Two films present a modern take on the Western, through the eyes of a British and a Chinese director, and centring on the relationships between horses, a 15-year-old boy and a Native American cowboy. Lean on Pete tells the story of a 15-year-old boy searching for a home and a race horse destined for the … Continue reading “The Western Re-invented”
Mary Cassatt was doubly unusual within the school of Impressionism: as a woman and an American. An exhibition in Paris puts the spotlight on this lesser-known member of Degas’ school, and free class visits are available in English. Cassatt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1844, into a family that had made a fortune in … Continue reading “Mary Cassatt: An American Impressionist”
Fake news never seems to be out of the news at the moment, with more and more governments and organisations stressing the importance of making pupils aware of it. The American Library in Paris is hosting a discussion panel about fake news on Tuesday 20 March at 7.30 p.m. Perfect timing for the Semaine de … Continue reading “Expert Discussion about Fake News”
San-Francisco-based theater company Word for Word has announced its annual tour in France. Once again the company will bring prose (five short stories) to life on stage using their original technique. For each show, the company chooses prose pieces and produces them as theater without adaptation. Intonation, actions, scenery and props bring the pages to … Continue reading “American Theater in Angers, Nancy and Paris”
The lead role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri fits Frances McDormand like a glove. The story of a fierce, unconventional woman touched by tragedy in small town America, it’s honest and brave, like its star. McDormand has made a career on stage and on screen of inhabiting the kind of characters that stay with … Continue reading “Three Billboards and a Mother’s Fury”
Hamilton, a hip-hop musical about one of America’s Founding Fathers, is one of the most unlikely Broadway hits ever. It is finally arriving on this side of the pond, playing to sold-out houses in London’s West End. Hamilton is the brainchild of Lin Manuel Miranda, singer, dancer and author of In the Heights, his first … Continue reading “Hamilton Musical Arrives in London”
If you want to discuss Thanksgiving with your class, there are some really useful sites and online resources. This site has lots of pictures and information about the first Thanksgiving in the U.S.A., in 1621, when British colonists, or Pilgrims, invited the Wampanoag Native Americans to a big meal to thank them for teaching them … Continue reading “Thanksgiving on the Web”
This short video of a NASA astronaut on the International Space Station discussing how he is going to celebrate Thanksgiving is a great way to introduce or revise this American holiday as well as food vocabulary. ISS Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA explained how he and fellow American, Peggy Whitson, were going to … Continue reading “Thanksgiving Dinner in Space”
This illustrated map produced by the U.S. State Department provides a visual presentation of U.S. states associated to landmarks and industry. It could be used at various levels, depending on what is to be achieved by the students. We have provided teaching suggestions and a worksheet for an A2 level. This is a good opportunity … Continue reading “U.S. Landmarks and Icons Map”
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”