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.

July, 20 1969 - One giant leap for mankind

45 years ago man landed on the Moon. Let's celebrate this event talking about our magical satellite. It has always inspired artists from all over the world. How can we talk about the moon in our EFL classes? Here you can find some activities that involve the use of digital tools.

First of all, some information about that great day.

The first Moon landing

First Moon Landing-July 20 1969

Surf the following sites to get more information.
Nasa: http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/what_does_nasa_do.html#.U58bD5R_utI

Apollo 11: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11_40th.html#.U58XTpR_utI

A day in the life aboard the International Space Station (some videos from the space!): http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/dayinthelife/index.html#.U58Y4JR_utJ

A brief history of rockets: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/TRC/Rockets/history_of_rockets.html

A clickable spacesuit experience: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit.html#.U58cF5R_utI

The Moon

Facts about the Moon: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Moon

The Moon:
http://nineplanets.org/luna.html

A tour of the Moon by Nasa

STUDENTS' TASK

Now imagine that you are a journalist. Write an article on Joomag and tell your readers about the first Moon landing. If you prefer, you can also imagine that you are an astronaut: describe your rocket, your spacesuit and your daily routine in the space.

The Moon in Arts

Poetry

Have a look at my presentation about some famous Moon poems. At the end of the slide show there are two videos about poems (and  haiku) writing . What about trying to write to the Moon?

(For more information on how to write a poem see this post of mine:

http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/2014/06/poetry-in-our-efl-classroom.html)

STUDENTS' TASK

Poems about the Moon often use a figurative language. You could try PicLits to write a poem starting from a picture. Once you choose your image, you can use the "drag and drop" option: you have some nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs  related to that picture. Moreover, if you click on "Learn It" you'll have some information about the basics of creative writing. 

Painting

Some famous moon paintings:

http://framingpainting.com/famous-paintings/famous_moon_paintings.html

STUDENTS' TASK

Now, use Drawing to make your moon painting! If you are not so good at drawing, don't worry. This tool gives you lessons and examples! Have fun!




Music

OLD AND NEW MOON SONGS 

http://www.moonlightsys.com/themoon/lyrics.html

http://www.indierockcafe.com/2009/09/songs-about-moon-from-magnetic-fields.html

Fly me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra

Blue Moon - The Mavericks

Man on the Moon - R.E.M.

The Moon Song - Karen O

STUDENTS' TASK

Can you play any instruments? Can you compose music? Try Noteflight to compose your song to the Moon! Write your song's lyrics, as well. Listen to the songs above and reflect on the imagery that they suggest.

Poetry in EFL classes

Today I would like to talk about poetry. Could it be useful in an EFL class?  As usual, I try to imagine some activities that involve the use of different digital tools.

What's poetry? 
At the following link you can find some great definitions (I made the above word cloud from some of these definitions using Tagul):
http://poetinthecity.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/what-is-poetry-50-definitions-and-counting/



Why study poetry in an ESL classroom? 
Poetry can help you reach many goals. Take a look at the following map I created with Cacoo:

Click to enlarge my diagram

Some links about the different kinds of poetry

Different types of poetry:
https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/glossary-poetry-types
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-terms?category=forms-and-types

Examples of different types of poetry:
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/types-of-poetry-examples.html

Forms of poetry:
http://www.poeticterminology.net/index.htm

What about writing a poem?

Watch the video

Where to begin? Have a look at this diagram I made with Cacoo.

Click to enlarge my map

Some more tips

Some useful figures of speech:
http://esl.about.com/cs/reading/a/blpoetry.htm

To find rhymes:
http://www.rhymezone.com/

Let's practise!

Magnetic Poetry is a funny tool to write poems. You have to choose some words to create your masterpiece! Try it! Watch my example at the following link:
http://play.magneticpoetry.com/poem/Original/kit/15415/?h=8444d213e9cd688d306fa98d2aa7ca79

You could also make a poetry magazine where you could collect all your poems! Joomag is a great web tool.

Have a look at my example by clicking on the picture below:

"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words."

Robert Frost

It's time to travel: let's consult some maps... or create one!

Summer is usually holiday time and some of us are planning a journey. We often consult a map to decide which places we want to visit and to define our route. Using digital maps before, during and even after our journey, can be great fun! 

These are some free map tools that can make our trip more enjoyable and can also be very useful as summer tasks for our students!
(If we are not planning a trip, just imagining where we would like to go in the future could be very amusing and stimulating.)

BEFORE LEAVING

Before leaving let's have a look at the time zones. With the Time Zone Converter map you can easily convert a time in one location to the time in another location just with one click.

If you want to know how long your journey will take, you can use the Trip Calculator Map. Simply enter your average speed and start clicking. You can know how long your journey is and how long it will take to complete.

Now, a very useful tool to compare different cultures.
If you don't know exactly where to go, if you are wondering which country is right for you, try Ifitweremyhome.

If we were not born in our country, what would our life be like? 

This tool is a gateway to understand life outside our country. You can compare living conditions in your own country to those of another. 

Some examples:

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/GB/IT

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/IT/GB

DURING YOUR JOURNEY

Mapskip is a very original tool. The world is a canvas for your own stories and photos. You start from a map, you click on the place you like, you add your mark and write your story about that place. You can tell your adventures adding your pictures, links or videos. It could be great to update your journey in real time!

My example about the town where my school is located:

http://www.mapskip.com/stories.php?story=6681

AFTER YOUR JOURNEY

Tourbuilder is a fantastic tool! You have the whole world to put your stories on! It allows you to write your stories directly in the various countries of the world where they are set.

You will need to install the Google Earth Plugin (it only takes a couple of minutes), if you haven't already.

You can add your photos, videos or links to describe the places you visited.

Tour Builder takes track of all your movements on the map and this is the final result. Watch my brief example about my Cambridge experience! Choose "enter Street View" on the map to watch 3D the places I saw!

My example.

https://tourbuilder.withgoogle.com/builder#play/ahJzfmd3ZWItdG91cmJ1aWxkZXJyEQsSBFRvdXIYgICA8KrmkggM

The following is a very good site suggesting some other mapping tools for schools:

http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/Mapping+Tools

STUDENTS' TASK

Describe your real or imaginary journey using the above map tools. Write some information about the country you are going to visit, the time zones, the distances between a place and another and describe some cultural differences between this country and your own.

Then, with Mapskip or Tour Builder add some pictures, videos or links to all your destinations.

HAVE A NICE TRIP!

Football World Cup

SOME RESOURCES

FIFA official site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/vocabulary/football.shtml


Fuleco, Brazil 2014 mascot:
http://en.mascot.fifa.com/


The World Cup Stadiums 2014:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10383648/World-Cup-stadiums-a-venue-guide-for-Brazil-2014.html

 HISTORY 

A brief history of the World Cup:

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1989102,00.html?xid=rss-photoessays&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+time/photoessays+TIME:+Top+Photoessays

SOME FOOTBALL VOCABULARY 

Football vocabulary:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/vocabulary/football.shtml

  FOOTBALL RULES

The rules of football:

http://rulesoffootball.co.uk/

ACTIVITIES AND PRINTABLES

Quizzes and printable worksheets:
http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/the-world-cup.html
http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/football.html

World Cup worksheets:
http://www.eslprintables.com/Vocabulary_worksheets/Sports/World_Cup/

INFORMATION ABOUT BRAZIL

Brazil:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/brazil.html

http://www.infoplease.com/country/brazil.html

http://www.mapsofworld.com/brazil/information/fact.html

YOUR TASK

And now it's up to you! Let's make a digital sport magazine about the World Cup events. Last time I used Glossi (in my previous post about food and recipes), now I've tried Joomag.

Here you can find a short example of our sport web magazine. 

You can write articles, add images, links or videos and keep us informed about the World Cup news! 

Click below to open my example

Become a digital journalist! Some advice for you:

• How to write a digital story
• How to wrtite a sports article