Monday week 49

Almost Christmas and loads of work to do.

Today during lesson we listened to a talk about the Vietnam war which of course was interesting. Afterwards we talked a little about imagery in literature because that is what we studied in a speech by Barack Obama last week.

Todays lesson was visited by many of the studenst and some of them had catching up job to do so that was what they did the rest of the lesson.

We will not meet again until Thursday 10 December so I also handed out some homework for them to do until then. They are supposed to study two poems by John Donne.

And next time we meet there will be a little test for them, as well.

Thursday week 47

Obama Gives Back-To-School Pep Talk

As American schoolchildren filed back into classrooms for the start of the new year, they were met with a stern pep talk from their President. The future of the country depends on you, Barack Obama told them, in a video message shown across the nation.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Obama-Gives-Back-To-School-Pep-Talk-Pupils-Classrooms-Across-US-Watch-Presidents-Education-Message/Video/200909215377505?lid=VIDEO_15377505_ObamaGivesBack-To-SchoolPepTalk:PupilsClassroomsAcrossUSWatchPresidentsEducationMessage&lpos=searchresults

During lesson Thursday morning you are all supposed to work with this talk. Classroom will be open but you may choose a place of your own.

1. Listen and fill in the missing words in the text (handed out during lesson).

2. Write a few sentences about your immediate thoughts around this talk. How does it correspond to American patriotism?

3. Would a similar speech by the Swedish Prime Minister be possible? Why? Why not?

4. Send your answers to this blog as a comment

5. You may also react to what your class mates are saying about the topic.

Week 46, Thursday

Many interesting presentations this lesson. Everybody did well and we really had a good discussion.

We started by listening to the News film by Alex, Mattias and Oliver. A very inventive and fun film I must say.

Then a group of students presented what they considered to be the most important American throughout history and the audience agreed with the boys presenting Abraham Lincoln. They all thought he was the most important American because he abolished slavery and united the country.

Abraham Lincoln was also presented as a hero along with Nelson Mandela but it was hard to decide who was most heroioc so the we decided they were both great heroes.

Finally we listened to a discussion about the necessity of the atomic bomb.

Next lesson, on Monday, there will be discussions about health care systems and patriotism.