3º British: The EU and the refugee crisis

The last mandatory activity before holidays is about the so-called Syrian refugee crisis and it is a doble task:

1. Read the following document from the European Commission official website and then write an abstract about it (20 lines).

2. Write your opinion about the topic, giving always reasons for supporting your point of view (15-20 lines).

Send the document as attached file to blogeducativo08@gmail.com before Thursday 22, December. 

IGCSE 2017: Updated News

UPDATED FOR 2017

Here you have the basic information about this year's exams (I've also included an example of each one from May/June 2015). Have a look to the examples before taking your decission.

3º British: Geography

·                     Geo. Paper 1 (Code 0460/12): Tuesday 2 May (Questions and photos). 

·                     Geo. Paper 2 (Code 0460/22): Monday 8 May (Questions and photos). 

·                     Geo. Paper 4 (Code 0460/42): Tuesday 6 June (Questions and photos). 

In the meantime, you should read the rules for the Geography's exams and have a look to all the examples explained at class that you can use on the real Igcse...

4º British: History

·                     Hist. Paper 1 (Code 0470/12): Friday 5 May (Exam). 

·                     Hist. Paper 2 (Code 0470/22): Friday 12 May (Exam). 

·                     Hist. Paper 4 (Code 0470/42): Monday 5 June (Exam). 

As in the previous case, you should read the rules for the History's exams.

GOOD LUCK! 

2º British: World travellers in Medieval Times.

Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Zheng He are some of the most important travellers of all times but... who is the greatest one? Would you like to find it out? Would you like to discover their adventures? This is your oportunity!

In groups, prepare a presentation (ppt or prezi) with the following 7 topics:

1. Short biographies: write a short bio of each historical character (maximum: 10 lines per character). Add also their portraits.

2. Why travelling? Explain what was the main target of their travels. Bussiness? Holidays? Geographical explorations? Militar conquest?

3. Routes: How old were them when they began their journeys? How long did the journeys take? Who did the longest travel? Which countries did they visit?

4. Primary sources: find some texts from their original books. Choose one extract from it (In your presentation you have to include the text, the chapter it belongs to and the country it is talking about). Them explain why you have chosen that text in particular.

5. Deep study of the place: from the text you have chosen in the previous section, do a deeper study of the area nowadays: Are the cities mentioned on the text still existing? What does the landscape look like nowadays in this area? What differences do you observe between the original description and nowadays situation? You can add images and photos.

6. Imagine you are a young explorer. Use the Internet to research a country that you would like to visit. In a short essay (maximum, 20 lines), describe the country, the people, and the sights you will see in this country.

7. Opinion: after studying these three historical characters, which one do you think that is the greatest explorer? Why?

Here you have some links to start:

Admiral Zheng He

Marco Polo (National Geographic, in Spanish)

Ibn Battuta (National Geographic, in Spanish)

Are you ready? Go on... and good luck! J

3º British: Safe Urban Planning for Women and Girls

A safe city is one in which both the government and civil society guarantee women’s rights in all spheres.

A safe city is one that promotes the elimination of gender-based violence, while at the same time promoting equal opportunities for men and women in all the spheres of social, economic, cultural and political life. 

Urban programming should be based on an understanding that men and women have different experiences of living and working in the city. It should recognize that there are many different kinds of violence, affecting women and men differently, everyday all around the world. For example:

• Violence can occur in a subway car in the form of verbal harassment.
• Even a lack of basic urban services, which lead to additional burdens for women, is a form of violence. 
• Violence can also occur in a parking lot in the form of discriminatory graffiti messages.

UNITED NATIONS Women’s Global Flagship Initiative, “Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls” Global Programme, was launched in November 2010 with leading women’s organizations, UN agencies, and more than 70 global and local partners.

You can read more details from the UN Programm in the following links:

What are safe cities and communities for women and girls?

Why focus on safe cities and communities for women and girls?

What inititatives have been developed to date?

Another example: In Cairo, Egypt’s Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development adopted women’s safety audits to guide urban planning, and more than 100 youth agents of change (50 per cent young men and 50 per cent young women) have been engaged and are leading transformative activities in schools and other settings in the programme intervention sites to promote respectful gender relationships, gender equality, and safety in public spaces.

2º British: Photos from CaixaForum exhibition

Do you remember this interesting (and famous) piece from the "Medieval Europe" exhibition we visited this week?

Here you have the zip file with your photos at the CaixaForum exhibition. As usual, you will be required a password for opening the file.

Have a nice day.

3º British: Gapminder World

It was the last 200 years that changed the world. In 1809 all countries of the world had a life expectancy under 40 years and an income per person less than 3000 dollar per year. Since then the world has changed but it was not until after the II World War that most countries started to improve.

For the first time, Gapminder can now visualize change in life expectancy and income per person over the last two centuries. In this Gapminder video, Hans Rösling shows you how all the countries of the world have developed since 1809 – 200 years ago.

After re-watching the short video and studying the interactive graphic, answer the following questions as complete as possible:

Remember: this activity is volunteer, you will earn two positive marks if you answer the following questions as complete as possible. Send your answers to blogeducativo08@gmail.com until Thursday, 10 November. 

1. Why is good for Goverments to have detailed stadistics of the population?
2. Why do you think some countries are unhealthier than others with the same income? 
3. Why was UK the richest country in 1800? 
4. Summarize the key points of the video.

It is easier that you think... Good luck! 

4º British: French Revolution in Twitter

You are about to start the 4^th edition of your favourite historical activity... twitter in class! 

We are living at the very beginning of the French Revolution. It is May, 1789. Your king, Louis XVI, has called the Estates Generals in order to approve a tax reform to solve the deficit crisis:

“His Majesty has decided to provide for an immediate convocation of the Estates General of his kingdom. His Majesty has not yet decided where the Estates General are to meet, but is able to announce to his subjects that their assembly is fixed for May 1st 1789 [...]”

You must create a twitter account (please do NOT use your personal one) as you were one of the inhabitants of Paris in 1789 (the King? The Queen? A nobleman? A famous writter? A farmer? A young politician?... there are many possibilities, you can review the document “Revolution characters” on this blog... You will find there many characters, in alphabetic order, with a brief description of their roles). With this “historical account” you become follower of @auladeadriana

During the next two weeks you have to create a minimum of 20 tweets (12 of them base on real primary sources) in the name of your chosen character. Try not to be independent, but “talk” with the others (a burguess complaining to the King because of taxations? Jacobin politicians exchanging messages and speeches?...). I would also recommend you to use the hastag #HistoryatVasco in your tweets, to facilitate its reading.

The previous years, this experiment was a total success and your partners really did good performances, so you will have to work hard for leading them...

The activity will start on Monday, 7^th November and will finish on Monday, 21th November . This work is individual and mandatory and will be part of the score at the end of the term. If you fail to finish it, do it out of date, or just copy from a webpage, the mark will be a 0 for this work.

Be creative and enjoy it! J

Sources:

Alpha History (including the King’s call)

French Rev. Legacy (Fordham University)

French Rev. Digital Archive (Stanford University)

Liberty, Equality and Fraternity (including songs!)

4º British: Comment of an Art masterpiece

As I told you in class, it is very important to practice how to comment historical sources. Here you have a new activity. This time is mandatory (the deadline is Saturday 5 November).

Title: The intervention of the Sabine women (sometimes also called "The Rape of  the Sabine women).

Author: Jacques Louis David (1748 - 1825)

Place and date: France, 1799

Art style: Neoclassicism

Now it is your turn... Remember the aspects you should comment:

• Main idea
• Historical context
• Comment (Add also a definition and a explanation of the characteristics of the Neoclassicism; and mention the "Rule of 3 Units"). 
• Significance or consequence
• Conclusion (standard sentence)

In case you need extra help, you can read the info from the Louvre Museum, where the canvas is now. But, please, try NOT to copy&paste from there! 

When finish, send it to me as attached file to blogeducativo08@gmail.com. I will answer you back with the corrections a.s.a.p. 

Try to do your best and... good luck!

Why do we celebrate Halloween?

Do you know the real origin of "Halloween"? Do you know that it cames from Celtic Ireland? What is the origin of the "Trick or treat" tradition? These questions and many others can be answered by this terrific video (about 7 minutes) from World History Educator's blog.

Enjoy! 

4º British: Enlightment songs 2016

Here you have the links to the different songs you have chosen for illustrating the Enlightment ideas (freedom of speech, natural equality, civil rights, education, female vindications, etc.). Quite diverse and interesting elections. Some of them are in English, some others in Spanish, some were isolated elections, some have several votes... in any case, just enjoy! 

Respect, by Aretha Franklin

Imagine, by John Lennon

Age of ignorance, by Our last night
Another brick in the wall, by Pink Floyd

Nos quieren ver, by Shottha ft. Green Valley

Revolution, by The Beatles

Same love, by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert

Man! I feel like a woman, by Shania Twain

You don't owe me, by Grace ft. G-Eazy

Cinismo, by Dante

Viva la vida, by Coldplay
Run the world (girls), by Beyoncé

Why can't we get along?, by One twelve

One woman, launched by UN to celebrate International Women's Day in 2013
Somebody that I used to know, by Gotye ft. Kimbra

El aguante, by Calle 13
Tierra de Libertad, by Medina Azahara

Salir corriendo, by Amaral
Malo, by Bebe
Ain't your momma, by Jennifer Lopez
Soy mujer, by HA-ASH

Déjame vivir, by Jarabe de Palo ft. Chambao

Hijos de un mismo dios, by Macaco
Hasta que la muerte los separe, by Melendi

3º British: Political campaign photos

As I told you this morning, our traditional activity about political elections is a good example of PBL (Project Based Learning). If you feel curious about that methology, you can watch this video from Educa.Jcyl (about 2 minutes). But I know that what you are really into are... your pictures!

Here you have the link to a zip file. You can download it but, for opening and watching the photos, you will be required the password. 

2º British: Medieval lives

And finally, here you have the links for the rest episodes of the great BBC documentary TV series. As usual, they are narrated in English (without subtitles) and are totally volunteer.

Peasant - Monks - Ministrel - Kings - Outlaw

Enjoy!

Cover image:

The three social groups in medieval times.

Illustration from a medieval manuscript

2º British: Medieval lives - Women

As you really like the previous video, here you have another chapter of the BBC documentary series about "Medieval lives": Damsel (aristocratic women). As usual, it is English spoken, without subtitles (28 minutes).

The Medieval damsel is nowadays seen as a beautiful, but helpless woman, forever in need of a knight in shining armor to rescue her. But... were damsels really such passive females, or are the stories we think we know about them, simply not true? Terry Jones travels around Europe in search for an answer to that question.

In the following days, there will be links for more episodes. 

Cover image: 

Ilustration from Codex Mannese (Zurich, 14th century).

2º British: Medieval lives - Knights

As a volunteer complement of today's class, here you have a the link to a youtube's video: "Medieval lives: knights" (English, without subtitles. About 30 minutes).

This chapter belongs to a eight-episode TV documentary serie from BBC, written and narrated by Terry Jones in 2004. Historically accurated, each episode examines a particular medieval personality (knights, kings, monks, damsel...) with the intend of separating myth from reality. 

And, as you really enjoy this morning, here you have again the "Arundel Castle" video and also the official information web, with the future historical events and recreations (including tournaments and castle' siege!).

Enjoy!

Cover image: joust & melee (from a medieval manuscript)

British: Quick link to weekly works 2016-2017

Ready to start? Just in case you need a little help for finding your correct weekly works in the following months, here you have a special link with them:

2º British 

3º British 

4º British

Here you can find also the academic information in case you need to print it again. 

Cover image: 

Christine of Pisan writting in her studio. 1410. 

2º British: weekly works (2016 - 2017)

Here we are! It's about time to start a new academic year... Are you ready? Here you have the new weekly works for this year: 

1. Feudalism

2. Islam

3. Low Middle Age

4. Modern Era

5. Absolutism and Baroque

6. Iberian Peninsula (Medieval and Modern times)

7. British Isles (Medieval and Modern times)

Good luck! :)

4º British: weekly works (2016 - 2017)

New academic year, new collection of weekly works! Remember that you have also a volunteer one for earning an extra point in June.

1. English Parliamentarim & Enlightment
2. Revolutions & Unifications
3. USA & Japan
4. UK & Industrial Revolution
5. I World War & Russian Revolution
6. Interwar period & II World War
7. Spain (19th & 20th centuries). VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY

Good luck :)

3º British: weekly works (2016 - 2017)

Here you have the weekly works for this new academic year: 

1. Population and settlement

2. Economy A (Primary sector)

3. Economy B (Secondary sector)

4. Economy C (Terciary sector)

5. Topographic map (Milford Sound - New Zealand)

6. Review of natural environment (VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY)

Good luck! :)

British: Academic Information 2016 - 2017

We are back! In the folowing links you can read the academic information for this year:

2º E.S.O. (British). LOMCE

3º E.S.O. (British). LOMCE

4º E.S.O. (British). LOMCE

You can also read the Assesment Criteria and the Ring-binder criteria. 

Are you ready? 3, 2, 1... Let's go!

2º British: Theoretical topics

¡Back to school! This year, we will be together at class again :) Here you have the theoretical topics of History & Geography 2º E.S.O. (Remember: you will need a password!). Of course, they will be available also in the "Apuntes" tag on this blog):

HISTORY 

1. Early Middle Ages.

2. Feudalism (9th to 12th centuries).

3. Origin and expansion of Islam.

4. Lower Middle Ages (12th to 15th centuries).

5. The Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. 

6. Early Modern Period: America, Renaissance and Religious Reforms. 

7. The Spanish hegemony.

8. Europe in the 17th century. Absolutism and Baroque.

9. UK (From the Middle Ages to the Modern Period).

GEOGRAPHY

1. The World’s population.

2. Settlement’s patterns. Urban spaces and problems. 

Quixote on cinema

After an intense academic year, here you have the traditional historical-film suggestions for your summer time. This year, of course, its about ALL the film adaptations of our literature's masterpiece: Don Quixote on cinema, by Cervantes. 

From 1898 to nowadays, from cinema (real or animated) to TV, from Europe to America or even ¡China!. All of them are inside this 8-pages-revision. 

Enjoy your holidays! J

#MiTizaPorCervantes

1º British: historical online games

As usually, here you have several links to videogames (mostly from BBC) about topics studied this year in our History classes. Enjoy the summer-time!

Gladiator: Dressed to Kill

This game has the player choose the correct armor for three different types of Roman gladiators within a time limit. Each gladiator then fights and wins or loses based on what the player’s choices were.

The Mummy Maker 

Test your knowledge of history with an interactive challenge. Enter the embalmer’s workshop and prepare a body for burial.

Death in Rome

This game presents the user with a scene where a Roman dies and the user then has to figure out how the Roman died. The player uses evidence from the scene and information both from witnesses and modern experts.

Pyramid Challenge

This game presents the user with a series of challenges related to building a pyramid for the Egyptian Pharaoh. The construction of the pyramid succeeds or fails based on the player’s decisions.

Anglo-Saxon Coins

In this game you learn stories behind the coins and try to make “money talk.”

Anglo-Saxos Walk the plank

Just log-in for the adventure!

  

1º British: Photo competition

We have a winner! The "Great Jury" (members of the History & Geography Department) has decided: A.M.H., from 1ºD, is the winner of our contest: "Atapuerca: an historical photo". Congratulations! J

And many thanks to all the participants! Next year, the photo competition will be even better!

The "award ceremony" will take place on Monday morning. 

"Rutas de Cervantes", by Google

The Google Cultural Institute (which is dedicated to collect, digitalize and publicize the artistic treasures from around the world), among with the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes, has created the website "Rutas de Cervantes", a virtual walk thought the works of one of the best writers of all time.

Besides, they have also scanned 999 elements more or less directly linked to Cervantes: places, books, ceramics, monuments, paintings... 

Join (and enjoy) the celebration of "Cervantes: 400 years". 

Audio books: Don Quijote

As a part of the "Año Cervantes" here you have a link to "Literatura Sonora" where you can listen (and read) some of the most famous chapters from Quixote, masterpiece of our literature. 

You can also visit the conmemorative website 400 Cervantes and get informed about the different events, theater plays, exhibitions, conferences, etc. around Cervantes. Enjoy! J

Image: fotogram from "Lost in La Mancha", directed by Terry Gilliam in 2002. 
#MiTizaPorCervantes

1º British: Photos from Atapuerca

Here you have the photos taken during these two amazing days in Burgos. It is a zip file. After downloading it, you will need the password to open it. 

Have a nice day!

1º British: A trip to Atapuerca

Are you ready for travelling? I know that the answer is a big "YES!" but also remember that it would be an educative trip so there will be some classwork to do...Ups!

Download and print this document and bring it with you to Atapuerca next Tuesday. Remember to take a notebook and a pen, too. We will take your answers at the end of the journey. 

Meanwhile, you can have a look to the websites of Atapuerca and MEH (Museo de la Evolución Humana). 

Enjoy!

1º British: Etna wakes up again

This is not the first time in this blog we have to talk about Etna, the most active volcano in Europe. Located in Sicily (Italy), it woke up again last Saturday. Here you can watch a small video of Etna this week.

Today in class we learnt about monitoring volcanic areas; we used the example of Tongariro, a New Zealand's volcano, but with Etna the scientifics use similar methods. The following pictures are from these days Etna's activity: a seismograph record...

... and the VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advices) from the French Meteo Service (providing information for possible flights cancellations in the whole European continent due to volcanoes).

Fascinating, isn't it? During our next class, we will learn what to do in case of a volcanic eruption!