Monday 31 December 2018
Monday 24 December 2018
Wishes of a very Merry Christmas!
I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
To all our friends, readers and visitors,
the best wishes of a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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| Credits: Marjon Besteman-Horn por Pixabay |
Sunday 2 December 2018
Tuesday 20 November 2018
Happy Thanksgiving 2018
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| Credits: hudsoncrafted por Pixabay |
ABCDEFG
Thank you God for all I see
HIJKLMNOP
Thank you God for my family
QRS and TUV
Thank you God for loving me
WX and Y and Z
On Thanksgiving I thank thee!
Thanksgiving this year falls on November 22nd, as always in the fourth Thursday of the month, all across the USA and Canada, preceding Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days in America.
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an Autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
To know more about Thanksgiving, its history and traditions, read T&L here. You may also check some relevant multimedia resources on this topic @:
Bet you didn't know: Thanksgiving;
History of Thanksgiving;
Thanksgiving becomes a holiday;
Thanksgiving foods;
Teaching History;
The Learning Network by NY Times.
You can get ELT resources (further info, lesson plans, printables, posters, slideshows, recipes, graphs, crafts, colouring pictures and greeting cards) on the topic @:
British & American Festivals and Holidays;
We are Teachers;
Scholastic.com;
Thanksgiving on the Net;
Teacher Vision;
The Teachers Corner.
Monday 5 November 2018
The Gunpowder Plot & Bonfire Night
After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English
Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor,
James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had
a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant
than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent
action was the answer.
To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of
36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of
Lords.
For 400 years, bonfires have burned on November 5th
to mark the failed Gunpowder Plot.
A small group took shape, under the leadership of
Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the
thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would
kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament
who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators
would be known as extremists, or terrorists.
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| Credits: Roger Kirby from FreeImages |
But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear
that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some
people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters
started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous
letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on
November 5th. Was the letter real?
The warning letter reached the King, and the King's
forces made plans to stop the conspirators.
Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament
with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early
hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.
It's unclear if the conspirators would ever have been
able to pull off their plan to blow up the Parliament even if they had not been
betrayed. Some have suggested that the gunpowder itself was so old as to be
useless. Since Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators got caught before trying
to ignite the powder, we'll never know for certain.
Even for the period which was notoriously unstable,
the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In
fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year,
on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the
Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of
the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observe
this tradition.
On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled,
on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the
King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is
commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a
bonfire.
Some of the
English have been known to wonder, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, whether
they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with
the government.
Was Guy framed?
There was no doubt an attempt to blow up Parliament
on November 5th 1605. But Guy Fawkes and his associates may have been caught in
a Jacobean sting operation which would have served the authorities by casting
Catholics, or Recusants, as an enemy to be pursued.
By the time Queen Elizabeth died, after ruling for
about fifty years, most people only remembered living under her rule. When
James I succeeded to the throne, many saw an opportunity for change. Those who
felt particularly hard done by, both by Elizabeth I and James I, even felt that
the situation was so bad as to require, in Fawkes' own words, "a desperate
remedy": it was an opportunity to simply replace the current king.
These were unstable times indeed, with several
smaller plots being discovered in the years preceding 1605. In fact, many of
the Gunpowder plotters were known as traitors to the authorities. For this
reason, it would have been difficult, if not unlikely, for them to gather 36
barrels of gunpowder and store them in a cellar under the house of Lords
without the security forces getting suspicious.
Furthermore, the letter warning one of the members of
government to stay away from Parliament is believed today to have been
fabricated by the king's officials. Historians suggest that the King's
officials already knew about the plot, that one of the plotters in fact
revealed the key points of the plot to the authorities. The suspected turncoat?
Francis Tresham.
The letter, then, would be a tool created by the
King's officials to explain how, at the last minute, the king found out about
the Plot and stopped it just before it wreaked its havoc on Parliament and
himself. At the same time, the letter was vague enough to give the officials
all the latitude they wanted in falsifying confessions and to pursue their own
anti-Catholic ends.
There are two fundamental problems with the letter.
Firstly, the letter was unsigned. Any and all of the conspirators, once
apprehended, might have saved themselves from torture and perhaps even death if
they could claim to have written it. None did. Not one of the conspirators who
was caught appears to have known about the letter. Secondly, the letter was very
vague in its content. It said nothing about the details of the planned attack.
Still, the king and his men knew exactly the where and when to catch the
conspirators and stop the explosion just hours before it was to take place.
How did they know?
The Plot Today
Guy left his name for everyday use
Today, we use the word "guy" to mean
"person" or "man", as in "that guy across the
street". Although the Oxford English Dictionary won't vouch for this
theory, many linguists and historians think that our use of the term in that
way is from our friend Guy Fawkes.
It's difficult to trace the exact path of the word
over the centuries, but it probably started by referring to the effigy of
Fawkes that was thrown on top of the bonfire every November 5th as "a
guy". Still today, as they walk down the street trying to collect money
for fireworks, kids will ask for "a penny for the guy." From there,
it's not a huge leap to talk about "a guy" as a living person. The
use of the word would have grown from there.
The Opening of Parliament
Another tradition still observed by Britons is the
annual visit of the Queen to Parliament every year. Ever since the Gunpowder
Plot, the reigning monarch enters the Parliament only once a year, on what is
called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and
according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of
Westminster. Today, the Queen and Parliament still observe this tradition.
No one really expects to find 36 barrels of gunpowder
when our Yeomen undertake this task every year. But, just like most of us who
like a good Bonfire Night, it's clear the Lords and MPs like a bit of a
celebration, too.
Bonfire Night
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| Credits: Gavin Mills from FreeImages |
The tradition of Guy Fawkes-related bonfires actually
began the very same year as the failed coup. The Plot was foiled in the night
between the 4th and 5th of November 1605. Already on the 5th, agitated
Londoners who knew little more than that their King had been saved, joyfully
lit bonfires in thanksgiving. As years progressed, however, the ritual became
more elaborate. Soon, people began placing effigies onto bonfires,
and fireworks were added to the celebrations. Effigies of Guy Fawkes, and
sometimes those of the Pope, graced the pyres. Still today, some communities
throw dummies of both Guy Fawkes and the Pope on the bonfire (and even those of
a contemporary politician or two), although the gesture is seen by most as a
quirky tradition, rather than an expression of hostility towards the Pope.
Preparations for Bonfire Night celebrations include
making a dummy of Guy Fawkes, which is called "the Guy". Some
children even keep up an old tradition of walking in the streets, carrying
"the Guy" they have just made, and beg passersby for "a penny
for the Guy." The kids use the money to buy fireworks for the evening
festivities.
On the night itself, Guy is placed on top of the
bonfire, which is then set alight; and fireworks displays fill the sky.
The extent of the celebrations and the size of the
bonfire varies from one community to the next. Lewes, in the South East of
England, is famous for its Bonfire Night festivities and consistently attracts
thousands of people each year to participate.
Bonfire Night is not only celebrated in Britain. The
tradition crossed the oceans and established itself in the British colonies
during the centuries. It was actively celebrated in New England as "Pope
Day" as late as the 18th century. Today, November 5th bonfires
still light up in far out places like New Zealand and Newfoundland in Canada.
For more information and for rhymes, chants and Bonfire Night recipes, visit Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night.
The British Council has also a great multimedia lesson plan available here. You can either do it by yourself if you are a student or explore it in class if you are a teacher.
Wednesday 31 October 2018
Happy Halloween 2018
The moon has awoken
With the sleep of the sun
The light has been broken
The spell has begun!
Do enjoy a very spooky and witchy Halloween this evening!
With the sleep of the sun
The light has been broken
The spell has begun!
Do enjoy a very spooky and witchy Halloween this evening!
Thursday 18 October 2018
Halloween 2018 Class Activities
Can you match these frightful, spooky idioms with their meaning?
2. My old car finally gave up the ghost, so I’ll have to buy a new one.
3. When she saw the dark shadow in the in the moonlight, she was scared stiff.
4. What’s the matter? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost!
5. Oh, don’t be such a scaredy-cat. Nothing bad is going to happen.
6. That spooky old house gives me the creeps.
7. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. It will come back to haunt you.
8. No one lived there anymore. It was a ghost town.
MEANINGS:
be a mistake
very frightened
coward
make (someone) uncomfortable
make (someone) scared
very white, pale
deserted
stopped working
Friday 5 October 2018
7 years without Steve Jobs
We miss you, Steve, and we don't forget the example you set for us. Thank you for pushing the Human Race forward!
Steve Jobs narrated this unaired version of Apple's famous Think Different ad in 1997... either you have already watched it or not, here it goes with all his geniality..
World Teachers' Day 2018
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| Credits: UNESCO
Overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teacher training, lack of professional development during their careers: all these factors have a negative effect on learning. World Teachers' Day, celebrated annually on 5 October, focuses this year on the right to education, which means the right to qualified teachers. On this occasion, several events are being organized at UNESCO Headquarters on 4 and 5 October.
Well-trained teachers are essential for quality education. However, teachers who have not received the required pedagogical training to teach are teaching students today. According to 2017 data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 85% of primary school teachers worldwide have received teacher training. However, this figure masks significant regional disparities. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 64% of primary school teachers are trained. In South Asia, this rate reaches 71%.
This situation is even more worrisome as the lack of teacher qualifications is often combined with classroom overcrowding. Sub-Saharan Africa has a ratio of 38 pupils to one teacher in primary schools, compared to 35 in South Asia (Source: UIS).
To know more click here and visit UNESCO.
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Wednesday 3 October 2018
Saturday 29 September 2018
Monday 24 September 2018
Teaching & Learning is 7 years today!
We intended to give suggestions of ELT resources and Web 2.0 tools applied to English language teaching, gather some practical examples of students' work and discuss their relevance/success in class context, create an interaction tool with Students/ other Teachers and keep close to Steve Jobs' motto: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” as we believe work can be done with pleasure and it can be much better if we don’t forget about enjoying it and adding a pinch of foolishness!
More than 850 posts and 145000 hits later, we believe those objectives are being achieved.
T&L audience is growing every day, it comes mainly from the USA, the UK, Russia and Portugal, but also from the United Arab Emirates, China, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.
THANK YOU for reading T&L, for supporting it and above all for being here! I would also like to thank all those who spend their precious time commenting and giving important feedback!
This whole experience is a pleasure for us, so we intend to keep on going, posting more about didactics, English, culture, students’ tasks, motivational and foolish things, too, of course!
We hope to see you all around here a year from now…
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| Credits: C B por Pixabay |
Seven years and counting… STAY HUNGRY. STAY FOOLISH.
Let's celebrate... HAPPY
BIRTHDAY, TEACHING & LEARNING!
Thursday 20 September 2018
Monday 3 September 2018
Wednesday 1 August 2018
T&L Summer Break 2018
It has been a good school year! Now it is high time to have a break
and relax to be able to face September and its new challenges.
Meanwhile, enjoy your Summer to the fullest!
Tuesday 24 July 2018
Sunday 22 July 2018
Saturday 21 July 2018
Friday 20 July 2018
Wednesday 4 July 2018
Tuesday 3 July 2018
City Life in the Future
A film produced by Siemens exploring future scenarios of city life in London, New York and Copenhagen. It looks at urbanization trends challenging cities around the world and featured solutions.
Monday 2 July 2018
Thursday 28 June 2018
Tuesday 5 June 2018
Celebrating Zarco's School Day 2018
On Zarco's School Day,
celebrate by visiting our eTwinning Project
@ https://twinspace.etwinning.net/52703
Friday 1 June 2018
Thursday 31 May 2018
Friday 25 May 2018
Saturday 19 May 2018
Wednesday 16 May 2018
Friday 11 May 2018
12 Principles of Modern Learning
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| Credits: Richard Olsen licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. |
Tuesday 8 May 2018
Monday 23 April 2018
Saturday 21 April 2018
Saturday 14 April 2018
Friday 30 March 2018
Sunday 18 March 2018
Friday 16 March 2018
eTwinning Zarco Project 2017/2018
Visit our new project on Sports & Healthy Eating Habits across Europe here.
At Zarco we are working with France, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland and Turkey!
If you're interested, you can check all the data on the project here.
Wednesday 14 March 2018
Sunday 11 March 2018
Thursday 8 March 2018
Sunday 4 March 2018
Friday 2 March 2018
Saturday 24 February 2018
Monday 19 February 2018
Wednesday 31 January 2018
Thursday 25 January 2018
Wednesday 24 January 2018
Tuesday 23 January 2018
Monday 22 January 2018
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Monday 15 January 2018
Elizabeth I was crowned in 1559
Elizabeth I was crowned at Westminster Abbey on this day in 1559. English was used for the first time in the previously all Latin coronation service. Find more information here.
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| Credits: WikiImages por Pixabay |
Sunday 14 January 2018
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
Sir Ken Robinson, teacher, writer, researcher, governments' adviser and speaker, makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
Saturday 13 January 2018
Lingvarum Arena - Didactics Magazine 8th Edition
If you are interested in Didactics, check the eighth number of Lingvarum Arena, the Language Didactics magazine of Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto.
Friday 12 January 2018
Lingvarum Arena - Didactics Magazine 7th Edition
If you are interested in Didactics, check the seventh number of Lingvarum Arena, the Language Didactics magazine of Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto.
Thursday 4 January 2018
Monday 1 January 2018
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