Book discussion

Hi,

It is time to finish the book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, bur before we continue reading you will have a discussion about the pages we have read so far. Use the following questions and duscuss as much as possible.

Warm up

Start the book discussion by summarizing the plot together. Also talk about the setting and characters. Finish the warm up by discussing what you think about the book so far.

- Can you find any connections from the book to something you have seen, heard or watched yourself?
- Choose the character you feel closest to and tell the your group why.
- Pick the person you liked the least and describe why.
- Who do you think is the Hopeless case, Gretel or Bruno? Motivate your answer.
- What three words would you use to describe the book to someone who hasn't read it. Compare to your friends' words, same or different?
- How does this book differ from books you've read before?
- What do you think will happen next?
- How do you think the book will end?

English: Listening

Hi there,

On this link you can listen to BBC News. It is a good thing if you want to practise your listening skills as well as your understanding of the British accent.

Best of luck
/Josefin

First Person Podcast: Correct answers

1. Why did they have to work twelve hours on the weekends? Because otherwise they couldn't get a Sunday off every third week. 
2. How did they entertain themselves during their day off? A woman was singing opera and another one was playing the mandolin. 
3. Why did they have to take a shower every day? They were cover in soot from top to toe. 
4. What was the only thing Helen had when she came to the camp? Her mother's nightgown.
5. What word does Helen use to describe what she thought about the camp? Liveable
6. Helen lost something when she got the number tattoed on her arm, what was that? Dignity.

English

Dear 9a + 9b,

During the next couple of weeks our focus will be the national test.

You can for example revise the words you had as homework last semester:
Words to know w.38
Words to know w.39
Words to know w.40
Words to know w.41
Words to know w.42
Words to know w.43
Words to know w.46
Words to know w.49

You can also revise useful grammar on this link or on this one.

w.12 You write the essay during the lessons on Tuesday + Wednesday (9b) and Wednesday + Thursday (9a).
You can find the instruction on this link.
You can find model texts on the following links:
E text
C text
A text

w.13 Easter Holiday

w.14 You will be given feedback on your text and this week you will get time to rewrite it using the comments.
We will also work with reading and we will do an old NP-test together this time.

w. 15 You will do a reading and listening test

w. 16 We will revise some useful grammar.

w.17 NP

w.18-23 We continue to work with our project "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas".

/Josefin

First Person Podcast: Survival in the Camps

Third week with First Person Podcast which contains conversations with survivors of the Holocaust. This week we listen to Helen Luksenburg talking about her experiences in the concentration camp.

On this link you will find the podcast 

Listen and answer the following questions:
1. Why did they have to work twelve hours on the weekends?
2. How did they entertain themselves during their day off?
3. Why did they have to take a shower every day?
4. What was the only thing Helen had when she came to the camp?
5. What word did Helen use to describe the camp with?
6. Helen lost something when she got the number tattoed on her arm, what was that?

Good luck! / Josefin

Answers to the second episode of First Person Podcast

1. How many people were put together per box car? 125-135 people/box car. 

2. In what country was Auschwitz located? Poland

3. The people were separated in two ways: Which ones? Men and women / death and work

4. What did Martin learn the morning after his arrival at Auschwitz? He learned that his whole family, except for his father was gassed to death and then burnt. 

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Chapter 6

Hi,

On this link you will find the words you have to learn this week. 

Hope you all have a really nice weekend :)

/Josefin

First Person Podcast: Selection at Auschwitz

Hi 9a and 9b,

This week you are going to listen to Martin Weiss' story from the concentration camp Auschwitz, recorded by the US Holocaust  Memorial Museum for the Podast First Person. 

1. How many people were put together per box car?

2. In what country was Auschwitz located?

3. The people were separated in two ways: Which ones?

4. What did Martin learn the morning after his arrival at Auschwitz?

In addition, think about the book we read now in English: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Bruno, the main character, thinks he lives in Out-With which happens to be Auschwitz.

/Josefin

Answers to the first epsode of the First Person Podcast

Here you will find the correct answers to the first episode of the First person Podcast.

1. Where did the Laughling family hide? = They hid in an underground bunker 

2. How did Estelle feel during hiding? = She felt abandoned  

3. What was the name of the people trying to resist? = They were called Freedom fighters

4. For how long did they resist? = They resisted for four weeks

5. Where was Estelle and her family brought when found by the German soldiers? = They were taken to Umschlagplatz

6. Estelle ends the conversation by saying that they were packed as ..., a kind of fish when transported by trains. Which one? = Sardines

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Chapter 5

Hi there!

Now you will have two weeks to practice the words for chapter 5. On this link you will find them!


Have a really nice holiday / JOsefin

First Person Podcast: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Hi 9a and 9b,

It's time to practice our listening skills again and this time you are going to listen to stories from the Holocaust from a podcast called First Person: Conversations with Survivors which is recorded and published for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

In the first episode you will listen to Estelle Laughlin talking about the ghetto in Warsaw. Here is the link and below you'll find questions. 

1. Where did the Laughling family hide? 

2. How did Estelle feel during hiding? 

3. What was the name of the people trying to resist?

4. For how long did they resist?

5. Where was Estelle and her family brought when found by the German soldiers?

6. Estelle ends the conversation by saying that they were packed as ..., a kind of fish. Which one?

Good luck! /Josefin 

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Chapter 3-4

Hi there!

34 new words to learn! 

/ Josefin

Homework: Chapter 1-2 - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Hello!

It's time again for some words, 45 this time! You know the drill, you have one week to learn them and then there is a test :)

Here is the link, go ahead and start revising them. / Josefin

Podcast: Kiwi

Another episode is coming up!

Questions to be answered:

1. David Attenborough makes a comparison between the Kiwi's body shape and a fruit, which one?
2. How does a Kiwi find its way in the dark?
3. How does it mark its territory?
4. Where are the nostrils placed on a Kiwi? Why is that?
5. Name some of the birds which cannot fly.
6. How big is the Kakapoo?
7. How does the Shorttailed bat move around?
8. At the end David compares the Kiwi to another animal, which one?

Here you can find the link to the podcast.

Remember, you can always stop, go back, take notes!

/Josefin

Podcast: Last Chance for Elephants?

It's time for another podcast!

This week you will get to listen to people who want to save the African elephants. You should listen to the first 15 minutes and then answer the questions below. Remember: Take notes while listening, it will help you understand!

What do you think ivory is?
The elephant was not shot but how did it die?
What was the strategy to get people to notice the ivory problem?
How much is the ivory per kilo now?
They found tons of ivory in three countries, which ones?
What do you think poaching means?
How did the caretakers know that there was something strange going on in the national park?

The podcast can be found on the following link.

Best of luck / Josefin

Homework in English

Hi there,

From now on your homework in English will be to read a newspaper article and listen to a short news item. Then you should write a short summary. What was it about? And what do you think about it?

Put your notes into a short text and post it as a comment to this blogpost.

Links to webpages that you can use as resourses.

BBC
CNN
The Guardian/UK

I am sure you can find others as well!

Good luck / Josefin

Greenpeace: Global warming + Great Barrier Reef

It's time again!

On this link you will find a podcast about Global warming and The Great Barrier Reef.

Listen, re-listen, take notes and after that, answer these questions:

1. What is the difference between the concepts Climate change and Global warming?
2. Why is the building of a mine in Queensland a problem for the environment?
3. How big is the Barrier Reef? List some of the facts about the size that you hear in the podcast!
4. Why is the coral in danger?
5. Why is it so important to preserve the Great Barrier Reef?

Good luck!

/Josefin

Discover Wildlife: Saving Orangutans

Hi,

Today's assigment is to listen to the first 10 minutes of the podcast Discover Wildlife: Saving Orangutans.

While listening you can stop, go back and re-listen, take notes etc. After listening you should answer the following questions:

1. How did they catch the Orangutans?
2. Where did they take them?
3. Why did they have to save them?
4. Why do they have to release the Orangutan before it gets dark?
5. There are other places to grow palm oil, why is the rain forest still being cut down?

Here is the link to the podcast.

Words to know w 46

Here we go again, another 50 words to know by next Friday! Happy studying :)

/Josefin

Words to know w.43

Hi there,

Here on this link you'll find thew next words. Watch out ;)

Best regards

Josefin