Connectors - Contrast and Purpose

Check this presentation prepared by Ana Luisa (10-5) if you want to learn more about how and when to use both Contrast and Purpose connectors.

Youth and Human Rights

Here is a video you should definitely see. Both informative and insightful. Be ready to discuss it in class.
http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/

And here are the texts that Patrícia Pires and Catarina Nascimento (10-8) wrote, of their own initiative, after watching the film. Well done :-))

HUMAN RIGHTS
We saw a film in class about Human Rights and I think it is very important that we know the rights that every person has. I think that we have rights as humans, but sometimes we think we are the most important persons in the world and we forget the others. This is very bad because we have to respect others to deserve their respect.
This film is very true and real ... I think it is fantastic, I loved it. Why? It makes me think that threre are other realities and a world other than mine... It makes me think, too, that my problems are nothing compared to those of the persons that have no freedom, whose rights are not respected. (...)
Patrícia Pires


What are Human Rights? Most people don't know how to put into words the meaning of Human Rights.
Well, most certainly, everyone knows that Human Rights should be applied to everyone, everywhere. We all should be treated equally, because Human Rights are universal.
So why, in certain times of our History were Human Rights so close to extinction? And why are some of them still not respected nowadays? Human Rights can't just be words written on a paper; they have to become a reality, for our own good.
Well, we don't have to know all the 30 Human Rights by heart because, actually, they begin in small places like our home. In fact, they are the choices that we make everyday as human beings.
So respect and protect those who need. Be human.
Catarina Nascimento

 

Your Posters

My song - Presentations

On Friday it's time for oral presentations (10-8 only:-)
I am sure everything is ready and I am looking forward to listening to your favourite songs and to your 'speeches' about them.
Now it is also time for real assessment of your presentations skills and also of the group work skills that made your presentation possible. Click here to check how assessment will be done.

UNIT 2 - Be Beautiful (?)

In the meanwhile we started a new unit. This time about::
- music and the feelings it arises
- peer pressure and the need to be beautiful
- fashion & trends: are piercing and tattooing a form of body art?
- money habits (spending, saving, investing...)

We'll revise a few grammar topics:
- Verb tenses - present perfect and past simple
- Dependent prepositions
- Comparatives & superlatives
- Connectors (addition, correlation, contrast, cause and effect)


You'll also learn how to write a transactional letter.


Click here to check the guidelines for this unit.

I can't wait to see your final task ... your posters and presentations about the songs you picked :-)

UNIT 1 - wrapping up

These have been the busiest weeks... ever. So this poor BLOG has been a bit idle :-(
Let me start by giving an overview of what we've been doing:

- UNIT 1 - YOUTH GENERATIONS is now complete. Here is the WRAP UP of the unit.

Your presentations were all very good. You managed to grab the attention of the audience and everybody was very busy ... learning. There was a lot of information about the different generations and the Grammar topics (Conditionals, and Present Tenses  became all that simple for everybody :-)
Here are a few examples:
- Role-play - Generations (Henrique & Diogo). But you should have seen them live!
- Present Simple and Continuous (Susana & Yan)
- Present Simple and Past Simple (Mafalda & Mauro)
- Conditionals (Ana Luisa & Zé Diogo)
 There are other examples but, unfortunately I don't have the files to post here.

Your presentations

José Diogo and Catarina Costa (10º8ª) were the first ones to complete their presentation.
Congratulations.
 Once you've learned the Conditionals with them, you'll have no excuse ...
Click here to see their presentation.

Generations

We've already started a new unit. It's about Youth Generations. You've asked some questions and we'll try to answer them:
What does 'youth culture' mean?
Why is our generation called 'Generation Y'?
Why do young people tend to disobey their parents?

In the meanwhile we are reading texts, trying to find more information on the Internet, and ... doing some grammar as well.
Your final tasks seem interesting to me :-) A timeline, a quiz, a role play... I hope you enjoy it.

As part of this unit you'll also learn how to write good texts describing people. Just to get started, look at these photos and, at home, look up the words/expressions you need to describe them. You'll need this in class.

Click here for the GUIDELINES (10-5), your task instructions and here for the Worksheet Describing People

Ground rules ...

Let me remind you of the ground rules of our course.

First of all - OURS IS A COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM so:
Everyone has the right to help/ask for help
Nobody has the right to interrupt or disrupt
Everyone has the right to listen and be listened to

When working in pairs/group
Read instructions well (together)
Sort out problems in the pair/group
(and only then) Ask the teacher

THINK ----- TRY (FAIL...) ---- SEARCH before asking

 

Having said this let me ask you to take some time reading:
(i) The YEAR PLAN - an overview of the skills/subject matter that will be our focus
(ii) The EVALUATION criteria - including a brief definition of a portfolio

Now we are ready to START :-)

Welcome

Hello everybody,
Here is the blog as promised. I followed Alexandre's suggestion for the address and I thought the prompt for your first composition in class If I were... could well be suited for the blog's title. After all, school and classes are exactly about becoming...

My expectations are that this blog will become a precious tool for everyone. All key documents will be here for you to refer to, whenever you need, and the forum will allow for questions, answers and dialogue.

Don't forget, your suggestions are very important for all of us. Enjoy your work.