ACTIVITY 3.- RECEPTIVE SKILLS

1.- Find one example of a headline from an Anglo-Saxon newspaper / magazine. Describe the schemata needed in order to grasp the meaning of the headline. Explain them in detail.

2.- Provide heading and article and with the specific information of the source (date, page number, etc.)

 “The  First  Footstep”    

Cover of  Evening Standard (21^st July 1969).

Nell Arsmostrong become the first man to step foot on the moon. As he touched he ground he famously declared: “That´s one small step for men, one giant  leap for mankind

This is a headline from a newspaper in London. Nobody would know the meaning of that footstep if they don´t know that the place where this footstep takes place is in the moon. On the other hand, the fact to be the “first footstep” is a very important moment for the men.  The readers must know before reading the headline that nobody had been  in the moon before, and that there had been more attemps to do it in previous years. 

1.- Select an authentic text that can be useful for a CLIL lesson (any area: science, history, music, etc.)

2.- Adapt the text to a target group of students indicating grade and English Level (CEF). You will learn how to do this in the in-campus session of March 24^th.

3.- Create a reading lesson sequence (before, during and after reading) for your target group.

IMPORTANT: Remember to include: original text with sources, adapted text and lesson sequence.

Authentic text. Area: ART

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Self Portraits

This painting is a portrait of Van Gogh's internal crisis. His piercing eyes hold you transfixed but their focus is not on what is happening outside, but inside his head. The energy of the picture builds from the eyes which are the most tightly drawn feature. The rhythms of his brushstrokes spread across the planes of his face, gaining energy as they ripple through his jacket and hair, and finally burst into the churning turbulence of the ice-blue background. The cool blues and greens that he uses are normally calm colours, but when they are contrasted with his vivid red hair and beard they strike a jarring note which perfectly sets the psychological tone of the portrait. This is a very courageous image of a man trying to hold himself together as he wrestles with his inner fears.                            Vincent Van Gogh - Self Portrait:                                                                                                       Saint-Rémy
                                                                                              (Oil on canvas, 1889)

                                  

This painting is a portrait of Van Gogh's internal crisis.

Adapted text for:

A1 - Beginners level - basic knowledge of the language, familiar everyday expressions and simple phrases.

Grade: 2nd 

This painting is a portrait of Van Gogh's internal crisis. His piercing eyes show what he is thinking inside. The main features of the picture are his eyes.

The brushstrokes spread across the planes of his face, his jacket, and hair and in the ice-blue background specially.

The cool blues and green mean normally calm colors, but when they are opposite with his vivid read hair and beard establish a psychological tone of the portrait. This is a very courageous  image of a man with inner fears.

BEFORE THE READING:

·         Before reading the text , we ask the students what they know about Van Gogh. They can say that he is a painter, famous pictures of him, and the main colors he uses in this pictures.

EXAMPLE:

Van Gogh is a painter.

He is very famous.

He uses colors as ……………………………..in his pictures.

He was born in……..

He is from……..

He is …………………….

DURING THE READING:

·         We instruct the students to read the reading with the teacher. We sit the students in group of four and assign each students a sentence. We will give them a few minutes to read and improve the pronunciation and intonation with help of the others.

We will encourage the end of the words, as well as the intonation when there is a comma.

EXAMPLE: This painting is a portrait of Van Gogh's internal crisis.

AFTER THE READING.

·         The students will have to write as many titles as possible. They will have to imaging that they have to write again two sentences to show features of Van Gogh in a museum.

To finish and continuing in groups of four. They are going to image that one of the students is Van Gogh and the rest are journalist. The journalist will ask some personal questions about his life. Of course, they can image, how is the painter and show to the rest how they thing is his life.

EXAMPLE OF INTERVIEW:

Student 1: Hello Mr. Van Gohg. How are you?

Painter: Fine, thank you.

Student 2: Where do you live in this moment?

Painter: I am living in Holland.

Student3: Do you like painter in this area?

Apinter: Yes, of course. I like very much this area.

Studet 1: What is your inspiration for your pictures?

Painter: My inspiration is in the colors of the flowers of my country.

(….)

                                                        BEATRIZ MARTÍNEZ LÓPEZ