May Day!!!!

The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It is said to be a time of love and romance. It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. (taken from http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/)

Traditional English May Day celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole. Follow the links to learn more things about these traditions.

There are some photos here to show them:

May Day Pole

Dancing around May pole

Morris Dancing

          

The future!!! (3rd ESO)

In unit 7, we're studying future tense. Firstly, watch this presentation and do the exercise taking into account the uses of "going to", "will" and "present continuous" we've seen. Then, try to do the different online exercises. Remember that our next test is on Thursday!!!

Situations 3

 

Grammar explanation  



Exercise 1  

Exercise 2    

Exercise 3 

Shakespeare's Birthday

Britain’s top Shakespeare attractions

If you want to celebrate William Shakespeare’s birthday, who was supposedly born this day in 1564, you can have a look at some things you can do: you’ll find theatres devoted to his works, exhibitions and beautiful historic buildings – even the original houses he and his loved ones lived in.

Shakespeare’s birthplace
Hallowed ground for lovers of literature and history alike, Shakespeare birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 remains a star attraction to this day. A half-timbered, Tudor-style cottage, it’s furnished as it would have been in Shakespeare’s time and transports visitors into the atmosphere of England’s past. See the house, the exhibition on Shakespeare’s life and be sure to explore the gardens too.

Shakespeare’s grave
Shakespeare is buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, the same church where he was baptised in 1564. His final resting place is famous for its inscription, believed to have been penned by the Bard himself, which lays a curse on anyone who moves Shakespeare’s bones. In case you’re curious, the verse reads:

GOOD FRIEND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE,
TO DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE.
BLESE BE THE MAN THAT SPARES THES STONES,
AND CURST BE HE THAT MOVES MY BONES.

Shakespeare’s Globe
See Shakespeare’s plays in his very own Jacobean theatre! A faithful restoration of Shakespeare’s 16th century playhouse, it’s a truly atmospheric way to take in the Bard’s work, not to mention a rather grand building in its own right. Entry is just £5, which gets you a standing place as a ‘groundling’.

Royal Shakespeare Company
The primary theatrical body responsible for producing Shakespeare performances is the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based in Stratford-upon-Avon, visitors can tour the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres by day or by night on the RSC’s spooky after-dark tour. This is the other main place to see Shakespeare performed, but you can catch the company in action elsewhere on its national tours.

Shakespeare memorial in Poets Corner, Westminster Abbey
Keep your eyes open for the Shakespeare memorial in Westminster Abbey. While Shakespeare’s actual grave is in Stratford, you’ll find a special memorial statue in the famous Poets’ Corner, together with a collection of other famous writers.

to read more about it: http://www.visitbritainsuperblog.com/2012/04/the-best-of-the-bard-britains-top-shakespeare-attractions/

St. George's day, 23rd April

The Patron Saint of England is St. George  and his national holiday is celebrated on April 23rd of every year. However, although this is England's national holiday is not a public holiday. This means that schools, business, post offices, public transportation, and other organizations are open as usual.The traditional customs are to fly the St. George's flag and wear a red rose in one's lapel.

People celebrate St. George's Day in very different ways:

•  organizing a fun activity with friends or family members. These include things like bowling, watching films, even going dancing.
•  hosting a barbecue. You can cook traditional English food and have a good time with other people!
•  attending an official event such as a concert. There may be autograph sessions with musicians and sometimes there are even free refreshments!
•  in London they celebrate at Trafalgar Square with a fresh and varied selection of English music while reveling in the beautiful floral displays.

For more information click on the picture below

St. George's Day for 4th Year

As I told you today in class, today is St. George's Day, the Patron Saint of England. Here you have some exercises for you to learn more about English culture and folklore. We'll check them in class. See you then.

READING COMPREHENSION
JERUSALEM

Today is.................Earth Day!!!

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day was started in 1970 by a man named John Mc Connell from the United States. It was originally held on the annual celebration of the March Equinox and still is by many people. However, it is generally celebrated on April 22. Earth day is now celebrated worldwide.

What is the History of Earth Day?

Earth Day is a very special day specifically designed for all of us to think about earth issues. It is a day that the whole world participates in! Often there are celebrations, events or campaigns that concern us with earth matters.

You can participate in one of the existing projects, or start one of your own. The possibilities are endless. Try to think of something you would like to do. You can make a difference too!!  

Now try several exercises online:

Exercise 1: general vocabulary           Exercise 2: global warming

Download information and exercises here. Ask your teacher for the answers.

General information                   Worksheet 1: recycling  set

First Conditional!!!!!!! (3rd ESO)

Let's practise conditional sentences. In unit 7, we've only seen  first conditional and here you've got several exercises to review.

You can download the following powerpoint game to practise first here and several exercises with their key here. 

Now, let's try online exercises:

Exercise 1: match and mix   Exercise 2:complete the sentences   Exercise 3:complete the sentences 2

Exercise 4: match up the sentences      Exercise 5: matching 2         Exercise 6: filling the gaps and song

Means of transport (2nd ESO)

In unit 7 we’ve studied vocabulary related to means of transport. Here you have got a good page to practise and expand it. 

There are several parts: vocabulary, different expressions related to transports and places, speaking useful phrases, dialogues and games. 

Click here

At Easter Time....!!!

     1) What is the Easter story?

Easter is the story of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem before his death. The Easter story includes Maundy Thursday (the Last supper leading to the Eucharist), Good Friday (the day on which Jesus was crucified) and Easter Day (the day on which Jesus came back to life).

          2) Where does the name “Easter” come from?

According to Bede, the English monastic historian, the English word Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of April, which was known as "Eostremonath"(the month of openings) in the AngloSaxon tongue and since Pascha was most often celebrated in Eostremonath, the English Christians began calling it "Easter". 

3) Why do we have eggs at Easter?

Eggs are a forbidden food during Lent, making them a welcome return to the menu on Easter Day.  

      4) Why do we give eggs at Easter?

Easter is a Christian festival. For Christians the custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life. Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead. They believe that, through his resurrection, Jesus defeated death and sin and offers people the promise of eternal life if they follow his teachings. 

      5) What were the first Easter eggs like?

The first eggs given at Easter were birds eggs. These eggs were painted in bright colours to give them further meaning as a gift. We still paint bird eggs today but usually only chicken eggs.

6) An Anglo-Saxon legend - the Easter bunny and eggs

An Anglo-Saxon legend tells how the Saxon goddess Eostre found a wounded bird and transformed it into a hare, so that it could survive the Winter. The hare found it could lay eggs, so it decorated these each spring and left them as offering to the goddess.

If you want to learn more about Easter, click the image above.