Bye, and see you soon, but stay tuned!

Hey everyone,
This message is to tell you that today is my last day before my maternity leave. I will come back after the winter break at the end of February.
However, it doesn't mean that I won't update my blog, so stay tuned and come back for some fun activities while I'm away.
I already have a little something planned for Hallowe'en and Guy Fawke's Night, and there's lots more to come.
Enjoy, and be nice to the substitute teacher!
Enjoy your holiday,
Miss Balbin

Max meets Bruce - part 2

- Hello, I'm Max.
What's your name?
- I'm Bruce / My name is Bruce.
I'm 12. How old are you?
- I'm 11.
I'm from Dublin, I'm Irish. Where are you from?
- I'm from Boston, I'm American.
Nice to meet you, bye!
- Bye!

Max meets Bruce.

Max is from Dublin, he's Irish, he's 11 (years old).
Bruce is from Boston, he's American, he's 12 (years old).
The dog is Crookie, it's Max's dog. He's naughty.

Read a letter

This document is a letter from Percy to me on 17th September.

This letter is about Percy and his family. Percy is English and British. He is from Liverpool and he lives in London. He is 12.

He has got one sister. Her name is Gloria, she is 10. He has got one cat : Lucy, she is 7 and she is black and white.

Percy’s school is Paddington School, he likes it.

Max meets Bruce part 2

- Hi / Hello! I'm Bruce / My name is Bruce. What's your name?
- Hi Bruce, I'm Max / My name is Max. I'm 11. How old are you?
- I'm 12. I'm from Boston, I'm American. Where are you from?
- I'm Irish, from Dublin.

The letter - part 1

This document is a letter from Percy to a friend on 17th September.

Max meets Bruce

Max is from Dublin so he's Irish. He's 11.
Bruce is from Boston, so he's American. He's 12.
The dog is Crookie, it's Max's dog. It's a naughty dog.

Meet a friend.

Today it's very windy and cloudy.

Max is Irish, he's from Dublin. He's 11 (years old).
Bruce is from Boston, he's American. He's 12 (years old).
The dog is Crookie, it's Max's dog. It's a naughty dog.

- Hi, I'm Jerry. What's your name?
- Hello, my name is Lucy. I'm from Narbonne, I'm French. Where are you from?
- I'm from Nevian, I'm French. I'm 11. How old are you?
- I'm 12.

The Challenge / The Guessing Game

This page is an article from the Sandwich Technology School magazine. It is about the new pupils and new teachers, and it is a guessing game.
N° 7 is Miss Liz Mornay, the new English teacher. She's got long curly red hair and a small nose. She's got glasses.On the photo she's on the right, next to Benny Montgomery.
Mr Andrew Spencer is n°9. He's between Gary Port and Sarah Moon. He's the new IT teacher.

Nationality

Today it's windy and sunny.

I'm Steve, I'm 11, I'm French, I'm from Narbonne.

First day at school - part 2

Oliver is 14, he's in year 9C. Shanti is 13 1/2 (and a half) and she's in year 9C too / also. Alwena is 13, she's in year 8B so she's younger.
Oliver is bossy, and Shanti isn't serious. She's laughing at Oliver, and he doesn't like it.
This afternoon at 3 P.M., Shanti takes a photo of new pupils.

Classroom Rules

Sur une feuille de papier A4, écris en grandes lettres un des ordres vus en classe, soit un ordre positif (Look at the board!) soit un ordre négatif (Don't write on your desks!). Illustre-le comme tu le souhaites.
Ce travail est à rendre avec la fiche d'évaluation du projet distribuée en classe. 

Help: Tu trouveras les ordres dans ton workbook et dans ton livre (book 1 lesson 2)

Project files: Evaluation

In the classroom

Today it's very sunny and very hot.

The teacher is very angry because the pupils are very rude.

First day at school - part 1

Saturday morning, the French Rugby team played against New Zealand. The All Blacks won 37 to 17.

They are at Sandwich Technology School on the first day of school. Oliver Preston is the reporter and Shanti Patel is the photographer. They work for the school magazine. They interview Alwena Jarett because she is a new pupil.

Do you have anything to say?

Is there something you want to tell me, in English of course?
Why not leave me a note on my WallWisher? That's what it's for!
Click on the picture below:

In the classroom.

Nobody is absent today.
Everybody is here.
Today it's a little sunny.
The teacher is angry because the pupils are very rude.

In the classroom

Nobody is absent today.
Everybody is here.
Today it's a little sunny.
The teacher is angry because the pupils are rude.

Chain-speaking

- What's your name?
- My name is Jenny / I'm Jenny.
- Spell it, please!
- JENNY
- My name is Lucy and this is Jenny.

Classroom orders

Sophie is absent today.
Today it's very cloudy, very windy and a little cold.
Simon says...
Read the text!
     BV
Put your chewing-gum in the bin!
   BV
Come up to the board!
      BV
Raise / Put up your hand!
  BV          BV

Classroom orders

First, listen to the orders:


Now do some activities:
A memory exercise here
A matching exercise here, quite difficult
For the champions, another exercise here

Have fun!

Chain-speaking

Today, it's very cloudy.

What's your name?
My name is Sophia.
Can you spell it please?
SOPHIA
My name is Helen and this is Sophia.

Introduction

Today it's very sunny, very hot and a little cloudy.

What's your name?
My name is Miss Balbin. / I'm Miss Balbin.
This is Jerry.

What's your name?

What's your name?
My name is Miss Balbin./ I'm Miss Balbin.

Spot the lie!

Brian / He hasn't got a big sister, he's got one brother.
He hasn't got a fish because he hasn't got a pet.
Kate / She has got a rabbit, not a rat!
Diana isn't 20, she's 12.
Sean hasn't got 13 dogs, he's got 3.

Introduction

My name is Sophia.
I'm 13 (years old)
I live in Bizanet.
I come from / I'm from Narbonne.
I'm French.
I've got a sister but no brothers. / I haven't got any brothers or sisters. = I'm an only child.
I've got two dogs and no cat. / I haven't got a pet.

Hello!

- Good morning!
- Hi/ Hello!
- How are you?
- I'm OK / very well, thank you. What about you?
- I'm dead.

Good morning!

- Hello!
- Hi!
- How are you?
- I'm fine / OK, thank you. What about you?
- I'm dead.

Hello!

Good morning!













Good afternoon!

Welcome back to school!

Hi everyone, and welcome back!
This is my first year at Collège Geroges Brassens in Narbonne, and I hope we can all work together, and have fun too.
I wish you an excellent day back to school!
Miss Balbin.

Mini films by the 3ème Arezzo

Mini films by the 3ème Chopin

Mini films on Dvolver

To create your mini film, go to the Dvolver website.

RULES:
- no swear words
- no romance plots! (too easy)
- when you are finished, send it by email to: missbalbin@orange.fr (copy and paste this address as the @ sign doesn't work)
- Otherwise, fell free to let go your imagination!

You can watch this mini film for an example.

Lemon Tree by Fool's Garden

You can listen to the song and sing along here.
You can also listen to other songs of the album.
Enjoy!

What is there in your street?

Send your teacher an email to tell her where you live and give details about your street.
The best ones will be printed and shared with every one in room B202 (Miss Balbin's classroom)!
You can send your email to: missbalbin@orange.fr

Project file:
Evaluation

A movie festival

3èmes Arezzo and Chopin will organize movie festivals.

Come see their leaflets and posters from April 29th in room B202 (Miss Balbin's classroom)!

Project files:
Description
Evaluation

The props / The prop box

Everybody chooses a prop.

Sharon chooses a mask.

Julie chooses glasses.

Rob chooses an umbrella.

James chooses a metronome.

Sophie chooses tap-shoes.





They improvise a scene with their props.

Pairwork

In my street and in Sandy's street there isn't a church.
In my street there is a grocer's but in Kelly's street there isn't.
In my street and in Audrey's street there is a school.
In my street there isn't a baker's but in Sandy's street there is.

Mike the stuntman

Mike is a stunt coordinator: he organizes the scenes, hires the stunt people and prepares the props. He has worked on a lot of movies so he has a lot of experience. He prefers Bond films because he can try the cars. He likes his job because he has fun doing the stunts.
It's a dangerous job because he risks his life and he can die or hurt himself. He has to keep fit and healthy: he has to prepare the scene, he has to excercise and have a balanced diet. He earns a lot of money because he risks his life.

A dangerous job

Mike is a stunt coordinator: he organizes the scenes, he hires the stunt people and he prepares the props. He stands in for actors for the dangerous actions. He has worked on a lot of films like James Bond, Superman and Indiana Jones. His favourite films are James Bond because he can try the cars. He loves hos job because he likes doing action scenes and he has a lot of money.
It's a dangerous job because he can be hurt or die. He needs to keep fit, to have a good physical condition. He earns a lot of money because he takes risks.

A new house.

Mr Mason wants a new house in a quiet street near a lot of shops.
There's a house opposite a supermarket in High Street but it's too expensive.
There's a house between a school and a baker's in Old Lane but it's too noisy.
There's a house in Park Avenue near a restaurant and a supermarket. It's very cheap because it's haunted, there's a ghost!
Mr Mason is not afraid of ghosts and he wants to visit the house.

Joe's family's jobs

Joe's family all work in the cinema industry. His uncle Brandt is a costume designer and his uncle Steve is a hairdresser.
His mother is a make-up artist. She must / has to stay on the set to add touches / touch up the make up, and she makes up a lot of different faces. She has worked with Julia Roberts and Sharon Stone.
His dad is a propsmaster. A propsmaster has to find the props / accessories, place them on the set, he has to store them and transport them in a truck (US) / a lorry (UK).

Adresses

I live at n° 19 in Musselburgh Street, in Champigny.

Where do you live?

David lives at n° 6 in Charles Gides Street, in Champigny.
Julie lives at n° 133 in Musselburgh Street, in Champigny.

The candidates

There are two candidates for the job of chef.
Max Peel likes cooking and painting. He is serious, creative and modest. Mr Mason likes him.
Alice Pike likes dogs and roses. She is tall, happy and a very good singer. Mr Mason likes her.
Mr Mason likes them both. He wants to see them both.

Where do they live? - 2

Sharon lives near Sydney, in Australia.
Mark lives near the club, in Fulham, in London.
Sharon wants to know Mark's address.
Maybe she loves him.

Where do they live? - 1

The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace.
David Cameron, the Prime Minister, lives at 10, Downing Street.
Rob lives at 10, Dawning Street.
Sophie lives at 19, Mimosa Street, in Fulham.

Listen to the lesson:

About Mr Mason.

Mr Mason is Julie's father.
He is American.
He is from Washington DC.
He is the manager of Amsteak restaurant.
He wants two chefs to work in the restaurant.

Listen to the lesson:

Looks in Kevin's family

Kevin looks like his mother.
He has got the same eyes and the same nose.
But he is taller than her and sportier / more athletic.
Kevin looks like his grandfather because he's got the same hair and the same freckles.
Kevin's brothers are very different.
Terry looks like his Dad because he's got the same hair, the same dimples and the same smile.
Tim looks like his Mum and Kevin.

Listen to the lesson:

Ages in the class.

Jerry's father is 54, he's the oldest in the class.
David and Kelly's mothers are the youngest, they are 29.

Listen to the lesson:

Buying outfits at the costume shop

Rob and Sharon are in front of the costume shop.
Sharon likes the wigs because they're funny.
Rob likes the Dracula mask because it's scary.

How much is it?

The masks cost £2, the wigs are £2.50 and the red noses are £1.25.
They're very cheap.
Rob buys the Dracula mask and Sharon buys the red wig.
It's £4.50. The salesperson thinks it's cheap but Rob says it's expensive.
cheap != expensive
costume = outfit
£1 = one pound

Listen to the lesson:

Ben's and Aliette's parents.

Ben shows Aliette a photo of his parents.
Aliette shows Ben a photo of her parents.
Ben and Aliette are 13 (years old).
Ben's stepfather is 36 (years old) and his first name is Frank.
He is a VIP. Ben's real father is dead.
Ben's mother is 32 (years old) and her fisrt name is Mary.
She's young and pretty.
Aliette's mother is 38 (years old) and her father is 49 (years old).
Ben says his grandmother is the same age so he thinks Aliette's father is old.

old != young

Listen to the lesson:

Isaac's journey

Isaac is from Russia.
He was 17 years old when he left Russia and he emigrated to the USA.
He went to Hamburg in Germany by train, then he went to Liverpool in England by cargo boat because it was cheaper than a passenger ship. Then he went to New York by liner.
It was a big liner, there were 927 passengers.
The weather was very bad and there was a storm.
The conditions on board were very bad: they slept on very hard bunk beds, there were no showers or washing facilities, the food was terrible, they ate everyday potatoes and cabbage so everyone was seasick.
He arrived in March 1892 and the trip took / lasted for 2 months.
He cried when he saw the Statue of Liberty because it was a new start and he was free.

Listen to the lesson:

The prop box.

Sophie and her friends are at the Drama Club. They are choosing props /s/ to improvise a scene.

Sharon chooses a Chinese mask.

Sophie chooses tap-shoes /z/.

James wants a metronome.

Julie wants the funny glasses /Iz/.

Rob wants an umbrella.




Listen to the lesson:

An immigrant's journey - prompts

Name: Isaac
Age: 17
Origin: Russia
Destination: USA

- Hamburg - train
- Liverpool: cargo boat, poor
- New York: liner

An immigrant's journey

Bob Berlin's grandfather Isaac was 17 years old when he emigrated to the USA.
He started from Russia, near Kiev and he went to Hamburg by train. He went to Liverpool by cargo boat then he went to New York on a liner.
Isaac's trip took/lasted 2 months. The weather was very bad and there was a storm.
Living conditions were very bad because the beds were very hard, there were no showers or washing facilities, the food was terrible, only potatoes and cabbage, so everybody was seasick.
There were 927 passengers so it was a big liner.
When he arrived Isaac cried tears of joy because he made his dream come true. He was hopeful because he started a new life and because he was free and he was going to have a job. He wanted money because he was poor.
He was also afraid because he left everyone behind and lonely.
afraid = frightened = scared

Listen to the lesson:

Who's your favourite star?

Do you like Rihanna? I like her because she is pretty and she's a good singer.

Do you like Will Smith? I like him because he is handsome and he is a good actor.

 Do you like The Black Eyed Peas? I like them because they're very good singers.

Girls are pretty, boys are handsome.

Listen to the lesson:

Favourite films and actors

They are talking about their favourite films and actors.
Sophie likes loves-stories and thrillers but not science-fiction movies because she thinks they are boring.
Kevin loves science-fiction films but not love-stories. He likes thrillers too.
Kevin's favourite actress is Angelina Jolie because she is very sexy.
Sophie's favourite actress is Audrey Tautou because she is very pretty.
They both love Brad Pitt. Sophie is in love with Brad Pitt.
Kevin is showing off because he's jealous of Brad Pitt and he wants to impress Sophie.
Maybe he loves her.

Listen to the lesson:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Audrey Tautou

How to tell the time?

Revision exercises: http://enjoyenglish.free.fr/english/college/time/index.htm
Exercises and lessons: http://www.anglaisfacile.com/cgi2/myexam/liaison.php?liaison=_heure_ 
More exercises: http://michel.barbot.pagesperso-orange.fr/hotpot/time/time1.htm
An oral exercise: http://www.frenchspanishonline.com/beginnersenglish/ecole/heure/jeuheure.html
Listen to the time: http://www.languageguide.org/anglais/indiquer-l%E2%80%99heure/
An interactive clock: http://www.time-for-time.com/swf/myclox.swf
A game : http://www.anglaisfacile.com/exercises/time/merlock.php
Another game: http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/clock2/clockwordsres.html

Have fun!

Two candidates / applicants

Mr Mason is the manager of Amsteak restaurant.
He is looking for / He wants two chefs to work in the restaurant.
There are two candidates, a man and a woman.

Max Peel is a wonderful / an excellent cook, he likes painting and cooking. He is very modest, serious and creative.
Mr Mason likes him.

Alice Pike likes dogs and roses very much. She sings very well / She is a very good singer. She is tall and happy.
Mr Mason likes her too. He wants to see Max and Alice / them.

Listen to the lesson:


 Max Peel <- him
Alice Pike <- her
Max and Alice <- them

Here is a lesson and an exercise about pronouns.
Here is a video and an exercise.

Have fun!

The Last of England / The immigrants

The Last of England, Ford Madox Brown, 1855

This painting was painted by Ford Madox Brown in 1855. It represents a little family on a boat because they are leaving England to go to Australia. Maybe they flee / escape from hunger or a war, or because they are poor. They are looking to the future and they turn their back on England. They are sad because they leave their country, their family and everything. They are determined and they are happy because they will have a new life. They hope to find a job, a big family, a big house, a lot of money, a better life / beter living conditions.

Listen to the lesson:

Pairwork - Ages in the class.

Kelly's father is 54, he is the oldest in the class.
Tony's mother is 34, she is the youngest in the class.

How old are you? I'm 11 (years old).

Listen to the lesson:

The Last of England

The Last of England, Ford Madox Brown, 1855

This painting was painted by Ford Madox Brown in 1855. It represents an English family. They are going to Australia, they are leaving England because they escape/flee from poverty, religious persecution, bad living conditions.

They feel sad because they leave everything behind but they are happy because they are going to Australia. They are determined because they start a new life and scared/afraid because they don't know what they will find.

They hope for a better life, a new job, and better living conditions.

Listen to the lesson:

Mr Mason's arrival.

Julie and her mother are at London Airport because Mr Mason is arriving from Washington DC at ten past nine.
Julie is very impatient to see her father because she misses him.
She is also very pleased / happy because she loves her father.
Mr Mason is very pleased / happy to see Julie and Mrs Mason because he loves them.

Listen to the lesson:

Talents in the class

Peter's mother can't skate at all.
Tony's grandfather can play chess quite well.
Ronald's mother can swim very well.
Sophie's mother can't do anything except ski.
Jack's father can play football a little.

Listen to the lesson:


Can est un auxiliaire modal. "I can" = "Je peux, je sais"
Il sert à former les questions et les négations. Il est invariable et il est toujours suivi d'une base verbale.

To go further: a lesson about can with an exercise and a video.

Telephone numbers

What's your telephone number?
My number is 01 48 72 33 54 "oh one four eight seven two double three five four"

Listen to the lesson:

Mark's talents

Mark is a swimming champion, he can swim very well.
He's a bad rider, he can't ride at all.
Mark can play football quite well, he's quite a good footballer.
He's a very good cricketer, he can play cricket very well.
Mark is very sporty, he has a full timetable.
He plays sports everyday.
He plays the piano with two fingers because he's learning.

Listen to the lesson:

Improvising at the Drama Club

Sharon, James, Julie and Rob are at the Drama Club and they improvise.
Julie and Rob imagine / pretend they are VIP's so they are elegant.
They exchange telephone numbers.
Mark thinks they are good actors.
Sharon and James imagine / pretend they are very old.
Sharon pretends she is deaf. She thinks the question is "What time is it?"
Everybody laughs because it's funny.

Listen to the lesson:

Carnegie and Guggenheim

A magnate is a businessman who has a lot of money and who uses it to help people and not for himself.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 and he died in Massachusetts in 1919. He built his fortune from steel. He was a businessman, a philanthropist and a music lover. He used his money to fund libraries, he gave funds to universities and charities and he built Carnegie Hall in New York.

Listen to the lesson: