Lola's Blog

Click on Roald Dahl's photo to learn about his life. Watch this interview and take notes about what Dahl says regarding writing children's books his work as a "spy" in America   the story about the war of Independence and a British captain  his definition of a horror story   BBC Radio 4 Great Lives: Roald Dahl Did you know that Roald Dahl was interested in medicine? Listen to Professor Tom Solom, a neurologist, talking about Dahl. You can download this radio programme.

Hello everyone. I hope you had a nice break. I thought you might like to keep updated on the news front and I have selected one piece of news.   How much do you know about Brexit? What would happen if the UK left the EU? Read this article to check. What is the latest about Brexit? You may want to read this . And this . How has the European commission reacted? Follow this link . As you can see Brexit is a mess. And it is likely to be a mess for quite a long time. Video  You are going to watch part of a programme - BBC newsnight - about what people in Cornwall think about Brexit. Cornwall is a county in South West England. Take notes about what people think, those in favour and those against. After you watch the video Do you know anybody who lives in the UK? Do you have any views? You are very welcome to leave a comment.

Martin Luther King Jr. Do you know that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in America on 20th January? He is one of the greatest and most influential figures in the American civil rights movement. We had the pleasure of listening to a visiting American speaker who came to our school to give a talk on the history and the impact of the civil rights movement. He talked about Martin Luther King Jr., but also about those who are not so well-known but paved the way for freedom . His life How much do you know about Martin Luther King Jr? Click on this BBC link and take notes. A bit of history of the civil rights movement. Reading and Speaking Look at the photos below. Do you know who they are? What did they do to pave the way for African-Americans? Click on the history of the civil rights movement and learn about the timeline of the civil rights movement in America. Takes notes. You are going to report your findings in class. The beginning of the civil rights...

National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan Genghis Khan (1162 -1227) was the founder of the Mongol Empire , one of the most powerful forces in the world at that time. He is known as the most brutal leader the world has ever known, but he was one of the most successful. He united many nomadic tribes in Asia and conquered Central Asia and northern China. How can a child from humble beginnings living in cold and arid steppes become a great leader? Mongolia today How much do you know about Mongolia? Public domain Follow this link to learn some facts about Mongolia (capital, government, official language, population in Mongolia and China, geography and climate). Mongol empire during Genghis Khan time   Read about Genghis Khan's life before you watch the video. Look at this map and explain how Genghis Khan expanded from his Mongol Homeland. National Geographic New research may have brought light into why a Mongol nomadic tribe was able to conquer most ...

Kings College. Andrew Dunn. CC BY-SA 2.0 Last week we talked about education and the  educational system in the UK. We covered a lot of vocabulary. If you are still confused by all the academic terms we saw in class click on this British Council glossary . If you would like to read more on education for students aged 16 and under (primary and secondary education) click here . After compulsory education students can opt for futher education or higher education . Do you remember the difference?  Further education is for students aged 16 and over while higher education is for students aged 18 and over. Follow this link to learn more. Oxbridge Can you guess what Oxbridge means?  That's right. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, two of the most prestigious universities in the world. How much do you know about Oxford or Cambridge? Are they public or private universities? Click here to check what the entry requirements are. How about tuition fees? Clic...

Photo by Pep Fernández. Flickr.com CC-BY-NC-SA Nelson Mandela (1928-2013) died a year ago. He was 95 years old. He did nothing but fought throughout his entire life for peace and reconcilation in South Africa, a country notorious for racial oppression and apartheid . Is South Africa a peaceful country today? Reading and Listening Read this article about how South Africans are celebrating Nelson Mandela's life today. You can also watch an interview with his grandaughter, Ndileka Mandela, who talks about his gradnfather's legacy. And meanwhile, demonstrators fill the streets of New York Have you watched or read the news recently? What's going on in America? How much do you know about Eric Garner? Reading  Read this Wikipedia article about him and take notes When and where did it happen? Who was involved in the incident? What happened to Eric? What was the outcome of the investigation and the grand jury?  Watch this video Visit this New York T...

Photo by Cancillería Ecuador CC BY SA Angelina Jolie is a famous actress. Have you been to the cinema to see her latest film, Maleficent ? She is the villain in the film. This post is not about her film but about Angelina's humanitarian work and the recent news about a summit to be celebrated in London on victims of sexual violence in war. You are going to read a news report and watch a video about this crime. Before you read What can you see in the picture below?  What are the faces of these women telling you?  Is there justice in their country? Public domain   Read the news about a summit in London Who is going to host the summit? What is the objective of the summit? Which countries are taking part? What "weapon of war" does the article refer to? What is the international protocol trying to achieve? What does this expression mean?: It was time to get rid of the "stigma and shame attached to it" Watch this video Sexual...

Public domain Think of an answer for these questions: 1) Do you know anyone who doesn't like money? 2) How greedy can you or anyone get? 3) How much money is enough for you to be happy? 4) Do you ever think of those who have very little or nothing? 5) How would you feel if you were young and long-term unemployed? Well, you'll have a chance to talk about these things in class. Vocabulary You are going to revise quite a lot of vocabulary this week: money vocabulary, phrasal verbs and money expressions . Do you know the meaning of the following expressions? If not, click and check.   to be in credit , to be well off , to pay the house off You can download this PDF with money vocabulary exercises . Reading Read this BBC article about young people seeking employment and answer these questions: What is the news? What has the report by the Prince's Trust revealed? What is the government doing about it?  What is a neet ?  What is the equival...

The Blind Beggar by Jules Bastien Lepage - What can you see in this picture? - Do you know anybody who is blind or partially-sighted? - What other senses do you have to rely on when you are blind? - Can you use the Internet if you are blind? - Can you get money out of cash-machine if you are blind? - What other things can't you do that sighted people normally do? - Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you were blind? This post is about how technology can help the blind.   Before you watch this video Think of gadgets or inventions that may help a partially-sighted or blind person  if they wanted to get money out of a cash-machine to use the Internet to do sport to read a document or even a book Watch this video and answer the questions listed above. As you watch, bear in mind the following: Watch the video first to try to get the gist of the information. Watch a second time to answer the questions. Watch a third time if you need to. ...

Bundesarchiv. Wikimedia Do you like tennis? What is the oldest and the most famous tennis tournament in the world? Is it still played on grass? When does it take place? To check your answers click here . Current champions and records                The American tennis player, Serena Williams holds an incredible number of Wimbledon titles. Do you know how many? Serena Williams by Rob Young. Wikimedia      How about Roger Federer? Some claim he is the best tennis player in the world.  Or perhaps it is Rafael Nadal. What is your opinion? How many Wimbledon championships has Federer won? And Nadal?                                               ...

Photo by Ben Spark. Flickr.com We celebrated Book Day today with a workshop on Children's Books. Here is a photo of Paddington Bear. You can guess why the author of the book called this delightful bear, Paddington! Here is a link to the Paddington Bear official website . Read the Then and Now icon and find out some interesting facts about the book and its author. You can browse the website. I'm sure you'll love it.

Poverty has a child's face. Flickr.com Here is a link to my glog on Poverty in the world . I used Eduglogster, a great tool for digital posters. You are very welcome to browse the glog.  Video on Debt Last Tuesday we discussed world problems in class. One of the issues listed was "debt". Go to the glog and click on the video hidden behind Debt. Watch the interview with Nick Dearden, a campaigner in favour of debt relief, talking about vulture funds. Answer the following questions: What are vulture funds? Is anything being done about vulture funds? What does Nick say about Liberia? Was the campaign successful? How? What does Nick say about vulture funds and the US? How successful has the campaign been in the UK?      Reading 1) Here is a link to an article by Greg Palast on Vulture Funds . Read the article and take notes under the following headings: His definition of vulture funds One example of a highly indebted country Zambia and Romani...

BBC comedy Fawlty Towers Have you ever watched Fawlty Towers ? This BBC sitcom was very popular in the 1970s. Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) is the eccentric proprietor and manager of  Fawlty Towers, a cheap hotel in Torquay, a seaside town in the south of England. Manuel (Samuel Sachs), who is Spanish, works as a waiter in the hotel. Sibyl is Basil's wife and Polly works in the hotel. Watch the clip and answer the following questions: What is Basil looking for in the guest's handbag? Who manages to find the animal and what does he do with it? How does Basil react to the situation? Watch the scene again and focus your attention on the way people speak. Who is polite? What kind of language do they use to show politeness? What does Basil say to the guest who requested biscuits? What variety of English do the actors speak? After you watch Read about Received Pronunciation ( RP ) and find out: a) what it is b) what other names RP is given c) what percentag...

Image by Sugeo. Flirckr.com What do you know about traditional Indian food? When did the British develop a taste for Indian food? In the video below, Gordon Ramsay travels to Delhi to try real Indian food. Before you watch What Indian food have you tried? Make a list of 3-5 popular Indian dishes . Watch the video and answer these questions 1) Why has Gordon Ramsay travelled to Delhi? 2) When did the British fall in love with Indian food? 3) What is the Moti Mahal and which dish was invented there? 4) Who is Sima Chandra? 5) Is there a difference between the Indian food served in India and in Britain? Watch the video again. Who says this? "It is nothing close" "It's not dry, it's moist"  "Bloody hell" "It's flavoursome" After you watch Talk about Spanish traditional food. Include the following information: Is Spanish food still world famous? Why? List some Spanish traditional dishes. Can you ...

Dr Cheryl Fraser talks about how men and women communicate.   Watch the video and take notes about what she says about the following points: 1. What is the purpose for women to talk? 2. What is the purpose for men to talk? 3. What happens when a man and a woman are having a conversation? 4. What advice does Dr Fraser give to men to repair communication? 5. And what advice does she give for women? 6. What does research show we should do for a successful couple life? Do you agree with Dr Fraser? You can share your ideas here.