Pupils are sure to be intrigued by the larger-than-life visuals and machines that make up the Steampunk universe. This video from the “Steampunk capital of the world” – Oamaru, New Zealand – is a great introduction. Read all about Oamaru and Steampunk in our article. Please don’t adjust your screen – the flickering camera work … Continue reading “Steampunk Video”
Lion is based on a true story, and these two videos work well together, showing the fiction with the trailer, and the reality, with a Public Service Announcement by star Dev Patel for donations to charities helping lost children in India, like the film’s hero, Saroo. In the film, Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) plays Saroo, a … Continue reading “Teaching With Trailers: Lion”
Nominated for seven Oscars, Moonlight is a coming-of-age movie about Chiron, an African-American boy growing up in the 1980s and 1990s in a poor housing project in Miami. A short video gives a fascinating insight into how the film was made, and is perfect for working on éducation aux médias et à l’information. We wouldn’t particularly … Continue reading “Media Education: Moonlight”
Loving tells the astonishing true story of an American couple who married in 1958 and spent the first nine years of their marriage fighting the segregationist laws that found them guilty of the crime of loving someone who was a different colour. Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter were childhood sweethearts in Virginia. When Mildred became … Continue reading “Fighting for the Right to Love”
The U.S. National Parks Service celebrated its centenary in 2016. Although the first park, Yellowstone, was founded in 1872, the park service and rangers date from 1916. The U.S. was the first country to legislate to protect areas of national beauty, and National Parks are popular with American and foreign visitors alike. These resources allow … Continue reading “National Parks and Sequoia Tunnel Trees Webpicks”
Groundhog Day, 2 February, gives lots of possibilities for revising vocabulary for weather and seasons, considering weather proverbs in English and French, and getting a bit of science into English class. The weather, like Groundhog Day, comes back around regularly, and discussing the tradition can serve as a handy reminder of weather terms. Or pick … Continue reading “Weather Webpicks”
Tuesday 7 February is Safer Internet Day. On that day, and every day, it’s time to get pupils thinking about what they post on the Internet, and what it says about them. This year’s campaign focuses on images. Online life is an important part of the parcours du citoyen, and l’éducation aux médias et à … Continue reading “Safer Internet Day”
The highpoint of the cultural calendar in the Shetlands, Scotland, is a spectacular Viking fire festival in January: Up Helly Aa. This video and photo galleries are useful for discussing the festival. Find out more about the celebration in our article. In this video, an American man with Shetland roots describes discovering Up Helly Aa … Continue reading “Up Helly Aa Webpicks”
Ben Affleck’s gangster film Live By Night is a great opportunity to introduce your classes to the period of Prohibition. Live By Night centres on the organised crime gangs which profited from Prohibition by producing or importing illicit alcohol and running underground bars called speakeasies. The Bill of Rights Institute has free downloadable teaching resources … Continue reading “Prohibition”
These videos will help you discuss Martin Luther King Day in class. The third Monday in January, close to MLK’s birthday on the 15th, is a federal holiday and a day of service when citizens are encouraged to volunteer in their communities. This 60-second Public Service Announcement for the day of service s simple – … Continue reading “Martin Luther King Day on the Web”