Showing posts with label current issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label current issues. Show all posts

Thursday, 22 November 2018

2L: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women



A. Read the following test and do the exercises below.

On the 25th of November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated Worldwide.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

In general terms, it manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:
  •   intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
  •    sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber- harassment);
  •     human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
  •     female genital mutilation; and
  •     child marriage.

It is a major obstacle to the fulfilment of women’s and girls’ human rights. It occurs worldwide, cutting across all generations, nationalities, communities and spheres of our societies, irrespective of age, ethnicity, disability or other background.

Despite the adoption of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the UN General Assembly in 1979, violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide.

Women's rights activists have observed 25 November as a day against gender-based violence since 1981. This date was selected to honour the Mirabal sisters, three political activists from the Dominican Republic who were brutally murdered in 1960 by order of the country’s ruler, Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).

The 25th of every month of November has been designated as Orange Day by the UN Women campaign Say No, UNiTE launched in 2009. Participants the world over are encouraged to wear a touch of orange in solidarity with the cause - the colour symbolizes a brighter future and a world free from violence against women and girls.

The 2018 theme is Orange the World: #HearMeToo and like previous editions, the date marks the launch of 16 days of activism that will conclude on 10th December 2018, International Human Rights Day.

(source: http://www.un.org/en/events/endviolenceday/)

B. Answer the following questions.
1) What happens on 25th November?
2) Why does violence against women remains largely unreported today?
3) Name some manifestations of violentce against women
4) Who is affected by it?
5) What did UN adopt in 1979?
6) What happened to Mirabel sisters and when?
7) What should participants all around the world do from 25th November to 1st December?



C. Read one of the following story and sum it up on your exercise book.
https://herstoryourstory.net/en/

Sunday, 24 June 2018

A lesson plan: Leaving home now and then

This year's socio-cultural topic proposed at the Liceo Linguistico final exam suits particularly well the lesson plan I have designed for the Mooc Europeana in the classroom offered by the European Schoolnet Academy.

Leaving home: now and then

Monday, 16 April 2018

Saturday, 7 April 2018

1LL: Should we rethink our plastic bottle behaviour?






Do you think plastic waste  is a problem? How much plastic do you use and throw away each single day? Have a look at your rubbish or ask your parents.


A. Watch the following video and do the activities





1. What's the problem presented in the video?

2. Write down what the following figures mentioned in the video refer to:

  • 5 miles
  • 13 billion
  • 3 billion
  • 90%


3. Find the meaning of the following words mentioned in the video:

  • stretch
  • cutlery
  • polystyrene plate
  • to witness first-hand
  • garbage
  • strew
  • trash
  • overwhelming

4. What do a lot of people think after throwing away plastic?


 B. Now watch this video  



  1. What will happen in 2050? 
  2. What does the girl ask her co-workers?
  3. Is it easy for people not to use straws?
  4. What are "Simply Straws"?


C. Visit the following website


1. What is the strawless movement?

Watch the video #StopSucking For A Strawless Ocean and answer the questions.
 
2. What does "it sucks" or "I suck" mean? (Use the dictionary if you need)
3. Which meanings of the word "suck" do the people play on?
4. How many straws are used in the US every day?
5. Are these people against straws?
6. What are the alternatives to plastic straws?

Wednesday, 24 February 2016

3 LB: The refugee crisis

Homework due on 7th March

1) Explore the picture browsing its links (hot points)

2) Making reference to the resources linked as well as to Auden's poem Refugee Blues write an essay about the different aspects of the issue (about 200 words) including your personal opinion. You can also find further material (articles, pictures, videos) that may support your point of view or be interesting for you.

When you write your essay pay attention to:
  • its structure (introduction, paragraphs, conclusion)
  • linkers
  • do not use contractions or a too informal style

3) Take notes while visiting the linked sites, because they will be useful for our next lesson.