CONCHY 'S SPOT

Christmas activities

2011-12-14T12:34:00.002Z

Do the activities following the links below:
http://www.blogger.com/goog_156719634

http://www.marks-english-school.com/games/mes-christmas_01.html

http://www.eslvideo.com/esl_video_quiz_beginning.php?id=3573

To know more about Xmas traditions:
http://www.claus.com/santashome/traditions.php.htm

Send a Christmas card to me. Here you have some links where you can find one:

http://www.jacquielawson.com/cards_christmas.asp

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/goodies/E-Cards/#tab=0&page=1

http://www.care2.com/send/catxmas1.html

The Virtual Platform

2011-11-15T23:00:00.011Z

This is our new virtual space to do tasks, cooperate and try to learn: EVAGD

To enter in the platform you´ll be asked a USER NAME and a PASSWORD, both will be given to you by your teacher; afterwards you can change your password.

EXTRA FOR THE ONES WHO FINISH THE TASKS:

Click on the links below, read the text and answer the questions.

Remember to send the results to me.

http://www.isabelperez.com/hotpot/horror_halloween.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/bonfire.htm

http://www.isabelperez.com/Thanksgiving1.htm

Today´s classwork

2011-10-26T22:02:00.001+01:00

Good morning,
Today you´ll have to do some exercises online.
Click on the links below, then do the exercise and when yoy finish call me ( your teacher).
I´ll help you print the screen and show you how to send it to me.

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vc-family-lb.html

http://a4esl.org/q/h/mc-na.html

http://a4esl.org/q/h/al-color-lb.html

http://www.inglesmundial.com/Ingles_Basico_Leccion1/Ingles_Basico_Leccion1_Dialogo.html

http://www.inglesmundial.com/Ingles_Basico_Leccion1/Ingles_Basico_Leccion1_Lectura.html

http://www.inglesmundial.com/Ingles_Basico_Leccion5/Ingles_Basico_Leccion5_Vocabulario.html

http://www.inglesmundial.com/Ingles_Basico_Leccion5/Ingles_Basico_Leccion5_Gramatica.html

http://www.eslvideo.com/esl_video_quiz_beginning.php?id=7953

Hope you enjoy and learn.

SCHOOL YEAR 2011-2012

2011-10-05T21:35:00.001+01:00

Hello my dear students,
This is the first entrance for you - 1º ESO B - this year. We´ll use this blog as a link to other activities, tasks, tests... online.
First of all, you´ll have to keep the site address. Next, you´ll pay attention to your teacher explanation about how to use some online tools. Finally, you´ll have to send her an email introducing yourselves.
Hope you´ll like all the online activities, and remember to ask if you have any doubt.

The School Trip Project

2011-04-12T19:15:00.000+01:00

My dear students of 1º Bachillerato - A,
As most of us have taken part in the school trip to Great Britain, Belgium and France, I´ve decided to prepare an activity for you whose main aim is to deepen in what you have seen or experienced and try to motivate you for your oral presentations.
The activity is designed as a mind map, so you must feel free to surf on your own, ask for more information if you need it and make more reasearch in the issues that most interest you.
Follow the link below and start your travel :)
http://www.sharingexperiences-conchycastro.com/MY_CORNER.html ( open "The School Trip Project" file)

Timetable for final tasks:

1. Your written essay must be sent by e mail or given to me by 29th April, 2011.
2. Your oral presentation must be finished by 20th May.

Hope you enjoy the task.

ANSWER KEY UNIT 6

2011-04-12T18:54:00.001+01:00

ANSWER KEY. Vocabulary Unit5

2011-02-26T10:35:00.000Z

STUDENT´S BOOK:
page 60

VOCABULARY Communication

1
1. keep in touch   2. translate   3. fluent   4. misunderstood   5. mother tongue

2
1. body language    2. bad language    3. Sign language
4. foreign language   5. first language    6. official language

3
1. b   2. a    3. a    4. a   5. b    6. a    7. b

page 61

4
1. misunderstanding   2. translated   3. official language   4. mother tongue   5. pick up    6. fluent

WORKBOOK:
page 40 and 44

THE ENVIRONMENT

2011-02-06T18:26:00.001Z

1. Revise the vocabulary in unit 4 ( Bridges 1, Burlington Books )

2. Go to http://energyquest.ca.gov/movieroom/index.html

and watch the following videos:

“ Fighting Global Warming” and “ The Science of the Solar Cell”

3. Go to http://www.epa.gov/watersense/kids/index.html

click on “ why save water”, “simple ways to save water”, and play the game on http://www.epa.gov/watersense/kids/games.html

4. Do you want to know more about environmental issues? Then go to http://www.eco-pros.com/

http://energyquest.ca.gov/library/documents/DOE_EnergySavers_98.pdf

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/vampires/dswmedia/VAMPIRES.PDF

5. Now you can try these quizzes below:

The Green Quiz:
http://www.yale.edu/procurement/greenPurchase/Green%20Quiz.htm

The Energy Quiz:

http://energyquest.ca.gov/games/energy_test/energy_IQ1.html

WRITING . - Write a brief summary of the activity: What were the videos and readings about? Do you think environmental issues are important, why or why not? How did you do with the quizzes?

answer key. units 3 and 4

2011-01-23T18:55:00.001Z

UNIT 4. STUDENT´S BOOK

VOCABULARY The Environment
1
1. False. The use of alternative energy will protect the environment.
2. True.

3. False. It is important to protect the environment.

4. True.

5. True.

6. False. People save water when they have a shower instead of a bath.

7. True.

8. False. It is possible to recycle plastic bottles.

2 POSSIBLE ANSWERS

1. Clean fuel produced from soya beans doesn’t harm the environment.

2. Everybody should care about environmental issues.

3. If we don’t protect the environment, we will damage our planet.

4. We shouldn’t destroy natural resources because we will need them in the future.

5. Exhaust fumes damage our lungs because they contain carbon monoxide.

6. The Fab Tree Hab will save a lot of energy.

7. Our country is going to increase the amount of water that we recycle every year.

8. Every family should recycle glass, paper and plastic.

BRITISH / AMERICAN ENGLISH

1. petrol – British; gas – American

2. garbage - American; rubbish – British

3. dustbin – British; trashcan – American

3 1. chemicals 4. conservation

2. rubbish 5. Pollutants

3. ecological disaster 6. Deforestation

PREFIXES

4 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. e 5. f 6. A

page 49

5
1. recycle 2. international 3. overpopulated 4. anti-nuclear 5. underdeveloped

6
1. air pollution 5. save

2. global warming 6. damage

3. petrol 7. pollutants

4. environmentally-friendly

7
To be in a very difficult or dangerous situation.
1. water (the past is over and cannot be changed so there’s no point worrying about it)

2. wind (stop worrying and take a risk)

3. sun (a great number of things)

Bridge to Speaking
A POSSIBLE ANSWERS

1. This weekend, my friends and I are going scuba diving.

2. In the year 2015, I will still be living with my parents.

3. This time next Saturday morning, I will be playing on my console.

4. By this time next year, I will have got my licence.

B POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. No, we don’t recycle any rubbish at all because my parents don’t actually care about recycling.

2. Yes, of course. Teenagers are really worried about the environment because we know that if we don’t protect the environment, we will destroy our planet and our kids will have nowhere to live.

3. The city council should ban private cars from driving into the city centre and everybody should use public transport.

VOCABULARY BUILDER - answer key - Unit 2

2010-12-08T18:37:00.000Z

See Wordlist. Student´s Book pages 137-138

bed and breakfast, campsite, caravan, resort, tent, youth hostel
jacket, raincoat, sweatshirt
binoculars, sunglasses, torch
snorkel, surfboard, wetsuit

   3. skiing/skier         ski/skiing
        hike/hiking           hike
        rain                     rain                rainy

4. registrarse (hotel)                      salir, ponerse en camino
       pagar y marcharse (hotel)          montar, armar
       llegar a                                      despegar (avión)
       salir
       1. take off                           4. check out
       2. go out                             5. set up
       3. set off                             6. got to

5. 1 used to/ would                     5 used to / would
      2 used to                                6 used to / would
      3 used to / would                    7 used to
      4 used to                                8 used to / would

Descriptions

2010-10-27T11:19:00.000+01:00

That´s your turn,
Now write a comment, send an email or write on a sheet of paper .... telling about yourselves. A short description, your interests and anything you consider relevant.

ANSWER KEY UNIT ONE :

2010-10-03T20:55:00.000+01:00

Here you have the answer key for exercises proposed:

STUDENTS´ BOOK
Page 10:
1.
1 shy 2 stubborn 3 outgoing 4 calm 5 polite 6 moody 7 successful 8 cheerful

2.
unattractive, immature, unsociable, dishonest, impatient, inconsiderate, disorganized, independent

3.
1. dishonest 2 unattractive 3 sociable 4 considerate 5 impatient 6 mature 7 independent 8 disorganized

4.
1 B 2 A

Page 11:

1. Cheerful 2 stubborn 3 shy 4 moody 5 sociable 6 unattractive 7 inconsiderate 8 considerate

Chinese New Year: b and c

Bridge to speaking

A:

1. What do you do in your free time?
2. What are you doing after school tonight?
3. How do you usually dress?
4. What is your best friend wearing now?

B:

1. Tim is quite stubborn. He doesn´t change his mind easily.
2. Sara never thinks about other people´s feelings.
3. How often do you play computer games?
4. A sociable person enjoys meeting new people.
5. Look! Your brother is behaving like an idiot.

WorkBook AnswerKey :

SCHOOL YEAR 2010 - 2011

2010-09-27T18:06:00.003+01:00

This first post is meant to show you how to use this blog :

I will propose activities, projects ... different tasks in every post. Also, I´ll give you a link to exercises answerkey when necessary.
Sometimes I´ll ask you to comment, report ... on an issue or task. If that´s the case, you´ll have to click on comment below the post and follow the steps.
Write your name and first letter of surname as signature.

A useful link for you:

in my web you´ll find links to sites where you can practise your English,to dictionaries and places to have fun in English.

Christmas time

2009-12-15T22:51:00.003Z

School year 2009-10 4º ESO C

Hello my students,

I want to welcome you to this blog and to work online.

I hope you enjoy the activities proposed , improve your English and start learning other things through English.

We will always come to this blog where you will find all the information about the tasks and the links and steps you should follow. After doing them, you will have to write a report on it explaing if you found it difficult/easy, if you liked it or not, interesting/boring...

It is december so we are going to start doing some activities on Christmas time .

First you are going to read some facts about Christmas:

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/facts.html

Now, play the game about Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer:

http://www.learn-ict.org.uk/resources/rudolph/rudolph.htm

Finally, send me a postcard from the North Pole:

http://www.northpole.com/Mailroom/Postcards/PCintro.asp

I promise I´ll send you one!

Have you finished? Then write a comment on the activity!

Mistakes revision,work reports and so on

2009-05-30T18:26:00.002+01:00

My dear students,
From now on we will use "my english class guestbook" ( also available on the left )to report on your project progress, ask questions and so on.
Remember that to take part in this "forum" and report periodically is also part of your final mark.
I´ve also activated another page for you to check your mistakes when commenting on the blog or reporting on the guestbook. Wish it would be really useful.
http://www.geocities.com/conchy_castro/REVISION_PAGE.html
For my students: all of us know it´s compulsory to use English so any comment written in another language will be deleted.

HOMEWORK: Listening activities

2009-05-19T18:02:00.009+01:00

Below you have the list of the listening activities you´ll have to do as homework from 22nd May to 19th June 2009.
(taken from http://www.esl-lab.com/)

Listen to them and do the "listening and vocabulary exercises". After that, you have to report your scores to my e mail.
You should also do the post-listening exercises for they could be asked in the final exam. Don´t hesitate to ask me if you have any doubt.

http://www.esl-lab.com/hotelreservations/hotelreservationsrd1.htm

http://www.esl-lab.com/universitydegree/universitydegreerd1.htm

http://www.esl-lab.com/night/nightrd1.htm

http://www.esl-lab.com/review/review.htm

http://www.esl-lab.com/dear/dearrd1.htm

http://www.esl-lab.com/airport/airportrd1.htm

Remember to use The Rhymezone dictionary whenever you need it.

The IYA Project

2009-05-01T18:39:00.002+01:00

Hi everybody,
We are going to start our term project, which I hope you find interesting and useful.
First, you must go to http://www.geocities.com/conchy_castro/MY_CORNER.html and open the file The IYA( International Year of Astronomy) project in Projects and Webquests.
You will have to post in "comments" your first impressions about the tasks- interesting, boring, useful, easy...
After this first comment, you will use the email to report how you are doing and ask any doubt you have.

Discovering English and American literature

2009-02-07T09:12:00.003Z

Hi,
This school year we are going to know more about English and American literature, and we´ll try to do some research on the historical and social background.
You already know what to do, which author you will have to study and who you are going to do the task with.
Now you will have to report me about your progress in this task. You can can send me a comment or an e-mail telling who you are working with, how you are sharing responsabilities...
At the end of the March you will have to do an oral exposition of it, and also you will have to write your opinion on the activity.
Hope you enjoy it and learn!

WRITING BIOGRAPHIES

2007-10-28T21:55:00.000Z

Hello everybody and welcome to school year 2007-08.
Today I want you to look for information about a known person and then write a biography.
Please, click on one of the names below and read about the person you´ve chosen. Then write a comment telling who you have chosen and why.
Paul Auster
Cormac MacCarthy
Bill Gates
Aung San Suu Kyi
Oliver Sacks
Marisa Monte
Felipe González

WORKING WITH SONGS

2006-11-12T20:45:00.000Z

My dear students of 1º Bachillerato - A,
When you read this, it' s supposed you have just listened to the song (Sittin' on) the dock of the bay and done the activities. So now it´s time to evaluate it!
Did you like the song? Why?
Did you like the activity?, Was it interesting?
Name some facts you read about the 50s and 60s that you consider shocking, interesting, funny...

Welcome to school year 2006-07

2006-11-06T08:26:00.000Z

Hello everybody,
Now we have started the school year and everything seems arranged, it´s time for us to start working on our projects and reporting our suggestions, feedbacks, evaluation and so on to this blog.
Perhaps the first thing to do is to briefly comment about the beginning of the year: How you feel,your first impressions...

Greece

2006-04-16T18:44:00.000+01:00

On 30th March, I went to Greece on a school exchange trip. We are involved in a european project which implies meeting our partners twice a year for a week.We were a team of three teachers and four students eager to know more about Greece and the Greek.
First we stayed for two days in Athens. We went to the Acropoli , saw the change of the guard, went for a walk to the Pireo and wandered around the Flea Market.
Then, we took a train and went to Thessaloniki. There we met our Greek and Polish partners.The four students were hosted by families. We went to school, worked for a while, toured around and socialized.
It was both a holiday and a working time. It was a short visit, but also exhausting as we tried to asimilate as much as we could and didn´t want to miss neither their architectonical wonders, nor the opportunity to learn more about their school system, nor the chance to experience their love for their music and dances...It was amazing, at least for me, to see how young people enjoyed their free time listening to and dancing their traditional music.
When I came back, our Easter holidays started so I could rest...and do nothing. I read a lot, listened to music, went for walks by the seaside, cooked for my family...So, this year I feel I had a great Easter holiday: I´ve travelled, I´ve learnt a lot of new things, I´ve rested and now feel ready to start the daily routine again.
What about you my students? Have you had a good holiday? What have you done?
I´m looking forward to reading about your holidays...

A Virtual Trip to the Grand Canyon

2006-03-20T20:35:00.000Z

My students of 4º ESO have just finished their webquest for this term: A Virtual Trip to the Grand Canyon.
Now it' s time for them to evaluate the activity in this blog.
I've asked them to write comments evaluating if it was interesting or not, if it was difficult to do, and if they think it was worth doing it.

Project Work

2006-03-16T11:19:00.000Z

My students of 1º Bachillerato have been doing project works using ICT in order to improve their oral and written skills.Also,a very important target for this kind of activities is to develop their abilities in group work.
During the first term we tried a web quest activity,"A Virtual trip to London",while in the second term we have been doing a music project.The students had to do all the tasks asked,do a final written work and an oral presentation of it.Finally they were asked to evaluate them.

To all my students: I´m waiting for your comments!!!

Taking part...a motivating tool

2006-02-20T17:40:00.000Z

As a teacher I´m always aware of how others motivate their students and try to learn from them.Here , in Santa Cruz de la Palma, there´s a School of Music which develops, I think, really motivating methods.They make their students take part in projects, performances...and make them feel main actors in their personal development: they are much more eager to learn music , but , at the same time, they develop other skills as persons. As they take part in group tasks, they learn how to deal with others, how to share , how to appreciate others work and efforts...Don´t you think the main point in teaching is to involve our students and make them take an active role in their learning process?
Ardiel, my eldest son, 14, is learning how to play the violin. He also belongs to the String Quartet and the Symphonic Orchestra in that school. Dailos,11, attends percussion lessons. He belongs to the Batucada group and the Symphonic Orchestra.Imagine how they feel when they are given the opportunity to play with proffesional musicians, as for example last year when they played with a tenor and a soprano; or when they are taken for a tour to other islands...Of course I know they have to learn a lot, but I also check that studying music is not a duty but a pleasure for them...Wish I could get that with my students!In addition, their teachers take advantage of that and try to develop some important attitudes in life. Last December , for example,the youngest students played in the streets, wearing football T-shirts...each one wore their favourite team´s and played their hymn...but at the end they all together played a beautiful song called " Friends forever" and changed their T-shirts...just a symbol?

The Lord of the Rings

2006-02-08T21:08:00.000Z

I´m a teacher of English in a secondary school in Spain. I try to make my students read books in English, but they are not fluent enough to read original versions, they have to read adaptations. However, I use fragments of novels both to introduce them to "real literature" and as a tool to improve writing or oral skills.
So, for example, I used a fragment of "The Lord of the Rings" to show how to make descriptions...they were really interested because the films were so popular at that moment.
You can listen to the recording of the text made by my colleague and friend Jenny Elliot.

ACTIVITY:
The Lord of the Rings

Suddenly as they were talking a single clear bell rang out.” That is the warning bell for the Council of Elrond,”cried Gandalf.”Come along now! Both you and Bilbo are wanted.”
Frodo and Bilbo followed the wizard quickly along the winding path back to the house; behind them, uninvited and for the moment forgotten, trotted Sam.
Gandalf led them to the porch where Frodo had found his friends the evening before. The light of the clear autumn morning was now glowing in the valley. The noise of bubbling waters came up from the foaming river-bed. Birds were singing, and a wholesome peace lay on the land. To Frodo his dangerous flight, and the rumours of the darkness growing in the world outside, already seemed only the memories of a troubled dream; but the faces that were turned to meet them as they entered were grave.
Elrond was there, and several others were seated in silence about him. Frodo saw Glorfindel and Glóin; and in a corner alone Strider was sitting, clad in his old travel-worn clothes again. Elrond drew Frodo to a seat by his side, and presented him to the company, saying:
“Here, my friends, is the hobbit, Frodo son of Drogo. Few have ever come hither through greater peril or on an errand more urgent.”
He then pointed out and named those whom Frodo had not met before. There was a younger dwarf at Glóin´s side: his son Gimli. Beside Glorfindel there were several other counselors of Elrond´s household, of whom Erestor was the chief; and with him was Galdor, an Elf from the Grey Havens who had come on an errand from Círdan the Shipwright. There was also a strange Elf clad in green and brown, Legolas, a messenger from his father, Thranduil, the King of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood. And seated a little apart was a tall man with a fair and noble face, dark-haired and grey-eyed, proud and stern of glance.
He was cloaked and booted as if for a journey on horseback; and indeed though his garments were rich, and his cloak was lined with fur, they were stained with long travel. He had a collar of silver in which a single white stone was set; his locks were shorn about his shoulders. On a baldric he wore a great horn tipped with silver that now was laid upon his knees. He gazed at Frodo and Bilbo with sudden wonder.
“Here,” said Elrond, turning to Gandalf, ”is Boromir, a man from the South. He arrived in the grey morning, and seeks for counsel. I have bidden him to be present, for here his questions will be answered.”

(A fragment of The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien)

BEFORE READING THE TEXT

1-ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

A-Have you read the book?
B-Have you seen any of the films based on the book?
C-Can you tell what the book is about?
D-Did you like it? Why? Why not?
E-Can you name the most important creatures in the story?

2- CLASSIFY THE ADJECTIVES BELOW :

broad-shouldered - clever - bossy - arrogant - long-legged - sensible - down-to-earth - sociable - reliable - stubborn - honest - quarrelsome - warm-hearted - easy-going -
good-tempered - wise - cruel - rude - sensitive

Character(positive meaning) Character( negative meaning) Physical appearance

-ADD ANY OTHER ADJECTIVE YOU KNOW.

READ THE TEXT.

AFTER READING.

1-UNDERLINE ALL THE ADJECTIVES AND EXPRESSIONS USED TO DESCRIBE A CHARACTER.

2-READ THE TEXT AGAIN.
-Boromir is the only character fully described in this fragment.
-Read again all the words you have underlined to describe Boromir.
-Make sure you understand the meaning.

GROUP WORK.

Ø Divide the class into groups .
Ø Give each group a creature , people ..( wizards, hobbits, elves..) from the book. Choose only the most important ones.
Ø Each group will look for information and describe the character given to the whole class.
Ø Each group will explain any new words they use in their speech.

Some notes on how to do the activity:

BEFORE READING THE TEXT

-Tell your students you are going to read a text, which is also a “pre-text” to describe a person or any other creature.
-Introduce the book and author.

1-ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

-Help the students with names such as ELF/ELVES , DWARF , WIZARD , ENT , ORC , HOBBIT , BLACK RIDER …

4-READ THE TEXT AGAIN.
If you prefer you can only read Boromir´s description. “And seated a little apart…… He gazed at Frodo and Bilbo with sudden wonder.”
Make the students aware of the fact that a person – almost any creature – can be also described through habits, likes and dislikes, clothes, tools and attitudes.

5- GROUP WORK.
If you have enough time , make the groups do a project work. They can do some writing work to display on walls along with drawings , photos, perhaps they can see some parts of the films…

On Names of Places

2006-01-28T18:20:00.000Z

There are places around the world with similar names, which leads people to wrong interpretations and uncomfortable mistakes.
I live in La Palma island, one of the canaries, but many people place me in Palma de Mallorca, one of the balearics...well, that just makes me explain where each one is and that´s all...
But, when the mistake is done in an airport, with your luggage, and on holidays, things change drammatically...not so fun indeed!!!
I´ve had several "oportunities to taste the joke": Once,when travelling to Santiago de Compostela, they sent all my luggage to Santiago de Chile- they sent it to other continent!!! and we had to wait for three days to have it back- on a fortnight holiday!... Well, at least I can say "part of me has been in South America".
I also remember a friend who wanted to came to La Palma and got a plane ticket to Las Palmas. I had to pick her at the airport and was waiting for quite a long time.At first I thought she had mistaken the arrival time, but then I received a phone call...It was her, quite upset, asking where I was, and guessing I had forgotten to pick her up...we laughed a lot when we met.
Above some photos of La Palma...if you come here you´ll find deep ravines, volcanoes,black sand...otherwise you´ve gone to the wrong place!

Me,myself and I

2006-01-24T21:23:00.000Z

I´ve never liked to talk much about myself... but now I´ve started I´ll try to do " my task".
I was born on Thursday, in October, and what´s more in the green and rainny lands of Galicia, North West of Spain...
I studied in Santiago de Compostela and in Madrid.I had a wonderful time at university and I met some very interesting people there.
Then I met my husband and after a time I decided to come to La Palma and start working here.
Now, I have two wonderful sons.
Living in this tiny island is sometimes difficult...that´s why I travel as much as I can afford.I love going out and mixing with the crowds of people in big cities, visiting places that are just the opposite of this island, going to the opera or just shopping in a big centre.And then, when I come back home I can appreciate the peace and the light of this wonderful island.

collage

2006-01-24T21:15:00.000Z