beautiful animations

There is a teacher in the USA called Tony Dusko who has created such amazing animations that I have to share them with you.
His website (notebookbabies.com) is worth a visit. We have subscribed to his youtube channel so you can look them up there too.
Some people have all the talent...

Here's a really sweet clip about friendship, enjoy:

I WISH YOU A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL PEACE DAY

On January 30, schools celebrate the day of Peace and Nonviolence.
To celebrate it in class we're going to work with the song Where Is The Love? by the Black Eyed Peas.
In this anti-war pacifist anthem, The Black Eyed Peas lament on various worldwide problems. Many issues are discussed: terrorism,U.S. government, hypocrisy, racism, war, intolerance, greed...
Some view this song as an anthem against the War on Terror and the 2003 invasion of Iraq since it was released shortly after the invasion began.

The Lyrics:

"Where Is The Love?"

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing wit me y'all:
One world, one world (We only got)
One world, one world (That's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)
That's all we got
(One world, one world)

The song with Spanish subtitles:




Unfortunately, these words still ring true today. A lot has changed since Martin Luther King jr delivered his speech "I have a Dream" but unfortunately not enough.
I have a dream too: I dream that our children will get to see the change complete. I dream of the day when people everywhere are treated equally; when it won't matter where you are born or who you are born to. A day when every child has the same opportunities and the same rights wherever they are and when they have a chance to grow into happy citizens of the world.


Martin Luther King's dream:



WHAT IS YOUR DREAM? Please comment.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE by Ernst Lubitsch

As we talked in class (4B) about this film and how I think it is one of the funniest films ever, I've thought I'll give you a sneak peek.
The movie is about a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops.
If I get a copy of the film in English we may see it in class.

New Poll: voting ends next Thursday, January 28

I have added a poll to know which song you would like to listen to (and sing) for Peace day.

The “School Day of Non-violence and Peace” (DENIP), founded in 1964 and also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, is a pioneering, non-state, non-governmental, non-official, independent, free and voluntary initiative of Non-violent and Pacifying Education, which is now practised in schools all over the world and in which centres of education, teachers and students of all levels and from all countries are invited to take part.

It advocates a permanent education in and for harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace.
It is observed on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi. In countries with a Southern Hemisphere school calendar, it can be observed on March 30 or thereabouts.
Its basic message is: “Universal Love, Non-violence and Peace. Universal Love is better than egoism, Non-violence is better than violence, and Peace is better than war”.

You can listen to the songs on youtube by clicking on the titles:

Seven Seconds

One Love

Where is the love

Heal the world

Give Peace a Chance

What's going on

Why can't we be friends?

Conditionals: a poem

As we are learning the conditional sentences in 4 year, I thought I would share with you a beautiful poem by Emily Dickinson, one of my favourite poets in the English Language.
Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote (19th century); they contain short lines, have no titles, and often use unconventional capitalization and punctuation. I think that because of that they're not too difficult to understand.

So, here it is:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Emily Dickinson

If you like this poem, I encourage you to read more: you can find lots of poems by Dickinson and others (with the Spanish translation) in this great blog

Funny letters

For all of you 4 year students who are practising your letter writing, these are some funny letters I stumbled across yesterday while doing some "research" on the internet (where else?)
I know they're long but you'll enjoy reading them.
See you on Monday!

Grab a Graphic from pYzam.com

So here I am,keeping this blog alive. I'm adding some more things : Dates of tests and other assignments. I'll keep updating with more links I want to share with you. I must say I'm really excited about this. I hope you find this useful and interesting. Please, don't forget to tell me what you think. Remember that you need to write all your comments in English but don't worry about mistakes, I make them too.
Take care and have a great weekend!

As my first post I'm going to recommend a song I'm listening to at this very moment (Spotify is such a great invention.) There is a new version by Florence and the Machine in this week's British charts but I prefer this older one: You got the love by The source and Candi Staton.

Here's the lyrics to the song:

Sometimes I feel like
Throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying
Lord I just don't care
But you've got the love I need
To see me through

Sometimes it seems that
The going is just too rough
And things go wrong
No matter what I do
Now and then I feel
That life is just too much
But you've got the love
I need to see me through

When food is gone
You are my daily meal
When friends are gone I know
My saviour's love is real
Your love is real

Every once in a while
I say Lord I can't go on
Every once in a while
I get to feeling blue
Every once in a while
it seems like I am all alone
But you got the love
I need to see me through

Occasionally
my thoughts are brave and friends are few
Occasionally
I cry out Lord what must I do
Occasionally
I call up Master make me new
You've got the love
I need to see me through

Sometimes I feel like
Throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying
Lord I just don't care
But you've got the love I need
To see me through

And here's a video of the song on youtube, enjoy!