CURRICULUM VITAE EUROPASS

You can take advantage of your free time to start writing your Europass CV.

Follow the link to the web page where you can write it online and then export a copy onto your computer, pendrive or DRIVE so that everytime you need to change it or add something, you can just import it again to the page and make changes!

https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae






  HAPPY WRITING!

LEARNING ENGLISH DURING THE QUARANTINE

During this difficult time of quarantine, we can take advantage of the time we are at home to improve our English with new and interesting resources.

Please follow the links to the various websites where you will find useful resources:

VIRTUAL TOUR AROUND 12 FAMOUS WORLD MUSEUMS

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE UK

VOA LEARNING ENGLISH. AMERICA´S NATIONAL PARKS

COVID-19. FUTURE LEARN COURSES


IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING SKILLS.

WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR SOME TIPS TO KEEP YOUR ENGLISH UP TO DATE!

( You can also watch the ads for some useful advice on apps to improve your English)







 A MORE SERIOUS MATTER:

 LEARN ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IN ENGLISH AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:

It is again that time of the year! The festive season is here and we want to learn about Christmas in style!
Watch these ads and be prepared  to comment in class:

Edgar, an adorable young dragon, is so excited about Christmas that he cannot control the flames from his mouth. He even burns the village Christmas tree, dampening everyone's Christmas spirit. But when his best friend Ava gives him a thoughtful gift just right for an excitable dragon, he realises how much she cares for him.

#ExcitableEdgar

Now watch the alternative ad!

M&S festive jumpers!

M&S Christmas food advert 2019

HAPPY SUMMER!

Summer is here and we do not want to come back in September having forgotten all our English skills!

That is why I recommend doing this webquest about the summer solstice!

Click on the different links to find out interesting facts and stories about the summer solstice:

Activity 1:

Read the article below:

What are the solstices?

In the northern hemisphere, 21 June is the longest day of the year. It is called the summer solstice and marks the beginning of summer. 21 June is the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere – there, it is the winter solstice and marks the beginning of winter. Since humans first began noticing the changes of the seasons and the movement of celestial objects, the solstices have been celebrated in many ways.

Answer the questions. You will find the answers both in the article above and at the weblink below.

www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/time/seasons.htm

1. Why do we have seasons?
2. What is the summer solstice?
3. What is the winter solstice?
4. What are the equinoxes?
5. What and when is the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere?
6. What and when is the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere?

Activity 2: Summer solstice celebrations

A. Significance of the summer solstice

www.religioustolerance.org/summer-solstice-1.htm

(Read the section ‘Significance of the summer solstice’.)

1. Why was summer a joyous time in prehistoric times?
2. What is another name for the first full moon of June? Why?
3. Why wasn’t May a popular month for weddings?
4. Where does the term ‘honeymoon’ come from?

B. Midsummer celebrations in ancient times

www.religioustolerance.org/summer-solstice-1.htm

Complete this chart to help you summarize the ideas in this section. Tip: not all questions here have an answer.

Society	Name of celebration?	What or who did it celebrate?	How was it celebrated?
Ancient China
Ancient Gaul
Ancient Rome
Ancient Sweden
Essenes (a Jewish group)
Christian countries

C. Modern Pagan celebrations

www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/summersolstice.shtml

1. What does Litha mean?
2. According to the Pagans, what happens at Midsummer?
3. Besides celebrating growth, what else do the Pagans celebrate in this holiday?
4. Where do Pagans celebrate the solstice in England?

D. Celebrations at Stonehenge

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-40352528

1. What is Stonehenge?
2. How many people celebrated at Stonehenge in 2017?
3. How many people visit Stonehenge every year?
4. Why would a visitor not be allowed to see Stonehenge?
5. Was there more or less security in 2017? Why?

E. Celebrations in Denmark

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Denmark

1. What is the midsummer celebration called?
2. When does it take place?
3. What’s the connection with bonfires?
4. What’s the connection with witches?

F. Celebrations in Germany

www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172089.asp

1. With what do some Germans celebrate the summer solstice?
2. Describe customs related to:
   • a. lovers;
   • b. healing;
   • c. mountain fires in Bavaria.

G. Celebrations in California

solsticeparade.com/home/about

1. What was the theme of the parade in 2017?
2. How many spectators attend the event?
3. Why did the festival move from the sunken gardens?
4. What happens for kids at the Alameda Park Festival?
5. What is the annual competition and why does it happen?

NEW YORK TRAVEL GUIDE

NEW YORK , NEW YORK!!!



 How much have you learnt about New York?

Design a two-day itinerary in the city of New York and take into account:

- The type of tourist visiting the city
- Times to eat, relax and have some fun!

Insert your presentations in the blog in the section comments

Check your knowledge of the city by listening to this video travel guide by Expedia and answer the questions in your notebook:


Listen to the very famous song by Frank Sinatra about New York:

CHRISTMAS ADS

Watch these famous Christmas ads and talk about what is happening:

Tesco´s Chistmas advert

Sainbury´s  Christmas advert:

The History of Christmas

The festive season is here and we want to learn all about its origins and the most popular traditions in different cultures.

Discussion:

- How do you celebrate Christmas?
- Do you follow any special traditions?
- Is this festivity important to you and your family/friends?

Follow this weblink  from history.com and answer the questions:

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Read the section ’An ancient holiday’ and look for the answers to the following questions:

1. What did Europeans celebrate long before the birth of Jesus?
2. Why did people celebrate during the winter solstice?
3. Who celebrated Yule from 21 December in Scandinavia?
4. How did fathers and sons mark the return of the sun?
5. Up to how many days was it possible for the Yule feast to last?
6. What did the Norse believe that each spark of the fire represented?
7. Why was the end of December a good time for celebrating?
8. Why were German people terrified of the god Oden? How did they show their fear?

Read the second section ‘Saturnalia’ and look for the answers to the following questions:

1. Who was Saturnalia intended to honour?
2. How did Roman society change during Saturnalia?
3. In what century did the Church decide to make the birth of Christ a holiday?
4. What was the problem with choosing the date of Christ’s birth?
5. Why was 25 December chosen?
6. Why do some churches celebrate Christmas on 7 January?
7. What was the main disadvantage for church leaders of holding Christmas at the same time as other winter festivals?
8. In what way were Christmas celebrations during the Middle Ages similar to those of Roman times?

Read the third section ’An outlaw Christmas’. Look at the statements below and decide whether they are true or false:

1. Oliver Cromwell took control of England in 1645.
2. Cromwell and his Puritan forces encouraged the English people to celebrate Christmas.
3. When the monarchy was reintroduced and Charles l became king, Christmas was celebrated again in England.
4. As a result of the Puritan pilgrims coming to America in 1620, Christmas was not a holiday from 1659 to 1681.
5. In Boston, from 1659 to 1681, anyone exhibiting ’Christmas spirit’ (= publicly celebrating Christmas) was fined five shillings.
6. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday in the USA until 26th June, 1870.

Think:

In what ways is the modern way of celebrating Christmas different from how it was done in the past?

What do you like most (and least) about Christmas nowadays?

Santa Claus

Read the introduction to Santa Claus taken from history.com:

The man we know as Santa Claus has a history all his own. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red, but his story stretches all the way back to the third century. Find out more about the history of Santa Claus, from his earliest origins to the shopping mall favorite of today:

What do you already know about Santa’s history? Discuss your ideas with a partner.

What do you call Santa in your country?

Is Santa part of your culture? Is there a similar character in your culture?

Go to the weblink text www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus and read the  different sections to answer these questions:

Read the first section ‘The legend of St. Nicholas’. Answer the following questions, then share the answers with your class:

1. When do people think that St. Nicholas was born? In which modern-day country is his birthplace?
2. For what qualities was St. Nicholas most admired?
3. Was St. Nicholas born into a poor family?
4. Which two groups of people is he particularly associated with?
5. When is his feast day celebrated? What do people think it is lucky to do on that day?
6. Why was the way in which St. Nicholas was regarded in Holland different from other saints?

Read the second and third sections ‘Sinter Klaas comes to New York’ and ‘Shopping mall Santas’. Answer the following questions:

1. How did St. Nicolas first become popular in America?
2. Where did the name Santa Claus come from?
3. As Sinter Klaas’s popularity grew, did people agree about what he looked like?
4. What did the advertisements for shops feature by the 1840s?
5. What happened in 1841?
6. In the early 1890s what did the Salvation Army do to raise money?

Read the fourth section ‘Twas the night before Christmas’. Answer the following questions:

1. What was the poem that became largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus? Why wasn’t its author sure that he wanted to publish it?
2. What, according to the now familiar image of Santa Claus, are his physical characteristics and special powers?
3. What cartoonist drew on Moore’s poem to create the first likeness of our modern day image of Santa?
4. How did the cartoon depict Santa?
5. What new elements did Nast add to the image created by Moore’s poem?

Read the fifth section ‘A Santa by any other name’. What are the names of similar figures all over the world, and what is special about each one? Write down each country, the name of their ‘Santa figure’ and the special features of their celebration.

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD:

Christmas is a global celebration. You have already seen how the legend of Santa Claus varies greatly from country to country. For the following task, you will read about different traditions around the world celebrated at Christmas time.
Take a look at the following traditions. As you read them, try to guess which of the countries in the box below these traditions come from. (Some countries are used more than once!)

El Salvador     United States     Great Britain     Spain     Japan     Venezuela     Canada     Brazil     Denmark     Guatemala     Estonia     Poland     Philippines     Italy     Armenia    Germany     Colombia

Twenty Christmas traditions from around the world (Complete this task in your notebooks):

1. During the Christmas meal, Christmas crackers containing toys, jokes and a paper hat are pulled. ________________
2. A white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries is often consumed. ________________
3. Children put their shoes in the window in the hope that the three wise men will deliver their presents. ________________
4. Christmas carols are heard as early as 1st September. ________________
5. On 6th January, female puppets are burned on a pyre to symbolize the death of the old year and beginning of the new year. ________________
6. They celebrate the Cavalcade of Lights Festival. ________________
7. The Christmas tree usually stands centrally in the home, decorated with ornaments, tinsel and lights, with an angel or star at the top. ________________
8. People dress up in an ornamental hat named a Puritina and dance in a line. ________________
9. Potato salad with frankfurters and wiener sausages is a popular meal in some families. ________________
10. Children take presents of fruits, nuts and other sweets to older relatives. ________________
11. In many cities, and even in small rural towns, neighbourhoods get together and decorate their whole neighbourhood or street, turning streets into ‘tunnels of light’. ________________
12. Neighbourhoods get together for night festivals where children play with skateboards, rollerblades and bicycles. ________________
13. On 6th December, Saint Nicholas puts goodies in children’s shoes. ________________
14. Rice pudding is traditionally served with whipped cream and lashings of black cherry sauce. ________________
15. Electric candles and glowing stars are placed in almost every window during the month of December. ________________
16. A traditional meal includes herring and beetroot soup with ravioli. ________________
17. It is a tradition for children to leave a glass of milk and plate of cookies for Santa. _______________
18. In some cities, judges decide on the most beautifully decorated house. ________________
19. Children are visited by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and must sing songs or recite Christmas poems before they receive their presents. _______________
20. Children celebrate Christmas by playing with firecrackers and sparklers. ________________

Now, visit the following weblink https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_traditions and check your answers. Don’t try to read the whole article from top to bottom; instead, try to find the countries as quickly as you can.

Discussion:

What traditions above are similar to those in your country?

What is your favourite tradition from the list?

What is your favourite tradition from your country?

If you celebrate Christmas, do you think your country is losing any of its Christmas traditions? If so, why?

If you could start a Christmas tradition of your own, what would it be?