Infonews n°334 from 18/05/2008
Who was he?
Obituary
Lesson plan
More information about the artists
The best resource
Mother's Day in India
Mother's Day activities
Print and make a Promise!
Earthquake in China
Cyclone in Burma
Celebrations in May
Comic Creator
Old children's books digitalized
Together For London (TFL campaign from London Transport)
Our Dying Planet
World Bank Topics: Food Crisis
Engineering Sciences : The Industrial Designers Society of America (from The
Scout Report -- May 16)
Language and Culture
Physics : American Institute of Physics: Education (from The Scout Report
-- May 16)
Business studies : Paywizard.org ( from [LII New This Week] May 15)
Agriculture, environment : PlantRight ( from [LII New This Week] May 15)
Mind Mapping
Using the Media to Promote Adolescent Well-Being (from The Scout Report -- May 16)
"Where were you on September 11, 2001 at 08:46 am?"
Who was he?
Here is a short biography on a Russian site, with one of his paintings showing
President Kennedy
http://www.warhol.org/ru/app_rauschenberg.html#about
Obituary
Robert Rauschenberg, the irrepressibly prolific American artist who time
and again reshaped art in the 20th century, died on Monday night at his home
on Captiva Island, Fla. He was 82. The New York times features a long article
and his obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20080516friday.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/arts/design/14rauschenberg.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
You can also see some of his work with this comment:
“Building on the legacies of Marcel Duchamp, Kurt Schwitters and Joseph Cornell,
he helped to obscure the lines between painting and sculpture, painting and
photography, photography and printmaking, sculpture and photography, sculpture
and dance, sculpture and technology, technology and performance art not to
mention between art and life.”
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/04/14/arts/20080414_RAUS_SLIDESHOW_index.html
Lesson plan
And the New York Times has created a lesson to go with the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20080516friday.html
with the aim of presenting an aspect of American culture through modern art
and also to invite students to create "thought boxes" with objects
collected around a theme.
More information about the artists
A special report from the Scout Report of May 16th
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080516-inthenews.php#1
A PBS Rauschenberg site (with links and a video)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/rauschenberg_r.html
the site of the National Gallery of Arts in Washington (DC)
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2007/rauschenberg/index.shtm
about Rauschenberg's cardboard boxes
http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-05-10/culture/robert-rauschenberg-cardboards-and-related-pieces/
Marcel Duchamp and the Dada Movement
http://www.marcelduchamp.net/
Kurt Schwitters (German Dadaist)
http://kurtschwitters.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Schwitters
Joseph Cornell (assemblage technique, boxes)
http://www.josephcornellbox.com/menu.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cornell
The best resource
As always, you'll find the best selection of links on Michelle henry's site,
with the history, webquests, interactive poems, activities, games and songs
:
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/mothers.htm
Mother's Day in India
This Indian site gives May 11th as their date for Mother's Day.
http://www.pitara.com/special/mothersday/
This page offers several articles about special moms and also:
- a story of Mother's Day
http://www.pitara.com/magazine/features/online.asp?story=47
- three lullabies
<http://www.pitara.com/magazine/features/online.asp?story=45>http://www.pitara.com/magazine/features/online.asp?story=45
- a text about the 'Super Moms' who fought for peace
http://www.pitara.com/magazine/features/online.asp?story=49
Mother's Day activities
Activity Village presents this page of Mother's Day activities, with lots
of ideas of handicrafts, coloring and recipes to prepare for their mother:
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/mother's_day.htm
Print and make a promise!
The site Billy Bear For Kids presents a very American suggestion : offer your
mother a promise book, or a chore book. This site enables children to find
everything to make their booklet: a ready to print cover and some ready made
pages from which they can choose the appropriate "promises"
they want to put in their book..and keep!
Note also that there are lots of different covers available, so that the booklet
can be used for birthdays, father's day etc.
http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/PromiseCards/main-page.html
[ through this booklet, beginners can discover some basic vocabulary.]
Earthquake in China
Reuters features several articles describing the situation and the aftermath
of the catastrophe, and some videos
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKSP24948720080517
See also this site recommended by [LII New This Week] May 15 as "a compilation
of links to earthquake information for China, including details about the latest
earthquakes, earthquake history, maps, seismological institutions, and related
material. The Notable Earthquakes link provides information about the major
May 2008 earthquake in the Sichuan province. From the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS)."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26083
Cyclone in Burma
Follow all the events in this special report from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/asia_pacific/2008/burma_cyclone/default.stm
Se also the site "BBC Burnese", recommended by [LII New This Week]
May 15, to keep up to date with the politics in that country
http://www.bbc.co.uk/burmese/
The site BBC English Learning also offers a lesson with the text, the audio
file and the printable version including the vocabulary:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/05/080514_burma.shtml
Celebrations in May
On Michelle henry's site, you'll find resources about the days to celebrate
in May : Memorial Day on the 26th, Oak Apple Day on the 29th and International
No-tobacco day on the 31st.
http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/rescol.htm
Here is the Librarian's Internet Index's (Lii) selection of sites for Memorial
Day
http://search.lii.org/index.jsp?sm=fr10%3BSubTopic1048%3B00http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lii.org%2Fia%2Fdata%2Fdemo1%2Fsubtopic%23323112%3BMemorial+Day
and you can add Victoria Day, a national day in Canada that I discovered in
[LII New This Week] May 15 :
"Background about Victoria Day, a national holiday in Canada that "has
been celebrated in Canada since the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). May
24, Queen Victoria's birthday, was declared a holiday by the Legislature of
the Province of Canada in 1845. ... In 1957, Victoria Day was permanently appointed
as the Queen's birthday in Canada." In English and French. From Canadian
Heritage."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26052
[ funny to discover that the Canadians still celebrate the queen of the Uk's
birthday, and that the date remains on the day of Queen Victoria's birthday,
altough the celebrate the birthday of the present queen (celebrated in June
in the UK as "Trooping the Colors")! ]
Comic Creator
On e-teach, Yoann Panier recommends this site mentionned on the BBC. You can
make comic strips online and print them.
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/index.html
[ The number of characters is limited, but there are several very different
props to build the scenery and students are free to write in the ballons. You
can also select the number of panels, from 1 to 6. The result cannot be saved
on the computer, but the students can print it and color it the way they like.]
Old children's books digitalized
The Scout Report from May 16 recommends "The Baldwin Library Digital
Collection at the University of Florida includes over 2500 fully digitized
children's books, published in the United States and Great Britain between
1850 and 1900 (selected from more than more than 100,000 in the Baldwin Library
of Historical Children's Literature, dating from the mid-1600s through 2007)."
full article:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080516-geninterest.php#8
the site:
http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC/UFDC.aspx?c=juv
[ Sweet olds books, with endearing poems and texts.... and I found a 1890 edition
of three little kittens that was my grand mother's favorite! ;)
http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/UFDC/UFDC.aspx?c=juv&b=UF00078891&v=00001 ]
Together For London (TFL campaign from London Transport)
On e-teach, Sylvie Marc recommends this video that Valérie sent her. it presents
various situations in which people are misbehaving on London Public transports.
You can use it with A1+ students to learn how to read a phone number, or with
A2+ students or above to discuss politeness... or start their own campaign.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/projectsandschemes/communityandeducation/asb/default.aspx
But I couldn't download it from the original site, so I found it on YouTube
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WTTiR5yICGQ
and here is the "making of "of the film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ZeQWukjuc
see this article introducing the campaign
http://www.londonlogue.com/public-transport/together-for-london.html
Our Dying Planet
This short text from the Mirror is full of figures and can be a good starting
point to study the consequences of global warming (see Infonews n°332 about
the 11th hour)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/05/17/our-dying-planet-89520-20420228/
World Bank Topics: Food Crisis
This site can be used with A2 students because it explains the crisis in
pictures and short texts. Then you can read about what the World Bank is doing,
regional information about what happens on the different continents and in
the countries, read the latest news and see a slide show about the rising prices.
I found this site in the Scout report:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080516-geninterest.php#4
here is the site:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/foodprices/
and here is the slide show in English, French, Spanish and Arabic
http://digitalmedia.worldbank.org/SSP/foodprices/index.html
Engineering Sciences : The Industrial Designers Society of America (from The Scout Report -- May 16)
Some of our readers may wonder, "What exactly is industrial design?" Fortunately
The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is well-positioned to provide
such an answer. On their site, they define Industrial design (ID) as
"the professional service of creating and developing concepts and specifications
that optimize the function, value and appearance of
products and systems for the mutual benefit of both user and manufacturer."
Full article:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080516-geninterest.php#6
the site:
http://www.idsa.org/
[ un site génial pour les BTS industriel, CPI en particulier]
Language and Culture
The BBC features a new series of audio programmes called : "Who on Earth
are we?" The site describes it as "a series about culture and how
it affects us. It explores some of the major differences between cultures and
looks at what happens when people from different cultures meet and communicate.
The series is presented by Marc Beeby." For example, in part 3, Marc Beeby
looks at language as one of the building blocks of culture and discovers that
we don't all describe the world in the same way."
[ And you will hear about a language which has several words to say snow, but
no tenses : fascinating!
You can download the mp3 file and the script. ]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/index.shtml
Physics : American Institute of Physics: Education (from The Scout Report -- May 16)
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) has a substantial outreach mission,
and this site provides a cornucopia of educational materials and resources
[...] the "Educators" area includes resources for physics teachers
such as interactive modules and learning worksheets. [KMG]
read the full article at:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080516-re.php#5
Business studies : Paywizard.org ( from [LII New This Week] May 15)
This site is "a resource center, a salary-checker and a tool for helping
American workers understand more about pay and work life." Find state-by-state
minimum wage and tax information, career tips and job search advice, and information
about V.I.P salaries. Also includes a salary survey, salary polls, and a salary
calculator (by occupation and state). In English and Spanish. From "a
collaboration of journalists, Harvard economists, statisticians and the American
public."
full article :
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25963
the site:
http://www.paywizard.org/main/
[ you can find there real data to work from in English.]
Agriculture, environment : PlantRight ( from [LII New This Week] May 15)
"PlantRight is a voluntary, proactive program for the horticultural community
to prevent invasive plant introductions [in California] through horticulture." Features
background about invasive plants, regional guides to invasive and alternative
plants in different California regions (using the Sunset Magazine zone system),
and discussion about the benefits of planting right. Also includes a FAQ, news,
bibliography, information about research activities, and links to related sites.
From the California Horticultural Invasives Prevention (Cal-HIP) steering committee.
full article:
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25898
the site:
http://www.plantright.org/
Mind Mapping
On e-teach, some teachers explored the possibility of using some mind mapping
software to keep track of a brainstorming, to learn how to take notes or as
a writer's aid. I found on wikipedia a page listing some free mind mapping
software, from the traditional one : Free Mind, to a more sophisticated one
: VUE with which you can also build a presentation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mind_mapping_software
Using the Media to Promote Adolescent Well-Being (from The Scout Report -- May 16)
"Many researchers and parents are concerned about the effects of the
media on adolescents. It's in no way a new concern, but there is a renewed
interest in how media can potentially be harnessed to combat some of the more
pernicious messages disseminated by mainstream media. This particular 8-page
brief released in April 2008 takes on that very subject. [...] The report goes
on to suggest that working with new media and social networking sites may be
more effective than trying to rally against such new forms of expression. [KMG]" read
the full article at:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080516-re.php#2
and here is the report:
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2008/spring_children_haskins/spring_children_haskins.pdf
"Where were you on September 11, 2001 at 08:46 am?"
Looking for an idea to take the students to a museum for the end of the year
: the memorial de Caen features from June 6 to December 31, 2008 an exhibition
called : "September 11, 2001, a global moment" with this subtitle
: "where were you on September 11, 2001 at 08:46 am?" (New York's
time)
Here is the description of the exhibition given on the site: "This exhibition,
organized with the New York State Museum, tells the story and the consequences
of the World Trade Center September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in which more
than 2,700 people died and the public response to these events.
The exhibition will present many objects, images, films, testimonies and vestiges
of the disaster. The story of the police and recovery operations is told through
some objects found by the FBI among the debris and particularly pieces of the
two planes that struck the towers."
http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portail/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179
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lycée Blaise Pascal, Rouen, France
E-Mail: Christine.Reymond@ac-rouen.fr
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