Wednesday, 3 January 2018

Happy New Year 2018


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Tuesday, 19 December 2017

Xmas spirit 2017


ImagenWish you ther very best for a Happy Christmas holidays and a language-learning New Year.
Reading, songs and Carols
 Christmas in Great Britain   
 List of Christmas Words 
 Christmas Project 
 Song: Jingle Bell Rock 
 Song: All I want for Christmas is you 
 Song: Christmas is all around 
 Top Ten Christmas songs 

Quizzes, Word Searchers, Puzzels, Crosswords, Printables, etc.
 Online Christmas Questionnaire 
 Christmas Questionnaire (before X-mas) 
 Christmas Questionnaire (after X-mas)
 After Christmas Activity  
 Short Christmas Questionnaire 
 Christmas Story Quiz 
 Christmas Conversation Cards  
 Christmas Traditions Quiz 
 Quia - Quiz - Upgrade of Java Quiz: Advent
 Christmas In Denmark (ESL Quiz) 
 ESL Christmas Crossword
 Word Search - Christmas
 Christmas Scavenger Hunts 
 ESL Christmas Dinner Crossword
 Printable Christmas Puzzle 
 Christmas Word Puzzle
 Fun Things that you can do for Christmas
 Christmas activities 

 Stories & Traditions of Christmas
 Religious Celebrations BBC Schools  
 How did Christmas start? How does the West celebrate Christmas? 
 Holiday Stories and Traditions 
 Christmas celebrations around the world 
 Customs and Traditions in England Woodlands Junior School Kent uk 
 Christmas In UK (By students at Hugo Meynell School) 
 e-mail Santa 
 E. L. Easton - English - Christmas Links
 Christmas Stickers
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Xmas Webquest.

Read the introduction to Christmas taken from history.com


Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25 – Christmas Day – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

Visit the following weblink: www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas.  Read the first section entitled ’An ancient holiday’ and look for the answers to the following questions.
  1. What did Europeans celebrate long before the birth of Jesus?
  2. Why did people celebrate during the winter solstice?
  3. Who celebrated Yule from 21 December in Scandinavia?
  4. How did fathers and sons mark the return of the sun?
  5. Up to how many days was it possible for the Yule feast to last?
  6. What did the Norse believe that each spark of the fire represented?
  7. Why was the end of December a good time for celebrating?
  8. Why were German people terrified of the god Oden? How did they show their fear? 

Webquest: Celebrations and festivals: Christmas 

By Luke Vyner


ose christmas 2017 620x200

The history of Christmas

a. Read the introduction to Christmas taken from history.com

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25 – Christmas Day – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

Visit the following weblink: www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas. Read the first section entitled ’An ancient holiday’ and look for the answers to the following questions.
  1. What did Europeans celebrate long before the birth of Jesus?
  2. Why did people celebrate during the winter solstice?
  3. Who celebrated Yule from 21 December in Scandinavia?
  4. How did fathers and sons mark the return of the sun?
  5. Up to how many days was it possible for the Yule feast to last?
  6. What did the Norse believe that each spark of the fire represented?
  7. Why was the end of December a good time for celebrating?
  8. Why were German people terrified of the god Oden? How did they show their fear?
Discussion
  • In what ways is the modern way of celebrating Christmas different from how it was done in the past?
  • What do you like most (and least) about Christmas nowadays?

Santa Claus

The man we know as Santa Claus has a history all his own. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red, but his story stretches all the way back to the third century. Find out more about the history of Santa Claus, from his earliest origins to the shopping mall favorite of today.
What do you already know about Santa’s history? Go to the weblink textwww.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus and read these sections and answer the following questions.
  1. When do people think that St. Nicholas was born? In which modern-day country is his birthplace?
  2. For what qualities was St. Nicholas most admired?
  3. Was St. Nicholas born into a poor family?
  4. Which two groups of people is he particularly associated with?
  5. When is his feast day celebrated? What do people think it is lucky to do on that day?
  6. Why was the way in which St. Nicholas was regarded in Holland different from other saints?
Sections entitled ‘Sinter Klaas comes to New York’ and ‘Shopping mall Santas’. Answer the following questions.
  1. How did St. Nicolas first become popular in America?
  2. Where did the name Santa Claus come from?
  3. As Sinter Klaas’s popularity grew, did people agree about what he looked like?
  4. What did the advertisements for shops feature by the 1840s?
  5. What happened in 1841?
  6. In the early 1890s what did the Salvation Army do to raise money?
Discussion
  • What do you call Santa in your country?
  • If Santa is part of your culture, did you believe in Santa when you were young? Can you remember when you found out he wasn’t real?
  • Find images of Santa on the internet. In what ways are they similar to – or different from – the familiar image of Santa Claus?

Christmas around the world!

Christmas is a global celebration. You have already seen how the legend of Santa Claus varies greatly from country to country. For the following task, you will read about different traditions around the world celebrated at Christmas time. Take a look at the following traditions. As you read them, try to guess which of the countries in the box below these traditions come from. (Some countries are used more than once!)
El Salvador     United States     Great Britain     Spain     Japan     Venezuela     Canada     Brazil     Denmark     Guatemala     Estonia     Poland     Philippines     Italy     Armenia    Germany     Colombia

Twenty Christmas traditions from around the world

  1. During the Christmas meal, Christmas crackers containing toys, jokes and a paper hat are pulled. ________________
  2. A white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries is often consumed. ________________
  3. Children put their shoes in the window in the hope that the three wise men will deliver their presents. ________________
  4. Christmas carols are heard as early as 1st September. ________________
  5. On 6th January, female puppets are burned on a pyre to symbolize the death of the old year and beginning of the new year. ________________
  6. They celebrate the Cavalcade of Lights Festival. ________________
  7. The Christmas tree usually stands centrally in the home, decorated with ornaments, tinsel and lights, with an angel or star at the top. ________________
  8. People dress up in an ornamental hat named a Puritina and dance in a line. ________________
  9. Potato salad with frankfurters and wiener sausages is a popular meal in some families. ________________
  10. Children take presents of fruits, nuts and other sweets to older relatives. ________________
  11. In many cities, and even in small rural towns, neighbourhoods get together and decorate their whole neighbourhood or street, turning streets into ‘tunnels of light’. ________________
  12. Neighbourhoods get together for night festivals where children play with skateboards, rollerblades and bicycles. ________________
  13. On 6th December, Saint Nicholas puts goodies in children’s shoes. ________________
  14. Rice pudding is traditionally served with whipped cream and lashings of black cherry sauce. ________________
  15. Electric candles and glowing stars are placed in almost every window during the month of December. ________________
  16. A traditional meal includes herring and beetroot soup with ravioli. ________________
  17. It is a tradition for children to leave a glass of milk and plate of cookies for Santa. _______________
  18. In some cities, judges decide on the most beautifully decorated house. ________________
  19. Children are visited by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and must sing songs or recite Christmas poems before they receive their presents. _______________
  20. Children celebrate Christmas by playing with firecrackers and sparklers. ________________
Now, visit the following weblink https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_traditions and check your answers. Don’t try to read the whole article from top to bottom; instead, try to find the countries as quickly as you can.
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Xmas stuff-Get into the Christmas mood

Christmas Super Quiz Game: A quiz game for reviewing Christmas vocabulary.

Christmas Quiz Game        
Christmas Quiz Game (Nativity Story)

Question Sheets

 Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions





 
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Sunday, 17 December 2017

XMAS ESL PRACTICE


  • Buster the Boxer - a lesson plan
    "This ELT lesson plan is designed around a short advert commissioned by John Lewis, and the theme of animals and Christmas.
    In the lesson students revise animal vocabulary, watch a short film, predict the end of a story and speak about Christmas and Christmas traditions." 
    Time: 90 minutes 
    (film-english.com)
 Christmas cards show nativity in war zone (December 01, 2016) - a lesson plan with AUDIO
  • "A charity has released a series of Christmas cards with a difference. They have traditional Christmas scenes from the Holy Land but they also contain images of war."Try the same news story at these easier levels:    Level 0,  Level 1   or  Level 2
    (breakingnewsenglish.com)
  • School says Hello Kitty Christmas tree can stay (December 25, 2015) - a lesson plan with AUDIO
    "A maths teacher at a high school in Maine, USA has been allowed to keep her pink Hello Kitty Christmas tree in her classroom." 
    (breakingnewsenglish.com)
  • The Man on the Moon - a lesson
    "This EFL lesson plan is designed around a short film commissioned by the British department store John Lewis, directed by Some Such and the theme of Christmas. Students watch a short film, predict a story and talk about ways of showing people they are loved." 
    Time: 60 minutes 
    (film-english.com)

  • Christmas Lesson Plans
    (supersimplelearning.com)
  • A Christmas Carol - a lesson
    "In this lesson students read an extract from 'A Christmas Carol' and examine the characters in the text.
    They then discuss the theme of festivals as preparation for a writing task on the same topic." 
    Timing: 90 minutes (plus homework) 
    Aims:
    - To develop students’ ability to understand detail.
    - To encourage students to appreciate characterisation in a piece of creative writing.
    - For students to reveal character in their own pieces of writing.
    (teachingenglish.org.uk)
  • A Christmas lesson
    "This lesson uses the theme of Christmas to develop learners' vocabulary. It includes an introductory song, a focus on clothes words,
    a review of question and short answer forms using 'has got', and a labelling and colouring activity.
    There are suggestions for some other follow up Christmas activities."
    (teachingenglish.org.uk)
  • Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
    "An interactive multimedia listening and reading lesson on the famous editorial published in The Sun in 1897.
    Virginia, 8 years-old, wants to know if there is a Santa Claus...
    (absolutenglish.org)
  • Researchers work out Santa Claus' salary (December 13, 2014) - a lesson plan with AUDIO
    "People have wondered for years what Santa does and how he does it for free.
    Researchers have now come up with an answer to these age-old questions." 
    (breakingnewsenglish.com)
  • Christmas for very young learners - a lesson plan
    "In this lesson, children practise Christmas words with flashcard activities and games.
    They listen to and sing a Christmas song, then they make a Christmas card." 
    (teachingenglish.org.uk)
  • Christmas presents and decorations - a lesson plan
    "In this lesson children practise Christmas words with flashcards and online games.
    They make a Christmas craft, and enjoy a Christmas song or story." 
    (teachingenglish.org.uk)
  • Santa makes changes for reindeer and elves (December 25) - a lesson plan with AUDIO 
    "Santa Claus has decided to get with the times and make several key changes to how he operates..."
    (breakingnewsenglish.com)
  • ESL Christmas Lesson (elcivics.com)
  • Earliest recordings of family Christmas found (December 21, 2012) - a lesson plan with AUDIO 
    "The National Museum of London has uncovered what it says is the first ever recording of a family Christmas, dating back 110 years.
    It is of the 1902 family get-together of the Wall family from North London."
    (breakingnewsenglish.com)
  • "White Christmas" musical lesson 
    "This lesson is based on a special mp3 mix [5 Mo- 5’25"] of 9 different interpretations of the same song "White Christmas "
    (Irving Berlin 1942) by various artists, of various epoques and various styles..." 
    (absolutenglish.free.fr)
  • Is there a Santa Claus ?
    Séquence de niveau B1+/B2 de CO et CE : tâche finale d'EE: produire une version moderne et adaptée d'un document authentique
    à forte charge culturelle
    (Laurence Bernard - Ac. Martinique)
  • BBC Learning English "has a brand new collection of Christmas EFL resources which is being updated every weekday in the run-up to Christmas."
    - Calendar 2008
    - Advent Calendar
    - 12 Days of Christmas
    - Downloadable Gifts
    - Santa's Sack
    - Pantomime
  • Joy of Giving - lesson plans
    "The Season of Giving: Teach about the true meaning of the season: emphasize the giving, not the getting."
    (Education World)

  • Santa Claus Around the World  
    "Even though your English language learners may not celebrate Christmas, they are fascinated by the many Santa Claus legends.
    This lesson explores the different gift-giving customs around the world."
    (everythingesl.net)
  • Christmas around the world Aim : To practise the passive in the context of Christmas and/or other cultural celebrations.
    Activity : Students identify the passive in a text and rewrite in active voice, then have a class discussion.
    Organization : Pair or group work and whole class 
    (eslbase.com)
  • Christmas Day - a lesson (dailyesl.com)  
  • Production écrite en classe de sixième - Projet pédagogique : le conte et ses personnages 
    "Monica Curnelle, professeur d'anglais au Collège Gaston Domergue à Sommières dans le Gard vous présente un projet pédagogique complet, menée en interdisciplinarité avec le professeur de français. Le projet s'inscrit sur plusieurs séquences permet d'aborder plusieurs aspects linguistiques et culturels...
    Les élèves abordent Halloween et Christmas en passant par le Gingerbread Man, Shrek et le film The Nightmare before Christmas de
    Tim Burton avant d'écrire et illuster leur propres contes en anglais et fabriquer, et déguster, des Gingerbread Men!"
    (Ac. Montpellier)
  • Christmas Around the World 
    "A world of activities and Internet sites focused on the traditions and spirit of Christmas!" 
    (educationworld.com)

  • Lesson plans - Lots of ideas and activities
    (lessonplanspage.com)
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Common grammar mistakes


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Wednesday, 13 December 2017

Food Packaging. Useful materials

Six eggs inside a protective egg carton.http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/foodtech/packaginglabelling_act.shtml

Food packaging protects and preserves food. A range of materials can be used for packaging, some of which are environmentally friendly. Labels carry information for the consumer. Some of this information is required by law.

Packaging functions

The main purposes of food packaging are:
  • to preserve the product
  • to protect the product from damage
  • to make the product more attractive to the consumer
  • to make it easier to transport the product.

Packaging materials

Plastics

Plastics are widely used in food packaging because they are:
  • versatile - plastics can be flexible or rigid, and can be moulded into shapes.
  • resistant to acids and other chemicals
  • easy to print on
  • lightweight
  • cheap to produce
(Note: not all plastics have all the above qualities.)

Modified-Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

Air in a plastic container can be modified to prolong shelf life and slow down colour deterioration.
MAP is used to package:
  • cold meats
  • smoked fish
  • cheeses
  • salads
  • fresh pasta

Other packaging materials

Paper, card, metal and glass can also be used for packaging.

Advantages, disadvantages and uses of different types of materials.

MaterialAdvantagesDisadvantagesUses
Glass
  • - reusable
  • - heat-resistant
  • - recyclable
  • - keeps shape
  • - low cost
  • - fragile
  • - safety issues
  • - heavy
  • - baby foods
  • - salad cream
  • - pickles
Metal
  • - recyclable
  • - lightweight
  • - impermeable
  • - withstands heat processing
  • - may react with food
  • - soup cans
  • - take-away containers
  • - bottle tops
Card/paper
  • - easy to print on
  • - cheap to produce
  • - biodegradable
  • - recyclable
  • - can be moulded
  • - can be coated
  • - lightweight
  • - not water-resistant
  • - easily damaged
  • - fruit-juice cartons
  • - egg boxes

Soft drink cans ready for recycling.Environmentally friendly packaging

Environmentally friendly packaging causes less damage to the environment. There are three types:
  • Reusable packaging can be cleaned and re-used. For example, glass milk bottles are reused.
  • Recyclable packaging is made of materials that can be used again, usually after processing. Recyclable materials include glass, metal, card and paper.
  • Biodegradable packaging will easily break down in the soil or the atmosphere.
Recyclable packaging should carry standard symbols that show what the product is made from and how it can be recycled.

Layers of packaging

There are three levels of packaging.
primary packaging, secondary packaging, transit packaging
  • Primary packaging is seen at the point of sale. It needs to contain and protect the food product, as well as display it and provide information.
  • Secondary packaging is the middle layer of packaging - for example a cardboard box with a number of identical products inside.
  • Transit packaging is the outer container that allows easier handling during transfer between factory, distribution centres and retailers.

Labelling

The Food Labelling Regulations of 1996 require certain information to be given on all pre-packed foods. These requirements are written by the EU.
Food labelling
Food labelling on a can of peas - nutritional value, customer guarantee, manufacturer's name and address, best before date, batch code, bar code, storage instructions, cooking and heating instructions, opening instructions and ingredients

These are the items on the label that are required by law.
  • manufacturer's name and contact details
  • name of the product
  • description of the product
  • weight (some foods are exempt, for example bread)
  • ingredients (listed in descending order of weight)
  • cooking/heating instructions
  • storage instructions
  • shelf life
  • place of origin
  • allergy information
The following items are not legal requirements, but are nevertheless good practice and often included on packaging:
  • illustration of product
  • price
  • nutritional values of the product
  • customer guarantee
  • the batch-code and bar-code numbers
  • opening instructions

The packaging for some pies shows nutritional information in an easy-to-understand way, using green, amber and red to show many fats, sugars, etc the food contains.Nutritional Information

The Food Standards Agency devised a traffic light system to make it easier for consumers to know the nutritional content of food.
Nutritional software can be used to analyse the nutritional content of foods.

For more information and activities, please visit:

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