Infonews n°285 from 22/10/2006
For the class
Information about the film
Activities, worksheets, interactive sites and games
A treasure hunt for lower intermediates
Halloween story planners and prompts ( from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday,
October 14th)
Halloween Bingo
Halloween puzzle "Who’s the Thief?"
Thriller by Mickael Jackson
Pumpkin Carving
** Halloween safety game
A guide with lots of addresses
The Story
Games
Lessons and handouts
Resources for Halloween and Guy Fawkes
Free pictures
Formula 1 : Schumacher retires
Amateur rocket scientists compete for X Prize Cup
TV as the Cause of Autism Study
*** Beyond the Postcard
Road Trip
James Hickman, a true Mancunian
Rare Spiders move home
Japan’s Pop Power (from The Scout Report -- October 20)
Biographies on the Academy of Achievement (from The Scout Report -- October
20
* Creating Photo Essays That Keep It Real
Elections ... the American Way (from Educational CyberPlayGround oct 16th)
International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism
(from The Scout Report -- October 20)
Interactive Chemistry Tutorials (from The Scout Report -- October 20)
Initier des projets d'échanges
For the class
Alyne Piazza recommends this animated film "A nightmare before Christmas" by
Tim Burton. You can watch the clip of the song at:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2775631?refsite=7063&ns=1
Our colleague Philippe Hattais has prepared this
"fill in the blanks as you listen" activity to help students understand
the song.
<http://englishonline.over-blog.net/article-4248737.html>http://englishonline.over-blog.net/article-4248737.html
Another colleague, Monica Curnelle, has designed a complete teaching unit based
on the film and a collaboration with the French teacher in a first year of
lower secondary school (6ème, document in French):
http://pedagogie.ac-montpellier.fr/Disciplines/anglais/ressources/pe/contes.html
Information about the film
The first black and white version dates back to 1993, and the last 3D version
is released for Halloween this year. The 1993 version was ignored by the public,
but the cd became a hit. Then they released the sound track (featuring several
Goth artists, including Marilyn Manson), several video games and even a manga
version...
- an article about the film and how it went from 2D to 3D (is there an IMAX
near where you live?)
http://www.wildaboutmovies.com/movies/NightmareBeforeChristmasMovieTrailerPosterTimBurtonPaulReubens.php
- all the info on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare_Before_Christmas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Burton's_The_Nightmare_Before_Christmas
- the video game
http://www.gamerwithin.com/?view=article&article=599
- the original 1993 2D version on IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/
- on My Space : the trailer and an interview of the 3D artists who worked on
the film (fascinating for my students who all want to become a video game designer!)
http://myspace.com/nightmare3d
- for advanced students, see this interview of Danny Elfman (who wrote the
score and sang several songs) by Marilyn Manson (who sings "this is Halloween")
: very difficult to understand, by it is fascinating to see Marilyn Mason dressed
as a businessman and behaving so conventionally!
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1308116926
- an article on MTV about the film and the sound track, which also explains
how a film first ignored when it was released in 1993, became a hit for all
goth kids when released as a cd.
http://www.mansonusa.com/php-bin/news/fullnews.php?id=394
You can just forget the official site : the only interest of this site would
have been the contest, but it is reserved to residents of the US.
http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/nightmare/index.html
Activities, worksheets, interactive sites and games
Find all those good links and ideas of activities from our colleagues from
Paris (collège, lycée)
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/halloween.php
and also on Michèle Henry's site at Nancy-Metz (primaire, collège)
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/directhall6.htm
A treasure hunt for lower intermediates
don't miss this very useful page also from our colleagues from Paris, with
a worksheet, and easy sites to work from:
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/halloweenTH.php
Halloween story planners and prompts ( from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Friday, October 14th)
Use the 1st link to access several creative story starters for writing exercises,
and then help your students plan their stories with the template included in
the 2nd link.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/profbooks/starters.htm
http://abcteach.com/Halloween/storyplanner.htm
[ this activity can be organised in primary school as well as with older students.]
Halloween Bingo
Create a Halloween bingo game to help students memorize the vocabulary. Note
that this site can generate lots of other useful features.
http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/
[ from primary school upwards : you create your bingo card, including only
pictures ort pictures and words, and only have to print it when it's ready.]
Halloween puzzle "Who’s the Thief?"
Our colleague Laurence Bernard has tried for you this puzzle and her students
liked it. "Who’s the Thief?" : Your students can practise past modals
for deduction (must have been / can’t have been) with this fun Halloween puzzle.
http://www.link2english.com/teachers_resource_files/Upper%20Int-G-festivals%20p24.pdf
Thriller by Mickael Jackson
Lyrics and exercises ( ready-to-use worksheet) :
http://www.english-teaching.co.uk/sample/thriller.doc
MP3 (to download the song), lyrics and exercises (less convincing) :
http://www2.gol.com/users/johnm/song-lyrics.htm
full length clip (13 mn) on a French site but in english :
http://pascaldisco.oldiblog.com/?page=articles&rub=161792
Pumpkin Carving
Make a Jack'O Lantern, find the right tools, the right pumkin, discover and
print patterns, etc.
http://www.pumpkincarving101.com/
** Halloween safety game
A excellent game for students from lower intermediate level upwards. The game
consists in teaching children to avoid dangerous situations as they go trick
and treating. For each situation, they have to make the good choice, and as
they play along, they find interesting new vocabulary related to Halloween.
http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/rules.html
A guide with lots of addresses
to decorate the house, choose a costume, organize activities, etc.
http://www.halloween-online.com/
see especially :
The pumpkin patch, to learn everything about pumpkins (including unusual facts)
http://www.pumpkin-patch.com/
101 (short) ideas of decoration, activities, food, etc.
http://www.101halloweenideas.com/
Halloween stories (short and easy to understand, also including urban legends
and poems)
http://www.halloweenghoststories.com/
Safety advices (a good introduction to what Halloween is like in the US)
http://www.halloween-safety.com/
Last year was the 400th anniversary of the event (November 5th 1605). This year, it will be on the Sunday before we go back to school.
The Story
A flash presentation of the story from the Guardian, with pictures and captions
http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,1605605,00.html
The story from a historical point of view from the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/gunpowder_robinson_01.shtml
easier version
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4398844.stm
very easy, from a school
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Guy.html
simple information about the history of Guy Fawkes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A199488
and of course:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guy_Fawkes_Night&oldid=27237165
Games
An interactive game to check what students know about the story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/launch_gms_gunpowder_plot.shtml
On e-teach, Milly Morel recommends this site with pictures with or without
caption to re-order to build the story (for lower intermediates)
http://www.angliacampus.com/public/pri/history/guyfawk/actindex.htm
Lessons and handouts
- see the third handout on this site : it offers a letter with mistakes, and
two sites to check the facts and correct the mistakes. (For intermediate students)
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/conference/speakers-mats/jasper-handouts.doc
- Annie Gwynn offers this ready to use hand out with questions (a short webquest),
a crossword and a glossary
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/annie.gwynn/festivals.htm#guy_fawkes
- Michele Henry has put together several useful links for the youngest
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/bonfire.htm
- the British Council suggests this jigsaw reading as an activity for the assistants:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistant-bonfire-night.htm#tsk2
- Links from the académie de Paris
A Treasure Hunt for lower intermediates upwards
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/guyfawkesTH.php
an article for upper intermediates
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/guyfawkes.php
Resources for Halloween and Guy Fawkes
Le site "Anglais en Primaire" du CRDP de Dijon vous propose des
ressources pour le primaire, y compris des chansons et animations:
<http://crdp.ac-dijon.fr/angprim>http://crdp.ac-dijon.fr/angprim
Free pictures
Pictures free of copyright from the cdrom "clic images" are now
free online for all teachers, and expecially kindergarten and primary levels.
<http://crdp.ac-dijon.fr/clic_images/>http://crdp.ac-dijon.fr/clic_images/
Formula 1 : Schumacher retires
Read this report, listen to the interview and have a look at his career and
biography:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6047606.stm
See his site and read this short biography
http://sport.rtl.de/formel-1/com/mscom_39358.php
http://sport.rtl.de/formel-1/com/mscom.php
read "the dark side of Schumacher should not hide his genius"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2006/10/22/smschu22.xml
Amateur rocket scientists compete for X Prize Cup
"Aspiring rocket scientists have launched themselves with rocket boosters
and sent solar-powered vehicles climbing up a tether in a US contest that tests
the viability of low-end commercial space flight. "
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1770578.htm
"Fresh off a trip to the international space station last month, entrepreneur
Anousheh Ansari dropped by a New Mexico airport on Saturday and liked what
she saw a sprawling science fair that attracted space enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. "
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/21/america/NA_GEN_US_X_Prize_Cup.php
"Thrills and spills abound at rocket fest" with a slide show and
interactive features
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15357894/
Who's who in the personal spaceflight revolution (interactive)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15291087
How prizes pushed progress
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5191763/
[ for intermediate students and above, interested in science and technology.]
TV as the Cause of Autism Study
This is an interesting event : "First and foremost this is a perfect
example of what happens when economists that know nothing of a medical condition
try to find some statistical relationship between their beloved data and a
condition. "
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_kendra_p_061021_tv_as_the_cause_of_a.htm
audio file and transcript of the article from Slate "TV really can cause
autism"
http://www.slate.com/id/2151538
to associate of course to this article from Time magazine : "A bizarre
study suggests that watching TV causes Autism"
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1548682,00.html
[ to show students how a study can end up with a false result, and how something
that is labelled
"scientific discovery" can be unreliable.]
*** Beyond the Postcard
I just discovered this new feature of Learning English : several big cities
are presented, with for each a text and a vocabulary test, audio files and
words to fill in the blanks, and video documents with a quiz. All this including
full transcript of the audio and video files.
Excellent for individual audio training or for studying in the computer lab
(remember to have what is necessary for each student to hear the sound!).
For students from intermediate level onwards.
After doing the exercises, you can invite the students to report to the class
about the place they studied : this will encourage them to pay more attention
to how the things are said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/btp/index.shtml
Road Trip
Another new feature from BBC Learning English : they send their team to a
town and record something about it. You can already visit Birmingham, Sheffield,
Manchester and Cambridge.
For example, listen to this report about the Brummie accent (with a script)
(for upper intermediates and advanced).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/roadtrip/ramfiles/birmingham.ram
James Hickman, a true Mancunian
The BBC Manchester team have recorded this special feature about James Hickman
- 'A True Mancunian'. ('Mancunian' is the term for someone who comes from Manchester).
He was a triple world champion in swimming. Listen to his biography.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1412_weekender/
audio Real Player : http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1412_weekender/ram_files/weekender_061020_mancunian.ram
audio MP3 : http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/weekender/audio/weekender_061020_mancunian.mp3
script : http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/weekender/scripts/weekender_061020_mancunian.pdf
Rare Spiders move home
Perfect theme for Halloween : some rare spiders have been found in an old
house and moved to a safer place. Debate : how can you move highly predatory
spiders? would you do it? for intermediate students and upwards.
audio : http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/ram_files/wo061019.ram
Japan’s Pop Power (from The Scout Report -- October 20)
Not so long ago, young people in the United States borrowed extensively from
European consumer fashions and tastes to create trends in a variety of areas.
For a time in the early 1990s, all things that dealt with former Communist
regimes were all the rage, and Anglophilia has been a common condition since
the cult of people who have found Queen Elizabeth and the Beatles fashionable.
These days, many young people around the world are flocking to countries such
as Japan and South Korea for the latest trends in popular culture. This fun
and intriguing radio documentary from the American RadioWorks group takes visitors
inside the world of Japan’s pop culture products, with stops to visit an anime
convention and such. Utilizing a visual interface that resembles a typical
manga comic book, visitors can look through the available audio segments, or
listen to the program in its entirety. The site is rounded out by a selection
of links and resources that will be of interest to those who are seeking more
material on the world of contemporary popular culture in Japan. [KMG]
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/japan/
[ an interesting site for upper intermediate and advanced students, with a
manga like presentation, plus the full audio file with its transcript. The
report deals with the influence of Japan and japanese culture on US children.
very interesting document.]
Biographies on the Academy of Achievement (from The Scout Report -- October 20
Let’s face it: economia to those great heroes of the past are nothing new,
and some might believe that there are too many out there in the first place.
The Academy of Achievement website disproves this idea with its well-thought
out tributes to those truly unique individuals who have made substantive contributions
in the arts, the sciences, and a number of other areas of human endeavor. As
its site notes, it is a
“museum of living history”, and a cursory glance over those they have honored
would seem to bear witness to this statement. First-time visitors will definitely
want to take a look at the
“Achiever Gallery”, where they can view profiles and biographies of such personages
as Jonas Salk, Rosa Parks, and Willie Mays. The real icing on the cake here
is the interview section for each profiled member, as it truly allows for a
number of interesting and evocative insights into their motivations and life
trajectories. The site is rounded out with a “For Teachers” section, which
offers a number of pedagogical tools specifically aimed towards those in the
teaching profession. [KMG]
http://www.achievement.org/
[ for upper intermediate students. The biographies are long and complete, although
often with a "he was a hero" inuendo...]
Creating Photo Essays That Keep It Real
The New York Times features this lesson plan based on the article "The
Still-Life Mentor to a Filmmaking Generation", By RANDY KENNEDY,October
20, 2006.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20061020friday.html
The article is for advanced students, but even lower intermediate students
can work from the fascinating photos on Jerome Liebling's site. Intermediate
students and above will also use the comments with each photo, offering the
context or some kind of explanation.
http://www.artsmia.org/get-the-picture/liebling/index.html
Photos like this one
http://www.artsmia.org/mia/images/10/mia_10108g.jpg
are a real lesson on what a photo should be: “By shooting this youngster without
much environmental detail, I wanted to invite the viewer’s sympathetic interest
in him, from his curious gaze to his gracefully crossed hands to the poverty
betrayed by his cheaply made, broken shoes,” wrote photographer Jerome Liebling. "
And from this reflection, the students will produce a photo with a legend or
a photo essay presenting "the truth" or rather "their truth ".
Elections ... the American Way (from Educational CyberPlayGround oct 16th)
Introduction to the electoral system in the United States. Topics include
requirements to be a presidential candidate, who can vote and how this has
changed over time, the political party system, how presidents are elected (including
the primary system and electoral votes), and significant issues through time.
Part of a website designed for teachers from the American Memory Project of
the Library of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/election/
Voter Education
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Technology/vote.html
[ and for students from lower intermediates upwards, the best site about how
a president is elected in the USA is this Brainpop animation:
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/election04/brainpop.html ]
International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (from The Scout Report -- October 20)
When it comes to the worlds of architecture and urban planning, the word “traditional” seems
to be on everyone’s lips. In a move that would have seemed completely foreign
in the period of high Modernism, there is a renewed interest in those more
traditional building forms. One organization that is intimately concerned with
such developments is the International
Network for Traditional Building, Architecture &
Urbanism (INTBAU). With a patron of no less a stature than the Prince of Wales,
the group is committed to bringing architects (and students) together with
artisans and urban planners in an attempt to “…maintain and restore traditional
buildings.” On this site, visitors can learn more about the organization’s
day-to-day activities and also learn about some of their upcoming conferences
and sponsored lectures. For some truly meaty discussions, visitors should move
on to the “Opinions” section which feature essays such as “The Loss of Identity
in Mediterranean Architecture” and “Twentieth Century Architecture as a Cult”.
[KMG]
http://www.intbau.org/
[ a very interesting site, centered on the human side of architecture. Read
for example about this street conversion design competition or the holistic
approach to architecture.
http://www.intbau.org/news.htm#SCDC010806
http://www.intbau.org/essay11.htm ]
Interactive Chemistry Tutorials (from The Scout Report -- October 20)
Entering the world of a college-level chemistry course can be a nerve-wracking
experience, especially when one considers that such courses are usually populated
by rather competitive students bent on becoming doctors. Rest assured that
there are resources to help students and teachers with the subject, and this
lovely site presents some guidance in this area. Originally created at the
California State University-Dominguez Hills by Professor George Wiger, this
set of resources includes both unique problems and solution information for
a wide range of subjects, including gas laws, kinetics, electrochemistry, and
solubility. While the site doesn’t contain a search engine, users can scroll
through each subject to look at the available resources and problem sets. It
is also worth noting that much of the material on the website will only work
properly when viewed with Internet Explorer. [KMG]
http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/reference/chemlecs/
[ an interesting interactive sit which is "the entry point to a set of
92 pages aimed at aiding individuals in the study of chemistry. The pages generate
unique problems and also provide detailed solutions."
For those who want to study chemistry problems in English.]
Initier des projets d'échanges
Emilangues vient d’ouvrir son premier forum dont le thème est « Initier des
projets d’échange européens ou internationaux : expériences, enjeux, questionnements ».
Les enseignants, formateurs et personnels des académies concernés par les sections
européennes ou de langues orientales sont invités, jusqu’au 10 décembre, à échanger
sur leurs pratiques et leurs réflexions sur le sujet. Les internautes pourront également
adresser des questions à un groupe d’experts composé d’IA-IPR et d’IEN-ET.
Une bibliographie et certaines contributions sur le thème sont disponibles
sur le site :
<http://www.emilangues.education.fr/CMS/Site/Template/T1/T1.aspx?SELECTID=739&id=604>http://www.emilangues.education.fr/CMS/Site/Template/T1/T1.aspx?SELECTID=739&id=604
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