WOMEN'S DAY

Every March 8th we celebrate International Women's Day. As I always do, I've been trying  to include something new this year. 
The UN has organised lots of events, here you have some to know more about it. 

WOMEN FOOTPRINT IN HISTORY 
A timeline where you can meet relevant women in history 

Do you know about other important women in history and their achievents? 

Read this year's UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON'S MESSAGE 

"From The Glass Ceiling To A Carpet Of Shards"

1.      What problems which women suffer in the world are mentioned? 
2.      What do "the glass ceiling" and "a carpet of shards" refer to? 
3.      What actions has the Secretary made in favour of women?
4.      How many Parliaments don’t have women now?
5.       Name two campaigns  who are fighting in favour of women
6.      What do you think of Confucius’ sentence: “ To put the world in order, we must begin in our own circles”.What does it remind you of?  

As you already know, this year's theme is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality” in clear reference to the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 especially 

• No. 5 "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls"
• No. 4 "Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning"

Some of the objectives to achieve for 2030 are:

• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. 
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education.
• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.  

DISCUSS

Do you think these goals could be achieved? 
Which do you think is the most difficult to get? why? 
Do you think girls are discriminated in our society? how? 

* MORE ON GENDER EQUALITY IN MY WEBPAGE: Emma Watson's speech at UN, HeforShe campaign etc.

* TO READ OTHER POSTS WITH ACTIVITIES IN THIS BLOG, CLICK HERE

* WATCH AN OUSTANDING VIDEO BY CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE " We Should all be Feminists" 

 

Motivational Video

GLADIATOR MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

Have you ever felt you couldn't cope with everything? Do you feel demotivated?

Watch the video and do your best.

Thanks to Victoria Bordera for sharing

MOTIVATION FOR GIRLS 

Sometimes you feel you are left out, because of your appearance, the way you think and other reasons, but remember that it's important to believe in yourself and be confident about you possibilities as Kate Winslet did. 

Watch her video at BAFTAs 2016 and think about it. 

1. What was Kate's problem?

2. Who rejected her?

3. How does she feel now?

Charles Dickens Activity

In 2012 we  celebrated  the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens ( Portsmouth, February 7th, 1812) , one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Most of us have read books such as " Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield" etc in our childhood.

A lot of his novels have been adapted for the theatre and made into films or series, How many times have you seen " A Christmas Carol" ? and many of them, including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby were originally published in a serial format, with a new part of the book being published each month. Dickens often wrote the episodes without knowing what would happen next.
Most of his characters and stories were based on people and events in his own life which was really interesting.
His works reflected real life in Victorian times, different social classes, hard times, romance, adventure, mystery etc, everyting you can think about.
So I encourage you to get into his world and read some of his novels or even know more about him clicking in the following links:
Dickens2012
Charles Dickens
More about Dickens and works
Click on the following link and watch a cartoon about his life.

Go Ahead and answer the following questions about Dickens and send the answers to your teacher who would be really pleased.

1.What was his birthdate?
2. What was his birthplace
3. What was his father's name?
4. What was Charles Dickens' first job?
5. How old was he when he started working?
6. How long did he work in the factory?
7. Where did he return to study after working in the factory?
8. What was 'Boz'?
9. Whom did he marry?
10. How many children did Dickens and Catherine have?
11. What novel was published in 1837-38?
12. In which other country was Dickens very popular?
13. Which famous novel did he write in 1843?
14. Which novel is considered to be largely autobiographical?
15. Where is Dickens buried?

The Great Gatsby and the Roaring Twenties

Would you like to know more about one of the most outstanding American novelists? About his age ? About  one of the greatest novels of American literature: "The Great Gatsby"?
 

 Click on the following links, read about it and answer the questions.  

Francis Scott Fitzgerald was part of The Lost Generation, a group of American writers who were disillusioned with society and rebelled against it. They travelled around Europe and thought the old values were useless in the new society. Other authors included John Dos Passos, Hemingway and William Faulkner. 

 
F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography    

Write the title of three of his works
What kind of jobs did he have?
Did he live a happy life? support your answer 

Scott Fitzgerald became a famous writer and chronicler of the 1920s, the Roaring Twenties or The Jazz Age as he called it. After the First World War, people thought America was at its peak. It was an age of freedom in music, art, new inventions, dance and fashion.

A Guide to the Roaring Twenties  

What historical event happened in 1929?,
What was popular in theatres at that time?
What were the social advances in that age?
What artistic movement represents this age?

 
The 1920s: history and videos 

What was invented in this age? 
How did communications develop? Mass Media?

The Jazz Age   
Write the names of three musicians and singers in the 1920s.
What dances were popular?

It was also an age of prohibitions, "speakeasies", wild parties, binge drinking, an age for "money making"; therefore, bootleggers and gangsters were popular. Society was divided: those who followed traditional values and those who wanted to have fun, enjoy a luxurious life, "hedonistic people"
 The automobile was the symbol of the flapper society and it's a symbol in The Great Gatsby too. 
Women felt free from strict rules, uncomfortable and dull clothing, free from house chores due to the new inventions, they started working away from home and lived their own lives (see Jordan Baker or Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby") it was the time of Flapper girls who smoked, drank, wore loose clothing showing their legs, wore make up, played sports  and drove cars.

 How to be a Flapper Girl
  Make an outline of women fashion in the Roaring Twenties.

 Listen to the song  "Flapper girl" by The Lumineers and watch a prezi about it

Flapper Girl Prezi by Christopher Grain

 

 The Great Gatsby shows perfectly well the age when  Fitzgerald lived, watch the following trailer of the film based in the book starring Leonardo Di Caprio and enjoy it!

To know more about FS Fitzgerald and "The Great Gatsby", watch my Prezi 
 presentation