Infonews n°312 from 08/10/2007
Crime Prevention Month
Calendar for October
Fox News
The Guardian
A blog in South Africa (with reactions from
readers, and your students can add their own...)
Nine msn, Australia
The events
Meet Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar or Burma? What's in a name?
La lettre de Primlangues
Play Decide
Jena : Follow up
A new Flag for New Zealand? What is a flag?
Jesse James
Video global warming
Physics : Little Shop of Physics: Online
Experiments (from The Scout Report -- October 5)
Maths : Whatcom Online Math Center (from The Scout Report -- October 5)
Geography : Experiencing the War: Stories from
the Veterans History Project (from The Scout Report -- October 5)
Une évaluation ministérielle des acquis des
élèves en anglais et en allemand en fin d’école
Créer un roman photo
You all know Rescol, Michelle Henry's page on
ac-Nancy-Metz, where you can find resources on
virtually any topic. Well, she has been working a
lot recently, and she has put together on one
page all the recent findings. You will find there
different types of useful documents for your
classes (webquests, videos, songs, worksheets,
cartoons, posters) on various topics, ranging
from Lady D to the immigration rate in Britain,
or from grammar rock songs to how to describe a
picture, an interactive guide to the battle of
Trafalgar and many other precious links.
Originally, those resources were selected for
lower intermediates to intermediates, but they
can be adapted to beginners or used with older
students who need simple documents. So all of us
can find useful documents there. Thanks, Michelle!
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/new.htm
Crime Prevention Month
Collection of tips and publications for Crime
Prevention Month, observed annually in October.
"The month-long celebration spotlights successful
crime prevention efforts on the local, state, and
national levels." Includes Halloween safety
brochures and links to other crime prevention
material. From the National Crime Prevention Council.
http://www.ncpc.org/about/crime-prevention-month
don't miss this crime prevention brochure, with a
"Join a neighborhood watch" advert and tips
against burglary (for intermediates and above)
http://www.ncpc.org/resources/enhancement-assets/ncpc_cms/crimeprevention-low-res-pdf
and this Halloween safety quiz for beginners and lower intermediates
http://www.ncpc.org/about/crime-prevention-month/halloween-tips/halloween_quiz_clean2.pdf
and you will also find useful articles in this Crime prevention kit
http://www.ncpc.org/about/crime-prevention-month/2008%20cpm%20kit.pdf
you can also find useful resources about
cyber-bullying and crime prevention in schools
(including videos, check lists, figures and
diagrams) on this page from Educational
CyberPlayGround recommended in the newsletter
[ECP] K12 Newsletter Headlines and Resources.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/safe.html
Calendar for October
Michelle Henry has put online this calendar for
October, with activities and links for the important dates this month:
October 8th : Columbus Day
October 16th : World Food Day
October 21st : Battle of Trafalgar
October 24th : United Nation Day
October 31st : Halloween
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/rescol.htm
"I am creating artificial life, declares US gene
pioneer" this is the title of the article in The
Guardian. When you read it, it is not so
thrilling, since the new life is just a bacteria,
but those interested in biology will appreciate
this prowess. And of course it is also the basis
for a class discussion about how far research
should be allowed to go, although you have to
keep in mind that you might be confronted to some
creationists among your students. The title of
the third article, from South Africa : "Playing God" is quite revealing...
With advanced students, you can also stress in
the last two articles all the words expressing a
potential doubt : "on the verge", "a potential
remedy", "He hails", "a controvertial scientist"
and discuss the fact that maybe this scientist
only claims that what he did is essential, and
maybe he overdoes it and only uses a controverted
topic to become famous : can this new life really
be the solution to Global warming?
Fox News
"A scientist who built a synthetic chromosome
from laboratory chemicals is expected to announce
the creation of a new species, the first new
artificial life form on Earth, British newspaper
The Guardian reported Sunday. "
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299857,00.html
The Guardian
"Craig Venter, the controversial DNA researcher
involved in the race to decipher the human
genetic code, has built a synthetic chromosome
out of laboratory chemicals and is poised to
announce the creation of the first new artificial life form on Earth. "
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/oct/06/genetics.climatechange
A blog in South Africa (with reactions from readers, and your students can add their own...)
"Engineering artificial life is a very
controversial scientific field, but Craig Venter
did not let this stop him as he is apparently on
the verge of creating artificial life.
According to a The Guardian newspaper report
Venter has built a synthetic chromosome using lab
chemicals and is on the verge of creating the first ever artificial life form.
He hails this as a massive step in the history of
human kid and even punts it as a potential remedy
to certain illnesses and global warming."
http://mybroadband.co.za/blogs/2007/10/07/playing-god/
Nine msn, Australia
" A controversial scientist claims to have
created a new form of artificial life by building
a synthetic chromosome out of laboratory chemicals.
In a move certain to provoke fierce ethical
debate, DNA researcher Craig Venter is expected
to announce that his team of scientists has
successfully implanted the artificial chromosome
into a bacterial cell, The Guardian reported.
The US-based scientists have "stitched" together
381 genes, based on the DNA sequence of the
bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium, a parasitic
organism which can cause urinary tract infections."
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=303151
Myanmar has been a lot in the news lately. You can choose the current event approach and present the revolt and the repression from a human rights point of view, which is what most reports do. You can also concentrate on other points related to this topic, such as the character of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel prize detained under house arrest in her own country, or the name of the country : Myanmar or Burma?
The events
- International Herald Tribune
A short article presenting the situation of the
last days and referring to Aung San Suu Kyi,
someone our students must know about.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/07/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Myanmar.php
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSGOR22843620071007
- The Guardian
a longer article, with more details. Note than
this British newspaper used Burma and not Myanmar!
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2185475,00.html
and a special report about Burma, with lots of links
http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/0,,970917,00.html
- The BBC
an article "global Rallies to pressure Burma" and lots of links
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7031171.stm
- Time Magazine
a comprehensive 4 page article
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1665977,00.html
Meet Dawn Aung San Suu Kyi
in her own pages
http://www.dassk.com/
and through her biographies
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9011270/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi (short)
http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/aungsansuukyi.html (short)
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/imow-Kyi.pdf (long)
http://www.nobelprizes.com/nobel/peace/1991a.html (lots of links)
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/aungsansuukyi/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi.htm
(lots of links)
Myanmar or Burma?
Deutsche Welle (International German television mostly in English)
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2804762,00.html
Mail and Guardian Online (from South Africa)
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=320581&referrer=RSS
AFP report (same article in two different
newspapers : the Inquirer and Khaleej Times from India)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view_article.php?article_id=91491
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2007/September/theworld_September806.xml§ion=theworld
La lettre de Primlangues
la lettre d'information de Primlangues vous
informe des nouvelles ressources disponibles sur son site. Pour vous abonner:
http://www.primlangues.education.fr/php/lettre-information_formulaire.php
pour voir les archives:
http://www.primlangues.education.fr/php/lettre-information_archives.php
dans le dernier numéro (42), j'ai noté:
- La liste des ressources pour les langues en
primaire sur les sites académiques:
http://www.primlangues.education.fr/php/sites_academiques.php?xtor=EPR-1
- Le 8ème forum de PrimLangues, « Quels documents
authentiques pour quelles utilisations en classe
? », ouvrira le 15 octobre 2007.
En attendant l'ouverture du forum, vous pouvez
consulter la bibliographie en ligne.
http://www.primlangues.education.fr/php/bibliographie.php?xtor=EPR-1#9
- à découvrir sur le site de l'académie de Paris,
des exercices interactifis en ligne en anglais pour le primaire
"Le site "anglais" de l'Académie de Paris propose
plus de 340 exercices. Une bon nombre est utilisable en primaire."
http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/exos.php
Play Decide
Decide is a game designed by European teachers to
encourage students to discuss important topics
and current issues, thus learning how to
collaborate in a discussion and share ideas, and
also discovering how to put everybody's ideas
together to try and find a solution. For upper
intermediate and advanced students, this game is close to the debate technique.
http://www.playdecide.org/
Jena : Follow up
On e-teach, Marie-Christine Silvestri told us
about "this video clip accompanying one of the
songs by John Mellencamp called Jena. The clip
(of poor quality but free) presents a mixture of
current events and Civil Rights demonstrations,
Kennedy, MLK, drawings showing black slaves,
etc... (Adding fuel to the fire by perpetuating clichés
and stereotypes? A "sound" wake-up call? Both? What else?...)
More about the video here:
http://www.star-telegram.com/live/story/255272.html
or there:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/NEWS01/710040341/1060/NEWS01
http://tinyurl.com/279amf
J.Mellencamp official website, where you can
watch the video, hear the song, and read the lyrics
http://www.mellencamp.com/
And for those who don't know what happened in
Jena, She recommends those articles and audio reports from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14533821
and you can also read about it in Infonews N°311
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/archives/311.htm#une
A new Flag for New Zealand? What is a flag?
On eteachNet, Laure Peskine recommends this
article from The Independent in Ireland
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/im-not-going-to-harp-on-but-the-tricolour-is-just-too-bland-1115335.html
Here are the flags:
Official flag of New Zealand
http://www.rcpanz.org.nz/Images/NZ_FLag_new.JPG
Maori Flag
http://www.flagfocus.info/worldflags-large/flag-NewZealand-MaoriUno-lg.gif
the Sliver Fern
http://www.silverfernz.com/ProdImages/parrs/029Fp.jpg
posters of flags
http://www.eups.cc/shop/eups/pics/flags.gif (world)
http://thumb3.shutterstock.com/photos/display_pic_with_logo/2376/2376,1121464350,2.jpg
(europe)
http://www.ftschool.org/fourth/s_studies/images/europe_flags.gif
(flags on a map, no names)
[ note that this is an excellent text for upper
intermediates and above to prepare a convincing
argumentation. You can invite your students to
focus on the links words : moreover, yet,
now...and the superlatives. From the cultural
point of view, your students will have the
opportunity to review many flags in Europe and the world...]
Jesse James
Michelle Henry has prepared this very
comprehensive page about Jesse james. You can
find there many documetns and stories, but also
some webquest, quizzes and several songs, with lyrics, music and video.
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/jesse.htm
Video global warming
On e-teach, Ellen Foucher recommends this video
about Exxon Mobil lobbying to change the truth
about global warming : for advanced students
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHzPzLS7Ppc (to watch it)
http://chi-v185.chi.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=VHzPzLS7Ppc
(to download it)
Physics : Little Shop of Physics: Online Experiments (from The Scout Report -- October 5)
Not to be confused with a certain Roger Corman
movie that has a rather similar title, this site
presents a wide range of very nice physics
experiments, all of which can be done online.
Dedicated staff members of the physics department
at Colorado State University created the Little
Shop of Physics site. The site includes the
"Amazing Physics" area, which features
experiments that will require common household
items. There are a number of rather fun
experiments offered up, and they include the "Two
Ball Bounce", "Straw Flute", and "Vanishing
Rods". Moving right along, "Computer Stuff"
offers users a clutch of engaging and potentially
mind-blowing experiments that require only a
computer and just a touch of interest in physics.
Teachers can convert physics neophytes with this
site, and students who might be suspect of
physics may become passionate converts after just a few visits. [KMG]
http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu/onlineexperiments.htm
Maths : Whatcom Online Math Center (from The Scout Report -- October 5)
Located in lovely Bellingham, Washington, Whatcom
Community College serves a diverse population
from all across the state and beyond. Their math
center has developed this rather nice collection
of math links that include helpful test-taking
hints, online exercises, and resources for
teachers looking to find new ways of exploring
everything from geometry to measurement. While
the site doesn't have a search engine, visitors
can browse through the links at their leisure.
Some of the topics covered within this site
include fractals, developmental math skills,
pre-algebra, and applied math. After looking over
these sites, visitors can also go to the
"Teaching Math" section, which is designed specifically for teachers. [KMG]
http://math.whatcom.ctc.edu/content/Links.phtml?cat=3
Geography : Experiencing the War: Stories from the Veterans History Project (from The Scout Report -- October 5)
The films of Ken Burns have covered the
exuberance of jazz in the United States, the
world of baseball, and most recently, the
experiences of Americans during World War
II. Working with the Veterans History Project at
the Library of Congress, Burns and staff members
created this companion website to the film
series. The site includes letters, diaries, interviews,
and memoirs that cover the period from the attack
on Pearl Harbor to V-E and V-J Day. Visitors
will find seven separate sections here, and will
enjoy looking through the different materials at
their leisure. Additionally, visitors can view
stories by theme, and they can also search the
Veterans Database. Finally, there is also a
"Field Guide" to the actual film series which
serves as a nice complement to the other materials. [KMG]
http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/thewar/
Une évaluation ministérielle des acquis des élèves en anglais et en allemand en fin d’école
L'APLV signale que le numéro 187 de septembre
2007 des "Dossiers" du Ministère de l’Education
nationale, édité par la DPE (Direction de
l’évaluation, de la prospective et de la
performance) porte sur "Les acquis des élèves en
anglais en et allemand en fin d’école en 2004 et
les contextes favorables à ces apprentissages".
http://www.aplv-languesmodernes.org/spip.php?article712
Créer un roman photo
Thot Cursus recommande ce dossier complet proposé
par Franc Parler sur la technique du roman photo.
En français, mais adaptable au cours d'anglais si
vous cherchez une tâche finale avec peu
d'éléments linguistiques pour des élèves faibles, à remotiver.
http://thot.cursus.edu/rubrique.asp?no=26583
http://www.francparler.org/fiches/tice_romanphoto.htm
