Resolutions 2015

Ok, here we go again! It's time to think about our resolutions for 2015. Have you made your list yet? I usually don't bother, but I'm putting my foot down. I'm going to lose weight starting on Monday. My plan is to lose 11 pounds in the next 6 months. How about you? 

"I'm going to lose weight."

Ooops! It just dawned on me that I have two more resolutions for 2015 besides LOSING WEIGHT.  I have a thing that annoys me very much and sometimes causes me trouble. My mouth has a mind of its own. I don't think it's funny at all, therefore,  I'm going to watch it and AVOID BEING IMPULSIVE. I'm also going to learn SIGN LANGUAGE. There's no particular reason. I just think it's a beautiful thing to learn.

Resolutions

My teen students learned how to talk about resolutions by using GOING TO. To wrap things up, they were asked to illustrate a song. I apologize for the rough sketches, but this particular group was not very into drawing. However, I haven't showed them the video yet, so I hope that when I do, they feel motivated to finish them up, so I can edit it eventually. Nevertheless, I wanted to give you an idea of what the video could look like, so here's the result:

 

February in Brazil

In Brazil, the number one holiday in February is Carnaval, which is deemed the largest collective party in the entire world. It´s a five-day holiday, that´s right, a five-day holiday in which people go away, relax and have fun. A traditional activity during this period is getting together to sing and dance. In different parts of Brazil, the musical style during carnaval ranges from regional folk music to the carioca samba.  " Foliões", which is how the people who participate in the celebration are called, either travel to the coast or go to Rio and Sao Paulo to see the samba schools´ parades. Each school presents a theme and parade accordingly and during the parade, a group of jurors analyse and grade every aspect of it, from the clothes they wear to the music they play. The parades officially start out in São Paulo on Friday and Saturday. The two parades take place in Anhembi and are broadcast live to all viewers. On Sunday and Monday, it´s Rio´s schools' turn to astonish the viewers with their costumes, props and ornamented cars. Sapucaí is the place chosen for such monumental event, which is also broadcast live to anyone who´s willing to see it. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the results come out and Rio and Sao Paulo´s winning schools celebrate their victory with the Winners´ Parade, also broadcast live. Every year, carnaval is held in February. However, this year it´s from March 1st to March 5th, which is pretty unusual. Still, brazilians love it because any reason is a reason to sing and dance, even when the date is not right.   

Super Duper Worth it

Boo hoo! Vacation is over and we're on our way back to Brazil. Although many people think traveling is more exhausting than relaxing, I think otherwise. Traveling and being able to meet different people  and see different places is totally worth it! It's worth the twelve-hour flight and other little inconveniences such as the freezing weather.  I'll have wonderful memories and stories to tell.


The activities below have as a final outcome 'writing about your last vacation'. 

Suggestions for Activities

What do they look like?

After my students learned how to describe themselves and their peers, we did a wrap up coloring activity. Each student was given a piece of brown paper, colored pencils and markers. First, they drew and colored themselves. After that, as they taped their drawings to the board, they described themselves using the structure learned, which is "I am… / I have….". During their description, make any necessary corrections in pronunciation. Then, they played a guessing game. I arranged them in two groups (boys X girls) and allowed them to practice the structure by referring to the drawings. For instance, a student from the boys' group said to a student in the girls' group "This student is.../has…, who is that?" After discussing with her team, if the girl answers the question correctly, the girls get the point. They take turns for awhile until they have practiced enough. The team with more points is the winner. Students can also ask "What does ____ look like?" (Make sure that they answer the questions by using "He is.../He has…")

 Optional: Tic Tac Toe

In case there are 9 students or more, tape their drawings on the board as in a tic tac toe grid (three columns of three drawings each). As students describe the drawings correctly, tape cut outs of Xs or Os on them. 

Happy New Year!!!

"The year is finally coming to an end and I'm super duper excited about the festivities tonight."

In Brazil, we celebrate New Year's by wearing white clothes and having a delicious meal at the strike of midnight. At midnight, we also gather to see the fireworks on the street and the fireworks the mainstream TV stations broadcast from different parts of the world. We stay up until the crack of dawn playing games, talking, drinking and eating a lot. The next day, we wake up very late and eat the left overs for lunch. 

Idioms 3

Super Duper is in love. He has his HEAD IN THE CLOUDS. He just can't concentrate in class or do his homework right. 

Her name is Melissa and she's from the United States. Super Duper is HEAD OVER HEELS!!!

Yeah…it's official. Super Duper definitely HAS A THING for that girl. You can tell he really FELL FOR her.

Merry Christmas!!!

Downloadable Material

A Special Present

issuu.com/cleidoca/docs/meu_pai_-_meu_melhor_que_amigo?e=1893448/5983295

My dear friend Fernanda Barboza asked me to make a set of drawings to celebrate her daughter's  birthday. In the set, we could see the trajectory of the lives of Luisa and her dad. It was hard work because it took me long hours but I made it. I don't want to brag but the result was beautiful.

We started dating.

He couldn't have children.

The shock: I got pregnant! 

We got married.

Luisa was born on September 7th.

He trembled with the baby in his arms.

She learned to say DADDY when she was one.

They became best pals.

He picked her up at school.

They played together.

They traveled to Brasília alone.

They've been to Itiquira.

When she was four, we moved to Brasília and she missed her dad.

Daddy came to Brasília. What a joy!

She turned seven.

In 2011, they became scouts.

Getting Ready For Christmas: A Family Night

I celebrate Christmas with my parents. It's great to be together on such night because it's a family night in which we exchange gifts and have a delicious meal. We say a prayer, sing Christmas songs and eat  when the clock strikes midnight. We talk, play games and then we go to bed very late. It's so great because the next day we can stay in bed and relax. Because we get up late, we eat the previous night´s left overs. I love Christmas!!!!

Getting Ready For Christmas: Cooking a Feast

In Brazil, we usually have a feast that is prepared throughout the day and served at eleven o'clock p.m. However, some families wait until midnight, so they can eat. Turkey is a must on Christmas night. Traditionally, we also have "farofa" (toasted manioc flour), rice and potato salad. 

MENU FOR CHRISTMAS NIGHT:

STARTER: 

A Cold Buffet & Shrimp Cocktail

MAIN COURSE: 

Roast Turkey with Gravy & Rice with Raisins

SIDE DISHES: 

Farofa & Potato Salad

DESSERT: 

Milk Pudding

Getting ready for Christmas: Shopping

In Brazil, many people are still drawn to shopping at Christmas time. At least among the people I know, exchanging gifts is a solid tradition and I don't see it ending any time soon. However, Brazil still is  a catholic country, so lots of people go to the church on Christmas night for a two-hour celebration in order to remind themselves of the real meaning of this date.

Getting ready for Christmas: Setting Up The Tree

We start decorating the tree on November 30th. The Church suggests that we do it during the four weeks that preceed Christmas, little by little. In some families, children decorate the tree and are taught the real meaning of such important night. Traditionally, the tree is left up until January 6th, which is the day when the three kings found Jesus.   

Getting Ready For Christmas: Going Through Christmas Stuff

Streets, stores and houses have been decorated, trees have been set up, lights have been lit, feasts have been thought through and presents have been bought. We're all waiting for the most important holiday of all and it's time for me to start sorting out the ornaments for our Christmas tree. How about you? Have you started prepping for Christmas yet?

November in Brazil

On November 2nd, we honor our late family members by visiting cemeteries all over the country. We take flowers to decorate the graves of beloved ones and candles to be lit. We also pray and reflect about life and its shortness. On November 15th, we celebrate the Proclamation of the Republic. Schools don´t open and we don´t work either. We don't do anything special on this day. It´s a day to rest and have fun with family and friends.

My Costume for Halloween

This year, I'm celebrating Halloween but I haven't decided what to wear yet! Well, actually I have something in mind but I'm  still mulling it over . I don't wanna make any mistakes. Anyways, I'm going to a costume store next week, so I'll keep you posted. By the way, do you celebrate Halloween? Have you decided what to wear yet?

October in Brazil

Super Duper 

People in Brazil celebrate Children's Day on October 12th. On this day, they post their baby photos on Facebook. They also buy children presents and play games with them. On the same day, they also celebrate a catholic holiday called Nossa Senhora Aparecida's Day, in honor to Jesus's mother. In Brasília, the capital of Brazil, faithful catholics gather at Esplanada (a place where outdoor events and concerts take place) for a Mass. On October 15th, they also have Teacher's Day, when schools don't open. On this five-day holiday (it starts on the 12th and it is extended to the 15th), teachers have some time to rest and some of them even travel. 

Yawning...Frowning

An adult student during a reading activity: 

"Teacher, what's yawning and frowning?" 

Suggestions for Activities

Brazil in the World Cup Finals in 1994

The activity below was designed as a final project for a course I took in 2009 called "WEBTOOLS FOR EDUCATORS" and conducted by Carla Arena. The goal was to make an advanced group of students interested and prepared to talk about the topic, which was soccer. In order to make that happen, they were presented vocabulary related to soccer and a video with drawings I had made. The ultimate task was to write about a soccer game they had watched, using the vocabulary learned.

Adjectives

With very simple lines you can draw adjectives that describe people. The images below can be used to practice pronunciation. (For instance, they pronounce the word sad in a sad way, the word happy in a happy way, etc...) It's fun, they love it! Students could also write a story using the  pictures at any order. The simple past would be appropriate in this case.

EMBARRASSED

 SURPRISED

 ANGRY

 NERVOUS

 BORED

 HAPPY

 SUSPICIOUS

 JEALOUS

 SAD

PLEASED