GENERATION Y

Have a look at the following photograph. What does it suggest you?

• Why do you think it is called 'Generation Y'?
• Discuss the characteristics of these young people. (Click on the link to get information about them).
• Now watch the following video and try to answer the questions on the quiz:

HISTORY LESSON

A VISION OF STUDENTS TODAY

Discuss the following questions in class:

1. If the walls in your classroom could talk, what would they say about  learning today?

2. What's like to be a student today?

3. Do you usually complete your assignments?

4. How many books will you read this year?

5. And web pages?

6. How many profiles on social networking sites will you read?

7. How many e-mails will you write?

8. How many hours a day do you spend on these activities?

• online?
• watching TV?
• listening to music
• on the cell phone?
• eating?
• in class?
• studying?
• sleeping?

9. How many hours a day do they make in total?

10. Do you consider yourself a multi-tasker?

11. Do you think you're one of those lucky students who have almost everything one could wish?

12. Does your future job exist today?

13. Do you agree that technology can save us?

14. What's the message students give in this video? What do they demand? What do they regret?

• Do you feel identified with the Gen Y'ers? In which aspects? Discuss.

THE KING'S SPEECH

PLOT

After the death of his father King George V  and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII , Bertie  who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue. After a rough start, the two look into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice.

MAIN CHARACTERS

• King George VI (Bertie) - Collin Firth
• Queen Elizabeth (future Queen Mother) - Helena Bonham Carter
• Lionel Logue (speech therapist) - Geoffrey Rush
• King George V - Michael Gambon
• King Edward VIII - Guy Pearce
• Winston Churchill - Timothy Spall

TRAILER.

After watching the trailer, click on the link below (warm-up activities) and discuss the questions included there with your classmates and teacher.

USEFUL VOCABULARY

• Royal Family: 'Your Majesty', 'Your Highness' (treatment), abdication, to crown.
• Speech: speech disorder, speech therapy/therapist, to stammer, to stutter, swear, recite, speak in public, audition, voice.
• Radio: broadcast, off the air, on the air, radio-address. 

WARM-UP ACTIVITIES

Now that you've got an idea of what the film is about, get ready to watch the whole film in the class.

SOME MORE INTERESTING INFORMATION:

• Original oral speech by George VI, 1939. 
• Original written speech by George, Sept. 1939 (See the last two pages of the document).

MY BLACKBERRY IS NOT WORKING!

Watch this hilarious sketch at a greengrocer's where a man complains about his blackberry not working properly!

Watch all the words employed with double meaning and discuss them with your classmates and teacher.

Here you are some clues to start with:

* a blackberry
* to run out of juice
* to be frozen
* an orange
* to boot
* a date
* to crash
* an apple
* an eggs-box (pay attention to the pronunciation of this word)

Look up the words in the computer terms dictionary to help you understand the meaning.

Now get ready to do the gap-fill exercise that follows while watching the video.

By the way, do you know what the origin of the word blackberry is? Read the explanation by clicking on the word and give your opinion on this issue. Remember this is just one of the possible explanations.

LIFE EXPECTATIONS

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE BEFORE IT'S ALL OVER?

Play the video and find out the things some people would like to accomplish before they die.

                                                                            by realdogswimming

• Mention as many things as you can remember from the interviews.

• Now think about the things you hope to accomplish in your lifetime and share them with your classmates and teacher.

 

SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION SYSTEMS

Have you ever wondered what the key to success at school is?

What makes an educational system good?


Let's have a look at the Finnish education system which is at the top of world rankings.

Play the video and then discuss with your classmates and your teacher the different aspects related to it:

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE - The Fray

Once you've the done the activity in class, check your answers by watching the following video.

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE 

                     

 

After watching the film 'Bowling for Columbine' by Michael Moore, try to answer the following questions to check your comprehension of the film.

 

1. Michael Moore opens a bank account so that he can get what item instead of interest?

2. Where did Michael Moore grow up?

3. Charlton Heston is president of what organization?

4. Who are Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols?

5. Why does the man from the Michigan militia say you must carry a gun?

6. What happened in Kosovo on April 20, 1999? What happened one hour later?

7. What organization held a major rally in Denver 10 days after the shooting?

8. Who were some of the people/things blamed for the tragedy at Columbine?

9. How does Marilyn Manson respond to allegations that he is to blame?
    Who does he imply was influential?

10. What class were the boys enrolled in the morning before they killed at Columbine?

11. What other countries besides USA have violent pasts?

12. What does the news media want people to feel?

13. Who is the most common suspect on the US television?

14. Who most often gets in trouble for gun possession—kids in the city or kids in the suburbs?

15. Who conditions people in the United States to believe that their communities are dangerous?

16. What does the former TV producer of Cops say sells in the media?

17. How many gun murders were there in Sarnia, Canada, in the past three

years? How many in Windsor?

18. What are some misconceptions about Canada? What is the truth?

19. Does Canada have guns? In 2001, could they get guns/ ammunition easily? Explain.

20. How is Canadian TV news different from TV news in the United States?

21. How is the health care system in Canada different from health care in the United States?

22. What does Michael Moore take Richard and Mark to do at K-Mart headquarters?

23. What do Mark, Richard and Michael convince K-Mart to do about selling

ammunition in their stores?

24. Whom does Michael Moore visit at his house in Hollywood? What is the

outcome of their discussion?

25. What did you learn from the film?

26. What are some of the questions this film poses?
27. After watching this film, what else do you want to know?

FREE HUGS DAY

What's 'Free Hugs Day'? Do you have a Free Hugs Day in your country?
Watch the promotional video of the campaign to have an idea of what it is about. Then click on the link Free Hugs and try to answer the questions that follow.

1. Who started Free Hugs day? Why?

2. Why was it forbidden?

3. Where and when is it celebrated?

4. Who is the music of the video by?

Now watch and listen to an interview with Sick Puppies, then answer the questions provided in your class worksheet.

  

Interview with Sick Puppies

ANIMATED SONGS

Have a look at these animated songs, they include illustrations and the lyrics.
Would you dare to animate your favourite song in such a cute way? Have a try or else sing along!

COLDPLAY: YELLOW

SHE AND HIM - BRAND NEW SHOES

OVER THE RAINBOW

ADVERTISING

What makes an ad or a commercial effective?

What elements are included in ads in order to make a product attractive to consumers?

Watch the following TV commercials carefully paying special attention to the following aspects:

• Who are the products addressed to? (gender, age, etc.)
• Background music / jingle (if any)
• Visual impact (colours, background, movement, balance...)
• Information of the product.
• Special effects (sound, visual, etc).
• Metaphors, similes (any figures of speech)
• Motto / slogan
• Type of appeals: informational, emotional, humourous, positive, negative...

Then, discuss the effectiveness of the three ads in the class.

VOLKSWAGEN - Darth Vader

COCA COLA: Hello Happiness

HEINEKEN

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES:

A) Find a commercial you consider attractive.

• Analyse all the features and do a class presentation explaining its content, the type of appeals it uses to be catchy and the degree of effectiveness in the consumer. 

B) Create an ad. Think about the product you're advertising, the type of consumers it's directed to, the slogan, the jingle and the images you're going to include to make it appealing. You can work in small groups and use a video camera to film it.

LOST

Watch these two videos taken from the popular series LOST carefully.
Click on the links for viewing the episodes.

LOST (Episode 1, Part 1)

LOST (Episode 1, Part 2)

OBSERVATION GAME.

Now that you've seen the videos, decide whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE. Justify your answers.

1. The man who appears first has a tattoo on his right arm.

2. The girl who helps him is wearing black trousers.

3. The scissors are red.

4. There are three fires on the island.

5. The man with the goatee beard is called Charlie.

6. A woman is talking on her mobile phone.

7. Someone counts to five.

8. The blonde girl accepts a bar of chocolate.

9. There is a pregnant woman on the island.

10. There are people of two different races.

11. The man in the last scene knows the woman's name.

AMERICAN STATES AND THEIR CAPITALS

Learn the American States and their capitals in an amusing way!