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April Fool’s Day In Artistic Lies

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This quote by Pablo Picaso is a perfect match to the Day!

Celebrate the annual tradition of April Fools’ Day in a completely different way. Instead of playing practical jokes on each other, explore how “lies” and deception can create art, op art! Op art is short for ‘optical art’. The word optical is used to describe things that relate to how we see. Op art works like an optical Illusion. Artists use shapes, colours and patterns in special ways to create images that look as if they are moving, curving or blurring. When looking at Op art, our brain is deceived into believing a complete lie! The Op art movement was inspired by advances in computing, aerospace, and television in the 60’s.

Find a selection of Op art worksheets below to get creative and talk about shapes, lines and the feelings you receive. A list of descriptive words to critique art may come handy!

Op Art Worksheets at bonlacfoods.com

Op Art Worksheets and Optical Illusions at mindgearlabs.com

Op Art in Steps at tanaallen.weebly.com

Op Art inspired by Vasarely at woojr.com

Exam Tips To Improve Fluency And Gain Time

Hesitating for too long during the Speaking Part of any exam is a piece that every candidate wishes and needs to improve. It usually happens when you don’t know what to say after a difficult question for example and it may get worse due to anxiety. This can be overcome with practice and a stock of useful phrases that will really buy time. So, watch the following videos and follow the tips to see how they work with you (They are suitable for every intermediate and above exam, I think!) The first one uses music and rhythm to help you repeat and remember!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n3OYFGCRno&feature=youtu.be

 

Back to School Activities and Motivation

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photo: pixabay.com

Browsing around for new school year first day ideas, I came upon some activities that would be interesting to try out. I also found some classroom posters that are really cool. So here they are:

1] TeamExercises is a youtube channel full of team games that can be used throughout the school year. You can absolutely find a game to start the day!

2] A first day lesson proposal that uses poetry and can match all levels.

3] Just a reminder for Categories, the classic vocabulary game that most students love playing and can be adapted to match a first day by asking for classroom objects or school subjects or school routine verbs!

4] Free download colourful icebreakers along with suggestions on how to use them.

5] 10 Motivational Posters for Your Classroom to brighten up the space and also generate discussion about classroom rules and moods!

6] Finally, an article on how to be kind to ESL learners!

If crafting sounds as a more appealing first day activity, here’s an older entry with some ideas: last-minute-new-school-year-crafts

Two Poems About Rain

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Rain In Summer

How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
How it clatters along the roofs
Like the tramp of hoofs!
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night –
And I love the rain.

Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

Read the poems. List all the verbs that the poets use for the rain. Describe the images of the rain in each poem. Are there any similes in the poems? Compare the two poems: how are they similar/different? What feelings do you get from them?

You can copy these poems on a template or write your own and create some art. Get inspired!

Basketball Shape Poem

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Is Your Relationship With Technology A Bad Romance?

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Ajit Johnson, a Ph.D. student working in cancer genetics and genomics uses art posters to comment on “the invasion of tech addiction without even being aware of it”.  He has created a series of “some minimal posters describing our present generation and tech addiction”. Read more about it at boredpanda.com and discuss his posters.

What is the message in every poster? Which do you like best? In which poster do you recognise yourself? How well does Ajit Johnson depict the issue of tech addiction?

Check the following infographic by teensafe.com to see how much teens in the USA use social technology.

TeenSafe-SocialTeen

Sugar – A Song And Some Food Idioms

I accidentally heard this song in the beginning of the summer as I was browsing the radio stations in my car and it struck me with awe. I absolutely loved its melody and quiet but arresting melancholy. What do you think it is about? Who is the singer talking to? Can you explain these phrases: “I want you to realize when I’m gone” and “There’s sugar on your soul” ?

Find the song lyrics here.

Sugar is loved by everyone. What about sugar and food idioms? Look below for definitions and quizes.

DEFINITIONS

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sugar-and-spice

idiomconnection.com/food.html

idioms.thefreedictionary.com/sugar

EXERCISES-QUIZES

5minuteenglish.com/mar3.htm

braingle.com/wii/trivia/quiz.php?id=25537

englishclub.com/vocabulary/idioms-food.htm

quizlet.com/23047276/test

 

 

Are These Back-To-School Tips Good Enough For You?

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photo credit: pixabay.com

Happy or not, the new school year is starting soon and all kinds of tips and advice on how to prepare best for it swarm in mind. From back-to-school essentials to organizational skills or strengthening of social life all contribute to a hopeful and exciting school year.

The following USNews article, 3-Back-To-School-Resolutions-for-High-School-Students  by Alexandra Pannoni focuses on just three essential resolutions that can prompt speculation and discussion in the EFL classroom during the first days. Read the article and find out what these resolutions are. Then use the extra links to formulate a wider view on the issues involved so you can state your personal opinion.

The whole activity could also generate various writing tasks like opinion essays or a collaborative table of Best Tips For A Successful School Year.

EXTRA LINKS

Digital Footprint  by

kidsmart.org.uk

teachhub.com

teachthought.com

telstra.com.au

Extracurricular Activities by

education.more4kids.info

kidshealth.org

 

Regular Houses VS Tiny Houses: Are You For Or Against Micro-Living?

photo credit: https://littleyellowdoor.wordpress.com/

Would you do it? Would you deny regular home space and fit your needs into the size of, say, a roomy shed? In fact, this is already happening around the globe. The tiny house movement has been swelling in the past few years while lifestyles, needs and consequently house sizes are shrinking. This trend has even found ground at schools as a project idea.

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