4th July, US Independence Day

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

 After an exhausting school year and still recovering, a surprise arrives by traditional mail: an invite for a reception at the US Embassy Lisbon to celebrate the 4th of July.

4th of July is Independence Day in the USA, now over 200 years old! The aforementioned invite and its background have prompted this post but just to introduce some info on the topic once only in September will we be back at school. Besides, it is also a local holiday and if needed be, both can be used for lessons on Citizenship, on Celebrations, History...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Independence_(Trumbull)

For history stuff, History.com is, for me, the most comprehensive and trustworthy site and it's no exception in what concerns the events that led to the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776. It includes several videos and lots of info also on Thomas Jefferson, a draftsman of the Declaration of Independence.

In biography.com, another great site, there is more info on the The Founding Fathers, the men behind the Declaration of Independence.

The US Declares Independence is one of the amazing videos shared by history.com and here you have in-depth all you need concerning the topic.

 

To finish off the best way possible, here's John Green's Crash Course on 4th of July - with his usual humour and irony. Delightful!!!

Happy Independence Day, Happy 4th July - whether in Coimbra or anywhere else :)

ThingLink for Interactive Books

#1 What is ThingLink?
ThingLink is a free user-friendly digital tool that allows us to create and share interactive images. All can be done effortlessly and quickly and one can turn any static image into a multimedia rich interactive graphic by adding video, other images, audio, links to different sources...
In addition to the coloured dots / nubbins, ThingLink now has more graphic icons - we can therefore choose the one that best suits our purpose when tagging images.

#2 ThingLink in the Classroom
Its uses in the classroom are limitless. We can use it for any subject, any grade! Depending on our goals, we can tag the information ourselves or use it as a collaborative tool and ask our students to add /tag info. I've used it before with maps, with famous paintings as you can read here; I've used it with students for introductions as well as to introduce myself.

#3 Using ThingLink for Reading Suggestions
An interesting way of using this innovative and flexible tool in the classroom is also for Reading recommendations and suggestions. Bring books to life by collecting resources, challenging students / potential readers with questions, highlighting important info, presenting the author!
"Gone Girl" is a book I've finished reading recently and absolutely loved it. By then I wrote a short review here (please scroll down as there are already over 100 books!) and once the movie is going to premiere in the beginning of October, I thought about recommending it beforehand :) Here it is:

I'd be very glad to hear from you! Thanks :)
Many thanks to Susan Oxnevad for the #TLChallenge 

How to take the most of THE WORLD CUP

2014 World Cup Mascot

With the World Cup in motion and our students enjoying their summer break (though not the teachers), time for fun and some learning in-between, don’t you agree?

I’ve collected some resources / links with stuff connected to football and the World Cup.

1. Let’s start with books - simple ones and not that expensive, ok?  ;)

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby, is an award winning football classic.

Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend by Francesca Simon has a low level of English and is therefore great for newly confident readers.

The Story Of Football, by Rob Jones, takes a look at Football through the ages, from the Roman Army to the modern day.

The Story of The World Cup, by Richard Brassey, is definitely a book for all ages that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

World Football Facts and Records, unlike the previous books, is packed with info and stats on football.

2. In what concerns vocabulary - or games - there is absolutely no shortage, but quantity means we have to be very careful in selecting the most appropriate ones for our classes. 

Here you will find a very clear, simple and organised soccer / football guide. Do have a look! Also here you'll find basic football vocabulary.

However, the most comprehensive place for students to practise football vocab is at the British Council - check its variety and quality!!!

3. Now, finally, games:

Check FIFA! Yap, there you'll find plenty of interesting games for you to play.

There is another great place for nice games. At ESOL Games, especially under the heading "Activities for English Beginners and Elementary Students", the games are quite easy for 7th / 8th graders. Why not check this one or this to have an idea?

Again, the British Council has fantastic games for all to play here.

There are also movies. An example is "Bend it Like Beckham", a 2003 comedy about bending the rules to reach one's goals and explores the world of female football (some worksheets included here).

As a curiosity, I'm including a video about the introduction of QR Codes made with Portuguese cobblestone in Brazil  in order to guide and provide tourists with relevant information. Technology also at the service of the World Cup!

Now that so many of our students already have smartphones, QR Codes are also a great idea to use in our classes - for scavenger hunts, for worksheets, for pics...

Have fun and enjoy the matches!