www.ediba.

com
 ultural
Day of Resp ect for C
Diversity - Argentina
Background
The day of Respect for Cultural Diversity is
commemorated in Argentina on 12th October. It used to
be known as “Day of the Race”. It was introduced to
reunite those towns or countries that share the same
language, origin or religion. It also aims at raising
awareness that Argentina should be plural with her
racial, ethical and cultural perspectives. That date was
chosen as it commemorates the day in which
Christopher Columbus arrived at Guanahani, presently
known as the Bahamas, in 1492. As it was the first
officially registered encounter between America and
Europe, it transformed the lives of the Europeans and
Americans and their vision of the world. In its origins,
the remembrance was held to celebrate the Hispanic
Sources and References
https://publicholidays.com.ar/day-of-respect-for-cultural-diversity/
https://www.amautaspanish.com/destinations/learn-spanish-in-argentina/argentina-overview/festivals-
holidays-argentina/day-of-the-race-224.html
2
GLOBAL
CULTURE
CORNER
(12th October)
influence on the Americas, but it has evolved so as to
include all the coexisting cultures in the country.
What happens on this day?
This day is a national holiday. Most citizens get the day
off. Governmental authorities organise official acts and
celebrations where they carry out parades and deliver
speeches. This remembrance aims at promoting
intercultural citizenship, tolerance, understanding and
respect among cultures.
Teaching sequence
Level: A1
Age: Any
Objectives
• To foster intercultural citizenship and tolerance among
different cultures.
• To promote values such as respect, empathy and
understanding.
• To reflect upon cultural diversity and its value.
Tasks
1. Encourage students to think about cultural
https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=KJ1ygFknjYo and
diversity. Show them the following video at
Abel Pintos. (https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=1
play the song “Somos Uno” by Axel Fernando and
MibkygUPLU). Invite students to reflect upon them.
2. Debate about the ideas and concepts that students
can get after watching the video and listening to the
song.
3. Write on the board the phrase “We are all
different but beautiful”. Invite students to work in
groups and make a collage in which they include
different situations that show that we are all
different. Tell learners to come to the front and
share their posters with the rest of the class.
4. Display the posters all over the school under the
heading “We are all different but beautiful”.
Yesica Galliano
T
Dear colleagues, Contents
This month, The Teacher’s Magazine brings along lots of ideas to
work with Halloween. There is a story for very young learners called Page 2:
The Colours Witch, and some magic tricks to do with children. Global Culture Corner:
Day of Respect for Cultural
For young learners, you will find a story called Chirio, the Superbat, Diversity - Argentina
which can be used to present routines and the time.
Pages 4 to 7:
For teenagers, there are activities such as comparing films, writing a film review Phonics for Kids: Out of the
and reading about Urban Legends. House, Owl
In our section Phonics for Kids, a new sound is introduced with Out of the Page 8:
House, Owl. Working with Short Films: The
I hope you make the most of this issue. Adventures of a Cardboard Box

Karina Uzeltinger Pages 10 to 13:

Editor-in-Chief The Colours Witch
Pages 14 to 15:
Colours
Page 16:
Phan-tastic Magic Tricks
Pages 18 to 19:
Halloween and Day of the Dead
Pages 20 to 21:
Chirio the Superbat
Page 22:
British and American Folk:
Oktoberfest UK
Pages 24 to 25:
Comparing Films
Page 26:
A Film Review
Page 27:
ICT for the English Class:
Socrative
Pages 28 to 29:
Urban Legends
Page 30:
An Atypical Halloween
Celebration for the Kids
Page 31:
Halloween Poem

Download another Poster 1: The Colours Witch

photocopiable activity
from www.ediba.com Poster 2: Chirio the Superbat

Directora: Karina Uzeltinger / Dirección general: Adrian Balajovsky / Diseño y diagramación: Cristina Baridón / Colaboradores: Geraldina Salaberry Serrano, Agustina Negretti, Mónica Buzada, Daiana
Agesta, Carla Mattioli, Paula Miner, Fernanda Valle, Micaela Bertoya, Fabricio Inglese / Administración: Claudia Traversa, Sergio Vicente / Asistente de dirección general: Darío Seijas / Archivo digital: Cecilia
Bentivegna / Ilustración: Alberto Amadeo, Fernando Cerrudo, Emmanuel Chierchie, Gabriel Cortina, Mariano Martín / Color digital: Mónica Gil, Natalia Sofio /Comunicación y atención al cliente: Carlos
ISSN: 1514-142X
Balajovsky, Maia Balajovsky / Corrección español: Elisabet Álvarez, Marcelo Angeletti, Liliana Vera / Recursos humanos: Mariana Medina / Recursos multimedia: Martín Asteasuain, Francisco Del Valle,
Aldana Meineri , Pablo Yungblut, / Fotografía: Fernando Acuña, Mónica Falcioni, Patricia Perona / Marketing y publicidad: Favio Balajovsky, Fernando Balajovsky, Juan Meier / Recepción: Consuelo Pérez
AÑO XX - Nº 217 Fernández / Sistemas y web: Leandro Regolf, Bruno Meineri / Servicio técnico: José Celis / Taller de manualidades: Valentina Di Iorio, Luciana Sabatini.
OCTUBRE 2018
Editora Responsable y Propietaria: EDIBA SRL, Pascual de Rogatis 80, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires. Argentina.
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3
 House,
Ou t o f the
Objectives
• To expose children to systematic phonics
instruction.
• To practise the sound /aʊ/ and discover the
ways it is spelled.
T
• To gain exposure to spellings <ou> and
<ow>.
• To make associations between spelling and
pronunciation.
• To predict accurate spelling and pronunciation
of words given.
he activities presented aim at practising
the diphthong /aʊ/ and build
associations with its most common
spellings, <ou> and <ow>. This glide
poses little difficulty to students, but its
presentation is necessary to help learners
build the complete sound-spelling system.
If you have been working with the ideas presented in
this section, you may have devised a routine that gives
youngsters an insight of what you are going to focus on
when dealing with Phonics. If you have not, remember
that it is of great help to organise the class around
certain routines that lower the children's anxiety levels
and allow them to be better prepared to tackle the
different tasks that you introduce. Bearing this in mind,
the creation of a Phonics Corner has been suggested,
where you may have pictures, cards, posters and
students' contributions that will work as stepping stones
on the way towards learning to read and write.
4
BRITISH AND
AMERICAN FOLK
Whether you keep a Phonics Corner, or if you use a
special puppet or toy when working with sounds and
spelling, it is advisable that you approach them and
pretend that you have been hurt. Cover a hand and say
/aʊ/, I have been hurt! What went wrong? Tell the
puppet/toy or the kids that a bird was trying to greet you
and it accidentally pecked at your hand. Show children a
toy owl: you may have a stuffed toy or you may do one
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vVfesAK1oo.
with toilet paper and brown cupcake liners as shown
Elicit the name of the bird, owl, and show kids two flash
cards: one with the word owl and another one with the
word old. Some students are probably making their first
attempts at reading, so it is a good idea to guide them
and help them go over the words to get the right one.
Tell students that you found the owl in your house last
night, and again show two flashcards: one with the word
home, and one with the word house. It is very common
for students to misread synonyms because, in their first
attempts at reading, they predict a lot; so, again,
accompany them in this process and help them realise
the differences between the words in the flashcards.
Once you have gone over the two sets of words, point
out that most words spelled <ou> and <ow> are
pronounced /aʊ/ (the exceptions are words seen in the
previous issue, pronounced /әʊ/).
If you follow a routine for storytelling time, you may
carry it out, because now it would be a great moment to
tell the story about the owl in your house:
Last night, I saw an owl. It was a brown
owl that didn't growl, but it surely shouted
about! It was sitting on a bough, and
decided to bounce, until it reached the
window, and it got into my house! It landed
on a mound of blouses on my bed. I tried
not to make a sound: I didn't want to scare
it out!
Out and about, the owl prowled around the
house. It went south. Was it looking for a
fowl, a sow, a cow?! Finally, it went down
on a towel. It rubbed itself dry, and, proud,
with a sock as a crown, flew out of the
house. Now, we call it “The Crowned Owl”.
Owl!
While telling the story, you should make use of realia
and devices to enhance the experience. Use a picture of a
tree, or even better, take a branch to the classroom and
use it to perch the cardboard owl on it. Move the bird
about to show the bouncing movement and set it near a
window. Have a heap of clothes on a corner to show
how the owl landed on the blouses on the bed. Imitate
the flight of the owl around the house, how it rubbed
itself dry on a towel, and put a sock on its head as if it
were a crown.
Now, it is a nice opportunity to let children create their
own crowns made of recycled paper, cardboard and
plastic, and encourage them to give the crown as a
present, and crown a classmate because of something
nice they have done. You may use the following as a
guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b1UJjOtJZk.
Remember to closely supervise the activity, to be able to
give a hand to children who take too long to finish their
crowns, and to make sure that everyone gets crowned.
Once children have listened to the glide repeatedly, and
you have already pointed out frequent spellings for it, it
is time to do some writing activities. Since it is important
to provide a familiar and safe environment on which to
anchor when doing something that offers difficulty, the
activities on pages 6 and 7 have been designed in a
A) Choose /aʊ/.
OWL / OLD HOME /HOUSE
SHOUT / YELL IN / OUT
PHONICS
FOR KIDS
similar way to previous tasks in this section, so that
students know what to expect. In activity A, they have
to choose the correct spelling for each of the words and,
when they have done so, they may cross out the wrong
word, cut along the lines, colour the pictures and glue
them on construction paper in order to create flashcards.
These, in turn, can be used not only to practise the
diphthong in question, but also to compare and contrast
it with sounds presented and practised in previous and
following issues.
Activity B, as usual, shows a maze and kids have to
choose the words pronounced with /aʊ/ to get through
it successfully. Elicit the pronunciation of the words that
are to be discarded, and ask kids to explain why.
Finally, activity D involves completing missing letters in
order to help children become aware of the different
spellings associated with the sounds in question.
Once you have worked with the photocopiable activities,
it is a good idea to make the cardboard owl with the kids
in class, as shown in the link above. In that way,
children will have their own pets and will be able to
retell the story, first in class, and then at home with the
aid of their handmade bird.
I hope kids agree these activities are a hoot!
Agustina Negretti
BRANCH /BOUGH
CROWN / KING
5
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Young Learners

Out of the House, Owl!

B) Choose.

NOW CROWN

BROWN
OWL COW

DOG
SHOUT
DOWN

OUT

HOUSE

HAND

PIG

NORTH
UP

HOME

6 PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Young Learners

Out of the House, Owl!

C) Colour.

D) Complete. Use OW or OU.

M _ _ NTAIN
_ _L

S _ _ ND

H_ _SE
B_ _GH

F__L

C__

PHOTOCOPIABLE 7
 WORKING WITH
Level: A1/A2 SHORT FILMS Age: Young Learners/Teenagers

The Adventures of A Cardboard Box

A) Look at this image and guess what the short film is about.

B) Complete the plot summary to find out information about the short film.

MINUTES - BOY - SHOT - ADVENTURE - DISCOVERS

The Power of Imagination
Storyline: This film is about a 1) _______________
who finds a box and has lots of fun with it.
He 2) _______________ a myriad of uses for this simple object.
Genres: 3) ______________ / short
Country: Norway
Release Year: 2011
Runtime: 8 4) _______________
Director: Temujin Doran
Peculiarity: It was 5) _______________ on a Nokia N8.

C) Watch the short film at: https://vimeo.com/25239728 or https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2011/07/13/adventures-of-

a-cardboard-box/.

D) Decide if the statements are TRUE or FALSE. Rewrite the false ones.
1) The child is playing when he finds a box.
2) He invents at least 100 different ways to use the box.
3) The box becomes an airport.
4) It is also a cow.
5) With his sister, they rob a bank and use the box-car to escape.
6) It is a pirate’s ship.
7) It becomes a skateboard.

E) Put the sequence of events in order.

1) It is a table to play cards on, a coffin, a race car and a trap.
2) He collects some items in his bedroom and starts inventing games.
3) The object becomes a bull.
4) He stretches and warms up before playing.
5) The box serves as a room when the boy becomes a superhero.
6) The child finds a box and starts playing with it.
7) The box is crashed by a car and the boy is very sad.
8) He uses the box as different means of transport.
9) It becomes an operating table, a jail and even a boxing opponent!
10) It is also used as an instrument.

Download another photocopiable activity and the key from www.ediba.com

8 PHOTOCOPIABLE

THE COLOURS WITCH
Once upon a time, there was a place where
everything was grey and black: the sky, the sun, the
grass, the houses and the people as well. Everyone was
very sad. Until one day, a witch named Colorina comes
by. She shouts: “Oh, how sad! Where are the colours?”
And everyone answers: “This place is grey and black… It’s
very boring”.
But, Colorina has a box full of colour balls. And they
are magical! There are blue balls, green balls and yellow
balls.
The sky speaks first: “Witch, witch, give me a colour,
please.” And Colorina picks up some blue and indigo balls
and shouts: “Hocus-pocus!” Puff! “Blue for you!” And the
sky is happy because it is blue.
Then, the sun speaks: “Witch, witch, give me a
colour, please.” And Colorina picks up some yellow balls
and shouts: “Hocus-pocus!” Puff! “Yellow for you!” And
the sun is happy because it is yellow.
Finally, the grass tells the witch: “Witch, witch, give
me a colour, please.” And Colorina picks up some green
balls and shouts: “Hocus-pocus!” Puff! “Green for you!”
And the grass is happy because it is green.
The people, clothes and houses get stained with
different colours, but the rest is grey. Colorina picks up
some balls with different colours: red, brown, pink,
purple, white, orange and shouts “Hocus-pocus!” Puff!
“Many colours for you!” and now all the place is full of
bright colours.
10
The
L
earners love tales and such funny and
curious things as witches and magic spells!
This lesson plan is designed to work with
the story The Colours Witch. It is a very
appealing tale which challenges the
stereotype of the witch as a spiteful
creature.
General Aims
• To make learners feel engaged while listening to a
story and participating actively in the process of
storytelling.
• To have fun while learning about colours, magic spells
and witches.
• To start breaking a well-famous stereotype in order to
educate broad-minded individuals.
Linguistic Contents
• Colours (blue, green and yellow).
• Words from the story: sky, sun, grass and witch.
• Vocabulary to describe feelings (happy and sad).
Imagine telling this story dressed as a witch! Gather a
witch’s hat, a wood stick to use as a wand, and/or a
cloak. Before telling the story, let students become
familiar with the objects you have brought. Take
advantage of kids’ interest and teach this new
vocabulary.
Show learners a picture of the witch from poster 2. Tell
them that her name is Colorina and has a box full of
colours. Ask them what colours might be there.
Colours Witch
Introduce the words happy and sad by miming. Tell kids
to show happy faces, and then sad faces. Play a game in
which you say happy or sad and kids mime the word.
Tell the story by showing the pictures on poster 2 and let
students describe them and predict what happens next.
Show students the picture of the place at the beginning
of the story. Ask students if they like it, and how it
makes them feel (happy or sad). Ask students what they
think that place needs, and elicit colours! Then, ask
students who fills the country with colours, and elicit
Colorina, the witch.
Revise colours (blue, yellow and green) and the words
sky, sun and grass. Elicit the colour Colorina gives the
sky, the colour she gives the sun, and the colour she
gives the grass. Make students recite the magic words
hocus-pocus several times while moving their hands!
Tell the story again, and ask children to order the
Sources and References
https://micolederiogordo.files.wordpress.com/2009/
10/cuento_labrujitadeloscolores_.pdf
pictures on page 12. Go around the class asking learners
to point to the sky, sun and grass and eliciting their
colour.
Students do activity B from page 13, in which they
colour the picture. They may add more characters or
items, if they want.
Let’s make magic! Put some blue paint and some yellow
paint on a plate. Students say the magic words while you
mix both colours. Do the same with other colours. Ask
kids to draw a witch using their fingers and the mixed
colours.
On pages 14 and 15, there are more activities to work
with colours.
Have fun with the Colours Witch.
Carla Mattioli.
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Young Learners

The Colours Witch

A) Order.

12 PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Young Learners

The Colours Witch

B) Colour.

PHOTOCOPIABLE 13
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Young Learners

Colours
A) Read and Colour.

RED YELLOW BLUE

GREEN PURPLE ORANGE

BROWN PINK

BLACK WHITE GREY

14 PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Young Learners

Colours
B) Colour.

PHOTOCOPIABLE 15
 I
Phan-tastic Magic Tricks
t is Halloween
time and Trick 3:
children adore
wearing from
The levitating
the most card
traditional Materials:
witches, vampires,
• A playing card
skeletons and
• Transparent
werewolves costumes
adhesive tape
to the most adventurous
• A piece of
ones. Children enjoy this celebration, especially when
transparent plastic
they come up with outdoor pop-up decorations and
props, Halloween tableware as well as strobe lights or Performing the
fog machines among others. Besides, little ones love trick:
going trick-or-treating all around their neighbourhood. Cut a piece of thin
But as exciting as it can be, everyone will be delighted to transparent plastic
do magic tricks and impress their friends only by (one-inch by four-
resorting to easy motor skills. inches) and place it
Inspire your students with these simple instructions to across the back of the playing card with some tape on it.
engage them with Halloween traditions and encourage Then, grab the card face–up with your thumb and
them to show their magical powers in their costumes. fingers across the card and push it upwards. The
audience will notice the levitation effect immediately!

Trick 1: Vanishing water Trick 4: The disappearing coin

Materials:
• A transparent cup so children can see the water
• Sodium Polyacrylate
• A bowl to hold and pour water into the cup
Check the experiment before doing the trick to test the
amount of liquid that you can pour into the cup until it
vanishes. Pour one tablespoon of sodium polyacrylate
into the bottom of the cup. Make sure nobody is looking
at you.
Performing the trick:
1. Pour a quarter cup of water into the cup. You will see
a solid gel after pouring the water and the compound.
Use gestures and show excitement when the compound
is reacting.
2. After some seconds of mystery…Voilà! Turn the cup
over and show that the water has vanished.
Trick 2: The magnetic pencil
Materials:
• A wristwatch
• 2 pencils
Performing the trick:
Get your wristwatch and put it on. Then pick up one
pencil and fit the end of it under the watch band on the
palm of your hand. Make sure the pencil is in the correct
direction of your hand so that you can hold the second
pencil in a perpendicular way. Spice up the trick by
waving your hand and get your audience stand in awe.
The magnet effect is working perfectly!
Materials:
• A coin
Performing the trick:
First, place the coin on the table. Then, sweep the coin
towards you on the table with your whole palm as
quickly as you can into your lap, but do not forget to
keep your fingers together as though you are holding the
coin. Then, take your hand up to your mouth and blow
on the coin. Finally, open your hand and show the
audience your hand. It has disappeared!
Trick 5: Diving ketchup
Materials:
• A 1-litre plastic bottle without labels
• A small packet of ketchup
• Water
Performing the trick:
Fill the bottle with water, drop the ketchup packet and
screw on the cap. Make some gestures with both hands
to attract the audience’s attention. Then, squeeze the
bottle and the packet will sink. Once it has gone to the
bottom say… Abracadabra… and stop squeezing and
move your free hand upwards accompanying the
movement of the sachet inside the bottle. Try this
procedure several times and impress everybody.
Enjoy seeing the surprised faces of your kids as you
perform!
María Paula Miner

16
 Level: A1 Age: Young Learners

Halloween and Day of the Dead

A) Match the adjectives to the nouns.

FULL WITCH
PALE CANDY
BIG PUMPKIN
GREEN MONSTER
FUN VAMPIRE
BLACK HOUSE
EVIL MOON
SWEET GHOST
HAUNTED CAT
SCARY COSTUMES

B) Label the pictures with the words from A.

18 PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Level: A1 Age: Young Learners

Halloween and Day of the Dead

DAY OF THE DEAD
Day of the Dead occurs at the end of October/beginning of November. Students can learn about a holiday
celebrated by millions of people in Mexico, in other countries of Latin America, in the Philippines, in some
countries in Europe, and even in the United States: the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. UNESCO
recognised it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. It usually begins on 31st October, including the
Catholic holiday of “All Saints’ Day” on 1st November and “All Souls’ Day” on 2nd November. Though most of the
people who celebrate the dates are Catholic, “Día de los Muertos” is not directly affiliated with any religion. It
started in the 16th century.

C) Colour and display.

D) Find, in every direction, 10 words related to this celebration.

D R A Y E V A R G N
S D C B L D T S M O
N R X A O L T I N T
G A O O N I U E L E
Z T F T R D Z K G L
U L M I S C L E S E
I A P A H E G E H K
P S F W S E C K S S
F L O W E R S N P R
E M U T S O C B A P

D) spirits, skull, flowers, graveyard, ancestors, candles, skeleton, food, costume, altar.
Key: A) Full moon, big pumpkins, green monster, fun costumes, black cat, evil witch, sweet candy, haunted house, pale vampire, scary ghost;

PHOTOCOPIABLE 19
 Chiri o, Super Bat

T
The
here is a According to the level of your
new hero in class, you may try some of the
town, Superbat. following activities.
Through this story, • Separate the text from the
daily pictures. Mix them up and
routines place the pictures on the left
and the time can be side of the board and the
taught in an amusing text on the right side.
way. Divide the class into groups
Present the picture of and ask each one to order
Superbat in his outfit, the pictures and the text.
and let children guess • Stick the pictures in the right
who he is and what job he order on the board, but leave
might do. Accept answers in one out. Let students describe
L1. Tell kids that his name is Chirio the missing picture.
and he is Superbat, a superhero. Ask
learners what superheroes they • Choose one of the
know. pictures and stick it on the
board. In pairs, students
Present the first picture and state make questions about it.
that Chirio is waking up. Bats sleep For example: What does
upside down. If children know how to Chirio do at 7 pm? Pairs give
tell the time, ask them what time it is. their questions to another
If they do not, tell them that it is the group to answer.
evening.
For older students, there are
Go through the story asking children comprehension activities on a
to describe the pictures and to predict downloadable page.
what happens next. Then, tell the
story. On page 21, activity A, kids You may also want to present
order the pictures and colour them. information about bats. For
example, in Europe and
Place the pictures on the board, and ask if America, bats are
children do any of those actions. Ask them considered evil creatures, but
What time do you wake up/go to bed? Do you for the Chinese, for example,
read a book before going to sleep? Do you have they bring good luck.
breakfast? etc. Once the routines are presented, ask if
they eat the same food as Chirio. Do you eat flowers for Brainstorm what
breakfast? And fruit? What about lunch, do you eat children know about bats. Ask kids to find and bring
insects for lunch? Do you drink blood? information about bats to class. Compare that
information with Chirio’s day.
Tell children to draw their own routine, and to tell their
classmates about it.
Other activities about bats can be found at the
Way at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XLQpRI_w OQ.
To revise routines, you may teach the song This is the
following websites:
https://en.islcollective.com/resources/search_result?Tags=
bats&searchworksheet=GO&type=Printables
Revise the actions Chirio performs. Then, tell children to

http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/bats_halloween.php
do activity B, matching the pictures and the sentences.
Read the sentences as a whole class if kids are just
learning to read in English. http://www.teacherplanet.com/content/bats
With older students introduce the time. On a
Information about bats can be found at:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/bat.html
downloadable page, there are some clocks to practise
telling the time. In Activity D, kids complete the chart
with the time Chirio and themselves do the actions http://www.scienceforkidsclub.com/bat-facts.html
presented.
Ask children to draw a picture of Chirio doing another
Have fun with the story.
activity (for example, playing video games) and tell their Download another
classmates the action he performs. photocopiable activity
from www.ediba.com

20
 Level: A1 Age: Very Young Learners/Teenagers

Chirio, The Super Bat

A) Order.

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PHOTOCOPIABLE 21
 Oktoberfest UK
(October 5th - 7th)
What is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest is famous for being one of the biggest beer
and folk festivals around the world. It is connected to
the authentic German beer and the typical Bavarian food
associated with it. This festival attracts over six million
visitors a year, and it is becoming more and more
popular in many cities across the globe. Of course the
UK is no exception.
Background
Oktoberfest festival started long ago, more precisely in
1810. It was held in order to celebrate the marriage of
Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-
Hildburghausen. These celebrations were so fabulous
that the Royals wanted to repeat them every year since
then.
22
BRITISH AND
AMERICAN FOLK
What happens on this day?
Organisers generally set up giant tents, or “Bierhalles” as
they are known, with long tables inside for thousands of
people. This gives visitors the feeling that they are inside
a giant authentic Oktoberfest tent but just in the middle
of London. Visitors enjoy Bavarian breweries, traditional
cuisine and numerous attractions such as games and
funfairs. They generally listen to Oompa and modern
pop music.
Teaching sequence for
Teenagers/Adults
Age: Any
Level: A1+/A2
Objectives:
• To learn about Oktoberfest, its origin and the traditions
associated with it.
• Engage students in creative language use by
encouraging them to design a brochure.
• To foster intercultural awareness, creativity and
cooperative skills.
Tasks
• Write on the board the phrase “Oktoberfest”.
Encourage students to work in groups, look up
information about this festival and complete an acrostic
poem using the letters O-K-T-O-B-E-R-F-E-S-T.
• Discuss possible options for the acrostic poems on the
board. The aim of this task is to encourage students to
take part in the discussion and share the information
they have found out about Oktoberfest.
• Tell students to look for information on the Internet
and design a brochure sponsoring Oktoberfest. They
should be creative and design activities and events
different from the ones that are sponsored on the
Internet.
• As a follow-up, invite students to look for typical
dishes associated with Oktoberfest. Encourage them to
look for different recipes and then explain to the rest of
the class how to prepare them. If students are fond of
cooking, they may prepare those meals at home and
share them with the rest of the class.
Yesica Galliano
Sources and References
http://www.london-oktoberfest.co.uk/
https://www.oktoberfestofficial.com/
http://www.oktoberfestuk.com/oktoberfest
 Level: A2/A2+ Age: Young Learners/Teenagers

Comparing Films
A) Watch the film: COCO (2017).

FAVOURITE SCENES:
Fill in the chart below with information about three favourite scenes in “Coco” and then report the information to
your classmates.

COCO SCENE 1 SCENE 2 SCENE 3

SETTING
(where the scene
takes place)

CHARACTERS
(names of the people,
animals, elements
involved in the scene)

ACTION
(the main things
that happen in the
scene)

B) Watch the film: THE BOOK OF LIFE (2014).

Complete the following timeline with a sequence of events. Write one sentence that
summarises each main event that happens in the film. Then, share your answers with the
rest of your classmates and come to an agreement to make a final chart that reflects the
plot best.

EVENT 1:

EVENT 2:

EVENT 3:

EVENT 4:

EVENT 5:

EVENT 6:

EVENT 7:

EVENT 8:

24 PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Level: A2/A2+ Age: Young Learners/Teenagers

C) Comparing films:

Compare the films and complete the chart.

COCO (2017) THE BOOK OF LIFE (2014)

SETTING:
Where and when
does the story take
place?

CHARACTERS:
What are the names
of the protagonists?

MAIN PROBLEMS:
What is the most
important event?

COMPLICATIONS:
Mention at least two
difficulties to the
main problem.

RESOLUTION:
How does the story
end?

GENRE:
What type of film is
it? Action, drama,
comedy, etc.?

THEME:
What is the main
topic developed in
the film?

PHOTOCOPIABLE 25
 Level: B1/B2 Age: Teenagers/Adults

A Film Review
Have you ever heard about one of the greatest American authors of horror, fantasy,
sci-fi and suspense in the world today? Stephen Edwin King was born on 21st
September 1947 in Portland, Maine. He became a best-selling horror novelist and
short story writer in the late 20th century; his books captivated remarkably the
audiences’ feelings. He has sold more than 350 million copies and many of his books
have been adapted into films, television series and comic books.
Does “Carrie” ring a bell to you? It was the first novel Stephen wrote in 1974. It was
followed by Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (1977), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981)
and It (1986).

IT, A BLOODY HALLOWEEN FILM

A) Look at the picture and answer these questions.
1) What genre is it?
2) Is it for all ages?
3) What role does the clown play in the film?
4) Would you like to dress up for a party in such a costume?

B) Have you watched the film? If so, choose one of the following character descriptions. Discuss with the class.
1) It is a monstrous clown who terrorises children by stalking them.
2) It is an ordinary clown who only taunts children in the town.
3) It is an evil clown whose modus operandi is to murder middle-schoolers in their dreams.

C) Writing a film review.

All reviews follow a basic structure. The example below gives you clear instructions of how a film review should be
developed.
GUIDELINE
Headline: Include the title of the film.
Paragraph 1: Introduce the film by stating that you have just seen this film and give an opinion about it. Mention a
couple of details that might help the reader understand what type of film you are talking about.
Paragraph 2: Summarise the plot.
Paragraph 3: Talk about what you liked and/or did not like about the film. Make sure you include specific details.
Paragraph 4: Who would you recommend it to? Is it good or bad? You may give the film a score.

Now, read the review of this motion picture adaptation of It and number the paragraphs to order it.
a) I highly recommend it to those who enjoy watching horror films on Halloween. I give it a thumbs up!
b) It, more than gruesome make-up.
c) When children start to disappear in the little town of Derry, Maine, a group of
seven schoolers discover that the killer isn’t a man but a malevolent entity called
Pennywise who preys on children. The entity is unnoticed by adults, and returns
every 27 years. However, the Losers Club find the courage to fight and kill it.
d) It is one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen, directed by Andres Muschietti,
the big screen version of the Stephen King book, It. Released on 8th September
2017, it stars Bill Skarsgård (Pennywise, the clown), Finn Wolfhard (Richie Tozier)
and Wyatt Oleff (Stan Uris).
e) I like it very much. The casting choice is superb. Another plus of the film is the
combination of visual effects, which make Pennywise look like a 3D- creature. The
blockbuster is now the most terrifying horror films of all time.

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26 PHOTOCOPIABLE
S
Socrative
ICT FOR THE
ENGLISH CLASS

ocrative is an assessment app which allows
teachers to visualise student understanding.
Teachers can create quizzes and get instant
feedback, as they can view students' results
in real time. Quizzes can be true/false,
multiple choice, graded short answer or
open-ended questions.
Students can take these quizzes on laptops, tablets or
smartphones. Socrative is accessible on any web browser
or operating system. An important feature is that quizzes
can be shared with other teachers. Also, you can design
your own library of quizzes specifically for your
students.
Students type in the code associated with your account
and then answer questions and can get feedback and
explanations about their responses.
You can encourage friendly competition among students
and turn any gradable assessment into a crowd-pleasing
activity with Space Race. In this game, individuals or
groups race across the screen with correct answers.
There is a free version and a Pro version with extra
features such as up to 10 public or private rooms, 150-
student capacity per room and more.

To get started, simply register for a Socrative account.

Launch activities in easy-to-create virtual rooms. You can
share a code with your students to join your room or

www.socrative.com on any device.

they can do it by opening their apps or even entering

We hope you can use this great tool to evaluate your

students' progress.

Fernanda Valle

27
 Level: B1 Age: Teenagers/Adults

Urban Legends
Halloween is an ideal time of the year to gather with friends, classmates, neighbours, workmates or even
your family. The main objective of a reunion might be trick-or-treating, attending dressed up in
costumes, playing games, perhaps even going picnic at night. In many cases, one activity which is
connected with teenagers is telling scary urban legends.

A) Discuss with your classmates about what you think urban legends are. What is the difference between urban
legends and legends in general? Are they true? Do they change over the course of time? Do you know any urban
legends that are typical in your region or country? Share them with the rest of the class.

B) Next, there are eight urban legends usually told during the time of Halloween, as an occasion for creating a
spooky atmosphere. None of them are true, but some are loosely based on actual facts. Once you have read them,
decide which of the following titles belong to each story. Pay attention, there is an extra title that does not
belong to any of them.
AN UNPREDICTABLE MASSACRE – TASTELESS, ODOURLESS AND TRANSPARENT?
AN UNEXPECTED OUTCOME - A WITCH’S NIGHTMARE – BAD LUCK FOR BAD LUCK KITTENS
BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU INVITE HER – TRICK OR DEATH – HOOKED FOR LIFE?
SOUNDS FROM THE HEREAFTER.
1) A girl is invited to a Halloween party, and she has the idea of dressing up as a witch. She goes to her grandma’s attic
to look for some garments to complete her costume. There, she finds an old hat and a wig that fit perfectly. Once at
the party, she feels her head is really itchy. From below the wig, hundreds of tiny spiders start to spread on her body
and on the floor, moving extremely fast.
2) The Halloween tradition assures that if you stand in front of a mirror in a poorly lit room and you say “Bloody Mary”
three times, nothing nice is going to happen to you. Some versions claim that the
woman that appears on the reflection of the mirror possesses you. According to
others, Bloody Mary drags you through the mirror, taking you to her own world of
the dead.
3) A couple of young lovers drive and park their car in a dark and empty road, under
a leafy tree. They turn down the volume of the radio and start kissing. Suddenly,
they hear on the radio about the murder of a woman who lived nearby, apparently
killed by a madman with a hook in his hand. Some minutes later, they hear a
screeching sound on the side of the car and see the shadow of a man with a hook.
4) In 1962, in some place of rural Idaho in the United States, a group of people
gathered for a Halloween costume party. An unidentified madman in a black mask
locked all the doors of the house and started killing the guests. He killed seven
people and escaped, never to be found. Some years later, his black mask was found
by the FBI. The other remaining object is a photograph of the party, where he can
be seen in the middle of a group of people, wearing his creepy black mask.

28 PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Level: B1 Age: Teenagers/Adults

Urban Legends
5) During the days that precede Halloween, large numbers of black cats mysteriously disappear from houses and
animal shelters. Apparently, on All Hallows’ Eve, groups of Satanists perform sacrifices with living black cats, whose
corpses are used as offerings to the devil. Curiously, the dead bodies are never found.
6) A man dies during the day of Halloween and is buried in the cemetery. That same night, groups of kids gather there
to tell horror stories. They hear screams and noises that come from below the ground, they panic and immediately
flee. The next day, some neighbours hear rumours from the kids and decide to dig up the coffin. They realise that the
man had been buried alive. The coffin is full of scratches from the inside, and next to the dead body they find many
locks of hair.
7) A group of children dress in horror costumes and go round the block trick-or-treating. They ring dozens of bells and
receive candies, lollipops, chocolates and many other sweet delicacies. One of them, a little boy, starts feeling
extremely sick some hours later. Finally, he faints and dies. The autopsy shows that one of the candies he had eaten
had a high dose of lethal poison.
8) A number of hotel guests gather in the lobby to complain about the water that comes out of the taps. Apparently,
many have noticed it has a dark colour and tastes funny. An employee of the hotel is sent to the roof to check if
something is wrong with the pipes or the tank. Surprisingly, he finds a
decomposing body inside the tank, which contaminated the water the
guests had been drinking.
C) Read again and decide in which of the stories:
1) … there are murders?
2) … some of the characters dress in costumes?
3) … a spirit appears?
4) … there are animals involved?
5) … some type of scary ritual takes place?
6) … one of the characters is a fantastic creature?
7) … some of the characters are involved in typical Halloween activities?
8) … a precise date and location are mentioned?

D) Investigate an urban legend or folktale from your region or country. Tell your classmates about it. Compare the
stories, finding similarities and differences.

5) 2 and 5; 6) 2; 7) 1, 4, 6 and 7; 8) 4.
luck kittens, 6) Sounds from the hereafter, 7) Trick-or-death, 8) Tasteless, odourless and transparent? C) 1) 4, 5 and 7; 2) 1, 4 and 7; 3) 2; 4) 1 and 5;
Key: B) 1) A witch’s nightmare, 2) Bear the consequences if you invite her, 3) Hooked for life? 4) An unpredictable massacre, 5) Bad luck for bad

PHOTOCOPIABLE 29
 Level: B1 Age: Teenagers/Adults

An Atypical Halloween Celebration for the Kids

A) Read Traci’s last Halloween experience. Some linking words have been removed from the text. Decide which
words fit best in Traci’s story.

IN PARTICULAR – FOR EXAMPLE – THEREFORE – IN GENERAL – TOO – UNLIKE – UNLESS – IN THE

SAME WAY – SUCH AS – AS A RESULT OF – INDEED – MEANWHILE – AS WELL AS – ON THE OTHER
HAND – LIKE – EXCEPT – FIRST OF ALL – IN OTHER WORDS
Last night, the celebration of Halloween in Traci’s neighbourhood was a bit particular. ………………….. (1), all the
children used to remain in small groups scattered in different streets. This time, ………………….. (2) past years, Mr.
Chester organised a great reunion at his house. ………………….. (3), the main condition was that everyone had to
wear a spooky costume. You could see frightening characters ………………….. (4) witches, zombies, Draculas,
werewolves, hunchbacks. The children ………………….. (5) the adults were dressed for the occasion. Traci was
………….. (6) excited and she had prepared both her costume and her parents’. The first activity was for the children
to start trick-or-treating along the avenue. ………………….. (7), the adults started a huge bonfire in Mr. Chester’s
back garden. The kids returned with their pockets full of candies, ………………….. (8) for Traci who got distracted
playing with a stray dog and returned with only a lollipop. ………………….. (9) the cold weather, everyone gathered
around the bonfire. Mr. Chester suddenly changed his voice, started telling a horrifying story and………………(10),
the youngest covered their eyes. …………………. (11), the teenagers thought the story was lame and went into the
living room to play with the Ouija board. Traci, ………………….. (12), was confused because she felt a bit scared but
also saw the adults laughing at the story. ………………….. (13), she felt ………………….. (14) a fish out of water.
That is why she decided to take the scared youngest children with her to the front yard. Since they were not having a
good time, she told them that …………… (15)
everyone took off their creepy costumes, they
could not join her. She herself took off her own
………………….. (16). Traci organised many fun
games during the rest of the night. ……………
(17), they ran sack races, egg and spoon races,
and played tag; none of them related to
Halloween. She felt she had helped the rest of
the kids. ………………….. (18), the kids
thanked her by giving her some of the candies
they had received earlier that evening.

Adding Sequencing Illustrating Comparing Qualifying Contrasting Cause and Summary Emphasising
Effect

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30 PHOTOCOPIABLE
Halloween
poem
LLO H ALLOW EEN!
HE
A CANDY
A PUMPKIN
A WITCH
AT?
TRICK OR TRE

WELCOME HALLOWEEN!
A WAND
A SKELETON
A MASK
TRICK OR TREAT?

GOODBYE HALLOWEEN!
A CANDY
A PUMPKIN
A WITCH
TRICK OR TREAT?
Marcela Caimani Ferrer