English creativity

viernes, 30 de mayo de 2014

ABRACADABRA

ABRACADABRA is just a word which supposedly has MAGIC power. In fact, all words may be therapeutical. I´m not referring to religious words at all...

MATCH the words in the left-hand column with their definitions BELOW:

1)ARACATACA

2)CARRATRACA

3)BALACLAVA

4)BALALAIKA

5)BACLAVA

6)JACARANDA

7)ILAVALAVA

8)CATALAN

9)CATAMARAN

10)MAHARAJAH

11)ABRAXAS

12)BANDANA

13)CATARACT

14)MADAGASCAN

15)JACKASS

16)PRANAYAMA

17) AMALGAM

18) ANTIMACASSAR

19) CARAVACA

20) CHAPARRAL

A) A LARGE COTTON OR SILK SQUARE WORN AROUND THE NECK

B) A VILLAGE IN MALAGA PROVINCE FAMOUS FOR ITS SPA

C) A FOOLISH PERSON

D) A SAILING BOAT

E) A WATERFALL; AN EYE DISESASE

F) A VILLAGE IN COLOMBIA WHERE GABO WAS BORN

G) A SUBTROPICAL TREE WITH BLUE FLOWERS

H) BREATH AS THE ESSENTIAL LIFE FORCE

I) AN INDIAN PRINCE

J) PERSON BORN IN CATALONIA

K) A WARM KNITTED HAT THAT COVERS THE HEAD AND NECK WITH AN OPENING FOR THE FACE

L)A SAMOAN VERSION OF THE KILT

M) A SONG BY CARLOS SANTANA

N) A CAKE OF TURKISH ORIGIN WITH A FILLING OF HONEY AND SPICES

Ñ) A RUSSIAN THREE-STRINGED INSTRUMENT

O) A NATIVE OF MADAGASCAR

P) A MIXTURE; AN ALLOY OF MERCURY

Q) A COVERING TO PROTECT A CHAIR OR SOFA

R) A TOWN IN MURCIA

S) A DENSE FOREST OF EVERGREEN OAKS

NOW DO THE SAME WITH THE OTHER FOUR VOWELS.i.e.:

MISSISSIPPI..., LIMPKIN, ILLICIT, IMPLICIT,INTRINSIC, INDISTINCT,BIKINI,

DISINHIBITING, INDIVISIBILITY, INVINCIBILITY, INVISIBILITY,

INHIBIT,INVITING, KNITTING,MINISKIRT,MISGIVING,PICNICKING....(Cl.Mata)

SEVEN-ELEVEN, ELEMENT,WEEKEND, SEVENTEEN, PRESENTER,EXPECTED,

EMERGENCE,EXCELLENT,BETWEEN,WHENEVER,DETECTED....(Cl.Ferreres&H.Jiménez)

O...BOOKWORM, OLOROSO, BONOBO, BLOODSHOT,BOOKSHOP,COCOON,COOKBOOK,

COOLBOX,DOORKNOB,MONSOON,PROTOCOL,

ROOFTOP,TOMORROW, WOODWORK,

VOODOO, HOODOO, SHOWROOM,(Ana Mª García Belt)...

U...ULURU, UBUNTU, ZULUS, HUMMUS, HUMUS; UNTRUTHFUL,

FULCRUM, LUPUS, HUMBUG, HUN, USURP, PULL-UP

UNSUNG, LUSTFUL, UNSTUCK, UNTRUSS, GURU, USUFRUCT,...

TRY TO FIND THE FOLLOWING CONSONANTS IN WORDS:

BB CC DD FF GG HH JJ KK LL MM NN PP QQ RR SS TT VV WW XX YY ZZ

sábado, 3 de mayo de 2014

TOBACCO,ALCOHOL,THE NET,MEDICINES AND ALL THE OTHER DRUGS

In our society some people, both young and old, are hooked on pills as well as other substances. Young people ,by definition, like to experiment and to try anything new. Aldous Huxley stated:
"The systematic drugging of individuals for the benefit of the State(and, incidentally,of course, for their own delights) was a main policy of the world controllers. The daily Soma -Internet- ration was an insurance against personal maladjustment, social unrest and the spread of subversive ideas.If as Karl Marx put it religion is the opium of the people, nowadays this situation is reversed Opium/the Internet is the people´s religion.Like religion the drug had the power to console and compensate, it called up visions of another , better world, it offered hope, strengthened faith"... Brave New World Revisted
The net is highly addictive.It creates virtual realities removed from the day-to-day real world. Try avoiding the internet for a day, a week or a month..you´ll suffer from withdrawal symptoms similar to any other drug...

Drug abuse has been around for a very long, long time, since the earliest and most primitive cultures..
It entails the confusion of body and soul. Freedom to teenagers means the choice between being slaved to drugs or the power to say NO (Part of consumer education). Drug abuse is a type of slavery, an accelerated lethal game of pleasure towards ...DEATH, a quick answer to the anxiety created by a certain kind of addictive society..

AN INFORMED YOUTH WILL KNOW HOW TO ACT AND WILL DESERVE A BETTER FUTURE

Most teenagers do not take drugs, and of those who do, most use only"soft" or legal drugs, take them only experimentally and occasionally, and eventually, give them up altogether.The most common practice is for drugs to be taken at weekend parties for the same reason that adults smoke and drink:just because they enjoy it and because it makes them feel uninhibited or relaxed.
Fashions in the drug world come and go.There was a time when heroin and cocaine ruled supreme.

Find out what the effects of the following substances are(They may have both an action-function- and a medical use):

Alcohol: Beer, Whisky, Wine, GNT, Vodka,...

Tobacco: Electronic cigarettes, cigars,..

Cannabis:hash,kiff, grass,weed,pot,tea,puff,blow,marijuana, a joint,hashish, dope,ganja,..

Ecstasy : E, Adam,Burgers, Disco Biscuit, Black and Reds...

Amphetamines: Pep pills, Speed, Whizz,Sulphate,Purple hearts,Blues,Black bombers, Bennies,.

L.S.D.: Acid, micro-dots, tabs,sugar,instant Zen,windows,..

Barbiturates: Sleepers,Amytal,Nembutal,Seconal, Tuinal,Downers, Blue angels,Pentobarbitone, Diazepan...

Cocaine:Snow, Coke, C, Crack,Blow, snuff, Charlie, Dust,Powder,..

Heroin: H, Horse, Junk, Jack, Stuff, Smack, scrag,boy, chinese..

Methadone: Physeptone, Phy, Dollies,..

Glue-sniffing: solvents,ether, chloroform, lacquers, varnish..

Angel Dust: Phencyclidine: PCP,..

Magic Mushrooms & Cacti

Librium:Chlordiazepoxide

Other drugs and medicines:...

Most info above taken from: Brave New World revisited by Aldous Huxley
Drugs The worries,the threats, the facts by Dr. Richard Barrymore
Antitox Addepos

martes, 22 de abril de 2014

Our Global Cultural Mosaic: a potpourri,a salad bowl, a melting pot...

Few places receive as many yearly visitors, both residents and tourists, as our privileged corner in southern Spain. This is a fast-growing, very dynamic society with an immense ability to get themselves organised and start new clubs, societies and associations, which cater for the needs not only of the Northern European expatriates but of the increasing South American communities as well.
Forget the cliche that they are looking for the in-famous "s": Sand, sea, Sun, Sangría, Sports,...On Residents´ Day there have been nearly 100 clubs and associations. Your task is to find the aims of each one of the associations listed below(We have left out both religious sects and political parties):

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL CLUB

AL-ANON

APCUN

CAS

CASA ARGENTINA

CASA ECUADOR

POSITIVELY PINK ASSOCIATION

LIONS´CLUB

COSTA CAMERA CLUB

CUDECA

AGE CONCERN

BRITISH LEGION

ROYAL AIR FORCE

CONSERVATIVES ABROAD

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR GROUP

WELSH ROOTS SOCIETY

IRISH ASSOCIATION OF SPAIN

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING

OUT OF AFRICA CLUB

U3ALEARNING FOR PLEASURE

JAZZ APPRECIATION SOCIETY

NADFAS

JIVE DANCE CLUB

LINE DANCE CLUB

THESPA

NERJA HISTORY GROUP

FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB

ANDALUCIA BIRD SOCIETY

ROTARY CLUB

PATCHWORK AND QUILTING

ASTRONOMY COSTA DEL SOL

NERJA CHICK-LIT BOOK CLUB

FREEMASONS:LODGE OF EUROPEAN FRATERNITY

SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL

KIWANIS

NERJA BRIDGE CLUB

COSTA DEL SOL CRICKET CLUB

FERRARI OWNERS´ CLUB

THE PHILOSOPHY GROUP

COSTA DEL SOL FREETHINKERS

GINS GOLF SOCIETY

HISPANO NÓRDICA

INTERPRETERS VOLUNTEERS

NERJA DONKEY SANCTUARY

ROYAL NAVAL

SHANTY CHOIR ANDALUCÍA

TROPICAL TONES BARBERSHOP CHORUS

CORAXALIA INTERNATIONAL CHOIR

EL LERELE SINGING GROUP

ABANICO DE ILUSIONES CHOIR

CORAL ALMINARES

SOL ALMIJARA RADIO

COASTLINE RADIO

SPA NERJA

APARIV

AQUA AEROBICS CLUB

CAPISTRANO VILLAGE

CLUB INTERNACIONAL DE NERJA

TAIL TORROX

WEIGHTWATCHERS CLUB

41 CLUB ( FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ROUND TABLE)

COSTA GROUPS TRIPS

CREATIVE WRITING GROUP

FENCING CLUB OF NERJA

NERJA DANCE CLUB

THE PHOENIX CLUB

THE NERJA PLAYERS

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE ALUMNI CLUB

BUENA VISTA PETANCA CLUB

ALMIJARA BOWLS CLUB

IMLG INFORMAL MULTILINGUAL GROUP

YAWARA-JITSU NERJA CLUB

NERJA WHIST CLUB

PROGRESSIVE WOMEN´S ASSOCIATION

XTREME BIKE NERJA

CORTOS DE VISTA VIDEO CREATING ASSOCIATION

FISHING CLUB

AGREKON (Agrupación ekologista Nerja)

FLAMENCO CLUB LA SOLEÁ

THE WRITING ADVENTURE ASSOCIATION

TALLER DE LA AMISTAD (S.N.E. CHILDREN)

WE ARE MEDITERRANEAN

C.N.A. CLUB de NERJA de ATLETISMO

S.O.H.A.

ASOCIACIÓN LA VOLAERA( Pro-historical heritage)

WE ARE ALL CITIZENS....

viernes, 4 de abril de 2014

SCIENCE DOES MATTER...

The so-called PISA surveys leave Spanish education as a whole in a very bad position compared to the Finns, the Japanese and the Koreans...The so-called evaluators tend to ignore many factors affecting the teaching-learning processes and how hardworking Spanish students can be...

(A morsel of science)

How to remember the seven life processes or Mrs. Energy NRG

MOVEMENT

RESPIRATION

SENSITIVITY

NUTRITION

EXCRETION

REPRODUCTION

GROWTH

The above words are cognates, quite easy to identify for Spanish speakers.

See if you can match the English terms with their Spanish equivalents:

a)RED BLOOD CELLS 1) EGAGRÓPILAS

b) SCAVENGERS 2) TENIA

c) BIRD PELLETS 3) LEUCOCITOS

d) TADPOLES 4) EL CICLO DE LA RANA

e) WHITE BLOOD CELLS 5) HONGOS

f) TAPEWORM 6) PUNTO DE EBULLICIÓN

g) TOADSTOOLS 7) CARROÑEROS

h) BOILING POINT 8) RENACUAJOS

i) ULTRASOUND 9) HEMATÍES

j) FOOD CHAIN/WEB 10) ECOGRAFÍA

k) FROG LIFE CYCLE 11) RESONANCIA MAGN.

l) M.R.I. 12) CADENA TRÓFICA

Find as much as you can about:

ANISAKIS

BILHARZIA/SCHISTOSOMIASIS

LEISHMANIASIS

ANNELIDS HUMAN PARASITES.

info taken from FIRST CHILDREN´S ENCYCLOPEDIA D.K.

and JUNIOR ILLUSTRATED SCIENCE DICTIONARY USBORNE

miércoles, 2 de abril de 2014

When the classroom becomes a kitchen and/or a pub

When devising this unit I had in mind a group of unmotivated "diversified" students who were strongly influenced by the current TV cookery programmes...Master chef, The snack,...

Students learned to cook some dishes at home, brought them to school and we did not set the kitchen or the classroom or each other on fire...Basically, we learned through doing things creatively and had some fun WHILE TRYING NEW DISHES..Some of our students might end up working in a restaurant or pub along the coast....

Recipe corner

PANCAKES on Pancake day Shrove Tuesday March 4th 2014

250g.flour;4 eggs;400ml milk;1 pinch of salt; butter (Compare with Crepes and the different ways to be eaten)

SCRAMBLED EGGS

SPANISH OMELETTE

FRENCH OMELETTE

CHEESE AND GARLIC BREAD

QUINCE JELLY

CHOCOLATE CHIP AND CHERRY COOKIES

STUFFED AVOCADOS

SMOKED FISH DIP

TARAMASALATA

BACLAVA

FETA/BLUE CHEESE SALAD

PRAWN PATE

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

FRENCH ONION SOUP

TAGLIATELLE ITALIAN STYLE

MY FAVOURITE PIZZA

TUNA LASAGNE

FISH CURRY

CREAM CHEESECAKE

VEGETABLE CRUNCH

TRIFLE

APPLE PIE

TARHANAS

RENNET PUDDING (cuajada)

FRIED CUSTARD(leche frita)

RICE PUDDING

FRITTERS

CINNAMON-SCENTED ICED MILK (leche merengada)

AND THEN WE LEARNED ABOUT SOME COCKTAILS (NON-ALCOHOLIC MIXED DRINKS) AND THE CLASSROOM WAS FULL OF COLOUR:RED,GREEN, ORANGE, WHITE, BLACK..

COCKTAILS

FRUIT PUNCH

LEMON, LIME AND BITTERS

GINGER ALE

HORCHATA

HOT CHOCOLATE

SARSAPARILLA

EGG NOG

SANGRÍA

SPRITZER

KALIMOTXO

TINTO VERANO

BLOODY MARY

GIMLET

MARGARITA

DAIQUIRI

MOJITO

PIÑA COLADA

MIMOSA

BUCK´S FIZZ

SHANDY

BLACK VELVET

MANHATTAN

CAIPIRINHA

martes, 4 de marzo de 2014

When in Deutschland do as the Germans do

People tend to forget that Germany was at the forefront of the civilised world at the beginning of the XXth century, leading the scientific world in nearly every field of human knowledge. If Spain has 17 autonomous communities present-day Germany has 16 bundesländer among them Berlin, Bremen or Hamburg;Lower Saxony,whose capital is Hannover...Now try to find the 12 remaining German states.

As of 2014 there are 196 countries in the world: 40 are in America
45    in Europe
55    in Africa
53    in Asia
3    in Oceania

We owe the Germans all these items:

Name four famous car models made in Germany.

What are : Bratwurst, Döner kebab, Grünkohl,Weiswurst, Salz hering?

Enjoy: Fasching, Der Karneval, Remembrance days, die Feiern, das Neujahr, Der Ramadan, Das Thanksgiving, Das Ostern, Das Diwali, Der Biergarten, Oktober-fest, Das einkaufs zentrum, Das cafe and der kaffee, die bar, das restaurant, das frühstück,...

What was their contribution to the world?

MARTIN LUTHER

JOHANNES GÜTENBERG

" KEPLER

JOHAN SEBASTIAN BACH

IMMANUEL KANT

GOETHE

SCHILLER

G.W. LEIBNITZ

JOHAN C.F. GAUSS

MAX PLANCK

ALFRED WEGENER

WERNER HEISENBERG

FRANZ BOAS

LUDWIG FEUERBACH

F. NIETZSCHE

A. SCHOPENHAUER

K. MARX

F. ENGELS

FRIEDRICH MOHS

A. EINSTEIN

CHARLES RICHTER

GEORGE OHM

W. C. RÖNTGEN

HANNAH ARENDT

ALOIS ALZHEIMER

GERMAN MUSIC HAS MADE A SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION

TO THE MUSIC WORLD. TRY TO IDENTIFY THESE:

LIEBESTRAUM

DIE FLEDERMAUS

WILDER REITER

WIENER BLUT

WIEGENLIED

TRÄUMEREI

FUCHS DIE GANS

FRÖLICHER LANDMANN

ACH DU LIEBER AUGUSTINA

ODE AN DIE FREUDE

ÜBER DEN WELLEN

C

STATIONS, PRISONS AND COLLEGES

I had in mind a group of unmotivated teenagers who could not care the least about English but who were very keen on soccer on an international level. Following up from that came the idea of adding world-famous railway stations, prisons and universities.