"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."Roald Dahl Visit the fantastic Roald Dahl website! You can find an interesting Roald Dahl timeline biography, great quizzes and lesson plans, you can search for information by stories or by characters and a lot of other amazing things.In 2014 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well. It is maybe Roald Dahl’s best-known story.  Below you can read an extract from my presentation about a Cineforum on movies drawn from children's novels."Charlie and the chocolate factory" trailerLet's sing along!  Augustus Gloop songVeruca Salt songViolet Beauregarde Song The Oompa Loompa Song Students' taskAnswer the following questions.What is the moral of the story? Which character did you like the most? Why? Invent a new type of sweet for Willy Wonka's factory that has got a particular magical power, describe its features and explain what happens to those who eat it. Choose a friend or a member of your family and explain why you would give your sweet to him/her.

A new school year is starting...I can't be with you for the first lessons but I want to introduce myself to all of you! Watch the video!If you move the cursor over the image below you will see some links. Click on them and watch what I ususally do in my classes.Another example of English activities in my previous school. Click on the image below.And now some rules you have to follow!I am looking forward to starting my lessons!

At the beginning of the new school year teachers usually explain to their students what they are going to study. Sometimes efl teachers not only teach grammar but also British culture, so one of the first cultural topics they discuss with their students are the geography of the UK and its form of government. Here you can find an interactive mindmap, a digital poster and a  collection of useful websites, just to simplify the work.Click on the Glogster digital poster below, you will find general information about the United Kingdom and some videos.Now take a look at my Cacoo mindmap below about the UK form of government. I have edited it with Thinglink to make it interactive. Pass your cursor over the image, you will see that some links will appear.You can also click on the following link to enlarge the above image:http://www.thinglink.com/scene/568385850161758208SCOTTISH REFERENDUMLast September, 18th Scottish people voted for Scotland independence. The question they were asked to answer was ""Should Scotland be an independent country?" The majority of voters answered "NO". Click on the following link to learn more about the referendum: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/scottish-independence-referendum/about; then watch the video below from The Guardian.Scottish referendum explained for non-BritsHere you can see the referendum results.If you want more general information about the Uk government, the Queen and the Royal Family, open my Blendspace lesson.STUDENTS' TASKUse Cacoo or some other mindmapping tool to draw your own mindmap about the Scottish referendum (what the referendum process was; what "yes"  and "no" voters wanted, etc.)

On October, 5th 1962 The Beatles released their debut single "Love me do".The song was a hit!"Love me do" - The Beatles Now it's up to you!"Love me do" karaokeNow take a look at my interactive Thinglink image below. Move your cursor over the image and open the links. You will find information about The Beatles biography and their most famous songs. You can also do some fill in exercises while listening to some songs (to listen to the songs, click on the link under the image).Here's a list in alphabetical order of The Beatles' songs. For each song you can have information, read the lyrics and listen to the music (or even watch a video):http://www.songfacts.com/artist-the_beatles.phpIf you need great worksheets click on this link:http://www.eslprintables.com/worksheets_with_songs/the_beatles/STUDENTS' TASKS1) Watch the following video. It's an old Beatles' interview with fans. Do you think the fans' questions would be different today? What would you ask to the fab four?The Beatles interview with fans - 19642) Create a Beatles' Fakebook page! Take a look at the Fakebook gallery just to get an idea and use the information you read in the biographies."The Beatles will exist without us."George Harrison

The Victorian Age takes its name from Queen Victoria who ruled from 1837 to 1901. Victorian era was caracterised by stability, progress, social reforms, a rapid extention of colonialism but, at the same time, by great problems such as poverty and social injustice.Surf the great BBC history site.Victorians:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/British History Timeline:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/british/index_embed.shtmlThen take a look at my interactive Popplet mindmap about some aspects of the Victorian age. Click on the image to open it, then scroll around, zoom, click on the links and watch the videos.STUDENTS' TASKS          Reading and Writing1) Choose an aspect of the Victorian age that has particularly affected you. Surf the sites I suggested in my mindmap and write a report.2) Imagine you are a Victorian child belonging to a poor family, forced to work in a factory. Describe your working day.3) Which novel (of the two I talk about in my presentation) do you like the most? Why?                 ListeningWatch and listen to the video "Life in Victorian Britain" from the mindmap. Take note of the main points of discussion and create your own mindmap.                               SpeakingWork in pairs or small groups. Read the information about the Victorian etiquette and choose a social situation. Would you know how to conduct yourselves if you were Victorians? You can practice taking the  McCord Museum test. Then prepare a sketch.

In the late 19th century, people from many parts of the world immigrated to the United States for different reasons: famine, lack of jobs, rising taxes, or because they were politically or religiously persecuted. In fact, U.S.A. was perceived as the land of freedom and economic opportunity. At the beginning, the federal government left immigration policy to individual states but then, it decided to regulate the increasing influx of immigrants. In 1890, the president Benjamin Harrison decided that Ellis Island, in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, would be a federal immigration station. It was operational from 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants entered the United States through "the golden door".In 1954 it was abandoned and it began to decay rapidly. In 1965 President Johnson declared Ellis Island part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument but only in the 1970s the Congress allocated a sum to repair it. In 1976 Ellis Island was reopened to the public.Today you can take a ferryboat from Liberty Island and go on a one-hour guided tour retracing the steps of the immigrants.                Surf my interactive Thinglink image and learn more.                                 http://www.thinglink.com/scene/581896999171784706Now surf the following sites to investigate some aspects related to immigration.Immigration to the USAhttp://spartacus-educational.com/USAimmigration.htmImmigration to the USA, 1851-1900http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/immgnts/U.S. immigration before 1965http://www.history.com/topics/u-s-immigration-before-1965USA immigration problemshttps://www.numbersusa.com/problemsThe White House website about immigration (watch the video!)http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigrationSTUDENTS' WRITING TASKYou are an immigrant at the beginning of the 20th century. Tell me why you are going to the USA, where you are from, which are your expectations. Describe your journey and what you felt when you first saw the "golden door" and "Lady Liberty".

October was World Hunger Action Month!http://www.stophungernow.org/articles/world-hunger-month-2011-10-04May, 28 2015 will be World Hunger Dayhttp://youtu.be/IX8w__WR9Xc?list=PLHpm1ZOoHs84l9PKWWqix-kLyBCi6P12khttps://www.youtube.com/user/WorldHungerDayhttp://www.thehungerproject.co.uk/getinvolved/worldhungerday/world-hunger-day-purpose/http://www.thehungerproject.co.uk/song/What causes hunger?http://www.wfp.org/hunger/causeshttp://eschooltoday.com/hunger-and-malnutrition/causes-of-hunger.htmlhttps://www.freedomfromhunger.org/world-hunger-facts What can we do to reduce world hunger?http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Action-to-End-World-Hungerhttp://borgenproject.org/10-ways-stop-world-hunger/Many artists in the world composed songs about world hunger and poverty to help raise awareness about theese issues.SOME CLASSICSBand Aid was a charity supergroup  featuring mainly American, British, and Irish musicians and recording artists.  It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year.http://www.inthe80s.com/xmaslst.shtmlBand Aid - Do they know it's Christmas?USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa) was the name under which 44 predominantly U.S. artists, led byMichael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a U.S. and UK number one for the collective in April of that year. This super group was inspired by Bob Geldof's Band Aid.http://www.usaforafrica.org/Usa for Africa - We are the world"Heal the World" is a song from Michael Jackson's hit album, Dangerous, released in 1991.The video shows poor children living in Africa.Michael Jackson - Heal the world"Imagine" is a song written and performed by John Lennon in 1971. He asks us to imagine a world at peace without borders, hunger and wars. Is he a dreamer?John Lennon - Imagine"Another Day in Paradise" is a song performed by  Phil Collins, released in 1989. It is about  the problem of hunger and homelessness. When someone asks for our help in the street, do we pretend not to hear?Phil Collins - Another day in paradiseVillage Ghettoland is a song by Stevie Wonder about poverty and marginalization, released in 1976. Stevie Wonder - Village GhettolandSTUDENTS' TASKAnswer the following questions:Which song do you prefer? Why? Which words have affected you the most?Do you know any modern song about poverty or world hunger?

AN INTRODUCTIONTypical British eating habitshttp://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/foodculture.htmlUK food in Britainhttp://youtu.be/D53ENG2op8wTEA"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."Henry JamesThe history of tea in Britain:http://www.history.uk.com/history/history-tea-britain/Legends on the origins of tea:http://www.tching.com/2012/03/legends-on-the-origins-of-tea-from-china-japan-and-korea/A short history of tea in Englandhttp://youtu.be/saTcXkXx7PcAfternoon tea and high tea:http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/tea.htmThe history of afternoon tea:http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/afternoon-tea/http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/information/history-of-afternoon-tea/English tea: a list of Dos and Don'ts:https://www.finedininglovers.com/stories/english-tea-tips-rules/SOME RECIPESAfternoon tea recipes:http://britishfood.about.com/od/introtobritishfood/tp/afternoontearecipes.htmScones recipe:http://www.instructables.com/id/Perfect-English-Scones/Classic cucumber tea sandwiches:http://coffeetea.about.com/od/foodmeetsdrinks/r/Cucumber-Tea-Sandwiches-Recipe.htmSOME VIDEOSEnglish afternoon tea sandwich recipehttp://youtu.be/Vpb4Lb1m4CUHow to make English sconeshttp://youtu.be/4UnepnO2UwwProper etiquette for afternoon teahttp://youtu.be/vSBpIc5raxgHow to throw a tea partyhttp://youtu.be/A9Jpu7TPRiYSTUDENTS' TASKYou want to have a tea party. Make a list of the things you need, describe how you make a proper British tea and tell something about the etiquette you have to follow.

Street food is artisan food. You can usually buy it from  stalls in the streets, it is not served from restaurants or cafes.Learn more about street food in the UKWhat is street food?http://www.streetfood.org.uk/what-is-street-food.html Top 10 London street food stalls:http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/apr/24/top-10-london-street-food-stalls Street foodFish and chipsA common street food in Britain is fish and chips. It consists of battered fish, commonly  cod or haddock, and deep-fried chips. A common side dish is mushy peas.What is fish and chips:http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/takeaway.htmEnglish Fish 'n ChipsFish and chips originsThe unlikely origin of fish and chipshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8419026.stmThe history of fish and chipshttp://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Fish-Chips/The history of fish and chips in Britainhttp://britishfood.about.com/od/diningdrinkingtradition/a/fishandchips.htmDo you want to prepare it yourself? Read the recipes and watch the video! Fish and chips recipe:http://britishfood.about.com/od/adrecipes/r/Best-Fish-And-Chips-Recipe.htmMushy peas recipe:http://britishfood.about.com/od/tzrecipes/r/Traditional-Mushy-Peas-Recipe.htm Fish and chips recipeStreet food around the worldA simple guide:http://www.roughguides.com/gallery/the-best-street-food-around-the-world/#/8STUDENTS' TASKS1Answer the following questions:What's your country' s typical street food? Do you like it?You've just read some information about street food around the world: what's your favourite street food and why?2Create an interactive mindmap with Thinglink as the one I created for you as an example.Choose an image of the world, upload it on Thinglink and put links on it (just clicking anywhere on the image) about typical street food of different nations. Have fun!

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING?Click on the following link to read my post about Thanksgiving origins, then watch the videos.http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/2013/11/travelling-into-foreing-cultures.htmlAmerican holidays - Thanksgiving DayThe American Thanksgiving storyTHANKSGIVING ...AT THE MOVIES!How many times have we seen Thanksgiving dinners in American movies or telefilms? "Dear Lord, we realize that lately, everything's been changing too damn fast. And all sorts of things are always the same, even if we hate it — like shoveling the turkey and stuffing the snow."from the movie "Home for the holidays", 1996"Once, there was this day. . . this one day when. . . everyone realized they needed each other."from the movie "Pisces of April", 2003"You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans, and drink highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the road sides, and you will play golf. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims. And especially do not trust Sarah Miller. For all these reasons I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground."from the movie "Addams Family Values", 1993SOME FAMOUS SCENES"You cut the turkey without me!" from "Avalon" 2001"The turkey" - from "Home for the holidays", 1996"The prayer" - from "Blind Side", 2009"The toast" - from "Funny people", 2009April explains Thanksgiving to a Chineese family - from "Pisces of April", 2003Addams family Thanksgiving - from "Addams Family Values", 1993STUDENTS' TASKAnswer the following questions:Do you think it's possible to understand some cultural aspects of a foreign countryjust watching its movies?After watching theese scenes, what can you understand about Usa Thanksgiving traditions?Which movie scene do you like the most? Why?