Using Google Versal to create an interactive (and flipped) lesson - An introduction to the UK

I have just tried Versal to prepare an interactive lesson about the UK.

With Versal you can create interactive online learning experiences (from full courses to short lessons or homework assignments) to share with your students. It could be great for a flipped lesson. You can add text, links, images and videos; you can create slide shows, quizzes, diagrams, maps and timelines. This is my example.

Street food in the UK: let's try some fish and chips!

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 UK

What 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 food

Fish and chips

A 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.htm

English Fish 'n Chips

Fish and chips origins

The unlikely origin of fish and chips

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8419026.stm

The history of fish and chips

http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Fish-Chips/

The history of fish and chips in Britain

http://britishfood.about.com/od/diningdrinkingtradition/a/fishandchips.htm

Do 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.htm

Mushy peas recipe:
http://britishfood.about.com/od/tzrecipes/r/Traditional-Mushy-Peas-Recipe.htm

Fish and chips recipe

Street food around the world

A simple guide:

http://www.roughguides.com/gallery/the-best-street-food-around-the-world/#/8

STUDENTS' TASKS
1

Answer 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?

2
Create 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!

Let's talk about the UK (still with Scotland)

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/568385850161758208

SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

Last 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-Brits

Here 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' TASK

Use 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.)