Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone !!!!

Welcome December!

Welcome December, the last month of the year and the one that brings us some days off as well as some presents - not all that matters but also contribute for a sense of joy, right?
Here you have a personalized calender for this December 2014 and below, if you click on the link, you'll have an Advent Calendar in which a new window pops up every single day :)

Click on...

http://pearsonelt.es/adventcalendar/ 

Thanksgiving Day

What is Thanksgiving Day?


The Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. In the US it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada, on the second Saturday of October.
Facts about Thanksgiving Day

As its name implies, the Thanksgiving Day is a day where people come together to show their gratitude for the blessings received during the year, also expressing affection for their friends and family. This is one of the most important holidays in the US and Canada, along with Christmas and the New Year. The Thanksgiving Day is therefore a family holiday, where it is normal to make long trips to visit relatives. Another great tradition of this holiday is the food. Families celebrate this day with great gastronomic variety where they typically eat turkey (so it is also known as Turkey Day - Turkey Day), sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, among many other things

There is a ceremony on Thanksgiving Day where the American President pardons two turkeys (an officer and a reserve), thereby saving the animals from the same fate of the other 46 million turkeys - the estimate number of turkeys that is eaten in the public holiday.The Thanksgiving Day is also well known for big parades. The best known of all is Macy's Parade in New York, where hundreds of participating media figures and characters from the world of childhood and fantasy like Mickey, Spiderman and others meet. On Thanksgiving Day there are also football games, one of the most popular sports in America.The Friday after Thanksgiving Day is known as Black Friday. On that day, several shops have amazing promotions, and for this reason, the stores are overcrowded, so that every year, there are always cases of clashes between customers struggling as they try to get the same products.

The First Thanksgiving

The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in the United States in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, by pilgrims (the founders of the village) together with their Indian friends who had helped them survive.

After the crops were severely damaged by the harsh winter, the colonists had a good corn harvest the following summer, in 1621. To mark the occasion and celebrate that difficult year in terms of agriculture, the governor of the village decided to organize a party in the autumn of 1621. This party was attended by about 90 Indians and ducks were eaten, turkey, fish and corn. From this year onwards, in New England, each autumn a feast of Thanksgiving to God was organized because of good harvests  In 1863, Abraham Lincoln (president at the time) announced that the last Thursday of November would be known as the National Day of Thanksgiving.

Spreading Gratitude

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” 
CÍCERO

I hope today's activity has taught you there is a lot to be thankful for in our every day life; two words, THANK YOU, or even shorter, THANKS, can make a whole difference in our hearts, in other people's hearts, and in the way we face life.

As for the English class itself, well, there is a collaborative document in your gmail account so that each of you can add info on Thanksgiving, a very important festivity in the USA. This time, I flipped it a bit, in other words: below you can find some videos and / or links for you to go through and then be able to do your share. Easy, right? You just have to click on the link of the googledoc I've just sent you, read what you are expected to do, browse / watch the videos and then summarize the info to write down in our shared document. Any questions? Just send me an email, ok?

25points. Deadline: Saturday, 12:00. 

Thank you!

I could direct you to amazing websites out there in the web, but I would rather you focus your time and attention in a single one which encapsulates the relevant info. Please check the written material as well as the videos at http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving to accomplish your task!

Source: http://www.nrm.org/2013/11/giving-thanks/?lang=en

Sadness

Oh, my friends, I've had my hair cut!!!! I'm so sad...

Groups

Whether in class or outdoors, we all like being in groups or belonging to a group - true?
Have a look at the following sequence of advertising clips by De Lijn, a Flemish transport company which runs almost 4000 buses and around 400 trams.



Now say...
1- How many clips are there?
2- What animals are included in each of the clips?
3- What situation is REALLY portrayed by the animal clips?
4- How does it apply to our classroom / classes / ourselves?
5- Are there any other videos you know of featuring this relevant issue you can share here?

Hope you have as much fun as I did :) Thank you!

StickStuckStuck

I know you just loveeeeee the repetition of irregular verbs in class :=)

Well, here is something especially for you. Until Monday 23:59, and for 10 points...

- What do you think of this hip hop irregular verb song?  Does it "stick"?

- How do you learn better? With music? Videos? ...?

- What do you understand by "Relax. Repeat. Remember."?

- Add 5 more irregular verbs you've already come across this school year ;)

Now, enjoy it - until the very end!

I wanted to thank you all for having me in your class . Here is one kiss from your friend Carolina .

Tradition To Our Table

Chestnut season is here!

Tradition says that on November 11th there are chestnuts at our table, right?
Here are my fresh chestnuts ready to go to the oven to be roasted. Can't wait to eat them with my boys and husband. What about you?

In France traditions are different, though.

Please check this info shared by your teacher, Anita Duarte.

Pas d'école le 11 novembre! Mais pourquoi?

Le 11 novembre, le président de la République François Hollande et deux adolescents déposent une gerbe devant la tombe du soldat inconnu, sur laquelle brûle en permanence une flamme.

 © Philippe Wojazer/ Pool/ AFP

1jour1actu.com/ 

Guessing Activity - WHO IS (S)HE?

Guessing Activity for all:

1. Here are the descriptions (some of) you handed out.
2. Seven (short) texts for you to identify who the classmate is - boy or girl!
3. One entry each, you just need to write down the number and the name, ok?
4. Only on Monday will I say who the winner is: the first to successfully identify the classmates and write down their names in the correct order in a comment.
5. Besides the 10 points, the prize will be a (real) WRISTWATCH :)

1 - She is thin and short. Her hair is shoulder-length, wavy and brown. She is a bit boring, bossy and impatient.

2 - She is a very energetic girl - sometimes TOO energetic – and she is talkative and a little bossy. She has got long wavy dark hair; she is quite tall and slim (but not that skinny) and has some zits. She has got beautiful light brown eyes and thin lips.

3 - He is a very short and thin boy; his eyes are brown and he has got short straight brown hair. He can be very fun, but sometimes he can also be boring. He is a great friend though, and he helps me whenever I need.

                                                                                                                                                

4 - She is a very beautiful girl. She has got hazel eyes and wears glasses and she has got long straight light brown hair. She is thin, of medium height, drinks a lot of water and loves reading. She is very a friendly, caring, honest and talkative girl.

She is one of the classmates I can relate best in class.

She is everything I did not think of her.

5 - He is tall and slim.

He has got short spiky brown hair.

His eyes are brown and he is very friendly; he's funny, generous and nice, but also a bit lazy.

He is not only very photogenic but also very skillful with computers.

                                                        

6 - He is tall and slim. He has got black hair and wears glasses.

He’s cheerful, talkative and energetic.

He usually wears jeans and a shirt or a t-shirt.

7 - He is of medium height and slim. He wears glasses and he’s talkative.

He usually wears jeans, a t-shirt and trainers.

Well, what are you waiting for???

UPDATE:

There were two winners, Joana and João, as both were correct...

As promised, here is a pic with the prize(s):

Book Recommendation, by RAQUEL

It's true that on holidays we all have more time to do what we really like doing, especially reading, but its benefits are so acknowledged and relevant that we should all make time for reading every single day of our lives.
I believe Raquel is one of those people. Please look carefully at her book recommendation, "The Secret Keeper", by Kate Morton, not only in what concerns its content but also format, once she uses a WEB 2.0 tool that is new for many of you, Prezi.
Don't forget to leave your appreciation in the end, ok?

Our Halloween!!!

TRICK OR TREAT

        Joana, Verónica and M. Beatriz - 8ºA!!!








                           1st November is my birthday :)

Halloween

Halloween is celebrated on the night of 31 October. This celebration of Celtic origin is over 2000 years.

Legend has it that on the night of 31 October, the dead return to populate the earth and therefore the personification of the ghost. Its goal was that the family of the dead would leave food and drink on the doorstep for the reception of spirits.

This tradition was taken to America by settlers where Halloween is, today, one of the most popular festivals in the country. Costumed boys and girls roam the neighboring houses repeating the phrase "Trick or Treat?" and receive sweets in exchange for the peace of the homeowners.

From America it has been exported worldwide, including Portugal.

A Spooktacular Halloween!

This free digital greeting card created with Smilebox

One of the most comprehensive and trustworthy sites I often go back to is http://www.history.com/. There you can find lots of info on the History of Halloween, fantastic funny videos as well as infographics. If curious, please check here.
Furthermore, you also have our Wonderopolis below. You can read the info and in the end of the article you'll find a light bulb and a question highlighted in blue. If you click on it, a quiz will pop out. Great, isn't it?

Enjoy a spooktacular Halloween with Marilyn Manson and my favourite Halloween clip - an oldie but goodie from Tim Burton's 'The Nighmare Before Christmas' re-cut with Marilyn Manson's version of 'This Is Halloween' for the re-release of the film in Disney.

 

This is MY favourite, what about yours? And if you're dressing up for Halloween, don't forget to share a pic here :)

National Honour Position

Congrats, dear students!

(Y)our class blog has been awarded with a national Honour Position in what concerns Innovative Initiatives in Teaching / Learning Languages :) at  http://www.erasmusmais.pt/erasmusmais/images/pdfs/erasmus_pulicacao_resultados_141014.pdf 

Full of pride, girls and boys! Hope you feel even more energized to keep your good work.