20th Anniversary of 9/11

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 09 September 2021 > Ready to Use

9/11 … a date etched in everyone’s memory forever. 20 years ago, the world changed tremendously in a few hours. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center were as unexpected as life-changing for the whole world. Commemorations and various events are to take place in the U.S. to pay tribute to those who lost … Continue reading “20th Anniversary of 9/11”

Respect: Aretha Franklin Biopic

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 23 August 2021 > Ready to Use

A new biopic of soul diva Aretha Franklin takes its title from one of her most famous songs, “Respect”. This resource will introduce pupils first to the song, which became an anthem for the women’s movement and the civil-rights movement. Then they can discover the biopic. Jennifer Hudson was chosen by Franklin herself before her … Continue reading “Respect: Aretha Franklin Biopic”

The Secret Garden

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 24 June 2021 > Ready to Use

We’ve been promising you a resource on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic story about an orphan girl who discovers a hidden garden and decides it will help cure her sickly cousin. It’s perfect for coming-of-age stories in LLCER, but we also wanted younger students to be able to enjoy it, so we’ve provided three different resources … Continue reading “The Secret Garden”

David Copperfield

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 23 May 2021 > Ready to Use

Dickens’ classic, David Copperfield, is given new life in this movie by Armando Ianucci. Beyond the slightly reinvented plot itself, we are given to experience a new way of telling stories, as boundaries between reality and fiction are blurred if not crossed. What’s more, this brand-new funny version features colour-blind casting and leads us to … Continue reading “David Copperfield”

News of the West

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 26 April 2021 > Ready to Use

News of the World is a not-so-classic Western starring Tom Hanks as a newsreader travelling across the U.S. during a violent and tumultuous period after the American Civil War. In a neat inversion of Indian abduction narratives like John Ford’s classic The Searchers, the Confederate veteran here is trying to return a child to her … Continue reading “News of the West”

Bite Back Food Campaign

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 23 March 2021 > Ready to Use

Bite Back 2030  is a campaign led by British young people aiming to redesign what they call the “food system” to put young people’s health first. This resource features an eye-opening social experiment the campaign carried out to show volunteers just how much they were influenced by advertising when it came to making food choices. … Continue reading “Bite Back Food Campaign”

Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 23 February 2021 > Ready to Use

Ruby Bridges didn’t choose to become a civil-rights icon. It was her parents who, in 1960, chose to accept that their 6-year-old daughter would be the first African-American child to integrate a white school in the American South. But as an adult, Bridges, who was immortalised by Norman Rockwell, has fought indefatigably for civil rights … Continue reading “Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon”