in Britain exam (1 p.).

-Monday Feb. 26: A Trip to Britain presentation (deadline to send me your ppts: Friday 23). 1.5 points.

-Tuesday March 6: Grammar and vocabulary exam. (3 p.)

Exam dates (3ºB, 3ºC, 4ºD) Updated for 3ºB&C

Cornwall

3ºB& 3ºC

-Friday FEBRUARY 9: Singing for Mrs Pettigrew exam (from the first story up to What does it feel like?). 30% min. correct to pass the term. 10% of the total mark of the term. 

-Tuesday FEB. 13: Reading and Writing exam (20% of the total mark) remember you don´t have to study for it.

-Wednesday FEBRUARY 14: Literature exam (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: Life&work, The Globe. Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet.
         -Important: 30% min. correct to pass the term!


-Tuesday FEB. 20: Listening exam (10%).


 -Friday FEBRUARY 23: Exam of Grammar and Vocabulary (cumulative, from unit 1 to the one we reach, 20% of the total mark)


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


4ºD 

-Monday JANUARY 29: Writing exam (FCE model). One composition to choose between a report and a formal letter. (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).


-Monday FEBRUARY 5: Listening exam (FCE model, 10% of the total term mark).


-Monday FEBRUARY 12: Reading exam (FCE parts 5,6,7; 10% of the total term mark).

-Wed FEBRUARY 14: Holes exam. 30% min. correct to pass the term. 10% of the total mark of the term.

-Friday FEB. 23: Literature exam. Contents:
          -Ch. Dickens´ Hard Times (The definition of a horse text)
          -E. Brontë's Wuthering Heights. Plot, characters, Romantic features.
          -American realism. Mark Twain and The adventures of Tom Sawyer.
          -Britain in the first half of the 20th century.
          -Modernism: new ideas in art, architecture and literature.

Don´t forget: 30% min. correct to pass the term. 20% of the total mark of the term.

-Tuesday FEB. 27: Grammar and vocabulary exam (cumulative). 20% of the total term mark.

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

Stratford-upon-Avon video (3ºB,C)

For sthe students in the snow trip, this is the video about Stratford you missed. Do the quiz I gave you and ask me any doubts:

Tom Sawyer (4ºD)

Here is the audio book of Tom Sawyer. Listen and read the first two chapters (yes, the second also), and do the activities in the worksheet for next Wednesday.

Interested in a brief history of steamboats? Have a look at this video (less than 3 min. long):

2nd term project (B1B/C)

Task:

1.Design a 5-day trip to an area in the United Kingdom (A Foreigner in Britain can help you to choose it). You have to create a brochure or a powerpoint presentation with your daily plan including the activities to carry out during the 5-day trip.

2.Give an oral presentation describing your trip. Use your brochure/powerpoint presentation as a guide.

Process:

You’re going to work in groups of 3-4 students.I want the list with the groups as soon as possible (that is, next Monday 22). If you can´t organize yourselves, I´ll decide the groups! 

1) First of all decide all together your route. 

2) Then student 1 will organize the aspects related to transport.

3) Student 2  will find accommodation 

4) Student 3 will make a sightseeing tour

5) Now calculate the budget working all together.

6) Put all the information together to produce a brochure or powerpoint presentation (10 pages or slides min.).

7) Give each of the other groups a paper copy of your brochure (not necessary if it is a powerpoint document) and present your trip plan in front of the class.

8) Group discussion. Which is the best trip plan and why?

Deadlines:

-The deadline is February 26 (Monday). That day you must hand in your brochure to me. If you have prepared a powerpoint presentation, you must send it to me in an email by Friday 23. The oral presentations will begin on Feb.26. The order will be decided at random.

 
Assessment:

The activity will account for 1.5 points (included in your speaking mark, the final speaking mark will be the average between the mark obtained in this activity and the mark for your participation in the Literary Circles about A Foreigner in Britain).

-Half a point will go for the brochure or powerpoint presentation, so that mark will be shared by the members of the group. It must have a minimum of 10 pages/slides plus a cover page. Include a map of the country with the route you have chosen 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. Don´t include long texts in the slides. If you have prepared a brochure, make six copies of it to hand out in the class. These aspects will be assessed:
1.Organization, (layout,map with the route, are all requirements covered?).
2.Appearance (pictures chosen, videos, ICT use). 
3.Contents (are they interesting?, are texts elaborated enough or just copied and pasted?).

-One point will go for the oral presentation of each member of the group, that mark will be individual. Each person in the group must speak at least for 2 minutes (I´ll use the same rubric as for the 1st term presentations). Remember you can´t read!

Ready to travel?

FCE writing (4ºD)

Some very good tips and examples of the different types of FCE writing exercises can be found in this website. Don´t miss it!