Infonews n°176 du 09/02/2003

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A la Une today, frog jumping contests in the US, originating in a short
story by Mark Twain, and the position of the ecologists. You can chose to
present it at any level, starting from a picture with beginners, up to
organising a debate for the advanced students. If you want to talk about
the news, you will find here a special report about the Columbia disaster
and links to many sites who present not only the disaster, but also useful
reports and timelines of space exploration : you can find lessons in many
schoolbooks about this last frontier, and the addresses here will allow you
to update those documents.
Then a few links to sites about Valentine, including various
crosscurricular crafts for the younger ones, then one site for primary
school and some for secondary schools, including how to keep a budget for
teenagers, a classroom calendar, career information and documents for a
discussion on cloning. The "teaching practice" section this time is more
about linguistics : discover "ebonics" and NIMBY. And at the end of the
letter, a call for collaboration from a teacher for Spring Day.
Have a nice week!

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Sommaire
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A la Une
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Frog-Jumping Contest in Angel Camp, California
The short stories : the original Greek and Mark Twain's
News articles
Links
Photos
Video of the short story
and to go further....
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Space Shuttle Columbia
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How can students respond? ( from PEN NewsBlast for February 7)
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Coverage: Resources, Story Ideas and More
Time For Kids
Time magazine : Farewell Columbia
Pictures, Israel, Events: Space Flight (from LIIWEEK February 6)
Shuttles Are the Work Horses from Outer Space (from LIIWEEK February 6)
NASA
Space.com (from Library Hot Five #168)
NASA Space Shuttle Launches (from Library Hot Five #168)
Selection and Training of Astronauts (from Library Hot Five #168)
CBS News
BBC
Washington Post
**New York Times
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Valentine
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Valentine: Nebraska's Heartcity (from LIIWEEK February 6)
Valentine crafts (from The Classroom Flyer 02/07/03)
Valentine's Links from About.com
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Resource for primary school
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Tiddily winks
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Resources for secondary school
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Classroom calendar (from The Classroom Flyer 02/05/03)
It all adds up : personal finance for teens (from The Classroom Flyer 02/06/03)
Career games (from The Classroom Flyer 02/06/03)
Prepare for a discussion on cloning : changing the blueprint
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Teaching Practice
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Ebonics controversy in my backyard
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Projects
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Looking for partners for Spring Day

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A la Une
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Frog-Jumping Contest in Angel Camp, California
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This contest dates back to the beginning of the century and was inspired by
a short story by Mark Twain. Now, the frogs are endangered and animal
rights advocates say the contest is inhumane and cruel....

The short stories
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Translation of the original version in Greek
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/historyfrog.html ( Note : this novel
contains the N*** word: remind your students that they should under no
circumstances use this word nowadays. To read more on the subject, and/or
to take part in this discussion or the next one, register at:
http://www.listes.educnet.education.fr/wws/info/e-teach
then go to the archives of e-teach ( you need to register first if you are
not a member):
http://www.listes.educnet.education.fr/wws/arc/e-teach

Mark Twain's short story
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/frog/jf_jumpingfrog.html
Citation: Twain, Mark. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and
Other Sketches (New York: C. H. Webb, 1867; BoondocksNet Edition, 2001).
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/frog/ (Feb. 8, 2003). (Today's date).

News articles
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and discover in this article from Grand Forks that San Franciscans were
frog legs eaters at the turn of the century
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/local/4882221.htm
same article but shorter in the Wichita Eagle
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/weird_news/4918003.htm
and in the Monterey County Herald:
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mcherald/2002/12/30/news/state/4835071.htm
another article, discussing why it is bad for the frogs, even if they are
released afterwards
http://greennature.com/article2251.html
another article about the red-legged frog:
http://www.acfnewsource.org/environment/hop_along.html

Links
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http://jumpingfrog.org (see the articles "in the News")
http://www.acfnewsource.org/environment/hop_along.html ( article and links)

Photos
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http://www.centralsierra.org/calaveras1.jpg ( a sportsman behind his frog
jumping)
http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/photo8_18b.htm (a girl hopping
behind her frog)
http://www.seacoastonline.com/2001news/photo7_8c.htm (a boy and one frog)
http://www.washingtontourist.com/plantersdays/gallery/2002/frogcontest.html
(several photos, the last two showing when the frog is about to jump...)

Video of the short story ( you can purchase it with viewing rights)
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http://www.buyindies.com/listings/8/8/AIMS-8823.html

and to go further....
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and see different cultural traditions, read this article from the Library
of Congress, where you can also find the picture of a boy, with a frog and
an American Flag, on a background of fun fair :
http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0007/legacies.html

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Space Shuttle Columbia
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How can students respond? ( from PEN NewsBlast for February 7)
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In response to the Columbia space shuttle disaster, the MindOH! Foundation
has posted resources including: A paper with ideas for appropriate ways
that students might respond to the tragedy; A link to a worksheet titled
"Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?" (a reflective activity that
allows students in your life to write down their thoughts and feelings
about the Columbia); and a sample message that you can tailor for
broadcast at your school or in your community.
http://www.mindohfoundation.org/initiatives.htm

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Coverage: Resources, Story Ideas and More
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The site is designed for news reporters and editors, and contains
up-to-the-minute coverage of the space shuttle Columbia disaster on
February 1, 2003. Includes links to various news agencies' coverage, local
authorities, information on the crew members, graphics, radar images,
historical information, and a list of science experiments conducted during
the flight, as well as the Rogers
Commission report on the Challenger explosion in 1986.
This site is an invaluable resource for journalists and laypeople alike.
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=19160
[ with a link to the Cagle editorial cartoons.]

Time For Kids
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http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/columbia/0,8805,418836,00.html
As usual, simple and short articles for the beginners.

Time magazine : Farewell Columbia
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http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030210/story.html
with articles, audio files, and links to a very comprehensive guide to
"space exploration" the new frontier:
http://www.time.com/time/newsfiles/spaceexploration/

Pictures, Israel, Events: Space Flight (from LIIWEEK February 6)
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A directory of links related to Colonel Ilan Ramon, an Israeli
astronaut, who died when the Columbia Space Shuttle
crashed on February 1, 2003. Includes links to official
biographies, news articles, speculation about when
Sabbath starts in space, and an essay about Col. Ramon's
mother, a Holocaust survivor.
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/space.htm

Shuttles Are the Work Horses from Outer Space (from LIIWEEK February 6)
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This collection of information and links captures the
essence of a space shuttle's work responsibilities, stories
and histories, and past, current, and future ventures, plus
the background and components of the U.S. shuttles
Atlantis, Columbia, Discovery, Endeavour, and Challenger.
Additionally, it includes a video of the space shuttle
Challenger explosion in 1986 and more. From Space Today
Online.
http://www.spacetoday.org/SpaceShuttles.html

NASA
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a very comprehensive site, with informations on the shuttles, the ISS, and
the disaster.
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov

Space.com (from Library Hot Five #168)
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Shuttle Missions
http://www.space.com/shuttlemissions/
The Columbia disaster investigation continues with updates, shuttle
archives, and FAQs.

NASA Space Shuttle Launches (from Library Hot Five #168)
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http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/missions.html
This site has organized information for each shuttle mission, including
Shuttle Manifests and links to astronaut biographies.

Selection and Training of Astronauts (from Library Hot Five #168)
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http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/astronauts/training.html
Find out how astronauts are chosen for the space program and the rigorous
training requirements.

CBS News
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with videos, an interactive guide to the disaster, and the bios of the
astronauts
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/04/eveningnews/main539281.shtml

BBC
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Shuttle disaster full coverage, with sounds, videos, and a clickable guide
'steps to the disaster'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2003/shuttle_disaster/

Washington Post
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Special report on Columbia disaster, with photos, graphics, the crew and so
on....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/specials/science/spaceexploration/columbiashuttle/

** New York Times
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SHUTTLE BREAKS UPColumbia, With Six Americans and Israeli, Disintegrates as
It Descends over Texas, By DAVID E. SANGER,February 3, 2003
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20030203monday.html
A long article (3 pages) but easy to go through, especially because the
students already know what it is about. You will find there:
- the name of the shuttles, and various words for them
- the link with ISS (international space station, and the problem of
bringing the astronauts down after their four month mission)
- mention of the President's "motorcade", that the students mistake for a
kind of sophisticated SUV...
- the words of the President about the astronauts being 'safely home' and
the end of the article about this picture drawn by a child during the
Holocaust wich was 'incinerated' with the astronauts. this is the
opportunity to remind the students that there are very often mentions of
God in the official speeches, and that in a newspaper like the "new York
times" we find references to some personal details which are meant to make
the audience cry, something, I think, that we wouldn't find in Le Monde...

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Valentine
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Valentine: Nebraska's Heartcity (from LIIWEEK February 6)
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Named for Nebraska Congressman Edward Kimball
Valentine (1884), this is the place from which "thousands"
of Valentine's Day (February 14) greetings bearing the
city's postmark are mailed each year. Cachet in the
Valentine's Day section tells how to do this from afar. The
Web site for this popular wedding locale has information
about events, tourist attractions and facilities,
entertainment, and outdoor recreation. There are also
"official" valentine and other electronic greeting cards.
http://www.heartcity.com/
[ to send a real valentine from the real place... ;) )

Valentine crafts (from The Classroom Flyer 02/07/03)
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Hearty animals
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/animals.html
Pop-up Heart Garden
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/valentine/heartgarden/
[ very well explained, step by step, with drawings and simple explanations.
For the younger ones, crosscurricular with arts and crafts.]
Mosaic heart
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/mosaic_valentine.shtml
Broken heart
http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/val2.shtml
Heart Blottos
http://www.kinderart.com/painting/heartb.shtml

Valentine's Links from About.com
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http://k-6educators.about.com/library/blvalentines.htm
History, activities, poems, and an online scavenger hunt ( 8 questions,
each with a site to explore to find the answer.)

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Resource for primary school
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Tiddily winks
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http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Fountain/2131/tiddlycontents.html
See especially the speaking activities and games. You can find there a game
on description, complete with the process and the game board to print:
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Fountain/2131/clowningardescrip.html
[ This address comes from Jean Pierre Palasse's list of sites for English
teachers on
http://www.dijon.iufm.fr/ressourc/langues/anglais/coursanglais/sites.htm ]

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Resources for secondary school
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Classroom calendar (from The Classroom Flyer 02/05/03)
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http://www.enc.org/thisweek/calendar/0,4076,2,00.shtm
Check this site for a classroom calendar for February,
with topical teaching and learning resources for the
month included. The February calendar focus is on Black
History Month and exploring careers.

It all adds up : personal finance for teens (from The Classroom Flyer 02/06/03)
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http://www.italladdsup.org/guide.htm
Five modules -- getting a credit card, buying a car, budgeting, saving and
investing, and going to college, will take teens through an interactive
real-world excursion to understand and responsibly manage their finances.

Career games (from The Classroom Flyer 02/06/03)
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http://www.careergames.com/index.html
High school students can select career games to help
them assess and target their talents and goals, learn
about the job market and job training, or take some
tips on how to conduct interviews.
[ the tests require some previous knowledge, but they allow students who
are going to start looking for a job to ask themselves the right questions
and read some unseful tips corresponding to their own concerns.]

Prepare for a discussion on cloning : changing the blueprint
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http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/02/020402_genetics.jhtml
This site offers an guideline to research and discussion about cloning,
with links to news articles (from New Scientist and other reliable
sources). Your students can either read the printed version, or work from
the website to gather information, and then debate the suggested questions
like : "Is it acceptable to grow human embryos specifically to produce
other cells that may help cure the sick and injured?" or "Suppose human
clones were produced. Do you think that a clone would experience serious
psychological effects because of his or her origins?" and so on.
For upper intermediate students. Can also be used in crosscurricular
activities like TPE in France.
definition from the Webster for "blueprint":
Function: noun
1 : a photographic print in white on a bright blue ground or blue on a
white ground used especially for copying maps, mechanical drawings, and
architects' plans
2 : something resembling a blueprint; especially : a detailed plan or
program of action <a blueprint for victory>
- blueprint transitive verb

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Teaching Practice
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Ebonics controversy in my backyard
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http://www.stanford.edu/~rickford/papers/EbonicsInMyBackyard.html
This article presents the new accronym NIMBY and this new language, or
rather vernacular : "ebonics". You can read more about "African American
Black Vernacular / Dialect / Creole / Patois / Pidgin" at:
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Linguistics/Home_Linguistics.html

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Projects
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Looking for partners for Spring Day
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Here is a message from an Art teacher from Romania looking for a partner
for Spring Day : does anyone want to work with her?
Subject: Spring day in Europe
"I am from Romania, Braila, teacher of art at an secondary school and i
want to know more about the project "Spring day in Europe" . Please contact
me for a future colaboration in organizing the future activities for 21st
of March."
From: Marinela Partene <marinela_partene@yahoo.fr>

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Une compilation réalisée par :
Christine Reymond
lycée Blaise Pascal, Rouen, France
E-Mail: Christine.Reymond@ac-rouen.fr
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