Infonews n°350 from 08/02/2009

A la Une this week, documents for the Year of Astronomy and several songs I found to help students learn sciences, then many resources for Valentine's Day, a news article about a cloned dog, a song, audio tales and a malette for primary school teachers and several resources for secondary school teachers, including audio and video resoruces, and finally several call for participation in the last newsletter from APLV.

I wish you a nice week and pleasant holidays. You next Infonews will come in March.

All the best,
Christine Reymond

Sommaire

A la Une : 2009 is the Year of Astronomy

Official Site
A film : Eyes on the skies
A poster
Audio and video files
Handicraft : a quadrant
*** Songs

Valentine's Day : February 14th

History
Poems
Webquests
Interactive pages for poems and Valentines
Handicrafts and art activities
Various other sites about Valentine
Teaching material
- a lesson
- Audio Resources
- News Article for advanced students

In the News

Cloned dog

Resources for Primary School

Head, Shoulder, knees and toes song
Tales and stories
Malette Ressources auto-formation PE2

Resources for Secondary School

Private Fostering
Brave New World
Spelling game
Videos to explain maths, physics, banking, etc.
Green Home Guide
Times Topic page
US presidents

Teaching Practice

Lettre de l'APLV

A la Une : 2009 is the Year of Astronomy

Official Site

On the official site discover the educational material free of rights : a film to download, a poster, audio and video files, a quadrant to make and a science song to study.
http://www.astronomy2009.org/

A film : Eyes on the skies

You can watch the film online, by chapters, or download it ( free of rights) in several formats, and also download the subtitles in several languages including English and French
http://www.eyesontheskies.org/movie.php
and download the full script
http://www.eyesontheskies.org/pdfs/eyes_on_the_skies93.pdf

A poster

http://www.astronomy2009.org/static/archives/dvds/large/dvd_eyes.jpg

Audio and video files

Interesting for comprehension level A2+ with transcript
http://www.400years.org/interactive_630.php

Handicraft : a quadrant

You can download the template for the quadrant for free, and build it with your students or use it as a poster in your room
https://www.walrecht.nl/assets/downloads/19/kwadrant_en.jpg

Songs

*** The Newton boogie : MP3 version to download and the lyrics
http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/hartman/Newton_Boogie.mp3
http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/hartman/newton_boogie.htm
A science song by Astrocapella for the Johannes Kepler Project, with MP3 soundtrack to download and the lyrics online, level B2
http://www.astrocappella.com/songs/ShouldersOfGiants.mp3
http://www.astrocappella.com/IYA/shoulders.shtml
For rap champions interested in physics : the Newton Rap (MP3 and lyrics)
http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/newtonrap_music.htm
Struck in an infinite loop : for students Level B2 plus a good knowledge of physics (MP3 and lyrics)
http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/infiniteloop.mp3
http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/infiniteloop.htm

Valentine's Day : February 14th

History

From the Roman origins, level B1 minimum
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/valentinesday/a/gamelion.htm
Easier and very short, level A2, with links to Roman history and lessons for teachers
http://holidays.mrdonn.org/valentine.html
Longer, level A2+ for global comprehension
http://www.holidays.net/amore/story.html
Slightly easier and clearer, level A2
http://wilstar.com/holidays/valentn.htm
With paragraphs with titles and some easy facts
http://www.essortment.com/all/valentinedayhi_rbzk.htm

Poems

Some classical love poems, including Bruns' Red red rose, several Shakespeare sonnets and Browning's strange and deranging "Porphyria's lover"
http://www.2learn.ca/mapset/enjoy/valentines/valpoetry.html
*** A strange and deranging poem as a visual work of art : very beautiful but I don't really see how to use it in class....
http://www.scottmccloud.com/comics/porphyria/index.html
http://www.scottmccloud.com/comics/porphyria/porphyria.html
Love poems and love songs lyrics (from brigitte Baudet on eTeach)
http://www.links2love.com/poetry_poems_2nd.htm
http://www.links2love.com/love_lyrics.htm

Webquests

Our colleague Brigitte Rempenault has created for you this nice treasure hunt for intermediate students. Michelle Henry has hosted it (in .pdf, .doc and online version) on Rescol where you can also find an interesting selection of other webquests about valentine's Day.
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/Valentine%20TREASURE%20HUNT.pdf
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/valentine_th.htm
Several webquests selected by Michelle Henry
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/valentine2.htm#wq
On the Site of académie de Paris, you can also find an easy webquest level A1 plus suggestions for a teaching unit
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/THValentine.php

Interactive pages for poems and Valentines

- Wacky tales by Eduplace
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_004.html
- Be my valentine from Time For Kids
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/articles/0,6709,98851,00.html
- Anti-Valentine, also from Time For Kids
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/articles/0,6709,98854,00.html
Three links: Valentine, we're through, Anti-Valentine
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/articles/0,6709,98833,00.html

Handicrafts and art activities

Level A1+ and above : activities, handicrafts and poems for the youngest.
http://www.activitiesforkids.com/holiday/holiday_valentines.htm
http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?t=3096
lots of paper valentines with templates
http://www.papervalentines.com/toc.htm

Various other sites about Valentine

The history, links to various sites for handicrafts and recipes
http://www.2learn.ca/mapset/enjoy/valentines/valentines.asp
http://www.gpschools.org/ci/ce/elem/holidays/val.htm
Valentine short stories mysteries ( a bit long, but easy to read, level B1+) : when crime meets love
http://www.mysterynet.com/love/valentine/
A nice and short classical love story, level B2 ( the tale of Cupid and Psyche)
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/mythical/psyche.html
A page of links from our colleague from Laurence Bernard de Martinique, clear and comprehensive.
http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/discipline/anglais/news.php?lng=fr&pg=208

Teaching material

- A lesson
for intermediates by Isabel Pérez Torres in Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, January 28th, 2007 based on a text which I personally don't like the way the story is presented in the first person, but the comprehension activities on the text are interesting and ready to use.
http://www.isabelperez.com/St.ValentineReading.htm
http://www.isabelperez.com/word/stvalentine.doc
- An easy word search even for beginners (level A1):
http://www.teacherview.com/ActivityPages/word_search/holidays/val_search.htm

- Audio Resources
The Librarian's Internet Index recommends this site from NPR featuring various audio resources linked to Valentine's Day, level B1+/B2.
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27514

- News Article for advanced students
On Vigilang, Jean Sabiron features this article from BBC 4 about "The secret history of the personal ad" with an audio extract to hear. Level B2+.
http://sabironlangues.typepad.fr/vigilangues/2009/02/en-pr%C3%A9paration-de-la-st-valentin.html

In the News

Cloned dog

BBC Learning English features this article about what could be the first commercially cloned dog. You can download the script, the audio file and the vocabulary, level B1. You can also use this article to start a discussion, or analyse the importance of the last sentence : "It's thought that between three and four million unwanted dogs are killed at shelters across the US every year."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2009/01/090128_cloned_dog.shtml
You can also use this file from CBBC News, level A2,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7850000/newsid_7855200/7855258.stm
take part in the vote about cloning pets,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4740000/newsid_4745000/4745071.stm
and you can also use in class this simple and easy site explaining the process of cloning level A2.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_1670000/newsid_1676600/1676697.stm
[ And this could be a useful complement to your study of Brave new World...]

Resources for Primary School

Head, Shoulder, knees and toes song

On e-teach, Bénédicte Gary recommends this page from the IUFM de Paris/ Sorbonne with the lyrics of the song, a page explaining how to perform it plus the music and a video to download.
http://espace-langues.paris.iufm.fr/spip.php?article345

Tales and stories

On the same site you can find several children's stories : you can read the text and download the MP3 file of the story read by a native. very useful for story time, or as listening comprehension tests.
http://espace-langues.paris.iufm.fr/spip.php?rubrique373

Malette Ressources auto-formation PE2

Retrouvez aussi sur ce site une malette ressource pour accompagner le professeur des écoles dans son utilisation de la langue et des jeux en primaire, avec des conseils, des vidéos et des sites très utiles. Des ressources indispensables, même pour ceux qui ont déjà de l'expérience.
http://espace-langues.paris.iufm.fr/spip.php?rubrique400

Resources for Secondary School

Private Fostering

Listen to 6 minutes English from the BBC about this issue and explore the links to debate private fostering, public fostering, illegal fostering, child labor and so on in class with adult students level B1+ minimum.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1615_6min_extra/

Brave New World

On e-teach, Catherine Serreau recommends some sites to study Brave New World.
The full text of the novel : http://www.huxley.net/bnw/index.html
Summaries, chapter by chapter : http://www.online-literature.com/aldous_huxley/brave_new_world/
Biographie of Aldous Huxley : http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ahuxley.htm
Spark Notes Study Guide : http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/
page of links to go further : http://somaweb.org/
and you can also add these Teacher Cyber-guide on Brave New World recommended in Infonews n°194:
- from San Diego's education office, with interesting activities around the techniques of brainwashing (hypnopedia) , advertising and of course cloning.
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/bnw/bnwtg.html
- Mr. Geib's webpage for Aldous Huxley's prophetic vision of the future, "Brave New World."
http://www.foothilltech.org/rgeib/english/bnw/
with infos on background and context, a diagram, and an essay with two pictures to start a discussion :
http://www.foothilltech.org/rgeib/english/bnw/essay/

Spelling game

On e-teach Sylvie Bertrand recommends this spelling game from Times on line. You hear a word and you have to write it down : seems easy, but can be rather tricky, even for teachers! ;)
<http://www.timesspellingbee.co.uk/>http://www.timesspellingbee.co.uk/

Videos to explain maths, physics, banking, etc.

Discover the videos from Khan Academy : some US students said they understood far better with those videos than with their teacher in class. Have a look at the list and try some of the videos : they will be very useful for teachers who teach their subject ( math, physics, economy, technology, etc.) in English.
http://www.khanacademy.org/
You may also like those videos recommended by Laure Peskine on eteachNet : the periodic table of videos, offering a video for each entry, describing the element.
http://www.periodicvideos.com/

Green Home Guide

The Scout report recommends this guide to all those who want to improve their home and install new features like solar panels. You will also find there useful pages for students interested in sustainable development.
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2009/scout-090206-geninterest.php#3

Times Topic page

Enjoy this lesson from the New York Times aiming at encouraging teachers to teach from the Times Topics page. You can even find on the page a surpirsing Bingo game based on an article about chocolate... (level B2)
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20090206friday.html
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/index.html

US presidents

The Librarian's Internet Index newsletter offers this week two site about the US Presidents, one from the Library of Congress and the other from the national highway administration, listing Mont Rushmore and other famous places related to the presidents.
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27126
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27471

Teaching Practice

Lettre de l'APLV

Lisez les derniers articles de cette lettre sur le site de l'APLV, avec l'annonce du Cyber-langues 2008 à Reims et plusieurs autres appels à communication et annonces de colloques et parution d'articles.
http://www.aplv-languesmodernes.org/


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