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Sélection culturelle

Irving Penn, Master of Light

2017 marks the centenary of the birth of Irving Penn (1917-2009), one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. A new exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris the first major retrospective of the American photographer’s work in France since his death.

07 Septembre 2017

exhibition

U.S. culture

portrait

Teaching with Irving Penn's Photography

The Irving Penn exhibition opening at Paris's Grand Palais was shown in New York's Metropolitan Museum this spring. The Met's site has interesting videos and audio guides in English made to accompany the exhibition and which are useful teaching tools. The Grand Palais site has a teaching pack you can download giving you background information (in French) about Penn and his work. You can see many of Penn's photos on his foundation site. There are special guided visits for classes in English (all levels) in collaboration with the Mona Bismarck American Center . 9 and 16 November, 21 December You can sign up here . The trailer for the exhibition gives a really good overview of the variety of Penn's work, from fashion to celebrity portraits, to ethnological photos of different nationalities or groups of workers and still life images including a series of cigarette ends. Usable from A2+ (general comprehension), and the visuals are very rich. Pupils these days are very familiar with photo editing techniques, using filters and adjusting exposures before they post them on Snapchat or other social media. They should be able to recognise Penn using similar techniques manually, and the four prints of the same portrait shown in the video is an excellent, natural opportunity to verbally compare and contrast. From B1 . The Met site also has a whole series of audio guides , which can be used as you go round the exhibition but are also ideal for the classroom. They are all around 2mn to 2'30". They are very clear but quite sophisticated, so are suitable for B1 and above depending on the track. This one about taking a portrait of Marlene Dietrich has interesting food for thought about how we present ourselves to the world.

07 Septembre 2017

video

art

audio

Rocking to the Classics

The biggest music festival in the world isn't Glastonbury or Lollopallooza, it's a classical music festival: the two-month annual BBC Proms series in London. Started in 1895 with the specific aim of popularising classical music, the final night of the series, the Last Night of the Proms, is now an institution watched by millions around the world. Complete with the audience stamping, waving flags and singing along!

07 Septembre 2017

London

festival

music

Labor Day Video

The first Monday in September is Labor Day in U.S. and Canada and heralds the beginning of the school year. This 1-minute video presentation explains the holiday. Perfect for a quick injection of Anglophone culture!

04 Septembre 2017

U.S.A.

holidays

work

Sélection culturelle

Hollywood on Sea

The cream of Hollywood talent will be on display once more on the Normandy coast from 1 to 10 September for the 43rd Deauville American Film Festival.

31 Août 2017

video

film

Cinéma

Rendez-vous

Diana: 20 Years On

In both her life and her death, Diana, Princess of Wales, had a very special place in the British public's hearts. Twenty years after the tragic car accident which killed her in Paris at the age of just 36, her two sons, and her admirers, are looking back on her legacy.

30 Août 2017

commemoration

charity

British culture

Only in Australia: Boating in the Desert

If you live in the centre of a desert in Australia and you want to create an annual festival to collect money for charity, what do you do? Start a boat race, of course! Henley-on-Thames in England has a famous annual regatta. Henley-on-Todd's version is a little less elegant!

30 Août 2017

charity

traditions

Australia

Postcrossing: Postcards Project

Postcrossing is a website that allows you to send and receive postcards all over the world. We look at two great projects where different levels of classes in France worked together to send and receive postcards, virtually visiting the world with the little pieces of cardboard.

30 Août 2017

réseaux sociaux

group work

EMC

5

Ressources
complémentaires

School of the Air in Australia

In this A2 article your students will discover the special distance-learning schools which provide classes for children in the Australian Outback who live hundreds or even thousands of kilometres from the nearest school. We suggest going further with two downloadable short videos. For full listening-comprehension they require a B1 level, but there is plenty that can be drawn from the images and snippets of speech at A2.

30 Août 2017

school

video

Australia

Sélection culturelle

It is the King!

Stephen King is the prolific author of suspense, horror, sci-fi and fantasy books like Carrie, The Shining and The Stand. He has seen his work adapted into movies, TV shows and even comic books. In August, The Mist TV series was launched on Netflix and Dark Tower hit cinemas. A new version of It will make clowns terrifying again in September, and a new King TV series has started airing in the U.S.A.

29 Août 2017

literature

biography

movie

The Romans in Britain Teaching Resources

London is celebrating its Roman past with the Londinium festival. Access and download teaching resources on the Romans in Britain from A1+ to B1.

28 Août 2017

London

British history

BRNE Cycle 4

Celebrate European Languages

The annual European Day of Languages on 26 September is a great reason to have some multilingual mingling and celebrations in your classroom!

23 Août 2017

September

video

europe

Rendez-vous

Win a Trip to Roman London

Win a trip to London to discover the city's Roman past.

14 Août 2017

London

festival

British history

Labor Day: Back to School

The Labor Day holiday weekend signals the end of summer for Americans. Although it takes place at the beginning of September, and the hot weather may continue for weeks, after Labor Day, schools start again it feels like the summer vacation has ended.

22 Juillet 2017

U.S.A.

holidays

work

Rendez-vous

A Summer of Fish ’n’ Chips on ARTE

Every summer, ARTE announces a new theme for six weeks of special programming. This year, until 20th August, ARTE’s “Summer of Fish ’n’ Chips” is celebrating six decades of British pop culture with plenty of movies, documentaries et concerts.

21 Juillet 2017

movies

music

ARTE

Rendez-vous

Doctor She

It was the British equivalent of making an announcement during the halftime break in the U.S. Superbowl game. Immediately after the 2017 Wimbledon men's final the BBC revealed what the entire U.K. seemed to have been waiting for... that the next actor to portray the lead in sci-fi series Dr Who would be... a woman!

20 Juillet 2017

BBC

gender equality

science fiction

Sélection culturelle

Buckingham Palace Open for Visits

It's one of the world's last working palaces. It is also one of London's major tourist attractions. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace has always attracted visitors but, since 1993, crowds have flocked to visit the State Rooms where royal ceremonies take place.

19 Juillet 2017

London

Britain

Buckingham Palace

Valerian: Teaching with Trailers

These three videos associated with Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets provide plenty of opportunities to get pupils talking on a film many will have seen.

19 Juillet 2017

video

film

comic book

Robin Hood Festival

Since the Middle Ages, Nottingham's Sherwood Forest has been associated with Robin Hood, the outlaw who stole from the rich to feed the poor. The city celebrates its most famous son with a Robin Hood Festival in August and a Pageant in October.

18 Juillet 2017

mythes et héros

British history

British culture

Robin Hood Videos

Robin Hood is great way into British history as pupils can build on their prior knowledge of the character. If you are working on Robin Hood as part of a medieval theme, with the Robin Hood Festival in Nottingham, or as a theatre activity, these videos provide vocabulary help and food for thought.

18 Juillet 2017

mythes et héros

British history

videos

5

Ressources
complémentaires

Big Ben

Big Ben is a must-see on any trip to London. The iconic London landmark is undergoing major renovation work for the next three years. We take the opportunity to show pupils what makes Big Ben tick with an A2-level article.

18 Juillet 2017

video

London

parliament

Classes européennes, the Come-back: Tell Us What You Think!

After a short break, the education ministry has announced that classes européennes can once more be offered in collèges. We'd love to have your input about these classes and the topics that work well in them. Do you have five minutes to spare to fill in our online questionnaire?

18 Juillet 2017

europe

culture

teaching

Sélection culturelle

Valerian Strikes Back!

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the new film by Luc Besson adapted from the science-fiction comic strip series by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières that inspired a whole generation of artists, writers and film-makers… including Georges Lucas.

18 Juillet 2017

film

comic book

space

Rendez-vous

Guardians of the Tower

For many centuries, the Tower of London has been guarded by ravens. They are never allowed to leave the grounds of the Tower. According to legend: if the ravens leave, the Crown and the Tower will fall. But things are changing… Ravens have been in the Tower since it was built by William the Conqueror who created the first fortifications after the conquest of London in 1066. They are the "kings" and the guardians of the Tower. Throughout its history, the Tower has served many purposes, and in the Middle Ages it also became a prison and a place of execution for politically related crimes. According to folklore, the ravens were first attracted by the smell of the corpses of the many enemies of the Crown executed there. It is believed to be King Charles II (on the throne from 1625 to 1649) who issued orders to protect the Ravens. The story goes that official court astronomer John Flamstead complained about the ravens that lived in the Tower. Their habits constantly interfered with his work. Charles II ordered that the birds be removed from the Tower grounds. But before they could be caught or killed, Charles was told by a witch or an unnamed advisor that there was an old legend saying: “If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.” Legend or not, the King took this story very seriously. He changed his mind and decreed that the ravens should stay and that the Tower would always be the home to six ravens. John Flamstead had to move elsewhere. The astronomer packed up his observatory and transported it to Greenwich. The Ravens' presence in the tower led to the creation of Greenwich observatory! 6 Ravens at the Tower + 1 Seven ravens are kept at the Tower of London at all times – six of whom make up the number of ravens that is said to need to remain in order to protect the crown, and 1 of whom acts as a back up… just in case! All of the ravens are born in captivity, not taken from the wild. One of the Tower's Yeomen Warders ("Beefeaters") is the Ravenmaster, responsible for the birds' welfare. To prevent them from flying away, the Ravenmaster cuts their lifting feathers. This procedure does not hurt the birds in any way. It unbalances their flight and ensures they stay safe and do not stray far from the Tower. Apart from their clipped wings, these winged creatures receive the most royal treatment. Just Like Members of the Royal Family The birds have a blessed existence. They live in a royal palace, are waited on by servants, viewed by the public, just like members of the royal family. They are fed fresh fruit, cheese, boiled egg and fresh meat, as well as vitamins and other supplements. The Ravenmaster gives the birds 170g of raw meat a day, plus bird biscuits soaked in blood. He fills their water bowls, and generally keeps an eye on them as he performs his other tasks as one of the Tower's 35 Yeoman Warders. It can be a long day. The ravens are out in the grounds from dawn until dusk, when they are locked up to protect them from roaming foxes or cats. While most of the birds show good behaviour, sometimes a raven might behave inappropriately or show "conduct unbecoming Tower residents”, and be removed from service, as happened with Raven George who attacked and destroyed TV aerials at the Tower, and so lost his appointment to the Crown. Today, Could the Legend Come True? Chris Skaife, the late Ravenmaster has a new policy which allows the birds more freedom. He has been trialling a new method of clipping the ravens' wings. He clips around a third less than his predecessors did from the ravens' wings, leaving some of the birds' secondary flight feathers as well as primary flight feathers. The move leaves the birds freer, they can fly properly and reach the roof of the Tower. Before they were able only to hop or glide for short distances. This method is meant to keep the birds happier and healthier while allowing them to escape from the urban foxes which killed two of them in 2013. Furthermore, this method of clipping allows one of the birds to regularly fly away and leave the Tower! It is named Merlina. It goes as far as the nearby dock next to the river Thames. But Merlina is special, the raven is "bonded" to the Ravenmaster — meaning she always returns to him. It is believed to be the first time a raven has been allowed to leave since the birds were first kept to guard the Tower. It has never tried to fly away. Chris Skaife spent two years doing tests, and he optimized his capacity to get the bird back. The future of the Kingdom depends on it… Despite their clipped wings, some birds have managed to fly away in the past. A raven named Grog, managed to escape the Tower and took up residence in a local pub after 21 years of service to the Crown! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GkR4XBHkRo&feature=youtu.be This is a great complement to Thumbs up! 6e Unit 3 "On Her Majesty's Service", all about the people behind the scenes in Britain's royal palaces like the Tower of London.

18 Juillet 2017

history

London

British history

Honouring Jane Austen

On 18 July, the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, the Bank of England revealed a new £10 bearing the image of one of Britain's most enduring authors.

18 Juillet 2017

literature

England

British culture

Remembering Jane Austen

Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen remains one of Britain's best-loved authors. Yet in her short lifetime, she was unknown.

18 Juillet 2017

literature

biography

British history

Rendez-vous

Big Ben Under Repair

Big Ben symbolises London and is an iconic part of the British capital's skyline. But from 2017 to 2020, Big Ben will look and sound very different, because it needs major repairs

18 Juillet 2017

London

animation

parliament

Sélection culturelle

Jane Austen and Shakespeare Lectures in Paris

Go along to lectures on Jane Austen and Shakespeare in Paris, or catch up online. All for free!

13 Juillet 2017

literature

Shakespeare

lecture

Sélection culturelle

American Dance Theater in Paris

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is an iconic dance troupe, and a fixture in the American cultural scene. The company is residence in Paris for three weeks this summer with some of its most famous works.

07 Juillet 2017

lieux et formes de pouvoir

New York

Kennedy

Rendez-vous

Around the World in 80 Days

As many British cyclists set off on the 2017 Tour de France, Mark Beaumont set off on a much longer cycling challenge. He is trying to cycle around the world in 80 days, in homage to Jules Verne's classic adventure novel.

04 Juillet 2017

sport

UK

charity