Ted Talks has hundreds of talks on every topic by adults and teenagers, and even children. You can choose the topic, the language, whether you want to watch it with or without subtitles... It is a great site to practice your English. Here is an example:
Your Next Read... Number the Stars
, by American writer Lois Lowry, tells the story of ten-year-old Annemaries Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen. The events take place in 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark.
In 1943 Hitler planned to arrest and deport Danish Jews. With the help of the Danish Resistance movement and many ordinary Danish people, 7, 220 of Denmark's 7,800 Jews were evacuated to Sweden.
Hamlet, one of William Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, and one of the greatest world revenge stories, was written some time between 1599 and 1602. It tells the story of Hamlet, whose father's ghost urges him to avenge his murder. Interested? Start reading. Act one
And so, a few weeks later, we have come to the end...
Alas, poor Hamlet! So something was rotten in Denmark ...
And now that we have finished reading Hamlet, here are some quizzes to test your understanding of the play: Hamlet: quiz1 Hamlet: quiz 2
And for those of you with a poor memory, here is a brief summary of the play
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant who travelled to Asia in the 13th century.His travels are recorded in The Book of the Marvels of the World.
Here is a map of his route along the Silk Road.
Find out about his life and travels in the following videos.
Now,for a more musical version of Marco Polo's life...
And you can also visit the following websites: Marco Polo and his travels.
ASSIGNMENT
Once you have chosen one, write a report on their journey.
Your report should include:
the route, countries visited, places discovered, etc.
their achievements
the reasons for your choice
maps and photographs
anything else you consider relevant or interesting
sources
Use your own words as much as possible. DO NOT COPY & PASTE!! Deadline: 7th November ( written report)
Once your report has been checked by me and returned to you, you will create a poster for the class , which should include photos, maps, etc.
Beowulf is an Old English Epic poem written between the 8th and the 11th century in Anglo-Saxon times. It is the story of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero. Beowulf comes to the aid of King Hrothgar, whose great hall is plagued by the monster Grendel.
Traditionally, an epic poem is a long,
serious, poetic narrative about a significant event, often featuring a hero.
Before the development of writing, epic poems were memorized and played an
important part in maintaining a record of the great deeds and history of a
culture. Later, they were written down and the tradition for this kind of poem
continued. Epics often feature the following: a hero who embodies the values of
a culture or ethnic group; something vital that depends on the success of the
hero's actions; a broad setting, sometimes encompassing the entire world;
intervention by supernatural beings. Can you think of any other examples?
Beowulf was originally written in Old English, which would be very difficult to understand. You can listen to a fragment here.
But don't worry, you can read a short adapted version here: Beowulf
To learn more about the poem, the Angle-Saxons and the history of English, watch the video
