Many in the U.S. consider Thanksgiving the most American of holidays. The feast appeals to every religious and ethnic group, honours a turning point in American history, and encourages a spirit of good will. Plus, Thanksgiving offers one of the best meals of the year! In 1620, a group of 102 British people men, women … Continue reading “Thanksgiving”
The exhibition POP ART: Icons That Matter at the Musée Maillol has excellent teaching resources to explore a key movement in 20th century U.S. culture. The exhibition features works from the permanent collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The Musée Maillol’s teaching page lets you download a detailed teaching pack. … Continue reading “Pop Art: Teaching Resources”
The organisers of National Poetry Day in the UK, 28 September, have a treasure trove of poems and teaching activities on their website, including a free ebook of poems to download. This year’s theme is freedom. We’ve made a selection of those that work best for language teaching, with teaching suggestions. The Freedom Films page … Continue reading “Creative Activities for National Poetry Day”
How did an Italian explorer working for the Spanish crown become an American hero? Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October and commemorates Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas on 12 October 1492. In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue Children’s … Continue reading “Columbus Day”
London is celebrating its Roman past with the Londinium festival. Access and download teaching resources on the Romans in Britain from A1+ to B1. There are articles about Hadrian’s Wall at A1+, A2 and B1 levels, with accompanying interactive comprehension activities, as well as a B1 audio on British Queen Boudica’s resistance to the Roman … Continue reading “The Romans in Britain Teaching Resources”
The annual European Day of Languages on 26 September is a great reason to have some multilingual mingling and celebrations in your classroom! And for an instant teaching activity on comparing languages, why not get your pupils to participate in the competition to design a T-shirt for the 2018 event? Or participate in a world … Continue reading “Celebrate European Languages”
The Labor Day holiday weekend signals the end of summer for Americans. Although it takes place at the beginning of September, and the hot weather may continue for weeks, after Labor Day, schools start again it feels like the summer vacation has ended. Labor Day is the U.S. version of May Day in most other … Continue reading “Labor Day: Back to School”
These three videos associated with Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets provide plenty of opportunities to get pupils talking on a film many will have seen. This teaser trailer is almost without dialogue or voiceover, so it’s a great place to start, and can be used at all levels, with pupils commenting according … Continue reading “Valerian: Teaching with Trailers”
It’s one of the world’s last working palaces. It is also one of London’s major tourist attractions. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace has always attracted visitors but, since 1993, crowds have flocked to visit the State Rooms where royal ceremonies take place. Parts of the Palace date back to the 17th century … Continue reading “Buckingham Palace Open for Visits”
Robin Hood is great way into British history as pupils can build on their prior knowledge of the character. If you are working on Robin Hood as part of a medieval theme, with the Robin Hood Festival in Nottingham, or as a theatre activity, these videos provide vocabulary help and food for thought. This one-minute … Continue reading “Robin Hood Videos”