Christmas Pantomimes

Pantomime (informally, panto) is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom. Traditionally performed at Christmas, with family audiences, British pantomime is now a popular form of theatre, incorporating song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick, cross-dressing, in-jokes, topical references, audience participation, and mild sexual innuendo.
Panto story lines and scripts usually make no direct reference to Christmas, and are almost always based on traditional children's stories, including fairy tales and tales from the Arabian Nights.While the familiarity of the audience with the original story is generally assumed, plot lines are almost always 'adapted' for comic or satirical effect, it being common for characters and situations from other stories to be interpolated into the plot.
The form has a number of conventions, some of which have changed or weakened a little over the years, and by no means all of which are obligatory. Some of these conventions were once common to other genres of popular theatre such as melodrama.

• The leading male juvenile character (the principal boy) - is traditionally played by a young woman, and usually in tight-fitting male garments (such as breeches) that make her female charms evident.
• An older woman (the pantomime dame - often the hero's mother) is usually played by a man in drag.
• Risqué double entendre, often wringing innuendo out of perfectly innocent phrases. This is, in theory, over the heads of the children in the audience.
• Audience participation, including calls of "He's behind you!" (or "Look behind you!"), and "Oh, yes it is!" and "Oh, no it isn't!" The audience is always encouraged to boo the villain and "awwwww" the poor victims, such as the rejected dame, who usually fancies the prince.
• A song combining a well-known tune with re-written lyrics. The audience is encouraged to sing the song; often one half of the audience is challenged to sing 'their' chorus louder than the other half.
• The animal, played by an actor in 'animal skin' or animal costume. It is often a pantomime horse or cow, played by two actors in a single costume, one as the head and front legs, the other as the body and back legs.
• The good fairy always enters from right side of the stage (from the audience's viewpoint) and the evil villain enters from the left. In the medieval mystery plays the right side of the stage symbolised Heaven and the left side symbolised Hell.
• Sometimes the story villain will squirt members of the audience with water guns or pretend to throw a bucket of 'water' at the audience that is actually full of streamers.
• The Chorus, who can be considered extras on-stage, and often appear in multiple scenes (but as different characters) and who perform a variety of songs and dances throughout the show. Due to their multiple roles they may have as much stage-time as the lead characters themselves.

This is what a pantomime show looks like: This is the beginning of the panto Aladdin.
 

I wish you all a happy holiday and an even happier 2011!!

Although Christmas isn't my favourite holiday at all (I find it sad, too materialistic and cruelly discriminatory) I want to wish you all the best and here's a nice traditional carol for you to LEARN!!:

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a cumulative song, meaning that each verse is built on top of the previous verses. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas.
The first verse runs:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave/sent to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

The second verse:

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave/sent to me...

2 Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

The third verse begins to show some metrical variance, as explained below:

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave/sent to me...

3 French Hens

2 Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

...and so forth, until the last verse:

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

12 Drummers Drumming

11 Pipers Piping

10 Lords-a-Leaping

9 Ladies Dancing

8 Maids-a-Milking

7 Swans-a-Swimming

6 Geese-a-Laying

5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds

3 French Hens

2 Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

There are many variations of this song in which the last four objects are arranged in a different order. 

I'm thinking of recording you singing it for posterity but don't panic, you can't do worse than the Youtube Community Choir:

A very interesting tradition in English speaking countries is the way they celebrate the coming of the new year. Instead of eating the twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight they kiss their loved ones a happy new year and sing Auld Lang Syne.
Auld Lang Syne is a poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns and set to the tune of a traditional folk song.  "For auld lang syne" can be translated as "for (the sake of) old times". Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (and other Britons) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.
Though you have here the full version of the song, people usually sing only the first verse and the chorus.

The right lyrics to Firework

I'm posting the official lyrics to the song Firework as seen on a video preview posted on Katy Perry's Youtube channel: You'll see that the ones I gave you today (3B) are not right :( so please take note:



And now, to celebrate the coming holidays, the official video:

The Guardian's Short Stories Podcast Series

I want to recommend to you The Guardian's short stories podcast, in which leading authors - including Jonathan Franzen, Margaret Drabble, Julian Barnes and Helen Simpson - pick their favourite short story by another writer, from Raymond Carver to Angela Carter. It runs each day until Christmas and it started today with Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials) reading "The Beauties" by Anton Chekhov.

Here's the text and Here you have the link to the podcast. Enjoy!

The complete list of stories (just go to guardian.co.uk to listen to them):
Philip Pullman The Beauties, by Anton Chekhov (Saturday December 11)
Willliam Boyd My Dream of Flying to Wake Island, by JG Ballard (Sunday 12 December) HERE
Anne Enright Fat, by Raymond Carver (Monday 13 December) HERE
Colm Tóibín Music at Annahullion, by Eugene McCabe (Tuesday 14 December)
Margaret Drabble The Doll's House, by Katherine Mansfield (Wednesday 15 December)
Jeanette Winterson The Night Driver, by Italo Calvino (Thursday 16 December)
Rose Tremain Extra, by Yiyun Li (Friday 17 December)
Julian Barnes Homage to Switzerland, by Ernest Hemingway (Saturday 18 December)
Tessa Hadley The Jungle, by Elizabeth Bowen (Sunday 19 December)
Helen Dunmore My Oedipus Complex, by Frank O'Connor (Monday 20 December)
Ali Smith Conversation with My Father, by Grace Paley (Tuesday 21 December)
Helen Simpson The Kitchen Child, by Angela Carter (Wednesday 22 December)

Human Rights Day

^{Tomorrow, December 10th, is Human Rights Day and I thought I should post something about it, if only as a reminder of what still is just a dream to many people in the world. Just the other day I heard that Spain has one of the highest rates of children living in poverty in Europe.Public spending on the family and children is also amongst the lowest of the world's richest countries.That makes you think, doesn't it?}

A summary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1. Everyone is free and we should all be treated in the same way.
2. Everyone is equal despite differences in skin colour, sex, religion, language for example.
3. Everyone has the right to life and to live in freedom and safety.
4. No one has the right to treat you as a slave nor should you make anyone your slave.
5. No one has the right to hurt you or to torture you.
6. Everyone has the right to be treated equally by the law.
7. The law is the same for everyone, it should be applied in the same way to all.
8. Everyone has the right to ask for legal help when their rights are not respected.
9. No one has the right to imprison you unjustly or expel you from your own country.
10. Everyone has the right to a fair and public trial.
11. Everyone should be considered innocent until guilt is proved.
12. Every one has the right to ask for help if someone tries to harm you, but no-one can enter your home, open your letters or bother you or your family without a good reason.
13. Everyone has the right to travel as they wish.
14. Everyone has the right to go to another country and ask for protection if they are being persecuted or are in danger of being persecuted.
15. Everyone has the right to belong to a country. No one has the right to prevent you from belonging to another country if you wish to.
16. Everyone has the right to marry and have a family.
17. Everyone has the right to own property and possessions.
18. Everyone has the right to practise and observe all aspects of their own religion and change their religion if they want to.
19. Everyone has the right to say what they think and to give and receive information.
20. Everyone has the right to take part in meetings and to join associations in a peaceful way.
21. Everyone has the right to help choose and take part in the government of their country.
22. Everyone has the right to social security and to opportunities to develop their skills.
23. Everyone has the right to work for a fair wage in a safe environment and to join a trade union.
24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure.
25. Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living and medical help if they are ill.
26. Everyone has the right to go to school.
27. Everyone has the right to share in their community's cultural life.
28. Everyone must respect the 'social order' that is necessary for all these rights to be available.
29. Everyone must respect the rights of others, the community and public property.
30. No one has the right to take away any of the rights in this declaration.

- [Source: hrea.org]

Cultivating a Realistic Body Image

The next time you can spare a minute, have a look in the mirror. What do you see staring back at you? How would you describe yourself? How do you perceive your body? This perception is your body image, or what you think you see in the mirror.
Unfortunately a person's body image is often very different from their actual body. It is this distortion, this negative body image, that often pushes people to their limit trying to change what isn't actually there. Rather than fight with this phantom image, cultivate a realistic body image based on what your body can do, and how you feel, rather than how you think your body looks.

The Basis for Your Body Image

Many young people base their body image on what they see in the media. Young women want to be thin and willowy, and young men want bulging biceps and washboard abs. Yet what is wandering onto our TV and cinema screens, and popping up in our magazines and websites, are the exceptions rather than the rule. In reality, base your body image on:

• Medically accepted standards, such as a total body fat percentage of under 30% for women and 25% for men, or by calculating your body mass index, a ratio of your weight to your height, to see if it is in the normal weight range of under 25.
• How you feel. When your body feels healthy and strong, then your body image should be as well.
• Respect for yourself. Don't compare yourself to supermodels or celebrities, or even to your friends who have naturally different body shapes. Respect your shape and enjoy yourself.
• Your body! Don't let your emotions get in the way of what you see in the mirror.

Changing a Negative Body Image

It's likely that if you sneak a quick peek in the mirror, you'll have at least one criticism of your body. We live in a society fixated on weight, beauty and fashion, and even the most confident of us will feel down at some time or another. If you find yourself fearful of your reflection, you must take measures to change this before you wind up miserable.

• Participate in a favourite activity. When you use your body, you're more likely to respect it.
• Walk to the shops. Remind yourself that you rely on your body and should treat it accordingly.
• Organise a balanced, healthy diet. Your body can only feel as good as what you put into it, so make sure your fuel is fresh and healthy.
• Quit smoking, drinking and/or taking drugs. Unhealthy chemicals will only make you feel slow and bloated.
• Plan, and execute, a new exercise regime with a professional. If you feel unhappy in your own skin, take measures to change the situation but only with the advice of a professional.
• Seek therapy. If you lead a healthy life and your body fat and body mass index are both in the normal ranges, then your negative perception is likely only in your mind. Talk it out with a professional and explore why you feel the way you do.

Body image is a tricky subject. Most of us know in the back of our minds that we need our bodies to be fit and healthy, but if we're honest we'll also admit that we want them to look well and be the perfect peg for designer clothes while we're at it. Rather than letting these unrealistic goals fester, focus on living healthily and enjoying the results!

[Source: Teen Issues]

Watch the following video by body image expert Dr. Robyn Silverman on that same topic. You may realise you're better looking than you think. You are beautiful and loved!




And now go on and watch Christina Aguilera's video for her song  Beautiful : You are beautiful in every single way!

WORLD AIDS DAY

Tomorrow is World Aids Day and I'll be wearing a Red Ribbon, will you?
Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. The World AIDS Day theme for 2010 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.
According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.3 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. During 2009 some 2.6 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 1.8 million people died from AIDS.
The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

Find out more by visiting the World AIDS Day campaign page.

Slang: American vs British

This is a very funny video of Hugh Laurie (Dr House, An American doctor played by a British actor) at Ellen's Show (an American Comedian and TV Host) where they test each other on slang terms from their own countries. I hope you find it as amusing as I did. Enjoy!

THE BRITISH LIBRARY: UK ACCENTS

The British Library has really interesting websites, very useful to those who, like me, love the English language. You can try the learning website first and go on from there. I've chosen one about accents and dialects as we talked about this last Friday in the Bilingual group:

Sounds Familiar?

Travel through the country in this website by the British Library Online, and discover the UK’s rich landscape of diverse accents and dialects.

 The UK is a rich landscape of regional accents and dialects, each evidence of society’ s continuity and change, local history and day-to-day lives. This site captures and celebrates the diversity of spoken English in the second half of the twentieth century.

25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

  Officially recognised by the United Nations since 1999, when it declared 25th November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, White Ribbon Day first originated in 1960.  It was on this day, 49 years ago, that three sisters in the Dominican Republic, all political activists and campaigners for equal rights, were murdered by people working for the fascist government they opposed.  Since then the sisters – Patria, Maria and Minerva Mirabel – have become symbols of dignity and inspiration around the world:
July 1981
Women from across Latin America came together in Columbia. Appalled by the extent and diversity of violence against women, they agreed to hold an annual day of protest, and they decided to adopt 25th November as the date for this International Day Against Violence Against Women in memory of the Mirabel sisters.
1991
The first White Ribbon Campaign was launched by a group of men in Canada after the brutal mass shooting of 14 female students at the University of Montreal.
1996
In South Africa the National Network on Violence Against Women launched their own White Ribbon Campaign and many South African womens groups quickly adopted the White Ribbon symbol.
1998
WOMANKIND launched the first White Ribbon Day in the UK.
1999
The UN officially recognised 25th November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The White Ribbon is a symbol of hope for a world where women and girls can live free from the fear of violence. Wearing the ribbon is about challenging the acceptability of violence by getting men involved, helping women to break the silence, and encouraging everyone to come together to build a better world for all.

Source: http://www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk/FAQs

Black Friday

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, when Christmas shopping season begins.   Black Friday, as a term, originated in Philadelphia in the 60s to refer to the traffic associated with the biggest shopping day of the year.

This is how Black Friday works.  Retailers distribute ads in Thanksgiving newspapers of crazy deals.  You have to arrive sometimes between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM to take advantage of the specials.  They’re often called “doorbusters”.  These sales are so cheap, the companies are either losing money or making practically nothing on every sale.

These sales are known as “loss leaders”.  They are designed to get your attention and get you into the store. Odds are you’ll have your eyes set on one item and when you get to the store it’s sold out.  These items are often in very limited quantities.  But you’re already at the store with a shopping list so you’re going to buy everything else you had to buy that day.

One way or another, they will get money out of you. 

The Toys R Us Black Friday ad

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States today. It is celebrated on the last thursday of November (25 Nov this year). No matter what Americans are giving thanks for , it’s a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends, share stories and relax.
More about thanksgiving at history.com

How to make an oral presentation

Oral Presentations: Basics

The Big Rule: Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.
In other words, your presentation should have three parts: an introduction, body, and conclusion. Let's look at these three parts and see what you should include in each.

The Introduction
The purpose of the introduction is not only to introduce your topic, but also to interest your audience in the topic.

1. Grab the audience's attention by somehow involving them in your topic. You can do this by asking a question, offering an interesting fact, using a quotation or telling a short story. (The question "How many people here have a home computer?" is a lot more interesting than "Today I'm going to tell you about the Internet.")
2. You should preview the content of your presentation by offering a brief outline of what you will be discussing. You may also want to include why you choose this topic to present on.

The Body
The body of your presentation should support your introduction by offering facts, opinions, and reasons to support your topic. It should contain at least three ideas with supporting details to illustrate your point.

The Conclusion
The conclusion should restate the main points without giving examples. Think of it as a brief summary which emphasizes what you want the audience to remember. You can finish with a recommendation, a personal thought, an observation, or a question. Your closing statement (the last statement) should pull your presentation together.

Some tips:

1. Write notes based on keywords.
2. Rehearse your presentation several times and modify it as necessary.
3. Make use of  visual aids.
4. Use clear, simple language.
5. Use active verbs and concrete facts.
6. Explain the structure of your presentation at the beginning so that your listeners know what to expect.
7. Establish audience rapport.

The song I Got Love by the King Blues was featured in the programme we watched in class, My School Prom. I'm posting it here because I really like it and I thought you may like it too. Also, I love the (working class) London accent: pay attention to it.

Here's the lyrics to the song:

Well I'm gonna dance like nobody's watchin
I'm gonna sing like no-one's listenin
I'm gonna kiss you like we're all alone
Cause this world is ours
We're the have not but the have all's
At twice the speed of lightning I travel.
Through the universe i will runt
to write your name in the stars.
Cos some truths will last forever.
Music can bring the world together
I got life man, I will use it til they lay me down to rest
So let’s party in the supermarkets
Move to the rhythm of my heartbeat
I’ll take my tie right off my neck
and wear it tied up round my head

Chorus
I got love, I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go
I got love, I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go

Mountains crumble as I pass
This life’s too beautiful to last
I feel a spirit rise inside me
Something’s happening in the air,
With my feet right on the ground
And my head up in the clouds
We are one people, we are equal
You are wonderful and rare

Chorus
I got love, I got so much love,
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go
I got love, I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go

Though we try so hard, they disdain us
But these walls they can’t contain us

I laugh right in the face of death,
I’ll fight this fight til my last breath,
For the frightened fall as often yet far closer than the brave,
We only got one life, let’s use it,
You can’t stop the movement,
So choke on that, you can quote that
You can write it on my grave,

"I got love", I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go
I got love I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go
I got love I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go
I got love, I got so much love
Love in my heart and this feeling I can’t let it go

UK education system

There are 4 stages to the UK education system. Students are assessed at the end of each stage:
The first significant assessment occurs at the end of Secondary level with GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Students are then able to progress to Sixth Form. On completion of their Sixth Form studies, most students can progress straight to University.

Secondary Education

UK students usually begin a 2-year GCSE programme at age 14, with exams that test knowledge and skill. In secondary schools, GCSE courses are taken in a variety of subjects, which are usually decided by the students themselves in Year 9 (age 14). Typically, study of chosen subjects begins at the start of Year 10 (age 15), and final examinations are then taken at the end of Year 11 (age 16). The number of subjects a student studies at GCSE level can vary. Usually somewhere between eight and ten subjects are studied, though it is not uncommon for more, or fewer, subjects to be studied. Virtually all students take GCSEs in English, mathematics and science. In many subjects, there are two different 'tiers' of examination offered:

• Higher, where students can achieve grades A*–D
• Foundation, where they can achieve grades C–G

Further education

Receiving five or more A*–C grades, including English and Maths, is often a requirement for taking A-levels in the school sixth form, at a sixth form college or at a further education college after leaving secondary school. An A-level consists of six modules studied over two years. Normally, three modules are assessed at the end of the first year, and make up a stand-alone qualification called the "AS-level". Another three modules are assessed at the end of the second year, which make up the "A2". A2 modules do not form a qualification in their own right; the satisfactory completion of the AS and A2 modules in the same subject is required to constitute a complete A-level.
Modules are assessed by exam papers marked by national organisations and internally-assessed coursework. The number of A-level exams taken by students can vary. A typical route is to study four subjects at AS-level and then drop down to three at A2 level, although some students continue with their fourth subject. Three is usually the minimum number of A-levels required for university entrance, with some universities specifying the need for a fourth AS subject.

University admissions

Because A-level students often apply to universities before they have taken their final exams, British universities consider predicted A-level results when deciding whether applicants should be offered places. The predictions are made by students' teachers and can be unreliable. Thus, the acceptance of a student onto a course will normally be conditional on him or her actually achieving a minimum set of grades (for example, conditional offer of three A-levels at grades B-B-C). Universities may specify which subjects they wish these grades to be in (for example, conditional offer of grades A-A-B with a grade A in Mathematics).

LIST OF GCSE SUBJECTS
LIST OF ADVANCED LEVEL SUBJECTS

VETERANS DAY

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington D.C.

I have already written about Remembrance Day in the UK (see Nov 7 post). In the USA today they also celebrate the end of the Great War and the Armistice, but there it's called Veterans Day.
Veterans Day originated as "Armistice Day" on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day--a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans--living or dead--but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

Veterans Facts

The brave men and women who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life; they are parents, children and grandparents. They are friends, neighbors and coworkers, and an important part of their communities. Here are some facts about the current veteran population of the United States.

• 9.2 million veterans are over the age of 65.
• 1.9 million veterans are under the age of 35.
• 1.8 million veterans are women.
• 7.8 million veterans served during the Vietnam War era (1964-1975), which represents 33% of all living veterans.
• 5.2 million veterans served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present).
• 2.6 million veterans served during World War II (1941-1945).
• 2.8 million veterans served during the Korean War (1950-1953).
• 6 million veterans served in peacetime.
• As of 2008, 2.9 million veterans received compensation for service-connected disabilities.
• 5 states have more than 1 million veterans in among their population: California (2.1 million), Florida (1.7 million), Texas (1.7 million), New York (1 million) and Pennsylvania (1 million).
• The VA health care system had 54 hospitals in 1930, since then it has expanded to include 171 medical centers; more than 350 outpatient, community, and outreach clinics; 126 nursing home care units; and 35 live-in care facilities for injured or disabled vets.

HIGH SCHOOL TRADITIONS

 Homecoming is a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America. It usually includes activities for students and alumni, such as sports and culture events and a parade through the streets of the city or town.

 Homecoming is an annual tradition of the United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents and alumni. When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game played on a school's home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school's marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen (and at many schools, a Homecoming King). A dance commonly follows the game. 
The Homecoming Dance – usually the culminating event of the week  – is a formal or informal event, either at the school or an off-campus location. The venue is decorated, and either a disc jockey or band is hired to play music. In many ways, it is a fall prom. Homecoming dances could be informal as well just like standard school dances. At high schools, the homecoming dances are sometimes held in the high school gymnasium or outside in a large field. Students generally compete by grade level in events such as the spirit days and parade floats.  Sometimes on coronation night, some schools have games that they play between classes.

PROM

In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal (black tie) dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of junior and/or senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students. High school juniors attending the prom may call it Junior Prom while high school seniors may call it Senior Prom. In practice this may be a combined junior/senior dance.
At prom, a Prom Queen and Prom King may be revealed.  Prom Queen and Prom King are honorary titles awarded to students chosen in a school-wide vote prior to the prom.

Boys usually dress in black or white formal wear, regardless of the time of the event, sometimes paired with brightly colored ties or bow-ties with vests.
Girls wear traditional dresses.

Traditionally girls will also wear a corsage, given to them by their dates, and girls give boys matching boutonnières to be worn on their lapel.

Prom attendees may be limited by their schools to be Juniors or Seniors and if guests, under age 21. Before Prom, girls will typically get their hair styled, often in groups as a social activity at a salon. Prom dates will then gather at their own and their date's houses for photographs. Prom attendees may rent limousines to transport groups of friends from their homes to the Prom venue: a banquet hall or school gymnasium. At Prom, a meal may be served. The dance itself may have a band or DJ.

YEARBOOKS

A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. High school yearbooks generally cover a wide variety of topics from academics, student life, sports and other major school events. Generally, each student is pictured with their class and each school organization is usually pictured.
On this page, you can find lots of old school yearbooks.

Poppy Day

Poppy Day - Remembrance Day - is the day when the dead of two World Wars and other armed conflicts are remembered in the UK. The Armistice at the end of the First World War of 1914 - 1918 was signed on November 11th at precisely 11 am - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For this reason, Remembrance Day is on the 11th of November each year although church services and many parades are held on the Sunday nearest that date - in 2010 this will be on 14th November.

A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Queen lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph.

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy. They are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans. 
A poem called 'For the Fallen' is often read aloud during the ceremony; the most famous stanza of which reads:

 Fourth stanza of 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943)
You can read the whole poem here
Or you can listen to it

17 year old Crawford McInally-Kier is (or was, as this video is dated last year) a pupil at Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow. His great-great-grandfather served with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, and died during the First World War, leaving behind a wife and six month old daughter.

Crawford admits that Remembrance Day was a difficult and rather distant concept for him until he visited the war cemeteries and memorials in Flanders. In this video, Crawford tells how his visit changed the way he views Remembrance Day. 

Why should young people mark Remembrance Day? - November 2009 from War Graves Commission on Vimeo.

Bonfire Night (aka Guy Fawkes Day)

Alan Moore’s V For Vendetta

Over four hundred years ago, in 1605, a man called Guy Fawkes and a group of plotters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London with barrels of gunpowder placed in the basement. They wanted to kill King James and the king’s leaders. 

Why did Guy Fawkes want to kill King James 1st and the king’s leaders?

When Queen Elizabeth 1st took the throne of England she made some laws against the Roman Catholics. Guy Fawkes was one of a small group of Catholics who felt that the government was treating Roman Catholics unfairly. They hoped that King James 1st would change the laws, but he didn't.

Catholics had to practise their religion in secret. There were even fines for people who didn't attend the Protestant church on Sunday or on holy days. James lst passed more laws against the Catholics when he became king.

What happened - the Gungpowder Plot

A group of men led by Robert Catesby, plotted to kill King James and blow up the Houses of Parliament, the place where the laws that governed England were made. The plot was simple - the next time Parliament was opened by King James l, they would blow up everyone there with gunpowder. The men bought a house next door to the parliament building. The house had a cellar which went under the parliament building. They planned to put gunpowder under the house and blow up parliament and the king.

In celebration of his survival, King James ordered that the people of England should have a great bonfire on the night on 5^th November. The event is still commemorated annually in England on 5^th November by fireworks and burning ‘guys’ (effigies) on bonfires. 

Crime Does Not Pay (True Crimes Comics)

Here' a very popular nursery rhyme that refers to that event in history:

"Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, twas his intent
To blow up King and Parli’ment.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England’s overthrow.
By God’s mercy he was catched
With a dark lantern and lighted match.
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King."

An Autumn Traditional Game: CONKERS

This is a very good article by Sharon Jacobsen about a traditional game usually played in Autumn. I thought that maybe we could give it a try:
 
In an age where children spend a huge percentage of their free time playing with expensive computer games, it's nice to know that some old-fashioned games are still being played outdoors and cost absolutely nothing.

During the fall, wherever you find horse chestnut trees you'll find children playing conkers. It's a game that was enjoyed by their parents, their grandparents, and even their great grandparents and, hopefully, their own children will one day enjoy it, too.

What is A Conker? 

A conker is a hard brown nut that's encapsulated in a green, prickly case produced by the Horse Chestnut tree. The cases fall from trees when they're ripe and can easily be collected from the ground.

In contrast to the nuts produced by the Sweet Chestnut tree, conkers are NOT to be eaten by humans.

Choosing A Conker

If you're serious about your game, choose your conkers carefully. The best ones are symmetrical in form, firm to the touch and should be uncracked.

Use the water test. If a conker is damaged inside it will float in water so this is a good way of testing the density of your nut. Floaters should be discarded while those that sink to the bottom will be the hardest and the best.

Preparing A Conker for Play

Make a hole through the middle of your conker, going from the dull area at the top and down through the bottom. A thin skewer or hand-drill is useful for this.

Choose string that doesn't break easily and thread a length about 12 inches long through the hole and tie a knot at one end to stop it from pulling through.

There are several ways to make your conkers harder, including:

Bake the conker in the oven on a low heat for 30 minutes
Soak the conker in vinegar overnight
Put conkers away to use the following year (they harden with age).

How To Play Conkers 

Two players are needed, each with a conker of his own. Each player holds his conker from the string and attempts to hit the opposing conker.

If your conker is the one being hit, you should let it hang down with the string wrapped around two or three fingers to secure it - you don't want your conker flying off when it's hit! It's up to your opponent to decide how high your conker should be held and it's important it's held still.

If you're the striker, you should wrap the string around your hand in the same way as you would if your conker was being hit. You should then take the conker in your other hand and draw it back, ready to strike. As you release the conker, you should swing it down and try to hit your opponent's conker. If you're successful, this is called a strike. If you miss, you're allowed two more goes before swapping positions.

If, when making a shot, the strings tangle together, the first player to call "strings" is awarded an extra shot.

If a player drops his conker or has it knocked out of his hand, the opposing player can call "stamps" and jump on it. End of one conker! However, if the owner calls "no stamps" first, the conker is safe (unless it smashed when it hit the ground, of course).

The game continues until one conker is completely destroyed; the one with the remaining conker is the winner.

Good luck!   


This is a link to an article on Today's Telegraph about the game and how far people would go over students' safety.

Halloween

Yes, I know this is too big!

I was going to write a few things about Halloween but then Martina Cabrera did a very good job of it on her blog so I'm just going to link to it (with her permission) so you can see for yourselves. There are very interesting facts about Halloween I bet you didn't know.
Here's her post on Halloween
Another interesting link:
Halloween at the history channel

Do you remember I told you about a Film entitled The Rocky Horror Picture Show? and that there is a scene in Fame, a movie you saw last year, where they dance to one of the songs? Well, that song is Time Warp and Here's a great link where they use the song (and video) to teach English. Enjoy!

Time Warp (Rocky Horror Picture Show) at the Multimedia English Classroom

 Here's the Glee version, I think you may like it. I don't care much for it though (too soft), I much prefer the original. Judge for yourselves, What do you think?

This post is to apologize to those of you who are still waiting for my reply to your e-mails: I've been pretty busy these past few days but I will get to it tomorrow, even if I have to stay in all weekend :(

Leif Erikson Day

We have already covered Columbus Day and Native American's Day and now it is the Vikings' turn.

Although it is a few days late, let me tell you a little bit about Leif Erikson Day (October 9th):

Though not a public holiday, this day is dedicated to the first European ever to set foot in North America.

Christopher Columbus was not the first European to discover the New World! This commonly held belief is wrong. Columbus didn't reach the New World until 1492, 500 years after Leif Erikson's arrival in 1001 AD. Historians have been able to put this together based upon records at the time. However, Leif Erikson made no maps of his journey. Physical evidence of his travels are lacking.   

Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot in the New World, opening a new land rich with resources for the Vikings to explore. But for some unknown reason, the Vikings only made a few voyages to the New World after Leif. Unfortunately, this caused his discovery to remain unknown to nearly all of Europe, which was in the midst of the Crusades. 

Native American's Day

 David Mann Native American Fine Art titled:"Peace on Blue Lake - Native Americans"

As Raquel Cardona pointed out to me,  not all states celebrate Columbus Day.

The coming of Columbus, and the rest of white Europeans after him, represented oppression and genocide for the Native American People. That's why some people are against the celebration.

Instead, they celebrate other events on the day. For example, South Dakota's official holiday on this date is Native Americans' Day (also known as Native American Day), while people in Berkeley, California, celebrate Indigenous People's Day.

We can celebrate it too by reading about Native Americans and listening to a Native American song, Cherokee Morning Song:

Happy Columbus Day!

Tomorrow is Columbus Day!

Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century but did not become a federal holiday until the 1937. For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus' achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage. Throughout its history, Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives to the holiday have appeared in recent years.

Since 1971, the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October. It is generally observed today by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies, most state government offices, and some school districts.

Here’s a video from The History Channel explaining how Columbus Day came to be celebrated:

Our own newspaper: The Daily Hercules: part 2

Well, after the great response my last post received and the number of comments it got, I've decided that we will indeed write an online newspaper: Those of you who want to collaborate, let me know.
Here's a great link to learn more about news reports and how to write them, check out the videos!

BBC News School Report: Writing news

BBC News School Report: From the beginning

The Daily Hercules?

Look what I found when reading today's paper ;) What do you think? Is it a good idea? Please comment.

Hi,

Just a quick post to inform you that I've just added a dictionary to my blog so you'll have no excuse not to read it and comment on it ;)

I'm also setting up wikis for everyone. Now I only have to figure out what to do with them, any suggestions?

I'll post again very soon ...

What I expect from you

This is a list of what I expect from you in class :

1.- Be polite and respect everyone: Teasing, bullying, put-downs and sarcasm are NOT allowed.

2.- Bring the materials you need every day and be ready and willing to use them.

3.- Trust me as your teacher: I've been doing this for a long time and I know what I'm doing (most of the time ;))

4.- Pay attention in class and listen carefully to my instructions - and follow them-  and explanations.

5.- If you don't understand something or have doubts, ask. If you still don't understand, ask again. There are no dumb questions or dumb answers. Keep asking until you understand.

6.- Pay attention to your classmates and listen to them: You'll learn from them as much as from me (if not more).

7.- This is English class so English will be the main language. Be prepared to speak and interact with me and the other students and don't be afraid: We all make mistakes.

8.- Grammar is not as important as communication: Your English is good if we understand you. But grammar is important too!

9.- Work hard and do your own homework : Think about how to do it and use your notes and textbook if you need to. DO NOT COPY OTHERS' WORK, it's a waste of time and I will know.

10.- Have fun and be happy!