Farewell to 2nd of Bachillerato Students!

The school year is coming to an end for the 2nd of Bachillerato students and it is time to say goodbye.


I know it has not been easy, I have seen you tired, exhausted at times, frustrated, ... but at last you've made it here. All those sleepless nights, all those hours in front of your books have paid off, and I hope the effort was worth it.

Before we say goodbye, I'd  like to wish you all every success and happiness in the future. Keep learning!!

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." Henry David Thoreau


 Best of luck!

 Graduation Speeches

The following are graduation speeches written by the students in  APLE2. 

Debating the Death Penalty

APLE2
Next week we will be debating the death penalty in class.
In order to prepare for the debate you should first do some research. Find out as many facts as you can, read and listen to other people's opinions, get familiar with the vocabulary. You will find a great number of sites dedicated to the subject, both in favour and against.



And here is your last chance to express your own views on the subject.
Deadline: 3rd March.









British actor Jeremy Irons talks about the death penalty .



Listen and fill in the gaps.

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Deadline: 12th February
Check out your marks here

Galileo, the Father of Modern Astronomy

Brian Malow, from Time Magazine, talks about Galileo and astronomy.

1. Why does Malow compare Galileo to Elvis or Oprah?
2. Why was 2009 declared International Year of Astronomy?
3. What does Malow say would have happened if he had been an astronomer?
4. When and were was the telescope invented?
5. What, according to the astronomer interviewed, is the hottest thing in science right now?
6. What are exoplanets?
7. What will Kepler do that no other telescope has managed to do before?
8. What happens every Friday and Saturday at the Chabot Space & Science Centre?
9. What experience does astronomer Dr Marcy from Berkeley  think you will never forget?
10. What does Brian Malow suggests you should do? (and why not listen to them,too?)

How I Met Your Mother (Belly Full of Turkey)

For those of you who  missed it, here is what happened in this episode of HIMYM as told by the students of APLE2

Deadline: 22nd January

How I Met your Mother

After a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother, it's time to hear from you. Leave your comment here on this VoiceThread. If you've never used VoiceThread before, it's easy. Just click on comment, register and record your message.










CHECK YOUR VOICETHREAD MARKS & COMMENTS HERE

VOICETHREADMARKS

Austerity and Hunger in Spain

 An article about the economic situation in Spain published by The New York Times causes a stir. But is it a true reflecion of the Spanish situation ?

Click here for the New York Times Article and photo gallery.


 And also in the news...

 Clashes between police and demonstrators on the streets of Madrid

British Deputy Prime Minister apologises for breaking a promise.

Nick Clegg,  British Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrat Party apologises for breaking an election promise not to increase university tuition fees, which now cost students up to 9,000 pounds a year. Now a spoof video of his apology has been released.

Hunting Children in Sudan

One of the world's most brutal rebel groups, Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), is on the move from the Congo, terrorizing civilians.

This is Moses's terrible experience at the hands of the rebels.

1. Who are the LRA? What do they do? Where do they operate?
2. How old is Moses?
3. What happened to Moses?
4. How was he treated by the LRA?
5. How long was he kept prisoner?
6. Did his brother manage to escape?
7. What happened to the little girl?
8. How did Moses manage to escape?
9. What does his father worry about?

Others were not so lucky and stayed with the LRA for years. Read the interview with former LRA soldier Moses Rubangangeyo, abducted in 1996, when he was also 15 years old.

Read more about the LRA

Tapping for Tuition.

Josh Johnson is tap dancing his way through college. Watch the video and answer the questions.

1. What is Josh raising money for?
2. What is he studying?
3. How much money does he need?
4. How often does he travel to New York? How long does the journey take?
5. What do we know about his family?
6. Where does he stay when he comes up to NY?
7. how much does he make on a good day?
8. Has he ever had a problem or accident while tap dancing?
9. What adjective does the commentator use to describe Josh?

The Green Mile (APLE 2)

President Obama's State of the Union Address

Would you like to listen to the full speech?

Read President Obama's speech text here.

Jeremy Irons talks about the death penalty

Listen to Jeremy Irons talking about the death penalty and fill in the gaps.

For more for and against arguments go to Balanced Politics

What's in the news

Woman survives bungee jump after cord breaks.




Police arrest guy with weirdest name ever.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is without a doubt one of the greatest and most respected figures of our times.
How much do you know about Nelson Mandela's life and achievements? Watch the following video and try to answer the questions.

1. When was he born?
2. Was Nelson his real name?
3. What happened after his father died?
4. Why did he run away to Johannesburg?
5. What happened in Johannesburg?
6. What steps did the National Party government take against Mandela?
7. He set up a law firm. What did this firm specialize in?
8. What happened in 1956?
9. What made Mandela realize that non-violent resistance was not enough?
10. Why did he travel outside South Africa?
11. What did the government accuse him of?
12. What was his sentence?
13. What happened in 1990?
14. How old was he when he became president?
15. How many times has Mandela been married?

Match Point (APLE2)

Whether you've liked the film or you've hated it, we'd like to hear your opinion.
Don't forget to include a brief summary.

Bullying

True or false?
Almost 50% of children in the USA are victims of bullying.
Social bullying is more frequent among girls.
A girl might be ostracised for not wearing make-up.
Both teachers and students are equally aware of the cases of bullying going on inside the classroom.
Bullies are never the victims of other bullies.
Bringing up a child in an overprotective environment might make him or her more likely to be a victim of bullying.

Where in schools does bullying usually take place?
What different types of bullying are mentioned in the video?

The indignants occupy Wall Street

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is a people powered movement for democracy that began in America on September 17 with an encampment in the financial district of New York City. Inspired by the Egyptian Tahrir Square uprising and the Spanish acampadas, they vow to "end the monied corruption of our democracy …"

Search the net and find out more about this movement.

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Steve Jobs, one of the world's greatest and most successful entrepeneurs, creator and visionary, died last Wednesday. He leaves behind iconic groundbreaking technology, such as the iPad, the iPod and the iPhone. But what made Steve Jobs so successful? Was he a genius? What can you learn from Steve Jobs?

Watch the following video and try to answer the questions.
What industries did Steve Jobs revolutionize?
What was his first invention?
What curious subject did he study at college?
What makes Apple products so popular?
How many people visit the average Apple store every week?

How would you explain Steve Jobs's success?




Steve Jobs was among other things a great communicator and storyteller. Watch him in action in the following video.

9/11 ANNIVERSARY

The day that shocked the world

Ten years ago the world looked on in shock as terrorists flew hijacked passenger planes into New York City's mighty twin towers, destroying the iconic buildings and killing more than 2,700 people. Two further planes crashed into the Pentagon, Virginia and a field in Pennsylvania.

Listen to the BBC news reports on September 11 2001.
Watch the video and try to answer as many questions as you can.

BBC NEWS Report- September 11 Attacks

1. Which one of the two towers was hit first?
2. How long after the attack on the first tower was the second tower hit?
3. What measures were taken immediately after the attacks?
4. How many people were on board the 4th plane?
5. Approximately how many people were inside each of the towers?
6. What other historic event were the attacks compared to?
7. Where was President Bush taken?
8. What did Bush promise the nation?