FRIDAY 17th JULY 2015

SESSION 1. CRITICAL THINKING. (CLAUDIA REY).

Activity 1.  Inferring: solving out Holmes´ mystery.

-In groups, we continued discussing the mystery with the information gathered the day before. Eventually we were given the final clue.

-Bringing up the topic to modern times. Discussion about modern burglars and what they usually pick.  

Activity 2.  Creating:

-Individually, students are asked to write a letter in reply to Holmes´ explanation of the facts.

-Dramatize the dialogue between Sherlock and the Inspector at the police station.

Activity 3. Divergent Thinking.

We discussed in groups the difference between thinking in and outside the box. Then we came together as a whole group. We reached to the conclusion that thinking outside the box is:

                  -more creative

                  -a process to come up with different ideas

                  -less constrained.

Activity 4. Poems on Paintings.                                    

We were shown a painting by Picasso.          

           

Step 1:  Remembering, recalling knowledge from our painting experience. We identified Picasso

Step 2: Understanding. What does the picture depict?

Step 3: Applying. We recognized the Cubist period of Picasso. Through breaking symmetry, we are given different approaches to the painting.

Step 4: Analyzing. We identified possible situations, finding evidence that it is a mother supporting her toddler. At this step we had found out the name of the painting:” First Steps”.

Step 5: Evaluating. Picasso might not have had in mind a toddler, so a different perspective must be seen. Through several interpretations from the whole class, it became evident that he was depicting someone going through a new experience in his life, provided with some support.

Step 6: Creating. Individually, students are asked to write a poem about a new experience they have coped with lately.

  Literary devices used: metaphors, similes, alliteration, personification.

At this stage we review the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revision and editing

Students work in pairs or threes about the poem they have created to get their feedback. Each student must :a) pay a compliment. b) ask a question. c) make a suggestion. After collecting your group´s ideas, you go back to your own poem, and eventually you read it to the class. After listening, students are supposed to guess their partner´s experiences. This is still “ Divergent Thinking”.

www.http://artnet.com

SESSION 2. CREATIVE WRITING. USING COMICS AND CARTOONS. (CLAUDIA REY)

We were given different ideas for exploitating comics and cartoons.

Step 1: Collecting materials.

Step 2: Comics samples. You are not creating new ones, you must state what you must do with them.

Step 3: Creating comics.

Step 4:  Photocopies of comics.

Step 5:  Q R code readers.

Activity 1: Fill in the bubbles.

 

We were given different panels with comic strips, with one sentence for each frame. In the first example, all the six vignettes ended with a prepositional verb in “up”. Then we were given a second strip with one caption in the first bubble. We had to write sentences in the other three, following the same pattern, and getting to an ending in the last closing one.

The best ones from each group were brought up to the class.

Activity 2: Q R. code readers       This is task based learning.   

One of the groups was given a handout with four different pictures on Ancient Artifacts and Ruins. According to the drawing the students must guess what the different pictures represent. Each of the four Stations or drawings has a Q.R. code. Using the Q.R. code mobile app, it is given the explanation of the picture as well as the location where they come from.

Based on the book, “History Alive” by Jane Willis

Activity 3: Digital tools.

Some groups worked on the web, making comics with digital tools.

http://cambridgeenglishonline.com/Cartoon_Maker/

Most of these activities are meant for eleven year old native speakers, thus they should be adequate for 13-14 year old non native speakers.

SESSION 3: LANGUAGE THROUGH LITERATURE. EXPLOITING A NOVEL.(JOHANNA STERLING)

We were making comments on Anthony McGowan. We highlighted two of his opinions:

“We are the Baddies”.

Question: ”What do you do if you get author´s block?”

Answer: “I get drunk”.

Activity 1: Letters. (Based on the book: “The Queen of the Tambourine” Abacus)

The topic was started by being given two letters from the book. The first of them was about a lady who sent a letter to a friend, criticizing her unbearable behaviour from her point of view. We ignored the true reason for the letter. Then came a second letter apologizing for the former one.

-We should discuss about the letters and what they mean
-Your reaction to the letters.
-Appearances and personalities.
-What the relationship between these two people is.

Linguistic approach: a) Words that are stressed for emphasis purposes. b) Terms for apologizing.

 

Activity 2: Communication.

-Make a list of different ways you communicate with people.

 

Activity 3: Emphasising.

-Emphasizing by stressing the verb “be”, or adding stressing “do”,”does”, “did”. We did some practice on this.
 

Activity 4: Letter Response.

-Asking people around the class how they feel when receiving a letter.

                              -POSITIVE: from………../it says…………

YOU HOPE           -NEGATIVE: not from…………/it doesn´t say………….

Activity 5: Rereading the letters.

-Analyze the two letters. Which one is less tentative and more polite.

Activity 6: Transforming phrases into more polite terms.

-Handout containing words or phrases to make sentences more polite. Students make sentences sound less direct and more polite, by using other expressions.

Activity 6: Euphemisms.

This activity teaches students other ways to say things without being too rude or cruel.