U.S. Landmarks and Icons Map

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > Ready to Use

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”

U.S. School Segregation Today

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > In the News

On 25 September 1957, U.S. civil rights activists won the right for African American children to go to the same schools as white children at Little Rock, Arkansas. But 60 years on, many schools in the U.S.A. are still separated along color lines. And one of the most segregated school systems in the country is … Continue reading “U.S. School Segregation Today”

Little Rock School Integration, 1957

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > Celebrate

September 25, 2017, marks 60 years since the “Little Rock Nine”, a group of African American students managed to gain access to the all-white Central High School in Arkansas. It was a landmark moment in the civil-rights movement to obtain equal treatment for all citizens, irrespective of colour. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court had … Continue reading “Little Rock School Integration, 1957”

Little Rock School Integration Videos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 26 September 2017 > Webpicks

2017 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the a major landmark in ending school segregation in the U.S.A.: when nine courageous black students braved screaming mobs, police and troops to gain access to Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Both the National Parks Service Visitors’ Center on the site, and the Dwight Eisenhower Memorial have … Continue reading “Little Rock School Integration Videos”

President Kennedy Slideshow

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 13 September 2017 > Ready to Use

In 2017, the U.S.A. has been commemorating the hundredth anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s birth. In this B1-B2 sequence, pupils view a short, downloadable animated slideshow giving basic facts about JFK’s life. They will then work in groups to expand their knowledge before preparing a presentation in the Bac oral format. Language and structures John … Continue reading “President Kennedy Slideshow”

The Face of Money: U.S. Banknotes Get a New Look

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 20 February 2017 > Ready to Use

This A2-level article will enable your pupils to understand the historical significance of portraits on American banknotes, and to compare with other currencies. The presentation of new notes featuring Harriet Tubman and other African-American and women’s suffrage activists includes suggestions for  an EPI with history. Vocabulary and structures Verb tenses: simple past and simple present … Continue reading “The Face of Money: U.S. Banknotes Get a New Look”

Fighting for the Right to Love

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 16 February 2017 > Webpicks

Loving tells the astonishing true story of an American couple who married in 1958 and spent the first nine years of their marriage fighting the segregationist laws that found them guilty of the crime of loving someone who was a different colour. Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter were childhood sweethearts in Virginia. When Mildred became … Continue reading “Fighting for the Right to Love”

Jackie

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 03 February 2017 > What's On

Seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman), Jackie is an intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history: the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. President Kennedy’s assassination was a generation-marking event not just for Americans but for the millions of people … Continue reading “Jackie”

Prohibition

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 17 January 2017 > Webpicks

Ben Affleck’s gangster film Live By Night is a great opportunity to introduce your classes to the period of Prohibition. Live By Night centres on the organised crime gangs which profited from Prohibition by producing or importing illicit alcohol and running underground bars called speakeasies. The film’s website has a perfect lesson on Prohibition ready … Continue reading “Prohibition”