EXPLORING THE CITY (2)

I hope you enjoyed last week’s field trip.
For starters, it always feels good to get out of the classroom and feel free…for a change. So I’m sure you’ve enjoyed each other’s company, and ‘goofing around’, and taking pictures, and being loud in a nice way:-)
But what about the CITY? Did you manage to keep your eyes – and mind – wide open?

Let me put you to the test. If you answer Yes to the following questions, then I’m sure the visit was worthwhile. Actually, I’ve read your texts and seen your photos so I know what your answers will be like, but still, here it goes:
- Were you surprised by some of the things you saw?
- Did anything happen (either good or ‘evil’!) that made you think?
- Can you identify what made you feel ‘at home’?
- Can you make out what made you feel uneasy ?
- Are you curious to find out more?
And a final question:
- Karina wrote that this visit “has demolished, like bulldozers, our prejudice”. Has it?
Actually I’m not so sure about that but I expect you really want to know more, and that is what is really important.

In order to know more we´ll follow two lines of action that will help you build your final task:

1 - YOUR RESEARCH
Make sure you identify what you need to know and how. Design your ‘project’ in a more detailed fashion so you can organise your work, decide and divide tasks, plan your time.
To do that you’ll have to:
- Ask your RESEARCH QUESTIONS (RQ) – remember, you must have a FOCUS
- Decide the NEXT STEPS in order to answer your RQ (interviews? More photos? Reading what?...)
- Prepare/decide what will be your FINAL TASK and PRESENTATION (Week 16-20 February - Please make sure your product is ready by the deadline which is right after the test and right before Carnival).
(Note: For photos of the old city visit the archives of the Arquivo Fotográfico )

2 - CLASSROOM WORK
Here is a selection of the images and texts we’ll be READING and discussing:

World’s population distribution – LINKS - Unit 2.4 – pp 70-72
Why do people live in cities? What are the trends for the future? Are cities nice places to live in? Is Lisbon a cosmopolitan city?
Green Delhi – Clean Delhi - A city of contrasts

Mobility - Your DNA Journey – LINKS - Unit 2.5 – pp 74

The city:
- Little Boxes (the suburbs) vs city centre (CBD)
- Norman Rockwell’s New neighbors
- Commuting (Roald Dahl’s Galloping Foxley – Tales of the Unexpected) and other descriptions of the CITY
- Walking Billboards – LINKS – Unit 3.2. pp 102

WRITING ACTIVITIES
Essay writing - providing solutions to problems
Besides your Learning Journal, of course, and the final product.

SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Initial presentations – favourite photos (after exploratory visit)
Discussing and debating in class
Short presentations (poems and other texts)
Final presentation

VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
Do not forget to expand your Vocabulary Records on the different topics (Consumer Society, Environment, Cultures, Work)
In the meanwhile we’ll have some grammar consolidation and new input. Most important topics will be: Verb tenses – Future Tenses & Passive Voice; Word Formation; Phrasal Verbs