Infonews n°325 from 03/02/2008

A la Une this week, February 5th : this year it will be altogether Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Super Tuesday and two days after the Super Bowl! Moreover, yesterday was Groundhog Day (have you seen the prediction?), and President Sarkozy got married (see the video of the couple's complaint against RyanAir's advertisement), and this month we will also celebrate Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day. In the News, read also an article about Romney and an information about who the Mormons are. Primary school teachers will enjoy this mnemonic about how to tie the shoe laces, and secondary school teachers will find resources about teenage drinking (A1+ and above), how to write a mock historical dialogue ( A2+), plus film vocabulary, ESL podcasts and an interactive guide of Cambridge. At the end of the letter, fans of science and technology will find a site explaining how remote controls work, the plans to turn a wii mote (remote control for a wii game station) into an interactive white board, and finally lists of terms in French and English used by technicians.
I'll be on holidays at the end of this week for two weeks, so Infonews n° 326 will be on March 2nd.

Have a nice week, and enjoy your holidays!

Christine Reymond

Sommaire

A la Une : Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday (Tuesday, February 5th)

Mardi Gras
Shrove Tuesday
In Ireland
Candlemas and Groundhog Day
Last news : Phil's prediction for 2008

In the Calendar

Super Bowl (Sunday, February 3rd)
Super Tuesday (Tuesday, February 5th)
Valentine's Day (Thursday, February 14th)
Presidents' Day (Monday February 18th)

In the News

The Sarkozys versus RyanAir
Romney and the Mormons

Resources for Primary School

Site of Mnemonics

Resources for Secondary School

Teenage Drinking
Writing a historical dialogue
Film vocabulary
ESL podcasts
Cambridge interactive guide

Science and Technology

How Remote Controls Work
How to make an interactive white board with a Wiimote
Technical vocabulary translated


A la Une : Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday (Tuesday, February 5th)

Mardi Gras

Read about how Mardi Gras works in New Orleans, its origin and how modern Mardi Gras came to be.
http://people.howstuffworks.com/super-tuesday.htm
See also Michelle Henry's page about Mardi Gras and Carnivals all over the world
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/carnivals.htm
and here is a page about Mardi Gras from the Librarian's Internet Index
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25302

Shrove Tuesday

In some other parts of the US, people celebrate Shrove Tuesday ( linked to the Catholic tradition of eating a lot to empty the cupboards (eggs, sugar) on the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent starts (and rich food like eggs and sugar were not allowed during those 40 days of fasting before Easter.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/celebrasites.htm#shrove

In Ireland

Read also this page presenting this festival in Ireland, called imbolc and St Brigit's Day
http://www.ucc.ie/fecc/imbolc.html

Candlemas and Groundhog Day

And if you think of the French Chandeleur (it was on February 2nd), implying the idea of light and candle (chandelle), you find the same idea in Candlemas, the festival of lights and the last day to take down the Christmas decorations
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/candlemas.shtml
but the saying predicting the weather is the same as for Groundhog Day (where they replace the fact of seeing the shadow of a candle by a groundhog seeing its shadow).
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/ground.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/themes/groundhogday.htm

Last news : Phil's prediction for 2008

Yesterday, Phil, the official Groundhog in Punxsutawney, saw its shadow and predicted another six weeks of cold weather. See:
http://www.groundhog.org/

In the Calendar

Super Bowl (Sunday, February 3rd)

In professional American Football, the Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl
This is traditionally a big event in the US. Here is the official site:
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl
It will take place this Sunday in the University Stadium of Phoenix, Arizona, and lots of events are organised around the big day. Here is a nice guide to read online, including a map of the town p48 and a list of objects prohibited in the stadium (throwing objects, laser pointer, hairspray, noisemakers, duffel bag, food, computer, etc.) p61
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/navteq/superbowlxlii/index.php
Here is a site to learn everything about the Super Bowl, including history:
http://football.about.com/od/superbowl/Super_Bowl.htm
Many families and friends organise a big party to watch it together at home, so here is a page of advices ("a buffet is the only option", "set up as many televisions as you have available around the party area", etc.) and recipes
http://superbowl.about.com/od/partiesfood/a/superbowl_2.htm
And since it is such a big event on television, there are special commercials for the day. In the past, some were rather rude and raised controversy. Sylvie Brod recommended those above sites, plus these three where you can watch all the ads (including the previous years' and the banned ones on the second site) and even vote for your favourite on You Tube:
http://superbowl.about.com/od/offthefield/a/ds020402.htm
http://www.spike.com/superbowl
http://youtube.com/adblitz
and you will also find on About.com a Football 101, to check the rules of the game
http://superbowl.about.com/od/thegame/a/bl_football101.htm

Super Tuesday (Tuesday, February 5th)

How stuff works presents a page about Super Tuesday, with a history of the Day and its origin, and why it is so important.
http://people.howstuffworks.com/super-tuesday.htm
and for more resources about the elections see Michelle Henry's very comprehensive page
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/civiuselections.htm
This page from our colleagues from Paris, including a webquest
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/uselections2008.php
and those pages in Infonews
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/321.htm#sec
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/318.htm#une
The Librarian's Internet Index also recommends this Gallup site about the Election 2008 : " Collection of polling results related to the 2008 U.S. presidential election, covering candidates, parties, issues, and voting. Survey results include charts and graphs, and an explanation of survey methods. Also provides video reports for selected polls. From Gallup."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25309
See also this interesting "vote from abroad" site
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25309

Valentine's Day (Thursday, February 14th)

Michelle henry's page is the most useful, with lots of audio and interactive resources
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/valentine.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/296.htm#valentine
See also this page from the Librarian's Internet Index :
http://search.lii.org/index.jsp?sm=fr10%3BSubTopic1048%3B00http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lii.org%2Fia%2Fdata%2Fdemo1%2Fsubtopic%23523915%3BValentine%27s+Da

Presidents' Day (Monday February 18th)

You will find everything you need on Michelle Henry's page
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/presidents.htm
and several webquests there
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/themes/presidents.htm
For students level B1+ and above, the Librarian's Internet Index recommends "Presidents as Poets: Poetry Written by United States Presidents" : This is "a guide to the poetic endeavors of U.S. presidents. Select a president from the list ... to learn about the context in which his poetry was written and to find samples of his poetry." Some of the presidents include George Washington, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, and Jimmy Carter. Includes a FAQ and links to other poetry guides. From Peter Armenti, Digital Reference Specialist at the Library of Congress.
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24315

In the News

The Sarkozys versus RyanAir

BBC Learning English features an article about M.Sarkozy refusing the new add from RyanAir presenting him and Carla
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/02/080201_sarkozy_ryanair.shtml
you can also see a video : is there an infringement of the right to image? ( he's asking for a symbolic euro as damage, and she is asking for half a million euros!)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7220000/newsid_7221400/7221461.stm?bw=bb&mp=rm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1#
and since they got married on Saturday, here are some articles reporting the event or the romance:
The Washington Post : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/02/AR2008020200714.html?hpid=moreheadlines
The Mirror : http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/02/03/nicolas-sarkozy-marries-carla-bruni-98487-20307775/
The Times of India : ""I am a tamer (of men), a cat, an Italian," she told Le Figaro magazine in February last year. "Monogamy bores me terribly. I am monogamous from time to time but I prefer polygamy and polyandry," its female equivalent. "
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Bruni_Catwalk_to_Elysee/articleshow/2752134.cms
From China : http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/03/content_7557427.htm

Romney and the Mormons

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney attended Hinckley's funeral. Hinckley was the leader of the Mormon Church, the equivalent of a pope. Read this article showing that this candidate, although a Mormon, tries not to bring his faith forward in his campaign:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-02-02-hinckleyfuneral_N.htm
If you mention this to your students, they will ask who Mormons are. Here is a page from PBS where you can find the basics of this religion from a non-partisan point of view. Discover the book of the Mormons, written by John Smith in 1933, and some of their creed and rituals:
http://www.pbs.org/mormons/faqs/

Resources for Primary School

Site of Mnemonics

On e-teach, Marielle Bianchi recommends this site of Mnemonics.
http://www.ict4us.com/r.kuijt/en_sitemap.htm
Anyone can find interesting tips there, in English, German, French, and Spanish. I especially enjoyed these Mnemonics:
- about how to tie the shoes, that could be taught to very young children as a poem or a song:
"The silly bunny has 2 ears, and crossed eyes, he picks his nose, and pulls his ears."
http://www.ict4us.com/r.kuijt/en_sillybunny.htm
- about the rule of nine and 9x4 (it is also the opportunity to learn the tables in English)
http://www.ict4us.com/r.kuijt/en_nines.htm
[ and for teachers, do you know a mnemonic to remember the French presidents of the fifth republic? See the answer there
http://www.ict4us.com/r.kuijt/fr_cinquiemerep.htm ]

Resources for Secondary School

Teenage Drinking

Sophie Bonfils recommends this video from the Guardian which raises the issue and offers several statistics and figures. ( level A2+, B1)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/video/2008/jan/23/binge.drinking
On this issue, see :
- this front page from the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/independent.co.uk/editorial/p1Images/20071104_p1_small.jpg
- the corresponding article : "Children and alcohol, a deadly cocktail"
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/children--alcohol-britains-deadly-cocktail-744875.html
- this selection of sites in Infonews n° 261, when Britain started allowing pubs to open longer (binge drinking, anti-drink and drive campaign, etc.)
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/261.htm#une
- this article in Infonews n° 152 about drinking and social behavior in American colleges
http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2002/fyi/teachers.ednews/04/09/us.college.drinking/index.html
- and those articles in Infonews n° 284 about health warning on British wine bottles and also children ordering alcohol over the phone.
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/284.htm#news

Writing a historical dialogue

The New York times Learning Network features a lesson plan called : "Hello, Mr president?"
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20080128monday.html
in the aim of "Illuminating History Through Imagined Conversations" and based on the article entitled "Phone Call Into History", By May Jo Murphy from January 28, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20080128monday.html
The article presents a real conversation between Martin Luther King and Lyndon Johnson in 1965, before the Selma-to-Montgomery March. The students will "look at history from the perspective of history-makers by creating fictional but historically accurate dialogues that they imagine could have taken place. In doing so, they will come to more fully understand the power of primary sources in the study of the past."
[ For students level B1 minimum.]

Film vocabulary

On e-teach, Marie-Christine Silvestri recommends this page on Bernard Moro's site presenting the basic film vocabulary (close up, frame, etc.) with a picture.
http://languagelearningresourcecenter.org/anglais/read_films/film_language/index.htm

ESL podcasts

On e-teach, Elisabeth Champeyrache recommends "these podcasts [which] can be used in your classroom or computer lab to supplement course book listenings. The conversations are authentic and so the language is more natural. They therefore provide a refreshing alternative to scripted listenings.
All podcasts are free for language learners and teachers, but you have to pay receive the learning English worksheets, vocabulary tasks, webquests and transcripts."
http://www.podcastsinenglish.com/

Cambridge interactive guide

On e-teach, Emmanuelle Duchironon presented this interactive guide of Cambridge, including interesting podcasts of audio guides. She especially recommends the "historic highlights".
http://www.stridedesign.net/shapewalks/home.aspx

Science and Technology

How Remote Controls Work

How stuff works features this new presentation that could be very useful to all students interested in technology : "The world's first remote controls were radio-frequency devices that directed German naval vessels to crash into Allied boats during WWI. In WWII, remote controls detonated bombs for the first time."
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm

How to make an interactive white board with a Wiimote

A wiimote is this special remote control that allows you to interact with a Wii game consoles (the one with which people get hurt because they play as they would in real life!). An American student invented a way to use it to make an interactive white board. Very interesting for all students in technology and engineering sciences
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/
Here is the French version recommended on e-teach by Emmanuelle Antich who saw it working. If you want to pass it on to somebody who doesn't understand English...
http://www.prtice.info/?voir=tnwii

Technical vocabulary translated

Sur e-teach, Rémi Thibert nous informe que sont parues au BO n°5 du 31 janvier, des listes de vocabulaire à utiliser en français, en lieu et place des noms étrangers.
Ce qui est intéressant, pour nous prof d'anglais, ce sont les noms étrangers correspondant, et O surprise, ils sont souvent en anglais !
A partir de cette page, les listes pour l'automobile, l'audiovisuel et la communication, le nucléaire, les sciences et techniques spatiales et le patrimoine et la création culturelle :
http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2008/5/default.htm


Ceci est un message de la LISTE INFONEWS
réalisé par Christine Reymond
lycée Blaise Pascal, Rouen, France
E-Mail: Christine.Reymond@ac-rouen.fr
Les commentaires et réflexions entre [ ] ne reflètent que mon opinion personnelle.
Sites Infonews:
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/une1.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/une1.htm
Pour consulter les sources:
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/archives/sourcinfonw.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/sourcinfonw.htm
Pour vous inscrire ou vous désinscrire:
http://listes.ac-rouen.fr/wws/info/liste-infonews