Infonews n°323 from 20/01/2008
Red Room
Script writers' strike
Murder Scripts
Edmund Hillary & Mt. Everest
MLK Day
Biometric visa to the UK
Financial Times In Depth: US Elections 2008 (from [LII New This Week] January
17)
Activities and handicrafts around "renewable energy"
Green Guide
22nd Century Technology
The Teacher
Alternative energy source books (from ET Free Flyer Jan. 18)
Water adventure
Plug Into eCycling: Recycle Your Cell Phone (from [LII New This Week] January
17)
Inventables
Sciences : BioEd Online (from [LII New This Week] January 17)
Maths : National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (from The Scout Report
-- January 18)
Les langues au brevet des collèges (DNB)
Les Langues Modernes
Red Room
[LII New This Week] January 17 says : "This website's goal is to create
a social network for authors and readers. It features pages for authors including
Maya Angelou, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Khaled Hosseini, and Amy Tan, with author
biographies, lists of published works, blog entries, and audio and video clips
(such as the 1988 San Francisco high school graduation speech by Daniel Handler,
aka Lemony Snicket). Browsable by author or genre. Also includes an events
listing." (from [LII New This Week] January 17)
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25231
Script writers' strike
I explored the site and especially liked this video called "Murder unscripted" by
Barbara Fister presenting "A very clever preview of what crime drama will
look like without writers. And, by the way, a pretty good spoof on the conventions." (from
the site)
http://www.redroom.com/video/murder-unscripted
Students in literature will be able to analyse the humor and reflect on the
conventions, and you can link it to the strike of the script writers which
it alludes to, through an article like this one in the New york Times
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2D61E3EF932A15757C0A96E948260
or this site of the Writer's Guild of America,giving the last information on
the strike that is now in its 11th week
http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2204
Murder Scripts
How to write a murder mystery by eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_2134297_write-murder-mystery-script.html
and for tons of scripts of films and series, go to script-o-rama
http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie-transcripts-a.html
and on this page, you can discover how to write a murder mystery script for
a murder mystery dinner party : a new trend becoming quite fashionable in the
UK, Ireland and also the US.
http://www.mydarksecret.com/HowToWrite/HowTo.html
Edmund Hillary & Mt. Everest
Edmund Hillary died last week. he was in the list of the 100 most influential
people for the 20th century in Time magazine:
http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/hillary_norgay01.html
You can find his biography in lots of places on the web, but these two sites
recommended by [LII New This Week] January 17 really stand out:
"Learn about the first known ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, which
was accomplished by New Zealand explorer Edmund Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer
Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Features a description of different legs of the trek,
facts about Mt. Everest, a 1996 interview with Hillary, a photo history of
Hillary, and profile of Norgay. Also include a lesson plan, glossary, and list
of heights and first ascents of other famous mountains. From Scholastic." (from
[LII New This Week] January 17)
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25247
This site describes how "New Zealander Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, ... [became] the first to reach the summit of Mount
Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border. News of the conquest of Mount Everest did
not reach the outside world until 2 June [1953]." Features a video of
an interview with Hillary from July 1953, articles about other climb participants,
and an Everest timeline. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). " (from
[LII New This Week] January 17)
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25248
MLK Day
The NYT suggest an activity for students level B2 and above : writing a poem
based on MLK's obituary. Here is the obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20080118friday.html
[ it is very long, so teachers could cut it in parts and give each group of
studnet a part to study, and then put the information together to check that
they understood the article and allow everyone to know about the content of
the whole article.]
Here is the NYT's page about MLK
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/martin_luther_jr_king/index.html
and here is the lesson plan
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20080118friday.html
[ I liked the way they recommend to put together words before starting to write
the poem.]
and of course you can use the pages about MLK recommended in Infonews n°322
and Le Café Pédagogique n° 89
http://www.cafepedagogique.net/lemensuel/lenseignant/languesvivantes/anglais/Pages/2008/89_mlk.aspx
or simply those quizzes about his biography
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/themes/MLK.htm
Biometric visa to the UK
On BBC Learning English, hte "word in the News"
program features an article about the need to check the fingerprints of people
who request a visa to the UK. On the site find the article (level B1), the
audi ofile, the transcript, some vocabulary and other articles to read on
the same topic:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/01/080114_uk_visas.shtml
You can link this article to Ken Loach's last film "It's a Free World"
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/321.htm#film
You can also use this interview of the lead actress Kierston Wareing with French
subtitles (how she worked)
http://www.studiomagazine.fr/film/autour_zoom.asp?id=25992&ida=195799
or this longer version recommended by Jean Sabiron for students level B2 (
a newsreport fro mthe BBc with her success in Venice, her interview and a commended
summary of the film, with also remarks from Ken Loach.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6980000/newsid_6981000/6981021.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm&news=1&nol_storyid=6981021&bbcws=1
Financial Times In Depth: US Elections 2008 (from [LII New This Week] January 17)
"News and analysis about the 2008 U.S. presidential election, along with
interactive features, candidate profiles and interviews, and other material
about the election. From the Financial Times, a British publication that features
world business, financial, and political news."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25179
[ the FT's view of the American elections and candidates.]
Activities and handicrafts around "renewable energy"
Read in ET Free Flyer Jan. 18 : "What is meant by
"renewable energy", or what are our energy sources to begin with,
and what have they been historically? It's a great starting point for elementary
classes, as they learn by doing with the numerous, creative hands-on exercises
included here. Student worksheets and charts are included.
http://www.tvakids.com/teachers/pdf/renewable_elem.pdf
[ Designed for teachers of American students in Year 3 to 5 (end of primary
school), this guide provides lots of ready to do worksheets. the first help
students analyse how energy was used in the past (coal, oil and wood). They
go on to making a wind mill and observing the wind, then they build real devices,
like a solar air heater, a solar cooker or a greenhouse; Interesting hands-on
activities, all in English. ]
Green Guide
LII New This Week] January 17recommends this site : "Dubbed the 'green
living source for today's conscious consumer,' the Green Guide makes living
in an environmentally-aware way easy, understandable, and practical." The
site features product reviews (for items such as shoes, appliances, bedding,
cosmetics, household cleaning supplies, personal care items, and pest control
techniques), lists of ingredients to avoid, articles (such as on what happens
to donated clothes), videos, blogs, and more. Also includes information about
the associated print publication. From National Geographic."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25250
22nd Century Technology
[LII New This Week] January 17 recommends the
"Website for the pilot episode of a 2007 PBS program about technology
and innovation. Features video of stories about cochlear implants,
"eyetap" ("glasses that continuously record what you see and
have the ability to interject new information into what you are watching"),
an electrode implanted in the brain of a man to restore communication abilities
lost in an accident, and related topics. Also includes interviews, writings,
and links to related resources."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23120
[ for advanced students (B2 minimum) interested in the future of technology.
They will also enjoy watching the program online, with Haldous Huxley reflecting
on the possible advances and the ethics. See also Eyetap and other computers
for your eye:
http://www.pbs.org/22ndcentury/story_eye.html ]
The Teacher
This is a new feature from BBC Learning English. A teacher presents idioms
in context in a short video. You can review fish idioms, or phrases connected
with pie... For adults level A2 upwards, curious to learn new idioms.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1516_videoenglish_15/
Alternative energy source books (from ET Free Flyer Jan. 18)
"Hydropower, nuclear energy, solar energy - energy conservation... Explore
the issues involved with alternative energy sources with these sets of lesson
plans, activities, and sourcebooks for middle and high school classes."
http://www.tvakids.com/teachers/sourcebooks.htm
[ Don't miss those free books online. They are packed with hands-on activities
for students interested in technology, interesting diagrams and charts, figures
and statistics, plus suggestions for the implementation of those activities
in your class. They are aimed at American primary school students, so the vocabulary
is simple and the drawings ate sketchy, which could be used also for adult
technicians level A2 and above.]
Water adventure
The r ET Free Flyer Jan. 18 recommends this free online booklet about water.
It is aimed at young American children, but some parts can be used with older
ESL students level A2 and above, interested in technology and environment.
this guide presents a nice diagram of a water recycling plant on page 5, easy
wordsearch (p6) and crossword ( p10), and questions and answers (a water trivia,
p12) with quantities of water in gallons ( a US gallon is 3.7854 liters).
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/pdfs/activity_grades_k-3_activitybook.pdf
Plug Into eCycling: Recycle Your Cell Phone (from [LII New This Week] January 17)
"Background and details about this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) initiative, launched in early 2008, to encourage cell phone recycling. "[D]espite
the large number of programs, most consumers still do not know where or how
they can recycle their cell phones. Consequently, less than 20 percent of unwanted
cell phones are recycled each year." Includes a fact sheet and podcast,
places to drop off and mail in cell phones, and related material. From the
EPA."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25245
[ podcasts with scripts for aural comprehension level B2, about recycling cellphones
and other electronic equipments:
http://www.epa.gov/cellphones/newspods.htm ]
Inventables
"The design of many common (and some uncommon) objects is something that
most people don't think about on a regular basis. Even very successful designs
can go unnoticed, and only a few industrial designs have been elevated to iconic
status. Creating better design is the focus of the International Council of
Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), and their work takes place in over
50 countries and they present close to 150,000 designers. First-time visitors
to the site may wish to look over their "Galleria" area. Here they
can view innovative designs for desktop computers, vacuum cleaners, and ceiling
fans. Moving on, the "Education" area features articles on design
and design education, along with information on upcoming student design competitions.
The site is rounded out by a selection of design case studies and documents
which highlight issues such as copyright control. [KMG]"
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080118-geninterest.php#5
[ this is mainly a commercial site, but you can access those "concepts" :
inventables innovation that don't work yet, but may soon become real. There
are simple pictures that can trigger speech and a short caption. You can use
it with technology-minded students level A2 and above.
http://www.inventables.com/Product/ConceptStudio.asp]
Sciences : BioEd Online (from [LII New This Week] January 17)
"Biology Teacher Resources From Baylor College of Medicine:
This website's goal is "to provide useful, accurate, and current information
and materials that build upon and enhance the skills and knowledge of [K-12]
science educators." It features streaming video presentations, a slide
library of lesson plans and activities, "hot topic" pages, and science
news. In addition to topical content, the site includes teaching strategies
and lab techniques. Also includes a special section with K-5 content. From
the Baylor College of Medicine."
http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24020
Maths : National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (from The Scout Report -- January 18)
"New and experienced math teachers can benefit from this helpful site
created by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In the "Tips
for Teachers" section, visitors can take in tips for starting the year
off right, testing, grading, homework, and even communicating with parents.
The site also includes tips for math tutors and several short, yet effective,
tips on utilizing technology in the classroom. One area that should not be
overlooked is the
"Common Questions and Their Answers". Here visitors can learn about
demystifying the distributive property and other timely principles. Finally,
visitors are also welcome to leave feedback on each section via a webform.
[KMG]"
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080118-re.php#3
http://www.nctm.org/tips.aspx?ekmensel=c580fa7b_44_398_btnlink
Les langues au brevet des collèges (DNB)
Les directives officielles fixant les modalités d'attribution du Diplôme
National du Brevet pour la session 2008 viennent de paraitre dans le B.O. n°3
du 17 janvier 2008. Elle dit que la moyenne des notes d'anglais de l'année
constituent une note pour le contrôle continu, mais qu'en plus les enseignants
de langue joindront au dossier scolaire de l'élève, comme l'attestation de
B2i ou de sécurité routière, une attestation de niveau A2, dont le formulaire,
hyper résumé, figure à la fin de cette page:
http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2008/3/MENE0701950N.htm
Cette validation est un résumé de la grille plus complète présentée sur la
page de l'expérimentation du portfolio (ou livret indivuduel de compétences)
pour le DNB que l'on trouve sur http://eduscol.education.fr/D0231/experimentation_livret.htm
la grille est là
http://eduscol.education.fr/D0231/Grille_pilier2.pdf
Les notes d'anglais de l'année constituent un contrôle continu, dont la moyenne,
comme celles des autres matières sera prise en compte dans le calcul de la
moyenne pour l’obtention du diplôme. Cette note résultera des évaluations que
les enseignants feront tout au long de l'année, et ils sont libres, à l'intérieur
de ce cadre, de faire évoluer leur façon d'évaluer au cours des années, pour
se rapprocher des critères du CECRL, en suivant les recommandations des instructions
officielles pour le palier 2 (ne manquez pas de lire aussi le préambule commun)
ftp://trf.education.gouv.fr/pub/edutel/bo/2007/hs7/hs7_preambule2-vol3.pdf
ftp://trf.education.gouv.fr/pub/edutel/bo/2007/hs7/hs7_anglais-vol3.pdf
Notez que les élèves sont libres de choisir la langue qui fera l'objet de l'évaluation
niveau A2, et que beaucoup d'entre eux ont choisi l'espagnol. Dans ce cas, l'enseignant
d'anglais n'aura pas à remplir de fiche pour eux, mais la note comptera comme
celle des autres matières au contrôle continu.
Voyez aussi cette note sur l'évaluation des
élèves en anglais en fin de troisième, qui vous donne un idée de ce que l'on
peut attendre comme niveau et de comment l'évaluation a été menée en 2005:
ftp://trf.education.gouv.fr/pub/edutel/dpd/noteeval/ne2005/eva0508.pdf
Les Langues Modernes
Le nouveau numéro des Langues Modernes, 4/2007 :
"Les Langues en Primaire : quelles articulations ?" vient de paraitre.
Voici le sommaire :
http://www.aplv-languesmodernes.org/spip.php?article1441
Ceci est un message de la LISTE INFONEWS
réalisé par Christine Reymond
lycée Blaise Pascal, Rouen, France
E-Mail: Christine.Reymond@ac-rouen.fr
Les commentaires et réflexions entre [ ] ne reflètent que mon opinion personnelle.
Sites Infonews:
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/une1.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/une1.htm
Pour consulter les sources:
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/archives/sourcinfonw.htm
http://lycees.ac-rouen.fr/pascal/infonews/archives/sourcinfonw.htm
Pour vous inscrire ou vous désinscrire:
http://listes.ac-rouen.fr/wws/info/liste-infonews