Two films present a modern take on the Western, through the eyes of a British and a Chinese director, and centring on the relationships between horses, a 15-year-old boy and a Native American cowboy. Lean on Pete tells the story of a 15-year-old boy searching for a home and a race horse destined for the … Continue reading “The Western Re-invented”
The theme for this year’s Earth Day, 22 April, is “End Plastic Pollution”. This poster from the U.S. Department of State puts the focus on ecological problems caused by plastic waste in our oceans, and the dangers it presents for marine creatures. The poster is a great starting point for a class on plastic in … Continue reading “Free Ecology Poster”
Pour le jeune apprenant francophone en anglais oral, il est difficile de passer d’une langue syllabique comme le français, à une langue accentuelle comme l’anglais, où la compréhension s’opère sur l’accent lexical. Parler une nouvelle langue, ce n’est pas seulement comprendre des mots, ou des tournures lexicales, c’est surtout maîtriser de nouvelles données physiques, acoustiques … Continue reading “Neurodidactique de l’anglais oral : mise en pratique”
Mary Cassatt was doubly unusual within the school of Impressionism: as a woman and an American. An exhibition in Paris puts the spotlight on this lesser-known member of Degas’ school, and free class visits are available in English. Cassatt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1844, into a family that had made a fortune in … Continue reading “Mary Cassatt: An American Impressionist”
Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 is remembered in the U.S. as a landmark moment in the fight for civil rights. But behind the title were real children. The one whose name was forever associated with the case, Linda Brown, has died, aged 76. Linda Brown was just seven years old in 1951, when … Continue reading “School Integration Pioneer Dies”
Winnie the Pooh is one of those rare children’s classics that seem universally recognisable, whether you think of the books, the illustrations or the Disney cartoons. An exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum in London does exactly what it says on the tin: Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic. The exhibition has large sets plunging visitors … Continue reading “The World of Winnie the Pooh”
If you know a great science communicator – maybe a teacher doing DNL lessons for classes européennes – let them know about the British Council FameLab competition. Participants need to explain a scientific concept for non-experts in just three minutes! And why not have your pupils do something similar? FameLab is an international competition with … Continue reading “Talking about Science Competition”
A scientific study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that false news spreads on Twitter much further and faster that true news items. Just like spoken gossip and rumours, people just can’t wait to share or retweet something unusual or shocking. The study found that false news stories are 70 percent more likely to … Continue reading “False News Travels Faster and Further”
Two months after his historical movie about the Pentagon Papers affair, starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg returns to the science-fiction genre with Ready Player One. Steven Spielberg’s second movie release of 2018 is based on a book by Ernest Cline who also co-wrote the film. Published in 2011, the book became a … Continue reading “Are You Ready to Play?”
Don’t miss the deadline! We’re inviting your “Cycle 4” pupils to write their own articles to send us, and we’ll publish our favourites on Speakeasy News. Send us their work by 10 May. The theme of the competition is “School Report”. The objective is for pupils not to be tempted to cut and paste from … Continue reading “Journalism Competition for Your Classes”