GEOTAGGING: GET TO KNOW IRELAND

Hi to everybody,

I hope you like Ireland as much as me, it is a magic country full of legends and a deep history behind. Its landscapes are stunning: rivers, green neverending fields and amazing cliffs. Irish people are kind and welcoming and its environment is fairly well protected. I was living there for a year and a half and it was one of the greatest times in my life!

As a class activity, you will have to do some research about the country (in pairs) after clicking on the tags on the map provided to get some knowledge about it. As you will see, Ireland's main's cities are Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast, Derry and Dublin. I have included many places to visit, but you will have to include 3 more tags on those cities featuring places of interest. Those places can be museums, harbours, pubs, restaurants or even hotels.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?

1. Each pair of students will have to choose one of the Irish cities mentioned above and create a tourist guide on a mural with its main interests.

2. Include the map which with three more tags in each city will have to be uploaded on your own blogs. You will perform an oral presentation in front of the class that will count as the speaking mark for the term.

Hope you enjoy it! Here's the map:

Map or Ireland


Ver Trip to the Emerald Island en un mapa más grande

MY WIKI

I've always liked music in general. When I was a child I used to translate all the lyrics from my favourite songs, that is why now I enjoy using songs from good music bands in my English lessons. I consider music as something amusing from which we can actually learn lot. When we listen to songs we like in a foreign language, we want to know what they are talking about in order to feel identified with them. That's what we are all going to do in this Wiki, listen, enjoy and interpret the meanings of our favourite songs.

OUTLINE
- We will listen to a song on the youtube link provided.
- There will be an activity based on fill in the gaps (lyrics of the song) or translation.
- You will have to answer to some questios reated to the song.
- All of you will hae o come up wiith your own interpretation of the song after studying what the lyrics say.
- We will then listen, rehearse it and sing it in class.
- In the future everybody will have to provide a song and work with it

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

- The fill in te gaps or paragraph translation activity should be fully completed.
- The questions should be answered with accurate language, respecting the subject-verb-complements structure.
- All students need to participate and explain their own interpretation of the song.
- The final project consists on providing a song and work on it in a way the rest of the class can comment about the song too. This will be an important part of the grade.


http://tanaitori.wikispaces.com/

PODCAST

EVELINE, by James Joyce



I am going to read my favourite short story by James Joyce, Eveline. This is about a girl that is unable to change her life in order to feel complete and achieve happiness. She refuses to jump on a train to live with a man that she really loves just for the sake of keeping a promise to her family. This short story reflects about the state of paralysis that, according to James Joyce, many Dublin citizens lived at that time: the religious and family pressure put on individuals.

I really like this short story, I bought the book when I was studying in Cork, Ireland and it made me think about the advantages and disadvantages of living in the Irish society of those times. It explores freedom of human beings that are trapped in a society that denies it.


QUESTIONS:

1. Do you think Eveline's father was nice to her all the time? Justify your answer according to what she says.

2. What happened to her mother at the very end of her life? Was she a happy woman?

3. Who is Frank in the story?

4. What was Eveline's promise to her mother?

5. What happens at the end?

6. Explore Eveline's final decision. Will she be able to become happy?

http://patfor3.posterous.com/podcast-1507

http://www.patfor3.posterous.com

TREASURE HUNT

SEA WARRIORS



Have you ever thought of somebody who really cares about endangered animals and is capable of risking his own life in order to save them? Have a look at this video of the Sea Shepherd Paul Watson, a real environmentalist willing to protect sea wildlife.



QUESTIONS:

1. What is the Sea Shepherd organization?
2. According to the TV presenter, what three things has captain Watson tried to fight against in the last thirty years?
3. What is a sea sanctuary?
4. Which animals does Paul Watson focuse on and tries to protect? You can check other videos related on youtube.
5. What does Paul Watson say to the Oriental Blue Bird ship when its crew is trying to fish in the protected area?
6. Which environmental organization does Paul want to contribute with the Sea Shepherd project? Why?
7. Mention 3 marine animals in danger of extinction and other 3 animals that live in the rainforests.
8. Do you think we all should be more conecerned about endangered animals?

BIG QUESTION:

How do you think we should all contribute to the protection of sea wildlife? Do you think governments can do something to avoid illegal hunting? Give your reasons to justify your answer.

LINKS

www.greenpeace.org
www.youtube.com
www.wwf.org.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3z9zMAxo3o&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLAlljaS_40&NR=1
http://www.animalssavetheplanet.com/

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Students should answer the questions properly, making an appropiate use of grammar and syntax.
Students have to show interest towards the given topic, checking the websites provided.
Some answers to the questions are not on the video, so students need to check other resources.

FINAL PROJECT

They have to prepare a powerpoint presentation in groups of 4 or 5, prepare an oral presentation and record it so the rest of the class can see it. They upload it on the blog and make comments of the other groups' projects.

MY ALTER EGO

As you can see, I really like this song by David Bowie, I just think he is a genious, my real alter ego. The lyrics of this song make me think about the nature of life and love...For me, it is actually a celebration of love in many ways, no matter the age, the cultural background or the economical differences...does it sound too romantic? I guess it does, but I really believe many people can feel transported when they listen to this song. It could also be a good song to work in class, for the lyrics are not complicated at all for ESO students. So listen and relax...

ME AS A TEACHER

I know it looks like a travel agency ad, but I wanted to upload this image since Ireland meant the turning point for me before becoming a teacher. I studied and worked there for a while and I like to comment on the various cultures from the English speaking countries, specially the Irish one when teaching my students.

Apart from teaching English as a language, it is interesting for me to mention the cultural context, providing activities that help students to know a little bit about the English, Irish, American culture so that they can feel identified with the native English speakers.

Technology plays an important role in my teaching, even though I am still learning on new resources to introduce variety in my lessons. Up to know I have used some websites to learn English, some video recordings about oral presentations as well as DVD movies or youtube videoclips from music bands. That's all for now. I am willing to create my own blog and introduce different activities so my students get a nice kick from learning English.