Cruising Away?

Last week, Venice saw an incident with a cruise ship.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• a Hollywood production - a typical Hollywood film
• residents - people who live in a particular place
• storey - a floor level of a building
• quayside - the edge of a quay (kade), near the water
• oblivious to the potential danger - not aware of the possible danger
• dockside - the area along a shore next to a dock (dok)
• tugboat- a small, powerful boat that is used for pulling and pushing ships into harbors or up rivers
• turning point - the time when a situation starts changing in an important way

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What exactly happened with the cruise ship?
   Tell in your own words. Or write a short report about the incident.


2. How many passengers were there aboard the cruise ship?


3. Did all the people on land immediately realize what was happening?


4. Were any buildings in Venice damaged during the incident?


5. Name two or more reasons why people in Venice are protesting against cruise ships.

Extra speaking assignment
Is a ban on cruise ships in cities like Venice a good idea?
1. Split the class in two.
2. One side thinks of arguments for a ban, the other against a ban.
3. Have a class discussion.

Monkey Business

Iceland is a British supermarket chain. Many supermarkets make special Christmas TV ads. This year, Iceland wanted to show a special animation for Christmas. But they are not allowed to show their animation on TV. The reason given: it is “too political”.
Now the animation is becoming a big hit anyway, thanks to social media. Watch it and judge for yourself.
The animation is about a girl and a young orangutan. The orangutan is called Rang-tan.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to ban - to forbid something
• orangutan - a large ape that has very long arms and reddish-brown hair
• teddy - short for: teddy bear; a soft toy bear
• to borrow - to take and use something that belongs to someone else
• to howl - to make a long, loud cry that sounds sad
• naughty - behaving badly
• forest - a large area of land covered with trees and plants
• palmoil - an oil from the nuts of some types of palm tree, used in some foods and to make soap
• to feel blue - to feel sad or unhappy

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. The orangutan is doing all sorts of things in the girl’s house. Name at least two things.


2. Is the girl happy with her uninvited guest?


3. Why is the orangutan in the girl’s house?


4. What is the girl going to do with the orangutan’s story?


5. Finish the last sentence the girl says: “The future’s not yet written but .....”
   Explain in your own words what this means.

One Smart Cookie

The search is on for Canada's Smartest Person Junior. The new series Canada's Smartest Person Junior starts of next week. Contestants have made introduction videos. Meet Mateus Soto!

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• robotics - technology that is used to design, build, and operate robots
• nerd - a person who is very interested in technical subjects, computers, etc.
• proud - very happy and pleased about something
• to develop abilities - to do your best to become better at things
• title - the status or position of being the champion in a competition
• to tattoo - to make a picture on a part of someone's body by using a needle and ink

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How does Mateus feel about being a nerd?


2. At what age did Mateus learn to read?


3. What does Mateus want to be when he is older?


4. Why does Mateus love robotics?


5. What will Mateus do if he wins the title of Canada’s Smartest Person Junior?

Extra speaking assignment
1. Make an introduction video like Mateus.
2. Watch the video again first. Take notes: what things does Mateus tell?
3. Write down all the things that make you special.
4. Record your video.

Achoo!

What to do about this nasty flu? Kat will tell you.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• perky - lively
• to cough - to force air through your throat with a short, loud noise because you are sick
• like wildfire - very quickly
• cesspool - a place or situation that is very dirty or evil
• germs - very small living things that cause diseases
• to cuss - to say angry and offensive words

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How can you get the flu?


2. Name 3 things you should do to beat the flu.


3. Why should you sneeze in your sleeve?

March for Science

The March for Science is taking place on Saturday, 22 April 2017. People in hundreds of cities around the world will take to the streets in support of science.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• exploration - traveling through new areas and discovering new things to learn about them
• it enriches my life - it makes my life better, more worth living
• a curiousity drive - a strong wish to find out more about something
• the cutting edge - the newest and most advanced area of activity in an art, science, etc.
• stuffy, uptight people - people who are sort of old-fashioned and very, very serious
• like-minded people - people with similar opinions and interests

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Why does Gavin the inventor think science is important?


2. Pick out three other statements. Note the main points.
   Do you agree with them? Explain your opinion.

Extra writing/speaking assignment

1. Do you think science is important? Write down your answer.
2. Record a video with your statement. Use your written answer to make the video.

Extra reading assignment
Use the Internet to answer to the following questions:

1. Why is there an international March for Science?
2. Where is a March for Science nearest to you?

We Are Family

Sumac Lottery is nine years old. A book about her and her family is coming out this month. In the video, she tells you a bit about it.

pets = huisdieren
figure out = verzinnen, bedenken

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How many brothers and sisters does Sumac have?


2. And how many pets?


3. When Sumac’s grandpa arrives, they “have to figure out to make room for one more.”
   Explain what this means.

Extra speaking assignment

1. Now it’s your turn to introduce yourself and your family.
2. First write the answers to the following 2 questions:
   - How many people are there in your family?
   - Can you name one or more special things about your family? Write them down.
3. There you go: Hold your short introduction for your classmates. Or film it on camera.
   Use your answers to the 2 questions to help you.

Snapchat

The makers of Snapchat are about to become very rich. Their company will be going public (gaat naar de beurs) later this year.
Rory doesn’t Snapchat, but he wants to find out what’s so great about the app. In the video, Priscilla shows him.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• I’m determined to understand this. - I really want to understand this.
• spiral staircase - stairs that go round and round and round
• make money out of something - earn money with something
• appeal - the thing or things that make people like something

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. According to Priscilla, what is the best thing to do in Snapchat?


2. According to Priscilla, what’s the point of Snapchat?


3. Roger asks if their lunch is snappable.
   Explain the underlined word.
   What does Priscilla answer?


4. How does Snapchat make money out of people using their app? Name two ways.


5. According to Priscilla, what is it about Snapchat that makes people like it so much?

Extra speaking assignment
1. Watch the video once more.
2. Listen to Priscilla explaining how Snapchat works.
3. Now it’s your turn to explain how Snapchat works. Do it in three to five steps.

Extra speaking or writing assignment
Do you Snapchat?
Tell people why you think Snapchat is really fun. Do this in 30 to 40 words.
Write them down or just tell your classmates.

Creepy Clowns

Horror clowns, creepy clowns, killer clowns ... They are all over the news. Not just in our country. The clowns also show up in the UK and the US. The Bee family ran into a scary clown as well. Look what happened next.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• creepy - strange or scary, making you feel afraid
• punk - a worthless person; an aggressive, rude young man
• handle a situation - to deal with a situation successfully

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How does Mr Bee say that he will handle the situation?


2. What do the clowns in Mr Bee's town do?


3. What’s not cool according to Mr Bee?


4. What does Mr Bee say about Halloween?


5. Who scares the clown off?

Extra speaking assignment
1 Watch the video once more.
2 Retell the story in your own words.

Roald Dahl's 100th Birthday

The 13th of September 2016 would have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday.
Dahl’s books are full of songs and poetry. He even wrote three books of only poems. The poem in the video is from the collection Dirty Beasts.

Before you watch the video

1. Make a list of the books by Roald Dahl you know. The titles can be in English or Dutch.
2. If you only know the Dutch title, find out what the original English title is as well. Write it down next to the Dutch title.
3. Compare your list with those of your classmates.

Tip: Even if you’ve never read one of Roald Dahl’s books, you’ll probably have seen one or more movies based on his books.

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Piggy was a "wonderfully clever pig".
   Name three or more clever things Piggy the Pig could do.


2. "One question drove him round the bend..."
   This means there was one question Piggy just couldn’t find an answer to.
   Which question was that?


3. Eventually Piggy does figure out the answer. What was the answer?


4. What does Piggy the Pig do in the end?

Can’t get enough of Roald Dahl?
Extra reading assignment
1. Read the complete poem here.
2. Discuss the meaning of words and lines you don’t understand with a classmate or with the entire class.

Extra speaking assignment
1. Form a groups of five or six students.
2. Divide The Pig poem in five or six chunks (depending on the number of people in your group).
3. Each student is assigned one chunk.
4. Learn your lines by heart.
5. Recite the complete Pig poem with your group.

Extra listening assignment
1. Check out this earlier Dahl listening assignment.

Easter

Easter is coming up. What do you do for Easter? Get inspired by the video.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• string - a thin piece of twisted thread that you use to attach things, tie things together, or hang things
• cardboard roll - a long piece of stiff and thick kind of paper that is rolled to form the shape of a tube or ring
• individually wrapped - each item covered in a seperate piece of paper
• inflate - to become larger by being filled with air
• glue - a substance used to stick things tightly together
• squirt - to push a liquid out through a small opening by force
• lattice - a frame or structure made of crossed wood, metal strips or any other material

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Make a list of all the material you need to make a string Easter egg.


2. What can you do to make sure all the sweets fall into the balloon?


3. What can you do if the glue is too thick?


4. Why should you leave the end of the string hanging out of the bowl?


5. What do you do if the string becomes knotted?


6. How long does it take for the glue to dry?


7. How do you remove the balloon from inside the string Easter egg?


8. How do you get the chocolate out of your string Easter egg?

Extra speaking assignment
Watch the video once more.
- Listen carefully to the instructions.
- Write down the main points.
- Organize the information into 8 steps.
- Explain how to make the string Easter egg in your own words.
- Use your notes to make sure you don’t forget any of the 8 steps.

Google Science Fair

The 2016 Google Science Fair is now open for entries. Google Science Fair is a global online competition. The competition is open to 13- to 18-year-old students around the globe, who formulate a hypothesis, perform an experiment, and present their results. You can submit projects as an invidual or as a team.
Last year’s Grand Prize winner was Olivia Hallisey. In the video, she introduces her project.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• encourage - to stimulate someone to do something, make it more likely that he/she will do something
• outbreak - a sudden start or increase of a disease
• silk - a smooth, soft, and shiny fiber that is produced by silkworms (zijderupsen)
• reagent - a substance that is used to test for the presence of another substance by causing a chemical reaction with it
• cocoon - a covering usually made of silk which some insects make around themselves to protect them while they grow
• assay - to test something to find out what it contains
• refrigeration - the process of keeping something in cold place to make sure it will not become bad
• imagination - the ability to think of new things
• optimism - a feeling or belief that good things can happen in the future
• innovation - the process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How did Olivia become intrigued by the Ebola crisis?


2. Which goal did Olivia set herself and why?


3. Why did Olivia experiment with silk?


4. What is the Ebola Assay Card?


5. Name the two main USPs of the Ebola Assay Card.


6. According to Olvia, which specific qualities do teenagers have that can help in this kind of research?


7. Which project would you like to submit to the Science Fair?

Extra speaking assignment

You will give a short speech to introduce your own project.

1. First, listen to Olivia once more to hear how to build up your speech. Olivia begins by telling some personal things about herself, next she explains how her research project started and how she proceeded and finally she lets us know her plans for the future.
2. Determine the subject of your speech: Think of something special you can do, have discovered or are working at.
3. Use Olivia’s structure for your own speech.
4. Write down the main points.
5. Include some key words to help you talk freely.
6. Practice your speech.
7. Now for the real thing, hold your speech for your classmates and/or record it.

Extra extra assignment
Would you like to find out more about the Science Fair?
You can:
- Check out the hashtag #howcanwe.
- Visit the Google Science Fair website here.
- Watch more finalists’ videos, for example some of last year’s competition here.

Your Real Life

Last week, Australian teenager Essena O’Neill made the headlines. The following video is what started it all.

Read the following words and their definitions.
wake-up call - something that makes you fully understand a tricky situation, problem, danger, etc.
the pinnacle - the best or most important part of something; the point of greatest success or achievement
having it all - situation when all your dreams have come true

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.



Answer the questions in writing and/or in a group discussion.

1. Why did Essena post this video statement?


2. How did a lot of people view Essena up till now?


3. Which examples of things to do in the “real world” does Essena give?


4. What does Essena say about social sharing and social media?