Jazz singer Billie Holiday’s 1939 recording of “Strange Fruit” has become one of the most potent protest songs in U.S. history. Its images of lynched African Americans accompanied the civil-rights movement but still evoke uncomfortable truths today. The song was written by a Jewish Communist high-school teacher, Abel Meeropol. It was originally a poem, written … Continue reading ““Strange Fruit”: a Searing Protest Song”
Australia started the new year with a change in its national anthem designed to be more inclusive of all Australians. On 31 December, Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the change of a single word that is heavy with significance. The words of “Advance Australia Fair” included the line “For we are young and free”. … Continue reading “Change in Australia’s National Anthem to Reflect Indigenous Heritage”
The First World War was so devastating, countries were at a loss to know how to commemorate their dead. A hundred years ago, two years after the Armistice, Britain’s King George V inaugurated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Cathedral, to honour all the anonymous fallen. Although the war had mobilised vast numbers … Continue reading “The Unknown Warrior 100 Years On”
The 17-year-old founder of the School Strike for Climate movement has been awarded the inaugural Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. And immediately announced that she would donate the one million euro prize money to environmental projects through her foundation. This is the first year the Portuguese philanthropic Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation awarded the Prize for Humanity, which … Continue reading “Greta Thunberg Donates Million Euro Prize”
The 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush in the UK, and the current scandal about the treatment of the children of the Windrush Generation, give an opportunity to look at the experiences of Commonwealth immigrants to the U.K. This is a nice simple explanation of the Windrush generation from the BBC children’s … Continue reading “Teaching About Windrush”
Last year, the Immigration Museum in Paris held an excellent exhibition on the influence of migration from former colonies on the musical culture of the UK and France after decolonisation in the 1960s. Paris-London Musical Migrations fits perfectly with the themes of Shine Bright 1e File 7 Caribbean Vibes and Shine Bright LLCE File 8 From … Continue reading “Musical Migrations”
Evaluez vos élèves sur de vrais sujets de type Bac ! Vous pouvez désormais télécharger 24 sujets de Bac pour entraîner vos élèves aux E3C1 ou E3C2. Les sujets abordent les 8 axes du programme en lien avec les thèmes des unités longues du manuel Shine Bright 1e. A utiliser aussi bien en préparation au Bac … Continue reading “Shine Bright 1e: des sujets type Bac”
Millie Small’s global hit song “My Boy Lollipop” was one of most visible manifestations of the influence of Caribbean migrants’ music on the British music scene. The Jamaican singer has died at the age of 73. Small started her music career in Jamaica, before Island Records founder Chris Blackwell became her manager and took her … Continue reading “Our Girl Lollipop”
Evocative American painter Edward Hopper was to be the subject of an exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland this spring. But since visitors can’t go to the museum, the museum can come to them online. Hopper’s paintings are wonderful jumping off points for creative writing, or, as film director Wim Wenders explains, for … Continue reading “Edward Hopper: Telling Stories”
London officially became the first National Park City in July 2019. This article from the London Council website works really well with Shine Bright Première File 2: London is my backyard . After working on reading comprehension, pupils can do a short written expression assignment. Axes du programme : Espace privé et espace public / Identité … Continue reading “London National Park City”
