Cambridge exams info

Follow the link for information on the different exam formats with contents, duration of each part, assessment and sample exams.
-FCE (aka First)
-PET (Preliminary)
-CAE (Advanced)

We should all be feminists (4ºB)

Here you are the TED talk the essay We should all be feminists is based on.

Holes reading plan (4ºB)

The Literary Circles will take place as usual on Thursdays following the plan below. Remember that day you have to hand in the Literary Circle worksheet about the chapters we will deal with in the LC:

Dec. 13: chapters 1-7

Dec. 20: chapters 8-15

Jan 10: ch.16-23

Jan 17: ch. 24-29

Jan. 24: ch. 30-35

Jan. 31: ch. 36-42

Feb. 7: ch. 43-end

Feb. 11 (Monday): exam

Singing for Mrs Pettigrew reading plan (3ºB&C)

Below you can find a list with the Literary circles dates (on Thursdays 3ºC, Tuesdays 3ºB).  That day you have to hand in the Literary Circle worksheet of the story/stories whose LC is scheduled for that day. You can find info on what a literary circle worksheet should include HERE. I recommend reading the introduction by the author to each story, but the LC (and the LC worksheet) will only deal with the story itself. 

December 11 (3ºB) / December 13 (3ºC): MEETING CEZANNE 

Dec. 18 (3ºB) / December 20 (3ºC):  I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS

January 8 (3ºB) / Jan. 10 (3ºC): THE GIANT´S NECKLACE

Jan. 15 (3ºB) / Jan. 17 (3ºC): MY ONE AND ONLY GREAT ESCAPE
Jan. 22 (3ºB) / Jan 24 (3ºC): MY FATHER IS A POLAR BEAR + THE SILVER SWAN

January 29 (3ºB) /Jan. 31 (3ºC): THE MOZART QUESTION

February 5 (3ºB) / Feb. 7 (3ºC): WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

Feb. 12 (3ºB) / Feb. 14 (3ºC):  HALF A MAN + FOR CARLOS, A LETTER FROM YOUR FATHER

Feb. 19 (3ºB) / Feb. 21 (3ºC): SINGING FOR MRS PETTIGREW

Feb. 22: exam. 

Grammar review (3ºB, 3ºC)

Click on the links for extra online grammar practice.

Tenses practice:
-Past Simple/Past Continuous.
-Simple Past vs Present Perfect 
-Simple Past vs Present Perfect(2)
-Present Perfect Continuous
-Present Perfect Simple vs Present Perfect Continuous
-Past Simple vs Past Perfect 
 -Past Perfect Simple 

Irregular verb practice (are you sure you know them well?)
-Irregular verb forms 
-More irregular verbs 
-A crossword now. 

Conditionals: 
-Type 1 
-Type 2
-Mixed

-Comparatives and Superlatives:
-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
-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.

-Relative clauses:
-Relative pronouns.
-More practice on relative pronouns
-Can these relative pronous be omitted?
-More practice on this.
-Who or whose?
-Non-defining relative clauses.
-Defining or Non-defining? 
-More practice on defining and non-defining relative clauses.

End of term plan (3ºB, 3ºC, 4ºB)

As agreed in class, these are the exam dates for this term (I have also included reminders about other activities):

3ºB/3ºC

-November 5 (Mon.): The Last Leaf activities (do them in the Literacy booklet). 
-Nov. 9 (Fri.): Literary circle (5 stories), you must bring the worksheet done, check the instructions in a previous entry in this blog. 
-Nov. 12 (Mon.): Reading exam (6 stories in the Literacy booklet). 10% of the total term mark. (30% min. correct to pass the term).
-Nov. 16 (Fri.): Reading and Writing exam. 15% of the total term mark. (The other 10% of your writing mark will be obtained from the written activities carried out for the Global Classrooms project)
-Nov.19 (Mon.): Grammar and vocabulary exam. 20% of term mark. 
-Nov.20 (Tue.): Listening exam (15% of term mark). 

The speaking mark (20% of total mark) will be obtained from your participation in the Global Classrooms project and in the literary circles. 

The remaining 10% is for homework. 

4ºB

-November. 5 (Mon): Pros and cons essay. 
-Nov. 6 (Tue.): First grammar and vocabulary exam.
-Nov.8 (Thurs.): Literary Circle (Ch.25-28)
-Nov.12&13 (Mon&Tue): Presentations in pairs.
-Nov.15 (Thurs.): Literary Circle (Ch.29-end)
-Nov. 19 (Mon.): 2nd grammar and vocabulary exam (together with the first exam it will account for a 20% of your total term mark).
-Nov. 21 (Fri): Writing exam  (essay). 20% of total term mark. 
-Nov. 22 (Thurs.): Listening exam (15% of total term mark).
-Nov. 23 (Fri.): How I live now exam. 10% of the total term mark. (30% min. correct to pass the term).
-Nov 26 (Mon.): Reading exam. 5% of term mark. 

The speaking mark (20% of total term mark) will be obtained from your participation in the literary circles and your presentations. 

The remaining 10% is for homework. 

Schedule (4ºB)

So a recap of the activities you have to work on in the following days:

-Do the activities in the booklet about how to improve your essays. Discover how your essay should look like a hamburger! Next Monday (Oct 29) we'll have a look at it in class.

-On October 30 we will not do a literary circle but a literary workshop. Consequently, you don't have to turn in the literary circle worksheet, it will be done in class with the usual format and teams, anyway don't forget to read previously the chapters for that day (21-24).

-On November 5 (Monday) you have to hand in the pros and cons essay (150 w. min). Below you will find some possible topics. Use the guidelines in the essay booklet to do it. Don´t forget the following aspects:
-Paragraph distribution.
-Organization of paragraphs.
-Linking devices. Use at least 4 "difficult" linkers. But and and are nor allowed. Check also the previous entry in this blog (scroll down to find it) where you can practice different linkers online.
-Powerful introduction and conclusion.

-Later, working with your usual speaking practice pair you have to prepare a presentation about EITHER of the topics you have chosen (but NOT BOTH) to be given on November 12. One will defend the pros, the other the cons of the issue. In the trio, two will defend the pros and the third one the cons (or vice-versa).

So, the suggested topics:

-Abortion.
-Legalization of marijuana.
-Euthanasia.
-Free use of mobile phones at school.
-Homework.
-Exams.
-External exams.
-School uniforms.
-Monarchy.
-Catalonia, an independent country.
-Social networking sites (Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram...).
-Bilingual education (The Comunidad de Madrid model).
-Divorce.
-Marriage.
-Immigration.
-Footballers´ exorbitant earnings.
-Death penalty.


-Nov. 7 (Wed): First grammar and vocabulary exam (intro unit, unit 1 and unit 2 up to infinitive and gerunds). SYMUN students will take it on Nov. 12.

More linkers (4ºB)

In case you didn´t have enough with the exercises done in class, here you are some online drills on linkers and connectors (click on the numbers -each number is a different exercise):

-Contrast linkers.
#1
#2
#3
#4


-Addition linkers.
#1

-Purpose or reason.
#1

-Time
#1

-Result (explanations and a gap-filling exercise below, scroll down for it).
#1

-Mix (all types)
#1
#2
#3

3ºB&C first term readings plan

-October 15: You have to hand in the activity about The Squire's tale from The Canterbury Tales (150 word writing in the template I have given to you). Read the story first!

-October 19: Hand in the activities about The Franklin's Tale (from The Canterbury Tales).

-October 26: There will be a test about The Lady or the Tiger story. Do the vocabulary activity before! You also have to hand in the activities about The Gift of the Magi. You have an example of how the PQE method works HERE.

-November 5: Deadline for your activities about The Last Leaf. 

-November 9: We will do a literary circle about all the stories.You have to bring to class a literary circle worksheet with the usual contents but including the 5 stories:
1. Choose 5 words (one per story)
2. Write a summary of each story (20 words max. per story).
3. Quotation (and reason why you chose it): Choose 1 quotation from any of the 5 stories.
4. Question (with the answer): again only 1 question about any of the 5 stories.
5. Instead of the prediction,explain which story you liked most and why (70 words min.)

-November 12: Exam about the readings (including The Wife of Bath Tale). Remember you need a 30% min. correct to pass the term.

How I live Now reading plan (4ºB)

This is the reading plan for How I live now. The literary circles will take place on Thursdays (except for the last week of October,  when it will be on Tuesday 30). The day the circle takes place you have to hand in the LC worksheet (with the same format as in 3º).

October 4: chapters 1-6 (Literary workshop: you don´t have to bring the LC worksheet done but you are supposed to read those chapters to be ready to do different activities on them in class).
Oct. 11: chapters 7-11
Oct. 18: ch.12-16
Oct. 25: ch. 17-20
Oct. 30 (Tuesday): ch. 21-24
November 8: ch. 25-28
Nov. 15: ch. 29 to the end. 

The exam (10% of the total term mark, 30% min. to pass the term) will be on Nov. 19 (Monday). 

Gender topics for Friday´s presentation (3ºB&C)

Hi all, here you are the topics for Friday 5 presentations. Pick the one you like most:

1.How would you have punished the knight of The Wife of Bath Tale?

2.What is what women most desire? Do you agree with the hag in The Wife of Bath Tale?

3.What is what men most desire?

4.Females and the “glass ceiling”

5. The gender pay gap.

6.Power roles in marriages

7.Woman as victim

8.Toys and play of boys and girls

9.Progress in women's careers

10.Gender and sports

11.Gender violence

12.How appearance affects success: for men and women alike?

13.Gender and leadership

14.Does gender condition the careers we choose?

15. Are we raising sexist sons and men?

Remember the presentation is to be done in pairs (there will be a trio) and must last 1.30 minutes! All of you will do it that day. 

Preparing your literary circle worksheets (3ºB&C)

Hi all, welcome to my blog. Here you are some guidelines on how to make your literary circle worksheets, they are a bit different to the ones you did in 2ºESO (the first one is about The Wife of Bath Tale and it´s for next Wednesday). The better you prepare them, the more interesting the literary circle will be!

-Vocabulary: write five words you didn´t know the meaning of. Write the page where the word is to be found and a definition (if several, choose the definition that applies in the context).

-Summary: no more than 60 words. 

-Quotation: don´t forget to write the page where it is and explain the reason why you chose it (the quotation should be meaningful and significant).

-Question about the story and the answer: again, come up with interesting questions that can trigger a discussion, not simple understanding questions such as Who is the protagonist of the story? or How old is she? but questions like If you were in the same situation as the protagonist, would you do the same as him/her? or What´s the moral of the story?

-Prediction: either develop the story further or think of a new ending . Write at least 80 words. 

And remember:  it´s you who makes the literary circles interesting! 

Stephen Hawking has a message for you

Stephen Hawking’s voice has been beamed into a black hole following the internment of his ashes at Westminster Abbey in London.
The message recorded by the British physicist, which is set to music by Greek composer Vangelis, speaks about the importance of peace and hope. It was sent by the European Space Agency from an antenna at Cebreros near Madrid towards the nearest black hole. According to his daughter, Lucy Hawking, “it is a message of peace and hope, about unity and the need for us to live together in harmony on this planet”.

“This is a beautiful and symbolic gesture that creates a link between our father’s presence on this planet, his wish to go into space and his explorations of the universe in his mind.” (from  The Independent).

Listen to the message here. 

Beowulf film

Grammar review (B1B/C)

This entry is for my students of Bachillerato (Programa) B1B/C

Click on the links, you´ll find useful online exercises and explanations on part of the contents for next Grammmar exam (for vocabulary and the rest of the contents please use your handbook and the exercises in hard copy). Remember the exam is cumulative (units 1-8).

-Tenses practice:
-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 
-Future tenses: Will vs going to
-Another drill on the future tenses
-Irregular verbs forms 
-More irregular verbs 
-A crossword now. 

-Comparative forms:
-Check this link

-Superlative forms:
-Have a look here.

-Modal verbs (obligation, necessity, advice, ability, permission)
#1
#2
#3

-Passive forms: click on these links.
#1
#2
#3 
#4
#5
#6

-Conditionals:
-Type 1
-Type 2
-Another link to Type 2
-Type 3
-Type 3 again.
-Conditionals mix 
-Another Conditionals mix drill.

-Causative have/get exercises:
#1
#2
#3
#4