Season's greetings

In spite of cutbacks, unemployment, unfair education bills, evictions, poverty, corruption, banks, single currency, bailouts, .. in spite of it all, wishing a merry merry Christmas and a happy New year to you all.

Pictures by @analuisalozano, @fionamau, @harrisonmike, @katysdavies, @mkofab, @naomishema, @pysproblem81, @sandymillin, @seburnt, @SueAnnan, @theteacherjames, Gabriel Díaz Maggoli and myself  taken from eltpics database
Music: Gonna have a party by Saint Etienne

This song is meant to play along with the video Christmas card

"A Swim" by Roald Dahl

Hi guys! Here's my reading proposal for Christmas holidays. It's a short story by British novelist Roald Dahl: A Swim.
If you want to learn more about this great author have a look at his offical website.

Enjoy
You'll find activities we'll be checking out in January after the text.
You'll find this one and other short stories here.

The UK, Great Britain and England

Just wanted to share this cool infographic image that clearly shows the differences between The British Isles, The United Kingdom, Great Britain and England, sometimes fuzzy for foreigners. I hope it helps to make things clearer for you.

             Published by Sala Languages Schools and designed by Twilko

Writing task: describing a scene

Hi again! I hope you like this writing challenge. You'll have to describe the scenes showing up in these pictures (I've added three of them so you can describe as many as you want: just one, two or all the three pictures). Remember the point is writing about what was happening so, make sure you use past continuous and past simple tenses. You must think about what was going on in these scenes, that is, don't tell just what you see, but what you think was happening. Now, let your imagination run wild and get to it!

Scene #1 Having a break

       by @mkofab at eltpics

Scene #2 Nightlife

Scene #3 Waiting for the band to get on stage

Second activity pack

Here's the second activity pack at aulaplaneta.com.
The code you must enter is:

opinions

Watch the photographs copy the sentenses on your notebook, underline the words that are used to espress opinions and translate the snetences into Spanish. Then go to next exercise: drag sentences on the right to match sentences on the left.

Good luck!!

¿Cómo hemos empezado el curso?

Aquí están los gráficos que recogen los datos sobre vuestros hábitos escolares a estas alturas de curso:

Storytelling prompts

Here's the set of images for tomorrow's task. Have a look at them in case you need to look up words in a dictionary. All drawings are by Javier Mariscal taken from cartoon strip Julián, le chien pecheur.

Desbloquear ventanas emergentes

Os enlazo aquí un manual de Aula Planeta en donde se explican los pasos a seguir para que vuestro navegador no bloquee las ventanas emergentes o pop-ups, que era el problema que muchos teníais para realizar las actividades. Espero que os sea de ayuda.

First activity pack

Hi kids!

Here's the first activity pack from www.aulaplaneta.com for you to try out. It's not a long one, just a video and a couple of activities.

This is what you'll have to do:

>> First watch the video. Do it as many times as you want and use subtitles and headlines for a better comprehension. Before you watch the viedo, you'd better look up the meaning of some words in a dictionary  (you can try wordreference).

The most difficult words are:
- torn
- slip
- muddy
- puddle
- branch
- chase

>> Then, move on to the next activity and choose the correct answer according to what you understood about Zac's story.You can listan again to the whole dialogue while doing this excercise.

>> And finally, you'll do a word-search puzzle and find past forms of irregular verbs.

And here's the code to the pack >>>>> pastsimplepack1

Enjoy!!

Haunted Halloween Crossword Key

Hi everyone! Here's the key to the Halloween crossword you started in class:

Across: 1. cobwebs 7. black cat 11. gory 12. skeleton 14. mummy 16. spooky 18. witch 21. rat 22. costumes 24. spider 25. haunted 27. eye 31. goosebumps 32. doors 33. broom 34. garlic 35. odd 38. Halloween 39. boo 40. crow 41. Frankenstein 45. pumpkin 46. October 48. fangs

Down: 1. candy 2. bat 3. silver 4. graveyard 5. skin 6. stormy 8. zombie 9. red 10. vampire 13. footsteps 15. mice 17. pirate 19. clown 20. cauldron 23. sun 26. under 28. blood 29. full moon 30. trick or treat 31. ghost 36. werewolf  37. creeps 42. alien 43. evil 44. scare 47. owl

Reunión con padres y madres

Hoy ha sido la reunión de padres y madres y todo ha ido bastante bien (hasta creo que se han aburrido un poco...). Esta ha sido la presentación en la que me he basado para contarles - sin excesivos detalles - cómo es el centro, tercero y nuestro grupo.

Presentación padres y madres on Prezi

First essay common mistakes & corrections

This document is intended for 2 Bachillerato students. It shows common mistakes found in your first submitted essays, together with corrected alternatives. Hope you find it useful.

English sites and resources

Hi everybody and welcome back! :)
Here's a list of links to English learning sites and resouces for both ESO and Bachillerato students. Enjoy.

Gibraltar Photo Contest

Here's some of the pictures you took during our trips to Gibraltar this year. They're all amazing!


 

And here's the best ones:

Unit 9 key

Hi everybody. I'm sorry we've been in such a hurry lately. Here's the key answers sheet for Unit 9 workbook activities. I hope it is helpful :)


Cheers

¡Gracias!

No tengo palabras, chicos... Gracias a vosotros, sois increíbles, de verdad. Yo también espero que volvamos a estar todos juntos el próximo curso.

Passive voice activities and mini WebQuest

To reach the worksheet follow this LINK

High on London

 This short film was filmed and produced start to finish in 12 hours by Matt Gosden and Rob Rackstraw.

Revisions 1 & 2 Unit 8 - Key

As promised, here's the key to Unit 8 workbook revisions 1 & 2. Enjoy :)

London week 2012-2013 update

Hi kids! Here's the 2012-2013 London Week brochure by Home to Home. Programmes seem to remain the same, that is:
- Active London: Hostel + London guided tours
- London Home: Family stay + London guided tours
- London Home Class: Family stay + London guided tours + classes
Besides, rates have not been raised, either, maybe because of the crisis. So, please, read it carefully before the meeting next Monday and tell your parents about it so they get an idea of what is and what is not included in the trip offer.

Photo Cube

Sólo quería compartir con vosotros una herramienta online que se llama Photo Cube. Si subes una fotografía la transforma en una imagen tridimensional y en movimiento (que se puede controlar con el ratón). Si queréis probar haced click en el enlace que hay bajo el cubo. El código del cubo se puede copiar para que podáis publicar la animación en vuestro propio blog.

$ESO Relative clauses worksheets

Here's a google doc with links to the relative clauses worksheets we'll be using today.
And here's a collective doc where you'll be writing messages about your classmates.

Unit 7: Find out what your mark is!

Hi everyone! Here's the unit 7 test results you've been so long wating for. But this time you'll have earn it, kids. If you want to know your mark you'll have to answer the question proposed. So, enjoy your research!

José	Your mark is a 2009 film by Shane Acker + 0’7
Francisco	Your mark appears in the title of a song by the White Stripes  in their album Elephant + 0,6
Pablo U	Your mark is the number of hills of Rome + 0’9
Miguel	Your mark is the first prime number before 11 + 0,1
Enrique C	Your mark is written 九  in Japanese + 0,7
Irene	Your mark is the number of legs most spiders have + 0,5
Nerea G	Your mark is the number of muses in Greek mythology + 0,3
Natalia	Your mark is the number of furlongs in one mile + 0,1
Samuel	Your mark is the name of a 1995 film starred by Brad Pitt + 0,7
Sheila	Your mark is the result of this equation: 12345679x = 111111111 + 0,1
Adrián	Your mark is the Ramadan month number in the Islamic calendar + 0,2
Andrea	Your mark is the name of Enrique Iglesias’s 2003 album + 0,7
Mª Jesús	Your mark is Beethoven’s symphony completed in 1824 + 0,8
Elena O	Your mark is the number of dwarves appearing in Snow White + 0,2
Fátima	Your mark was the accepted numbers of planets in the Solar System until 2006 + 0,5
Marta	Your mark is the atomic number of oxygen + 0,9
Rocío	Your mark is the atomic number of carbon + 0,2
Elena L	Your mark is the square number of 3 + 0,4
Luis	Your mark is the number appearing in a 1934 novel by Dorothy L.Sayers + 0,1
Carlos	Your mark appears in the English name for El juego del Molino + 0,7
Marina	Your mark is the number of tentacles octopuses have + 0,3
Nerea R	Your mark is the black ball number in billiards
María	Your mark is James Bond secret agent’s number + 0,4
Sergio	Your mark is the number of rings in the Olympic Games symbol + 0,7
Cristina	Your mark is ἐννέα in Greek + 0,8
Paul	Your mark is the fourth prime number + 0,4
Pablo L	Your mark is the number of bits in a byte + 0,7
Mª José	Your mark is the number of Gospels + 0,6

Os salís...

Los chicos y chicas de 2ºA este curso estáis que os salís: haciendo vuestros pinitos con la artesanía y el comercio a través del Proyecto Ícaro (una muestra son los broches que decoran el gato de la foto); integrando la Historia los superhéroes a través del cómic (esa Rebelión de las Alpujarras con Batman incluido...); Carlos y Elena triunfando en la Olimpiada matemática y, ahora, José que se hace con el primer premio provincial Cocacola de relato. ¡Enhorabuena a todo el mundo (sin excepción)!

José me ha dado permiso para reproducir el principio del relato con el que ha conseguido el primer premio en el certamen, así que aquí lo tenéis: así empieza El río de sangre.

"Como los grandes poetas dicen, dijeron y dirán La vida es un río. Y llevaban razón, pero en toda regla siempre hay una excepción...

En aquella oscura tarde, sentado en una piedra, reflexionando sobre mis ideas y pensamientos, encontré la solución a aquella espectacular matanza de ángeles.

Todo comenzó hace más de dos años. La vida en Florencia transcurría de la misma manera: los pintores en sus talleres realizando magníficas obras, los pastores con el ganado, las damas y sus señores... hasta que el 13 de mayo de 1498 ocurrió lo que no debió suceder. Ese año fue especial, la ciudad de las mil maravillas salió de una profunda y asfixiante crisis social y política. Los florentinos ya no sufrían las profundas represalias de las autoridades, ¡eran libres! Sin embargo, toda esa alegría duró muy poco. De repente, en sus vidas y en la mía apareció la figura de una bella pintora conocida como Patricia Rosa. Esta revolucionaria demostró a lo largo de su estancia en Florencia todas sus cualidades y dones. Recreó la misma realidad en sus cuadros, la alegría y el sufrimiento en sus esculturas y demostró su inteligencia y capacidad logística en la arquitectura. Pronto se rodeó de expertos para recibir formación de los hombres que representaban el ideal universal. Pero no tardó mucho en demostrar su falsedad, su filosofía, su visión de los demás. A pesar de sus defectos se convirtió en la mujer más influyente de Italia. 

Unos meses después de que le llegara la fama recorrió toda Europa para visitar a los principales representantes de las artes. No debió ser muy agradable el viaje, ya que al volver me vino a consultarme sobre los temas más diversos y variados. Esto me sorprendió."

José, con sólo 13 años, tiene indudables dotes narrativas - estoy deseando leer la segunda entrega, a ver los líos que monta esta Patricia Rosa - y demuestra un dominio del lenguaje inusual para su edad. Espero que este premio sea un aliciente para que sigas escribiendo, para lo que desde ahora mismo puedes contar con el apoyo de todos tus profes y, estoy seguro, de tus compañeros.

The curse of the mummy [1, 2, 3]

Hi kids. As promised, here's the reading comprehension exercise results. This time you'll have to follow the link to know what your mark is. Please, note that your marks are all out of 26; if you want to know them out ten multiply your mark by ten and then divide it into 26. You'll have to follow the link after your name to get it.

MIGUEL	NEREA G	MARINA	ELENA L
SERGIO	NATALIA	NEREA R	MARTA
PAUL	JESÚS	CRISTINA	FATIMA
PABLO L	SAMUEL	MARIA	PABLO U
CARLOS	JOSE	FRANCIS	ELENA O
ANDREA	ROCIO	ADRIAN	LUIS
MªJESUS	ENRIQUE	IRENE	SHEILA

World of Warcraft on Prezi

Los alumnos de 4ºESO están empezando a hacer presentaciones usando Prezi. Todas las de esta mañana han sido estupendas y ahí va una muestra: World of Warcraft y juegos de rol según Juan Diego Peláez.

Juegos de rol on Prezi

Google Docs

Here's the link to the Doc with links to today's activities
GOOGLE DOC
Thanks

Map of Gibraltar

Hi. If you want to know what the city is like, here's a printable tourist map of Gibraltar, and a digital one with POIs. Getting ready?

Gibraltar

As you all porbably know by now, we're setting off for Gibraltar on a one-day-trip next Friday. We're all getting somewhat excited about it, including myself. We'll be talking about our destination next week, but, before classroom discussion here's some tips for you to bear in mind during our journey:

ID Cards

It is very IMPORTANT that you take your ID with you at all times. The ID cards and licenses stamped by the Civil Guard are required to enter Gibraltar, so everyone will be checked when leaving Martos. Students who do not carry documentation may not board the bus. It is also advisable to check the validity of ID cards.

Socializing

Hopefully, you'll practise your English in Gibraltar by getting in touch with a community of English speakers (well, actually bilingual), so, you all will be encouraged to interact with the native population. So, kids, be gentle and, kind and always observe standards of education appropriate to the context. I'm sure there'll be no problem at all on this respect.

Money

The legal tender in Gibraltar is the Gibraltar pound (1GIP = 1.19€), but most shops and restaurants will accept euros. Don't bring too much money (cable car tickets are aleady fixed and going shopping in Gibraltar can be very expensive).

Food

Even though we'll be stopping for breakfast and dinner while traveling forth and back , I recommend you to carry food and drink in your backpacks. For lunch, there are several fast food (hamburger, pizza) in town.

Clothes

The weather on Friday is expected to be warm and sunny and we're going to be walking for quite a long time, so wear light and comfortable clothes and footwear, and maybe a jacket. Avoid tracksuits, please, we're not playing football there.

Monkeys

In Gibraltar there is a large population of monkeys, which are WILD ANIMALS. They may attack if they feel disturbed, so we should not approach them or intimidate them. Even giving them food is forbidden: the fine for providing food to the monkeys is 500 pounds.

And, well I think that's enough , so far. If you want further information about Gibraltar you can check this website: www.gibraltarinfo.gi

See you on Monday!!

2º A Unit 5

Awesome results this time!! Congratulations!

#	Mark	#	Mark
1	9,3	17	8,9
2	9,8	18	9,2
3	5	19	NP
4	5,1	20	7,4
5	10	21	3,2
6	9,4	22	9,8
7	9,4	23	9,5
8	9,8	24	9,8
9	7	25	9,3
10	9,3	26	5,9
11	8,4	27	8,5
12	8,3	28	9,2
13	5,7	29	5,4
14	9,5	30	9,2
15	8,8	31	8,3
16	9	32