Infonews n°277 from 21/05/2006
Outsourcing song on JibJab
easy and ready to use
Official FIFA site
Other sites
How to Survive 5th grade?
Who's in the Bag? (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, May 19th)
End of the year Refreshers (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, May 19th)
Learn to the last minute activities (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday,
May 19th)
*** Printing Press online (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, May
11th)
In the Archives
Tips for using picture books in kindergarten (from Riverdeep's Classroom
Flyer, Monday, May 15th)
Organise an Odor Day (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Monday, May 15th)
e-Learning Kids Foundation
Flashcards
Road Safety
One Stop English
Writing Skills (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, May 11th)
What's in a Name?
Anti-social behaviour
Modernism at the VAM
Webquest about People's Rights in the EU
Commencement and graduation in the US
Method to find lost objects (from [LII New This Week] May 18)
Allen's Summer Guide (from [LII New This Week] May 18)
Breathalyser in schools
Under Two Flags: Mexican Workers in Washington Fields (from [LII New This Week]
May 18)
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006
Advices to New Teachers
CEFR / CERL
A lire
Outsourcing song on JibJab
JibJab is a site with funny animation films presenting traditional songs
turned into a sharp comment on current issues. "Big Box Mart"
features an American enjoying the cheap prices of good from China at his local
supermarket, and ending up losing his job and pension (because of outsourcing)
and scrubbing the toilets in this same supermarket : bargains have a price!
There is no script for this song, but it is easy enough to understand for upper-intermediate
or advanced students, and is then a good starting point for a discussion.
Not that all animations on JibJab are not suitable for the class.
http://www.jibjab.com/Home.aspx
easy and ready to use
a short and easy dialogue ( audio, script and quiz) for lower intermediates,
and a lesson about how to order adjectives. In the series from the BBC for
Learning English, the Flatmates, the topic this week is the World Cup : Tim
has tickets and they can't decide who's going to accompany him.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/people.shtml
[ this text is a bit artificial, but it could be an introduction to the topic,
for beginners or weak students.]
Official FIFA site
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/
with lots of videos
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/video/index.html
and a "fun and games" section with trivia
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/e/
Other sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_World_Cup_2006 (with
flags of all the teams and the location of the matches in Germany)
http://active.typepad.com/world_cup/ (
a US fan blog)
http://www.worldcupblog.org/ ( a
European blog)
http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/cgi-bin/sos/jsp/home.do?lang=en&site=ZZ6V&hNav=show&navMeta=HOME (a
charity)
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,2142,8053,00.html (
Deutsche Welle German TV in English)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/default.stm( the
BBC)
http://worldsoccer.about.com/od/2006worldcup/ (about.com)
How to Survive 5th grade?
Use this creative idea for any grade level, and have your students work in
groups to create a joint book if you don't want to do individual projects.
Expand upon the theme for older students, putting in an advice column, suggested
rules, how-to's, etc.
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/end-of-year/survive.htm
[ The basic idea is simple : invite your students to put together material
that will help the students coming to this class next year. This can be practical
tips about how to go faster through the lunch queue, or advices to how each
teacher like to work, or documents containing the basics of a subjects : the
must know to begin the year.... ]
Who's in the Bag? (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, May 19th)
Consider adapting this lesson plan to an end of school year activity, whereby
students must collect three or four items of work they have completed during
the school year, put them into a paper bag, and say something about what made
the project special or what they learned.
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/misc/misc05.txt
End of the year Refreshers (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, May 19th)
While students (and teachers) see the end of the school year in sight, lessons
and testing might need an extra injection of creativity. Here is just the site
to find such ideas; try one or two and see if they don't add some life to your
classroom.
http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/endofyear/052498.html
Learn to the last minute activities (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, May 19th)
As your school year moves into the last weeks, students' minds are often
occupied by warm weather and all the promises it brings. How can you maintain
their attention? Find some suggestions here for inspiring activities.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/learningtilllastmin.htm
*** Printing Press online (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, May
11th)
What would you like to create? A flyer, a booklet, a student newspaper, or
a brochure? Follow the directions here to create your own publication; try
assigning students a finished publication for an end-of-year assignment.
http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=110&title=
[ the perfect tool to get the students motivated for a project that will keep
them working to the last minute....and even after it if need be! ]
In the Archives
lots of end of year activities are available online. See the archives of
the Café pédagogique n°63, 51, 52:
http://www.cafepedagogique.net/disci/anglais/63.php
http://www.cafepedagogique.net/disci/anglais/52.php
http://www.cafepedagogique.net/disci/anglais/51.php
Tips for using picture books in kindergarten (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Monday, May 15th)
Are you using your story time to full advantage, and encouraging literacy
skills in the process? Find some great tips here to help you use picture books
with preschool students.
http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=61
Organise an Odor Day (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Monday, May 15th)
Invite your students to explore and use their sense of smell : as explained
in this activity, almost everything has its own peculiar odor, and you can
take advantage of that feature by having an "odor day". Go out for
a walk and make collections, then sort your various objects onto category tables
and invite everyone to come on up and sniff.
http://www.ghbooks.com/activity/activity.cfm?bookid=10243&page=72
e-Learning Kids Foundation
interactive (Flash) exercices and lessons for English speakers aged 5 to
12, in maths, english language, language skills and science. I think we can
use it to teach English in primary school (or teach science in English, or
encourage the students to learn by themselves).
http://www.e-learningforkids.org/
- In the English language section, you find very easy animations : dialogues
with sound. the easiest, for young beginners, is just about hello and good-bye.
In the highest level, you find a longer dialogue that you first hear, and then
you choose the right answer to fill in the blanks in the sentences. You can
then hear the dialogue sentence by sentence. A good comprehension exercise
for lower intermediates.
- In the language skill section, you find a presentation ( a bit long, but
interesting comprehension exercise for lower intermediates) and then short
quick exercises about compound words ( cupcake, bedroom, etc.)
- in the science section, the girl presenting the exercises speaks faster and
is more difficult to understand, but the exercises can be interesting for children
aged 5/9 : they just have to associate an animal and its habitat. Older children
will enjoy trying to understand the comments when they make a mistake...
Thot Cursus recommends it this week:
<http://thot.cursus.edu/rubrique.asp?no=24176>http://thot.cursus.edu/rubrique.asp?no=24176
Flashcards
Thot Cursus also recommends this site of pictograms presenting English words
and some actions. For example in "animals" you find cat, dog fish,
cat food, dog food, etc but also a pictogram for "feed the cat".
All pictos can be downloaded for free, and you can print them on hard paper
and make flash cards or use them to illustrate documents.
http://www.sclera.be/English/index.htm
http://thot.cursus.edu/rubrique.asp?no=24190
Road Safety
[LII New This Week] May 18 recommends this "How Not to Get Hit by Cars" site,
with drawing depicting situations and an interesting list of advices.
"Tips for bicyclists for avoiding collisions with cars. Discusses headlights
(for night riding), honking and yelling, riding positions, using handlebar
or helmet mirrors, passing cars, choice of streets, and related topics. Includes
diagrams showing typical interactions between cars and bicycles on the road.
From CICLE (Cyclists Inciting Change Thru Live Exchange), a bicycle advocacy
group based in Los Angeles."
http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/pivot/entry.php?id=528
[ to find more documents on this topic, don't forget the excellent "THINK" from
the UK government, including the pages for children
"hedgehog" with songs and animations, and the
"arrive alive" cycling advices site from THINK and the "cycle
smart" site from Disney Channel (flash, with cartoons and real stories
to read).
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/
http://www.hedgehogs.gov.uk/main/main.html
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/arrivealive/cycling.htm
http://www.disney.co.uk/DisneyChannel/cyclesmart/main.html
and the page of video, audio and printed media to download for free
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/mediacentre/mediapage.htm
One Stop English
Isabelle Destat recommends this site of resources on e-teach : you have to
register, but then you can access lots of the resources for free, including
some audio files.
http://www.onestopenglish.com/Skills/Listening/Archive/index.htm
For example, CAroline Bouron has found a lesson about James Blunt's "You're
beautiful" song and clip,
http://www.english-4u.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&tid=1&tpl=search
lesson : http://www.english-4u.com/lp/reg/YOU_ARE_BEAUTIFUL_TS.pdf
On the student's worksheet:
- Listening comprehension
- Grammar (asking questions)
- Vocabulary (expressions with 'like')
http://www.english-4u.com/lp/reg/YOU_ARE_BEAUTIFUL_SS.pdf
the clip : http://www.jamesblunt.com/video.html
the lyrics : http://www.jamesblunt.com/songs/beautiful.html
you can also find the lyrics, a simple worksheet and two *** superbe .pdf documents
in the shared document section of e-teach
http://teachers.domainepublic.net/documents.html
the lyrics and 2 worksheets are in the "chanson"
section, the .pdf documents in "préparation de cours".
Writing Skills (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, May 11th)
- A picture is worth a thousand words : So what exactly is happening in this
painting by British artist Frederick Cotman's, "One of the Family"?
Your students will probably have widely varying interpretations, which they
are encouraged to write about in this narrative lesson
plan for grades 6-8. Use the 2nd link for a writing rubric.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=116
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson116/NarrativeRubric.pdf
- great leads for beginnings : Very often, students have the hardest time in
writing just getting started. It may help to review some truly great leads,
both inspiring your own class and showing them how to do it right. Try this
site for great beginnings.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson16/greatleads.pdf
What's in a Name?
Discover this surprising article from the New York Times : "And if It's
a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?", By Jennifer Lee, May 19, 2006. The article is
short and easy to understand, the lesson plan " Exploring The History
of Names Through Creative Writing" can be useful.
- article: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060519friday.html
- lesson plan: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20060519friday.html
Suggestion to start your lesson:
- you can use the title "And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?" or
an extract from the article : "
In 1999, there were only eight newborn American girls named Nevaeh. Last year,
it was the 70th-most-popular name for baby girls, ahead of Sara, Vanessa and
Amanda." to see if the students will notice that those two names are just
Hell and Heaven spelt backwards.
- or you can start with a brainstorming about the most popular names and why
parents choose them.
Then the students will read the text and answer questions like those suggested
in the lesson, then go on to the meaning of their own name, or to a discussion
about how much freedom parents should have to choose the name of their child.
to go on with this topic, have a look at this British article from Junior Magazine
( "the world's most famous parenting magazine") which gives useful
advices to future parents about how to choose a name and what mistakes to avoid.
http://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-5-pid-91.html
and you can then go on with this article on a blog (with several comments)
comparing the law about giving names in different countries.
http://thebabynamewizard.ivillage.com/parenting/archives/2004/11/my_baby_my_name_choice_or_not.html
Anti-social behaviour
Weekenders from BBC Learning is about anti-social behaviour in the UK. You
can download the MP3 audio file and the transcript of the program. Remember
that it is a program for adults learning English : the program is rather long,
the main ideas are reformulated by a different person and the vocabulary said
by a male and a female voice is explained in English in the middle of the program.
there are also questions imbedded in the programme to encourage the listener
to concentrate on a part of the speech.
If you plan to use it in class, it'll need some editing, but it'll be a good
starter for a discussion with upper intermediate students.
http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/radio/specials/1412_weekender/
Modernism at the VAM
The BBC offers an audio file and transcript about a New Exhibition at the
Victoria and Albert Museum (VAM)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1446_entertainment/
Students in architecture and design will enjoy this exhibition :
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1331_modernism/home.html
and expecially the page of links
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1331_modernism/resources.html
or discover he VAM and download the VAM student's guide
http://www.vam.ac.uk/files/file_upload/21754_file.pdf
Webquest about People's Rights in the EU
Upper intermediate and advanced students will enjoy discovering and discussing
the rights and privilege of the EU citizen through this webquest in English
designed by our Polish colleague Bozena Stepien and based on several pages
of the official EU site. Too many students don't have a hint of what's in those
pages : this webquest is an excellent opportunity to invite them to get familiar
with the EU from a citizen's point of view.
http://republika.pl/european2005/rights_and_privileges_of_the_eu_.htm
Commencement and graduation in the US
the Scout Report features articles about commencement speeches and graduation
ceremonies in the US.
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/inthenews.php
[ for advanced students.]
Method to find lost objects (from [LII New This Week] May 18)
Practical and fun ideas for locating lost objects. Describes principles such
as "It's Not Lost -- You Are," "Domestic Drift," and "The
Camouflage Effect." From the author of a book on finding lost objects
(and several other books) and self-described "findologist."
http://www.professorsolomon.com/12principles.html
[ the pictograms for each principle can be quite fun to encourage students
to talk, at any level.]
Allen's Summer Guide (from [LII New This Week] May 18)
This website "provides information about many different kids and teen
summer camps and travel programs. These are all structured group programs.
... Allen's Guide does not manage or book any of the programs but links you
to the operators' web sites." Includes listings for children's residential
and nonresidential summer camps, and specific types of camps, such as academic,
arts, self-improvement, religious, sports, and special needs. This site is
supported by several summer camp providers.
http://www.allensguide.com
[ a guide to summer camps and travel programs, with links. For cultural information
or to find a program for your students.]
Breathalyser in schools
see this video and news article about breathalyzer in school, to prevent
drink and drive accidents and provide youngster with the help they may need.
http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/051806cckrWcncSchoolAlcohol.55c73dd3.html
Under Two Flags: Mexican Workers in Washington Fields (from [LII New This Week] May 18)
"This four-part series [from 2000] chronicles the lives of Mexican farmworkers
in Eastern Washington and explores the underground economy that supports Washington's
agricultural industry." Articles and photos portray the experiences of
individual migrant workers whose lives and families are split between the rural
communities of Toppenish, Washington state, and Pajacuarán, Mexico. From the
Seattle Times.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mexico/
[ interesting site about Mexican workers in the US.]
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006
HowStuffWorks went to the Los Angeles Convention Center to check out the
incredible array of interactive entertainment products showcased at E3 2006.
Representatives from more than 400 companies and 90 countries displayed nearly
1,000 new games and products in 540,000 square feet of exhibition space.
Watch Marshall Brain's video tour of the latest games, hardware and peripherals:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/ref/e3-2006.htm?cid=e14
for more videos about the expo:
http://www.e3insider.com/video/
but forget about the games trailers : most of them are in Japanese!
[ no scripts, but interesting videos about the last videogames or the new devices.
Technicians and all those interested in computers and computer games will enjoy
these information.]
Advices to New Teachers
Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, May 18th features two sites of advices
to new teachers:
- New Teacher's Guide Book
How do you grade your various class projects? Do you have a solid and effective
classroom management plan all set up? Do you need some ideas to help you get
organized and started? Find ideas here for all of the above, as well as a sample
first day schedule to help you prepare for your own entry into the classroom.
http://hannahmeans.bizland.com/
- A primer on behavior management
There are four stages of being a teacher: the Shiny New one, the Shell Shocked
educator, the Discipline Dictator, and the skilled, caring teacher. With its
share of humor and wit, cartoons, quotes, and exercises, find some advice here
on behavior management in the classroom.
http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/Primer.html
CEFR / CERL
Here are the last news about the validation and certification system which
is gradually implemented in the different countries.
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/main_pages/illustrationse.html
If you are interested and want to share with colleagues, register to the Interlangues
discussion list : lots of interesting information are being share there, especially
about level accessment and how to organise the classes according to the new
criteria.
<http://weblistes.ac-orleans-tours.fr/wws/info/interlangues>http://weblistes.ac-orleans-tours.fr/wws/info/interlangues
to download the first e-protfolio
http://www.eelp.org/eportfolio/index.html
as a reminder, here is the full version of the CERL (en français):
<http://culture2.coe.int/portfolio/documents/cadrecommun.pdf>http://culture2.coe.int/portfolio/documents/cadrecommun.pdf
and see also the interactive reading of the CEFR prepared by our colleague
Laurence bernard:
Chapitres cliquables en ligne:
chap 4.4 <http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/file/cecr_chap4.php>http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/file/cecr_chap4.php
chap 4.6 <http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/file/cecr_texte.php>http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/file/cecr_texte.php
chap 5 <http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/file/cecr_chap5.php>http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/file/cecr_chap5.php
Voyez aussi la présentation, le synopsis et le portfolio:
http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=6
et cette intéressante page de liens:
http://cms.ac-martinique.fr/anglais/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=69
A lire
Laure Peskine nous recommande de lire l'intervention de Christian Puren du
22 mars à Grenoble :
« COMMENT HARMONISER LE SYSTÈME D’ÉVALUATION FRANÇAIS AVEC LE CADRE EUROPÉEN
COMMUN DE RÉFÉRENCE ? »
qui est en ligne sur le site des Langues Modernes :
http://ww2.mayeticvillage.fr/languesmodernes-aplv
Rubrique *Matière à discussion*
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