Sophia de Mello Breyner

Dear Teacher Alex,

Thanks very much for your email. My favorite writer is Sophia de Mello Breyner. She was born on 6th November, 1919. She died on 2nd July, 2004. She attended the University of Lisbon. The Sea Girl (A Menina do Mar) is the best book, in my opinion; it is one of the stories that touched me deeply when I was younger. It's about a boy who lived near the beach and one day decided to go to the beach and heard some laughter. When he saw it was a girl and when he looked carefully, he saw it was a mermaid. And they started talking and he saw a being from the sea who was funny because there were beautiful things on the ocean floor. I like this writer because she writes (used to write!) with soul.
Write soon, 

Carolina.

ME!!!!! 

BOOK COVER "THE SEA GIRL"

Riddle

What Am I?

I have no colour,
not even white.
but sometimes I'm wide and blue.
Sometimes I'm still,
and sometimes I rush,
and I can fall down on you.

I can change my shape,
I often do,
but I'm hard to hold in your hand.
You need me to make
your castle stand up
when you're playing in the sand.

I haven't much taste
but on a hot day
your tongue's hanging out for me. 
Then I'm cold,
but I can be hot
When I'm in your mum's cup of tea.

WHAT AM I?

Jo Peters, in The Works

1. Here's a different activity: the first of you to guess and explain the riddle correctly will be awarded a prize, but all others who participate today will get something - that's a promise!

2. Another Challenge: for every single book you read during this Easter break and prepare a presentation to share here, in our class blog, you will be awarded another book in return, in English, and suitable to your level of English.

Is there anything else I can do to motivate you to read and engage in our class blog and activities??? Please, do let me know. LOL.

The Maze Runner, Book Recommendation by RAQUEL

Another stunning book review by our charming Raquel!
Follow her example in what concerns the educational use of new technologies and her voracious reading habits. What an amazing Prezi presentation, the second one this school year. Here's the process: Raquel starts a presentation (owner) and then she send me the link and gives me permission to edit which means I can correct / add / change, whatever necessary - quite useful and practical, right?
Now just watch and you will be speechless...don't forget to leave your compliment and tips below :=)
View it fullscreen to take the most of it.

My (Christmas) Readings

Hi, guys!!! Here are the books I've been reading this Christmas break.

As Crónicas de Avantia: O Primeiro Herói 
The Chronicles of Avantia: First Hero

Sinopse em Português: Avantia está à beira do colapso, inimigos tenebrosos são liderados por um malévolo guerreiro, e reúnem-se na fronteira para acabar com Avantia de uma vez por todas. Mas um improvável herói foi escolhido pelo destino, para enfrentar tal ameaça... Com apenas quinze anos, Tanner não é um rapaz vulgar depois de lhe atacarem a aldeia, de lhe matar o seu pai e raptar a sua mãe, Tanner , ficou marcado pela tragédia .... Sendo companheiro eleito de Firepos, um jovem e feroz pássaro de fogo, cabe--lhe a ele inverter a maré de guerra que ameaça submergir Avantia. 

Synopsis in English: Avantia is on the edge of collapse, tenebrous armies are led by an evil warrior and they gather to meet on the border to finish of Avantia once and for all. An unlikely hero was chosen by fate to face such threat ... Only fifteen years old, Tanner, is no ordinary boy, surrounded by tragedy once his father was killed and his mother kidnapped... Being chosen by Firepos, a young and fierce phoenix, it's up to him to reverse the tide of war that threatens to destroy Avantia. 





CHERUB: Um Dia Negro 
CHERUB: Black Friday

Sinopse em Português: Com este novo livro de Robert Muchamore temos um novo herói, Ryan Sharma, e uma nova missão: Salvar os EUA do maior ataque terrorista da história do país. Ryan trabalha para a CHERUB, uma organização secreta com uma grande vantagem...os seus membros são todos crianças e com isto nem os criminosos mais experientes suspeitam que meras crianças os possam vigiar. 

Synopsis in English: With this new book by Robert Muchamore we have a new hero, Ryan Sharma, and a new mission: To save the USA from the biggest terrorist attack in the history of that country. Ryan works for CHERUB, a secret organization, with a big advantage: All of their members are kids and with this not even the most experienced criminals suspect that mere kids can be watching them.

Your Teacher's 2014 Reading Challenge

Joining Goodreads in Jan 2012 was one of the best things I have ever done to improve my reading standards. As you may know, this website was founded in 2006 and "allows individuals to freely search Goodreads' extensive user-populated database of books, annotations, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and reading lists" (Wikipedia)
It's now the world's largest-site for readers and book recommendations and by allowing readers to set goals, I (certainly like so many others) do my best to achieve them!
For 2012 I had set my goal in reading 24 books and tough as it was juggling reading, schoolwork, housework, kids... I promised myself I would do it. And I did!!!For 2013, I was more modest and my Reading Challenge was 20 books - and so was the goal for the current year of 2014.

Besides the easiness with which all readers can keep track of their readings (or lack of them!), the visual reminders (or rather, the gadgets with the shelf and counting the books we can embed in our blogs / websites) have also worked for me either telling me I am one / two books ahead or behind and I become aware that I have to allocate more time to my reading (even if that means sleeping fewer hours ;) )
In the beginning of December, even before I had completed this year's reading goal, the nice folks at Goodreads sent me this:

- the list of books I have read throughout 2014

- the stats of those books

How pleased I was!!! This is another reason why I'm definitely joining their 2015 Reading Challenge!!!

What about you? Why don't you try it for 2015??? Challenge yourself and let me/us know!

One last thing...
Here's my top book recommendation from the ones I read in 2014 using a web 2.0 free tool we've tried before Vine (remember, João Carecho and Diogo Ricardo?)

Happy Reading(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?

Reading Recommendation, Maria Beatriz

Even though I already have other synopsis and reading recommendations in store, this one, by Maria Beatriz, had been promised after this blogpost back in May in which I challenged you to read John Green's bestseller The Fault In Our Stars.
Summer holidays always provide a great reading opportunity, which has been well used not only by Maria but also by other boys and girls.
Unlike what we've done in the past, once we've been apart, there was no way I could possibly record her voice to enrich this presentation... but there is background music!
As always, Maria sent me her synopsis and some pics and I gave her my feedback. After that, I used the familiar Web 2.0 tool utellstory to put everything together.
Maria and myself hope you enjoy the result. Feedback is welcome - as are more reading recommendations by my outstanding students ;)

Reading Review by Joana

Who doesn’t know The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins?

What, you haven’t read the books??? Can’t believe you! It’s a mind blowing trilogy, full of action and twists; once you start, you’ll only stop when you finish the first book, and then, well, you’ll want to read the sequel! That’s how good the books are.

Joana started by watching the first two movies as soon as they came out, and because she loved the story so much, she couldn’t wait for the third movie and has just finished reading the third book “Mockingjay” - that's what she is sharing with us today ;)

As you will notice, she not only read the book, but also created the video which is a feat and therefore an example for all – she read and produced everything, isn’t she amazing??? Have a look below:

"A Revolta" (Mockingjay)

She read it in Portuguese, but what really matters is READING! Read it in its original version – English – or in your native language, but READ! 

* The movie hasn't come out yet, so I read the book!

Feel like... gaming?

Good morning everyone!

Feel like playing some games? Feel like practising some vocab?

Here are some links for you to consolidate our current topic - In the upcoming days, I'll leave some more as well as links in the sidebar.

Enjoy!

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2250

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LULzOE1IVYk#t=55

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=9127

http://www.quia.com/hm/164753.html?AP_rand=469206063

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=7126

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1388

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5940

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=8963

http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/games/g/words.php?f=city_1

http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/games/b/words.php?f=city_1

http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/games/c/words.php?f=city_1

http://www.manythings.org/mq/m6-m158.html

http://chagall-col.spip.ac-rouen.fr/IMG/didapages/shops2/index.html

http://www.learningchocolate.com/content/public-buidings-and-street-facilities

http://www.learningchocolate.com/content/where-do-you-go-weekend

http://www.learningchocolate.com/content/sports-venues

http://www.learnenglish.be/voc2_shop_study.htm

Are these enough? ;)
Can you find or plan games for us? Thank you!