This B1-level article will introduce your pupils to the Rockwell and Roosevelt Four Freedoms Exhibition (Caen Mémorial, June-October 2019). It focuses and expands on a very specific passage from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State of the Union speech delivered in January 1941 in which he put an emphasis on freedom, or rather freedoms: freedom from fear, … Continue reading “Rockwell, Roosevelt and Freedom”
For National Vegetarian Week, Britain’s Vegetarian Society has created three short videos about going vegetarian, or at least trying to eat less meat and fish. The three 1-minute videos would make a great class group activity, with each group watching a video about eating less meat to help the environment, improve their health, or to … Continue reading “Going Vegetarian Videos”
The Oceania exhibition that is now on at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris originated at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The RA has a number of videos in English online in connection with the exhibition that are excellent for class work on the topic. It would work well with Shine Bright … Continue reading “Oceania Through Videos”
Don McCullin’s black-and-white photographs bear witness of the major conflicts the world has been experiencing for the last 60 years. From Cyprus to Syria, from Vietnam to Biafra, from the construction of the Berlin Wall to the conflict in Ulster, his (still ongoing) career as a photojournalist has enabled him to witness and record the … Continue reading “Don McCullin: War Photographer”
Green Book — winner of the 2019 Best Picture Oscar —is a road movie about friendship and race relations in the 1960s American South. The film takes its title from a guide book published for almost thirty years from 1936: The Negro Motorist Green Book. These online resources will help you explore the real Green … Continue reading “Green Book: Online Resources”
This article explores the fates of two queens who reigned in neighbouring kingdoms in the 16th century. Both linked and opposed, they had to rule in a man’s world, in a conflict-ridden society, where religious and political unrest were rife and conspiracy and treason were the norm. Through the new biopic, Mary Queen of Scots, … Continue reading “Two Queens”
If Beale Street Could Talk, a love story set in 1970s Harlem, is the first English-language film adapted from one of James Baldwin’s novels. This video and interactive book can be used in class to explore Baldwin’s work and the film. It is a romance but also an ode to loving family bonds. And it … Continue reading “Love in Harlem: Teaching Tools”
Green Book — winner of the 2019 Best Picture Oscar —is a road movie about friendship and race relations in the 1960s American South. The biopic is based on a real story: In 1964, Dr Don Shirley, a virtuoso classical pianist, was booked to play a series of concerts across the Deep South. Dr Shirley … Continue reading “On the Road with the Green Book”
Andy Warhol remains one of the most famous and iconic American artists. He contributed to bridge the gap and blur the boundaries between pop culture and fine arts and his work is a wonderful way in into American 20th century history, culture, and values. Some thirty years after his death, the New York Whitney Museum … Continue reading “Andy Warhol: From A to Z”
The biopic about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is excellent for discussing gender issues in this class. This short clip should really get students talking. It’s suitable from B1+, as there is a lot of implicit content. It’s a scene from early in the film, On the Basis of Sex. It’s 1956, and Ruth … Continue reading “Teaching with Film: Ruth Bader Ginsburg”
