St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, is a great time to inject some Irish culture into your classroom, with these videos, audio and interactive activities. Happy St Patrick’s Day – some of the figures may be a bit approximate in this promotional video, but it’s great for becoming familiar with some Irish traditions and traits, and … Continue reading “St Patrick’s Day on the Web”
To “remember, remember the fifth of November”, as a children’s rhyme says, A1+-level pupils can view a video, read about the tradition, and do an interactive activity. At A2-A2+, useful links can be made with the history curriculum, with an online game and fireworks to round off the subject. It’s worth giving pupils a few … Continue reading “Guy Fawkes Webpicks”
Brits are gearing up to raise money for charity with Sport Relief on 13 March. The high-energy version of Comic Relief is asking people to lace up their running shoes, put on their swimsuits or get on their bikes to tackle issues such as mental health stigma, domestic abuse, homelessness and poverty, both in the … Continue reading “Be a Sport!”
Sport Relief is from 9 to 13 March in the UK. Like its twin, Red Nose Day, it has always had a big educational element. Schools participate massively in fundraising, but the charity also provides lots of teaching materials so classes can learn about the problems Sport Relief funds are helping to tackle. The schools’ … Continue reading “Sport Relief Teaching Materials”
From schools playing Harry Potter-inspired quidditch matches, to mass runs and cycles, Sport Relief (17-23 March) provides plenty of themes for language learning: charities and solidarity, sport, exercise and health. Schools participate massively in Sport Relief, so there are lots of teaching resources. The ones for primary schools are best adapted for language learners. This … Continue reading “Sport Relief Webpicks”
From 17 to 23 March, Britain is breaking out the running shoes and swimming costumes for Sport Relief, Red Nose Day’s sporting cousin. A whole lot of comics, celebrities, schools and the great British public will take on sporting challenges to raise money for those in need in Britain and some of the poorest communities … Continue reading “Stepping Up”
St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, is the Irish national day. But there are many communities of Irish origin around the world and on St Paddy’s Day, everyone is Irish! There is a large Irish community in the U.S. and the parades in Chicago and New York are famous. The Chicago River, and the Liffey in … Continue reading “Happy St Patrick’s!”
It has all the ingredients of a great British event: tradition, wearing costumes, doing silly things and collecting money for charity! Every year at Covent Garden Market in London, teams of people participate in The Great Christmas Pudding race. They make their way through a series of obstacles while carrying a Christmas pudding on a … Continue reading “The Great Christmas Pudding Race”
The British capital gets into the Halloween spirit with a vengeance. It must be said that London has almost 2,000 years of often bloody and gruesome history that lends itself well to tales of ghosts and the unquiet dead. The various Royal Palaces have a wealth of gory history to delve into. At Hampton Court … Continue reading “Scare Yourself Silly: Halloween in London”
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”