Sección Europea

WE HAVE MOVED!

2010-09-14T19:25:00.007+02:00

We have moved to a new site. Please join us at

www.seccioneuropea.wordpress.com

WELCOME BACK!

2010-09-14T19:17:00.006+02:00

I hope you all had a wonderful summer.

School starts Tuesday, September 14th.

IT´S SUMMER!

2010-06-18T18:27:00.004+02:00

See you in September!

THEATRE IN ENGLISH

2010-05-18T19:41:00.014+02:00

For the second year in a row we attended a theatre perfomance in “La Encarnación” Auditorium in Villanueva de los Infantes. This year Moving ON Theatre Company performed a show called “Going Underground”. Once again the show was a great success and our students had fun and learned a lot.

Sypnosis (From www.movingonsl.com):

The London Underground is the oldest and one of the biggest in the world. The history and culture of Britain’s capital city are inextricably linked with its famous Underground. A train journey through its stations is a journey through time and the chance to savour all that London has to offer.

Apart from 273 Underground stations in use there are more than 40 “Ghost Stations”; closed to the public and to trains. In times of Economic Crisis and population growth there are plans to convert some of these stations into underground car parks.

Bob is an eccentric teacher with a passion for the history of London. Today she is taking her students to Down Street Station so they can see it in its original state before the works begin to demolish it. When they arrive at the station, they find Harry, whose great grandfather built the station, working there. The attempts to convince the authorities not to go ahead with the demolition will take us all on a comical, musical and educational journey through London and its history. Together, we will try and save the station and Harry’s home.

Here is a selection of some of the pictures taken during the show.

How to make American pancakes

2010-05-03T17:49:00.003+02:00

Last week the students in 1º ESO learned about what Americans eat for breakfast. Some of you asked me to publish the video "How to make American pancakes" that we saw in class. Here it is. Enjoy!

MYSTERY PHOTO REVEALED

2010-04-22T16:47:00.005+02:00

Many of you guessed and wrote comments on the blog about this photo. Some of the guesses were places near Infantes that have wind turbines (or windmills) and open fields. We had some snow in January, too, so there are lots of possibilities. Thanks for sending your ideas.

However, Will took this photo after he left Infantes in January, while he was driving across the United States on his way to his new home in Eugene, Oregon. The photo was taken between Council Bluffs and Iowa City, Iowa. Will thought that the landscape there looked similar to Castile-La Mancha. What do you think?

Both Iowa and Castile-La Mancha are agricultural and have high plains or plateaus that are good for capturing wind energy. Remember that before vacation, we talked about the 50 (nifty) United States? Can you find Iowa on the map?

Judith

Video: Fifty Nifty United States

POLL #10: HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

2010-04-14T19:01:00.006+02:00

Here are the results of our last poll: How green are you?

I´m totally green. I do everything I can to be green: 10 votes (50%)
A little. I think I could do more: 10 votes (50%)
I´m starting to be green: 0 votes (0%)
Not at all: 0 votes (0%)

Total number of people who voted: 20

In unit 6 we´re talking about technology (computers, mobile/cell phones, computer games, etc), so my question for the next poll is: What´s your favourite type of computer game?

HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAYS!

2010-03-27T09:37:00.003+01:00

Classes resume April 6

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

2010-03-16T14:51:00.001+01:00

Wednesday, 17th March, is Saint Patrick's Day, the patron saint of Ireland. It´s a day of celebration for Irish people around the world. Click here to learn about Ireland, St. Patrick´s Day and how Irish people celebrate this day.

Eric Herman wishes you a Happy St. Patrick´s Day with this funny song about a particularly lucky day.

Eric Herman - Cool tunes for kids

ACTIVITY: Read the lyrics of this song and fill in the gaps with the correct word.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

2010-03-07T18:35:00.004+01:00

International Women's Day (IWD) is observed worldwide on March 8th.It is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some countries IWD is a national holiday. The first IWD was run in 1911. Read more...

HAPPY ST. DAVID´S DAY!

2010-02-26T19:12:00.005+01:00

Monday 1st March is St David's Day, the national day of Wales. To celebrate this day most schools in Wales hold a school concert or eistedfodd with singing, music, poetry and dance. Women, especially young girls, dress up in a Welsh national costume. Welsh people often wear a daffodil or leek, the traditional symbols of Wales.

DID YOU KNOW?

The place with the longest name in the world is in Wales.It´s Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
which means The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave.

ACTIVITIES

QUIZ: St. David´s Day

QUIZ: Wales

MYSTERY PHOTO

2010-02-22T16:08:00.001+01:00

Thanks for sending in your guesses and comments about where you think the photo was taken. So far, no one has guessed it.

Here is a hint: it was not taken in Castile-La Mancha.

Can you make another guess? Try again by sending a comment.

Judith

PRESIDENT´S DAY

2010-02-17T19:29:00.004+01:00

President´s Day (also known as Washington´s birthday) is a United States national holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor two of the most important presidents in the history of this country, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb.12 respectively. This year President´s Day fell on Monday,February 15th.

ACTIVITY: Try these quizzes to find out how much you know about the presidents of the United States of America.

President´s Day Quiz 1

President´s Day Quiz 2

President´s Day Quiz 3

A MESSAGE FROM WILL

2010-02-05T18:09:00.004+01:00

Will sent us this message from the USA:

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to say hi and to send you a photo I took.

Can you guess where it was taken?

Post your responses in the comments.

We will let you know if you are right.

Bye for now,

Will Heins

GROUNDHOD DAY (2)

2010-02-02T13:20:00.000+01:00

Groundhog Phil, the most famous groundhog in the United Stated, sees his shadow and predicts six more weeks of winter.

More information:

groundhod.org

GROUNDHOD DAY

2010-02-01T01:00:00.001+01:00

Groundhog Day is a traditional festival celebrated in the United States and Canada on February 2, midway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
In traditional weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and cannot see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow because the weather is bright and clear, it will be frightened and run back into its hole, and the winter will continue for six more weeks.

America´s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, live in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA.

QUIZ (a4esl.org)

AUSTRALIA DAY

2010-01-25T01:00:00.000+01:00

January 26, is the biggest day of celebration in Australia and is observed as a public holiday in all states and territories.

On Australia Day Australians come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what they have achieved and what they can be proud of in their great nation.

BURNS´ NIGHT

2010-01-24T13:06:00.021+01:00

Burns´Night is celebrated in Scotland on or around January 25th to commemorate the life and work of the Scottish poet Robert Burns (born on January 25, 1759) and his contribution to Scotttish culture.

Click on the screen below to listen to one of his most famous works, Auld Lang Syne:

How much do you know about Scotland?. Try this quiz to find it out.

Scotland Quiz (www.quia.com)

NEW YEAR´S RESOLUTIONS

2010-01-12T18:52:00.004+01:00

At midnight on New Year’s Eve many people make a New Year resolution. New Year's resolutions are decisions to do something new or to change a habit. We write a list of resolutions to help us remember them in the coming year.

Click on the links below to write your New Year´s resolutions for 2010.

ACTIVITY
Version A - to be sent to me.
Version B - to be printed (from its-english.com)

WELCOME BACK!

2010-01-10T20:02:00.000+01:00

WELCOME

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-23T19:04:00.004+01:00

School resumes Thursday, January 7th, 2010

HAPPY XMAS, JUDITH!

2009-12-23T18:36:00.003+01:00

Hi Judith!

How are you?. Thank you very much for your message. We hope you are having a wonderful time with your family and friends in the United States.

We also want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Your students in 2º ESO-Sección Europea

SPAIN: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

2009-12-19T16:36:00.000+01:00

Here is Judith´s presentation about Infantes. As you can remember, the sound wasn´t very good when we watched it in the classroom. The problem has been fixed and you can watch and listen to it now. Enjoy!.

A MESSAGE FROM JUDITH

2009-12-19T15:58:00.008+01:00

Hello Everyone!

I am sending this message from the United States. I arrived safely on Friday, December 18^th after a 7½ hour flight from Madrid. I spent one night in Madrid on the way from Infantes. I enjoyed seeing all the Christmas lights and decorations there.

Now I am in Connecticut and the weather is cold. This morning it was 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Do you know what temperature that is on the Celsius scale?

(Hint: 32 degrees F = 0 degrees C)

We are expecting a big snowstorm later today (Saturday). We could get as much as 2 feet of snow.

Do you know how many centimeters that will be?

(Hint: 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters)

There are going to be very high winds, too, maybe up to 35 miles per hour.

Do you know how many kilometers per hour that will be?

(Hint: 1 mile per hour = 1.6 kilometers per hour)

This type of storm is called a BLIZZARD.

My family and I are getting ready for Christmas. We celebrate Christmas with the some family traditions such as by seeing as many family members and friends as possible, decorating the house, giving presents (gifts) and eating some good meals.

I am going to celebrate this year by:

Giving a party for my family (nephews, brother-in-law, sons, husband, nieces)

Giving a party for my friends

Decorating the Christmas tree

Drinking eggnog*

Wrapping presents

Going Christmas caroling* at 6PM on Christmas Eve on the Town Green* in my town

Watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas*

Reading “The Night Before Christmas”*

Hanging our stockings by the fireplace

Opening presents on Christmas morning (December 25^th)

Eating a nice meal* on Christmas Day

Talking to friends and family on the telephone

Even though I am busy having fun, I am thinking of you and hope that you are having fun too! Have a wonderful vacation and

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Season’s Greetings!

From, Judith

*Eggnog is a traditional drink made from sugar, cream, eggs and nutmeg. It’s delicious!

*Caroling – is singing. This word is usually associated with the songs we sing at Christmas which are songs of joy.

*Town Green – is similar to a town square or plaza but it has grass instead of stones.

*The Grinch Who Stole Christmas- is a cartoon movie based on story written by Dr. Seuss in 1957.

*”The Night Before Christmas” is a poem written by Clement Clark Moore in 1823.

*Our meal will be shrimp, roast beef, mashed potatoes, green vegetables, chocolate mousse cake and strawberry ice cream.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

2009-12-17T20:40:00.001+01:00

Dear students,

I was really surprised this morning when you told me that you didn´t know who Charlie Chaplin was. To learn about this famous English comedian actor and film director click on the link below. You will be able to read about his biography, watch trailers of his films and much more.

Charlie Chaplin: Official Website

ACTIVITY

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2009

2009-12-09T19:18:00.002+01:00

December 10 is Human Rights Day. It commemorates the 61st anniversary of the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year Human Rights Day focuses on ending discrimination.

POLL #9: WHAT TYPE OF TV PROGRAMME DO YOU PREFER?

2009-12-07T18:23:00.008+01:00

Dear students,

24 people took our last poll: What type of TV programme do you prefer?. As you can see above, your favourive TV programmes are:

Comedy programmes (37%)
Cartoons (29%)
Sports programmes (20%)

Next poll: Do you like Christmas?

SAINT ANDREW´S DAY

2009-11-29T17:41:00.014+01:00

On November 30th Scotland celebrates St. Andrew´s Day.

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament designated the Day as an official public holiday. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.

THANKSGIVING DAY

2009-11-25T18:46:00.007+01:00

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. In the USA, It commemorates the feast held by the Pilgrims in 1621 who were thankful for the harvest and for the help of the Wampanoag people in teaching them to hunt, fish and grow crops during their first year in America. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated in much the same way. A large meal is shared and eaten with family and friends. People say thank you for their food and the good things they have in life. There are some special foods that are associated with Thanksgiving such as turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie. Besides eating the Thanksgiving meal, Americans watch football, go to parades, travel and go shopping on the long holiday weekend.

I´d like to thank Judith, our Language Assistant, for her help to write this post.

Harrykindergarten´s Channel

GUY FAWKES DAY

2009-11-04T19:12:00.005+01:00

Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on November 5th in the United Kingdom. It's a British tradition dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. People celebrate the defeat of Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators with fireworks and bonfires.

There is a famous rhyme that goes:

Remember, remember, the fifth of November.

The Gunpowder, treason and plot,

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

JOSÉ LUIS LOPEZ VÁZQUEZ

2009-11-03T18:16:00.005+01:00

Spanish actor José Luis López Vázquez died yesterday in Madrid at the age of 87. Throughout his career he received many prizes such as the Gold Medal for Fine Arts in 1985, the National Theatre Prize in 2002 and a Goya of Honour Prize in 2004. He was also awarded an Emy in 1973 for the TV film "La Cabina". He starred more than 200 films, including "El pisito", "Atraco a las tres", "El Verdugo", "Patrimonio Nacional" and "Plácido".

Video (www.euronews.net)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-29T18:40:00.011+01:00

This Saturday, October 31, is Halloween. As you already know it´s a very special celebration for many people in some English-speaking countries. Yesterday Judith, our Language Assistant, told us how Americans celebrate it and we learnt a lot.

I would also like to thank you for decorating our classroom. You did a great job!. Here are some pictures of the Halloween decorations you made.

HAVE A GREAT HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION!

SPRING FORWARD, FALL BACK

2009-10-24T18:20:00.009+02:00

This Saturday night we must set our clocks one hour back, from 3 am to 2 am. Here in Spain, Daylight Saving Time, which began on the last Sunday of March, ends today, the last Sunday of October, but in The United States and Canada it always begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November.

Don't forget to change the time on your clocks back one hour before you go to bed tonight!

NEW LANGUAGE ASSISTANT

2009-10-14T18:41:00.011+02:00

We have a new Language Assistant. Her name is Judith and she came from Connecticut, USA. We are very excited and we´d like to thank her for sharing her language and culture with us. We are sure our English will improve a lot with her help.

Thank you, Judith, for coming to teach us. We wish you a wonderful year in Spain!.

ACTIVITY: What do you know about Judith?. Click here.

ANCIENT GREECE

2009-10-07T18:59:00.006+02:00

I have found many interesting websites about Ancient Greece. You can visit them and revise what you are studying in your History class. You can also learn many more interesting things about this period, and you can play some games, too.

Have fun and don´t forget to bookmark your favourite site!.

The Bristish Museum

Adventures in Ancient Greece

BBC / Ancient Greeks

Ancient History. Pppst

Channel 4 Learning

Ancient Greece

WORLD TEACHERS´DAY

2009-10-04T18:45:00.006+02:00

October 5 is World Teachers´Day.

Click here to read more.

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

2009-09-24T20:23:00.008+02:00

On 26 September 2009, the European Day of Languages will be held in Europe to celebrate linguistic diversity and promote
language learning.

Let's celebrate linguistic diversity!

Click here to read more about this day.

SCHOOL YEAR 2009-2010

2009-09-16T20:31:00.008+02:00

Welcome back to school!.

I hope you had a great summer vacation.

2009-06-30T19:08:00.006+02:00

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

School starts September 16

GOOD BYE, CONNOR

2009-06-30T17:53:00.015+02:00

Connor, our Language Assistant, finished working at our School on May 31. It´s been a pleasure to have worked with him. I would like to thank him for his dedication.

Connor, enjoy your time in Spain before you go back to the United States.

We´ll miss you a lot!. Good luck!

The students wrote some goodbye messages

POLL #8: WHAT´S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF BOOK / FILM?

2009-06-10T17:58:00.006+02:00

Results:

New question (Poll # 9): Have you got a pet?.

SELF-PORTRAITS

2009-05-30T19:52:00.005+02:00

Here are some of the self-portraits you drew in your Art class.

Bárbara Lorenzo

Carmen Valverde

Cynthia Clemente

María Ángeles García

María Chocano

Paula Molina

Sara Pérez

TO OUR NEW FRIENDS IN BLY, OREGON

2009-05-21T19:42:00.012+02:00

A group of students from Bly, Oregon,wrote to us a few days ago. They would like to be our friends. In their letters they told us about themselves, their school and their town. We are very exited about having some friends in the United States, so we wrote them back yesterday morning. This is our letter:

Dear new friends,

Thank you for your letters. We liked them a lot!. We would like to know you better and continue writing letters back and forth.

We are a group of 12-13 year old students in 1º ESO (this is the 7th grade in the USA). There are 31 students in our group, 19 girls and 12 boys. The name of our school is “IES Francisco de Quevedo”. IES means “High School” so you know. There are 600 students and around 60 teachers. We are in a special class called “The European Section” , which means that we study 3 subjects in English: Physical Education, Art and Geography & History.

Our school is in Villanueva de los Infantes, which is a small rural town in the province of Ciudad Real, in the middle of Spain. There are 5,000 people in this town. Not everybody lives in the same town. Some of us come from nearby towns by bus. This year we have an American teacher, Connor. He helped us with this letter.

We can´t wait to hear from you!.

Talk to you soon!

Your Spanish friends.

P.S. - Alfonso, our English teacher, took these pictures while we were writing this letter:

ACTIVITY: What do you know about Oregon?. Take this quiz and find it out?.

UP

2009-05-14T08:12:00.009+02:00

The 62nd Cannes Film Festival opened yesterday, May 13th, with UP, a 3D Pixar movie. It is the first time that an animation movie opens this prestigious film festival in the French city of Cannes.

UP tells us the story of Carl Fredricksen, a 78 year-old widower, who fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of ballons to his house and flies away to South America.

ANTONIO VEGA

2009-05-12T15:52:00.010+02:00

Antonio Vega, one of the most important Spanish singers and composers, died this morning of lung disease at the age of 51. In 1978 he founded "Nacha Pop" with his cousin Nacho García Vega. This legendary band was one of the most influential bands in Spanish Pop Music.

Nacha Pop released seven albums before they broke up in 1988. In 1991, Antonio Vega launched his solo career. He released nine albums and was nominated for one Grammy in 2000. As a composer he wrote La chica de ayer, which is considered to be one of the most important Spanish Pop songs.

May he rest in peace

Gigolo Aunts, a band from Boston, USA, heard the song in Spain in 1999. They liked it and decided to translate it and sing it in English.

"THE GIRL FROM YESTERDAY"
(Antonio Vega)

One day you don't even know what time it is
You lay by my side but still you don't know why
The empty streets have seen you grow and change
But I know in your heart you might be crying again

I look out of the window for the girl I knew yesterday
Smiling in the flowers of my favorite garden
Too hard to understand too late to comprehend
While you and I can never be together again

The early morning light that slowly fills the room
Makes your golden hair shine like the sun
And late up in Penta I'm still listening to
Every song that ever made me fall for you..fell for you

I look out of the window for the girl I knew yesterday
So hard to understand there's nothing I can do
Now I'm going out of my mind following you
Going out of my mind following you...

Other important songs by Antonio Vega are:

El sitio de mi recreo

Se dejaba llevar...

The death of Antonio Vega in the media (in Spanish):

TVE (Televisión Española)

EL PAÍS

PÚBLICO

CUATRO

www.cuatro.com

A TRIP TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

2009-05-07T18:56:00.009+02:00

Last month Irene went on a trip to the Rocky Mountains. Her backpack was full of things.

ACTIVITY: Do you remember what she packed?.

Yes No

POLL #7: WHAT´S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF WEATHER?

2009-05-03T20:11:00.004+02:00

Our seventh poll expired days ago and 18 of you (58% of the class) took it. The question was: "What´s your favourite type of weather?".

Results:

- Hot: 28%
- Warm: 22%
- Snowy: 22%
- Cold: 5.6%
- Rainy: 5.6%

- Sunny: 5.6%

- Foggy: 5.6%

- Windy: 5.6%

New question (Poll#8): What´s your favourite type of book / film?.

EARTH DAY

2009-04-26T17:41:00.015+02:00

Dear students of 1º ESO-Sección Europea,

It was Earth Day last Wednesday, April 22nd, and to celebrate it I proposed to wear something green to school that day. Many of you accepted my proposal and wore one item of green clothing. I am happy to know that I have a lot of "green" students.

Thank you very much.

Connor (left) and me (right) with the class.

From left to right: David Pacheco, Jesús Arias and Lidia Mata.

From left to right

Front Row: Paula Molina and Irene Talavera.

Middle row: Cynthia Clemente and Sara Gómez.

Back row: Ismael Torres and David Vélez.

From left to right

Front Row: mª Ángeles García and J.Javier Pacheco.

Middle row: Mª Paz Montalvo and Verónica Romero.

Back row: Bárbara Lorenzo.

From left to right

Front Row: María Chocano and Sara Pérez.

Second row: Rafael Serrano and Inés Fernández-Yáñez.

Third row: Guillermo Jiménez and Alberto Villar.

Fourth row: Sergio Segundo.

Fifth row: Pablo Marco

Back row: Celia Navarro and Carmen Valverde.

Part of the class.

From left to right

Front Row: Sara Gómez and Cynthis Clemente.

Back row: Irene Talavera and Paula Molina.

Back: Verónica, Mª Paz, J.Javier Pacheco and Mª Ángeles.

David Pacheco (left) and Jesús Arias (right).

Celia Navarro (left) and Carmen Valverde (right).

Back to front: Celia, Carmen, Pablo and Sergio.

From left to right

María Pozo, Gonzalo Martínez and Juan Fermín Zopeque.

David Vélez.

1º ESO - Sección Europea.

ACTIVITY:
Make a list of the possible ways in which we and our school might celebrate "Earth Day" next year. What things might we do?. What events might we organise?. Write your ideas here.

BOOK DAY

2009-04-23T08:53:00.007+02:00

April 23 is a symbolic date for world literature because on this day in 1616 two very important writers died: Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. This date was established by UNESCO as the "World Book and Copyright Day" to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property.

It´s also St.George´s Day, England´s National Day.

EARTH DAY

2009-04-20T18:52:00.013+02:00

Wednesday April 22nd is Earth Day. To celebrate this day and to make it different from other school days wear something green to school tomorrow. It can be anything: a green sock, a green sweater, a green t-shirt, a green scarf, a green hat, a pair of green shoes…

Have a nice and green day!

JOBS

2009-04-15T18:09:00.011+02:00

Hi, again!

I hope you had a wonderful "Easter" vacation.

Now it´s time to work!. Today we have studied a new topic in class: "Jobs". To revise the vocabulary we have learnt go to "Our Vocabulary Blog" , and to learn some extra words you can visit a very interesting website where you can do many different activities related to "jobs".

Click here to visit the site.

www.britishcouncil.org

SPRING BREAK

2009-04-03T17:00:00.004+02:00

CASTILLA-LA MANCHA & TOMATO TOAST

2009-04-02T17:13:00.000+02:00

I recently have discovered a breakfast that has changed my life and although it took twenty five years to find it since its encounter my life has been anything but just “plain toast.” I’ve come to Spain as an assistant teacher in a bilingual program in Villanueva de los Infantes which is in the province of Ciudad Real, in the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha. For those who don’t have the geographical map of Spain under their control this tiny town is basically right smack in the center of the country and can only be referenced to me to be like Nebraska in the United States. The land here at first glance is absolutely as plain, boring and manicured as any other agricultural area, and for those who don’t stop to smell the proverbial roses or to appreciate its beauty it can look quite ugly, repugnant, unsightly, flavorless and simple. But beneath the raked fields of monotonous corduroy and the endless rows of olive and wine vineyards lays an untold and complex beatitude that accompanies the simplicity of this flat Mediterranean land

scape that can only be understood with time and open senses. This is perhaps why this wonderfully modest breakfast has become not only an enjoyment in my day but is also, to me, a representation of this tasteful region.

I’m not going to sugar coat the ingredients because they are what they are and I’m not going to detour away from this: Baguette bread toasted, with grinded up tomato spread on top. Grinded tomato and bread for breakfast perhaps to some isn’t exactly the most appetizing item on the menu nor is it perhaps the most alluring when compared to eggs, onion and potatoes with a slice of ham on the side but it’s not about what you see or what it looks like, it’s how you view it and what you do with it to make something norm

al it into a delightful experience.

The grinded up tomato and toast comes with: a fork, a napkin olive oil and salt. The process has been slow and tedious but I think I now know what these “Manchegos” (people from Castilla La Mancha) have been experiencing for generations upon generations. The fork is the key for opening the door to deliciousness. Like the farmer uses a plow to scrape the land so must the fork be used in a similar way to allow the seeds to penetrate the surface, but in this case the seed is salt. A slow light sprinkle of salt over the bread and tomato ensures a healthy flavor. With a monsoon like downpour of fresh olive oil the salt accompanies the flow into the punctured exterior and is soaked up by the porous earth below. The end result is far from unappealing to the taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell and you’ll know as the aroma that accompanies the rising steam of the toast in the morning air and the b

rilliant light reflects upon the olive oil covering the reddish level landscape and leaves your fingers smooth and soft with its remnants while the crunching, crackling, snapping and rolling ruffle of the bread vibrates through your ears delivering to your mouth an honest natural flavor leaving you crying out for more and more, that what you’ve experienced is not just grinded up tomato and bread, it’s “Una tostada con tomate", and it’s something special.

Connor Stava

Language Assistant

"Francisco de Quevedo" High School

MY RECIPE FOR:

TOAST AND TOMATO (TOSTADA CON TOMATE)

Ingredients needed:

1. Bread

2. 1 Tomato

3. Olive oil

4. Salt

Utensils needed:

1. Toaster

2. Knife

3. Fork

4. Plate

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut bread in half and place into toaster

Step 2: While bread is in toaster slice the tomato thinly

Step 3: Take Toast out of toaster

Step 4: Place tomato onto warm toast

Step 5: Poke holes into the toast and tomatoes with fork

Step 6: Spread olive oil over toast graciously

Step 7: (optional) Spread olive oil around with knife

Step 8: Lightly salt the bread and tomato and if you like, put a little on the plate

Step 9: Enjoy!!

APRIL 1: APRIL FOOLS' DAY

2009-03-31T18:29:00.011+02:00

April 1 is April Fools' Day, the day on which people play jokes on each other and newspapers include stories that aren't true!. It is the equivalent of the Feast of the Holy Saints (El Día de los Santos Inocentes) in Spain, which is celebrated on December 28.

Have you ever played a joke on someone and then, just when that person has fallen for it, said "April Fools!"?. Read more...

EARTH HOUR

2009-03-29T11:25:00.008+02:00

Yesterday, March 28, from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm local time, hundreds of millions of people around the world switched their lights off to show global leaders they want strong action to tackle climate change.

This global event, called Earth Hour, is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually. People are asked to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.

Spain was one of the participants. Madrid, Sevilla, Barcelona and Bilbao are some of the Spanish cities that switched off their lights for an hour.

POLL #6: WHAT´S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY ACTIVITY?

2009-03-27T18:18:00.004+01:00

Our sixth poll expired a few days ago and 16 of you (52% of the class) took it. The question was: "What´s your favourite holiday activity?".

Results:

- Sunbathe on a beach: 68%
- Walk in the mountains: 12%
- Eat local food: 12%
- Buy souvenirs: 6%
- Visit museums and monuments: 2%

New question (Poll#7): What´s your favourite type of weather?.
I´m waiting for your votes!

THEATRE IN ENGLISH

2009-03-23T23:08:00.006+01:00

On March 17 some students and teachers from our High School attended a theatre perfomance in “La Encarnación” Auditorium in Villanueva de los Infantes. Moving ON Theatre Company performed a dynamic show called “Food for Thought”. The show was a great success and our students enjoyed a lot.

Here is a selection of some of the pictures taken during the show.

Food for Thought

Moving On Theatre Company

MY LUCKY DAY

2009-03-16T16:45:00.005+01:00

Eric Herman wishes you a Happy St. Patrick´s Day with this funny song about a particularly lucky day.

Eric Herman - Cool tunes for kids

ACTIVITY: Read the lyrics of this song and fill in the gaps with the correct word.

POLL #5: WHAT´S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF MEAT?

2009-03-14T12:32:00.007+01:00

Our fifth poll expired a few days ago and 13 of you (42% of the class) took it. The question was: "What´s your favourite type of meal?".

Results:

- Pork: 23%
- Lamb: 8%
- Beef: 8%

- Chicken: 61%

- I don´t like meat: 0%

New question (Poll#6 - Unit 6): What´s your favourite holiday activity?.
I´m waiting for your votes!

MAPS

2009-03-10T21:02:00.005+01:00

In Geography (unit 6) you are learning about the physical features of the continents.

You can download and print some very nice maps of the world and the continents from the following link:

Maps (The Washington Post)

MY INGREDIENTS FOR...

2009-03-06T19:45:00.007+01:00

A few days ago you created a poster with the ingredients for one of these menus: a big breakfast, a perfect pizza, a super sandwich, a mega-burger, a delicious drink or your favourite meal. All of you did a great job. Here you can see three of them.

by Paula Molina Pacheco

by Sara Gómez Jiménez

by MªBárbara Lorenzo López

COLOR

2009-03-02T20:11:00.011+01:00

Ana, your Art teacher, recommends you these three websites to revise "Color".

Color in motion

Blog "Las TICs en Plástica"

Exhibition: "Color Chart: Reinventing Color. 1950 to today".

March 2 - May 12, 2008

MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). New York

HOW TO MAKE A CHEESE OMELETTE

2009-03-02T18:01:00.010+01:00

Did you like the video we watched in the classroom this morning?. I found it on videojug.com . If you want to watch it again just click on "play" below. Enjoy!

Videojug.com

ACTIVITY: Write the recipe of a dish you like. Write the ingredients and the utensils you need and also the instructions.

You can write your recipe by clicking here or on "comentarios/comments" below.

POLL #4: WHAT´S YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL OF THE DAY?

2009-02-28T17:26:00.004+01:00

Our fourth poll expired a few days ago and 18 of you (more than half of the class) took it. The question was: "What´s your favourite meal of the day?". These are the results:

- Breakfast: 27%
- Lunch: 66%
- Dinner: 7%

The new question (Poll#5) is also about food (unit 5): What´s your favourite type of meat?.

I´m waiting for your votes!

OLDEST ENGLISH WORDS

2009-02-26T19:17:00.009+01:00

The BBC has published that some of the oldest words in English have been identified. "I", "we", "two" and "three" are among them. Reading University researchers say that some of the words are more than 10.000 years old.

Talking about words, what´s your favourite word in English?.

CARNIVAL

2009-02-20T13:30:00.002+01:00

To celebrate Carnival,we start a 4-day weekend today.

Classes resume February 25th.

Happy Carnival !!!

See you on Wednesday!

FOOD & QUANTITY

2009-02-18T17:16:00.007+01:00

In unit 5 we are talking about food. We are also learning how to express quantity. To revise food and quantity you can watch this video I found on youtube.

Video: EF

VOCABULARY:

To bake: hornear (cocinar en el horno).

Bakery: panadería.

Flour: harina.

To grow: cultivar.

POLL #3: HOW OFTEN DO YOU STUDY ENGLISH?

2009-02-16T20:14:00.005+01:00

Hi, guys. Our third poll expired a couple of days ago and 15 of you (half of the class) took it. The question was: "How often do you study English?". Here you have the final results:

- Every day: 20%
- Often: 74%
- Rarely: 6%

Please, take the new poll (it´s on the right column). The questions is about food (unit 5).

LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES

2009-02-11T16:06:00.009+01:00

Connor, our Language Assistant, is American. We asked him about his family, home life and pocket money when he was 13 years old.

Hi, my name is Connor and I’m from Reno, Nevada. I’m 13 years old and live with my mom and dad in a house with a garden. I like to do a lot of different activities especially outdoor activities. I really like to go camping, fishing, hiking, biking and playing sports like soccer and basketball but right now I’m in school so I’m studying more than anything. My typical day right now goes something like this: I get up at 6:45 in the morning, I take a shower and then get dressed. After I get dressed I usually go downstairs at 7:00 and have breakfast of milk, cereal, toast, fruit and orange juice. I try to eat a lot because I will not eat again until 12:00 and I usually get hungry. I leave the house at 7:20 and start school at 8:00. I study from 8:00 until lunch time which is at 12:00. For lunch I usually eat a sandwich, some potato chips, a Coca-Cola, fruit and a cookie. Then at 12:30 I go back to class and don’t finish until 2:30. After school I study and then go outside and play with my friends and then we usually have dinner around 7:30 or 8:00 o’clock. Dinner is normally a big meal. Then I watch TV until 10:00 and then go to bed around 10:30.

My mom and dad usually give me an allowance (pocket money) of $10.00 a week. I don’t have a job right now. So I think $10.00 is enough money. Sometimes when the neighbors are away I’ll take care of their house for them and they pay me $30.00 a week. With my money at night time on the weekends I like to go see movies with my friends and go get something to eat and drink. I usually don’t save any money to buy other things but when I do save money I usually like to buy CD’s and clothing.

ACTIVITY

LIFE IN THE ARTIC

2009-02-07T10:21:00.016+01:00

washingtonpost for kids

IQALUIT, Canada — It is dark in the winter when Darcy Nowdlak goes to school and dark when he comes home. The sun barely gets above the horizon for a few hours. And it is cold —very cold. Often 20 degrees below zero. And Darcy loves it. Read more...

ACTIVITY 1: Click here and translate the previous paragraph into Spanish.

ACTIVITY 2: Click on the link "Read more..." above and read the text about Darcy and his life in Canada. Then, click here to answer the following questions.

How old is Darcy?.
Where does he live?.
How many people live in his town?.
How are "people" called where he lives?.
What type of house does he live in?.
How does he go to school?.
What languages does he speak?.
How many brothers and/or sisters has he got?.
What does he like doing in his free time?.
How does he ride around his town?.

POLL #2: BROTHERS & SISTERS

2009-02-05T17:20:00.005+01:00

OK, guys. Our second poll expired a few days ago and only 9 of you took it. The question was: "How many brothers or sisters have you got?". Here you have the final results:

- 0 (I´m an only child): 11%

- 1 brother/sister: 55%

- 2 brothers/sisters: 33%

Please, take the new poll (it´s on the right column). Now, the questions is about your daily routine (unit 4).

TRIANGLES & QUADRILATERALS

2009-01-29T18:42:00.001+01:00

You are now studying the different types of triangles and quadrilaterals in Art. Watch these videos to learn about them:

TRIANGLES

QUADRILATERALS

from http://www.studio4learning.tv

DAILY ROUTINES II

2009-01-26T19:46:00.005+01:00

Listen to this Canadian boy talking about his daily routine.

ACTIVITY: Write a short text about your daily routine. Use the video as a model.

THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

2009-01-26T19:28:00.004+01:00

Watch this video from www.studio4learning.tv to revise how to use the present simple tense.

DAILY ROUTINES I

2009-01-22T18:22:00.013+01:00

The following links will take you to many activities to revise "Daily routines" and "The Present Simple Tense".

Habits and routines (isabelperez.com)

Daily routines (clic.xtec.net)

Daily routines (British Council)

POLL#1: CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

2009-01-21T17:41:00.006+01:00

Our first poll expired yesterday and only 5 people participated.

My question was: "When did you get your Christmas presents?". These are the results:

- On December 25th: 0%

- On January 6th: 1 person (20%)

- On December 25th and January 6th: 4 people (80%)

As you can see, 80% of the people who participated received their Christmas presents on two different days. They must have been very good in 2008!.

There is a new poll. This time the question is about your family (unit 4). Please, participate!

DAYS OF THE WEEK

2009-01-20T20:09:00.004+01:00

Let´s revise the days of the week with this lively song by the British pop group The Cure. Although it wasn´t my favourite group, I used to listen to it a lot in the 80s.

Activity: Write the lyrics of this song (you can copy and paste) on your notebook. Then listen to the song and complete the gaps with the correct day of the week.

THE CURE

Friday - I´m in love!

I don't care if _______________'s blue

_______________'s grey and_______________ too

_______________ I don't care about you

It's_______________ I'm in love

_______________ you can fall apart

_______________ _______________ break my heart

_______________ doesn't even start

It's _______________ I'm in love

_______________ wait

And _______________ always comes too late

But _______________ never hesitate...

I don't care if _______________'s black

_______________ _______________ heart attack

_______________ never looking back

It's _______________ I'm in love

_______________ you can hold your head

_______________ _______________ stay in bed

Or ______________ watch the walls instead

It's _______________ I'm in love

_______________ wait

And _______________ always comes too late

But _______________ never hesitate...

Dressed up to the eyes

It's a wonderful surprise

To see your shoes and your spirits rise

Throwing out your frown

And just smiling at the sound

And as sleek as a shriek

Spinning round and round

Always take a big bite

It's such a gorgeous sight

To see you eat in the middle of the night

You can never get enough

Enough of this stuff

It's _______________

I'm in love

CONNOR´S FAMILY

2009-01-20T19:40:00.003+01:00

Connor, our American Language Assistant, tells us about his family.

Hi, there.

My family is big and interesting. I have a dad or father named Jim, a mother named Holly and a brother named Jensen and a dog named Sierra. Although my inmediate family is small my extended family is very large. My parents´mothers and fathers are still alive, so I have four grandparents. My grandmothers´names are June and Sarah and my grandparents´names are Con and John. My mother has three brothers ans my father has five sisters, which means that I have three uncles and five aunts. All of my aunts and uncles are married and have children, so I have around 20-30 cousins. It is very hard to keep in contact with them all and sometimes it´s hard to remember their names.

My dad´s very serious but very funny and likes to do many fun things. My mom´s funny and cheerful and is very outgoing. My brother´s funny and very interesting. His girlfriend´s name is Sophie who is very nice as well. We all live in different places so when we get together you can imagine that we have a very good time. And when my entire family gets together we have a huge party which usually lasts at least four days and is a very good time also.

Connor.

ACTIVITY: Answer these questions.

1.- Has Connor got any brothers or sisters?.

2.- Who´s Sierra?.

3.- How many grandparents has Connor got?.

4.- Who are Connor´s parents?.

5.- How many cousins has Connor got?.

6.- Who is Sophie?.

FAMILY TREE

2009-01-20T19:32:00.002+01:00

Watch this video to revise the inmediate family vocabulary.