The State of the Global Climate 2023

The State of the Global Climate is an annual report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This report provides a comprehensive overview of global climate trends, analyzing key indicators such as temperature changes, greenhouse gas concentrations, ice cover, and extreme weather events. It highlights the significant impact of climate change on ecosystems, economies, and communities worldwide.

It also serves as a tool for tracking progress towards climate goals, evaluating risks, and identifying areas where urgent action is needed. It emphasizes how human activities are intensifying climate disruptions, leading to unprecedented shifts in weather patterns, rising sea levels, and increasing natural disasters.

This report can be used in English class when addressing the issue of climate change, its causes, consequences, and possible responses around the world.

Find it on:

https://library.wmo.int/records/item/68835-state-of-the-global-climate-2023 

Animation on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES7eKWRRJ0o 

The Media History Project

The Media History Project is a digital initiative run by the Media History Digital Library (MHDL), which was founded by Eric Hoyt, a media historian and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The MHDL is a nonprofit effort that focuses on digitizing media periodicals, such as magazines, trade journals, and books, and making them freely accessible to the public. Their digital collections offer valuable resources for research in the fields of film, broadcasting, and recorded sound.

You can explore the official Media History Digital Library site here:

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

The risks and benefits of AI by Nik Peachey

In this lesson, students engage in discussions about how AI affects society as a whole and its role in learning English. The session is designed to help students examine both the potential advantages and drawbacks of AI, particularly in the context of language learning. 

Throughout the lesson, students will brainstorm AI-related vocabulary, read about and debate various risks and benefits of AI, listen to discussions on AI's impact on education, and experiment with ways AI can assist in improving their English skills.

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-resources/teaching-secondary/lesson-plans/upper-intermediate-b2/risks-and-benefits-ai

Scientix

Scientix is a European initiative aimed at promoting and supporting science education across Europe. It was created by the European Commission and is managed by European Schoolnet (EUN), a network of 34 European Ministries of Education. The platform serves as a community for teachers, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Scientix offers a large repository of teaching materials, research reports, and project results related to STEM education. Teachers can access and share lesson plans, activities, and other educational resources. The platform provides opportunities for teachers to participate in online courses, workshops, and conferences. These professional development activities help educators stay updated with the latest trends and practices in STEM education.

https://www.scientix.eu/

StoryWeaver

StoryWeaver is an open-source platform created by Pratham Books, designed to provide access to a vast library of multilingual children's stories. It allows users to read, create, translate, and share stories for free, making it a valuable resource for educators, parents, and children around the world. 

The platform is particularly useful in promoting literacy and a love for reading in various languages, including those that are less commonly represented in mainstream publishing.

How can you use StoryWeaver?

Accessing free stories: Teachers can use StoryWeaver to find age-appropriate stories in multiple languages for their students. The stories are categorized by reading level, making it easy to select suitable material for different age groups and proficiency levels.

Creating customized stories: Teachers can use the platform to create their own stories, tailored to the needs and interests of their students. They can also involve students in the story creation process, fostering creativity and writing skills.

Tanslating stories: StoryWeaver offers the ability to translate existing stories into different languages. This feature is particularly useful for teachers working in multilingual classrooms or looking to support students learning a new language.

Using stories as teaching tools: Teachers can incorporate the stories into their lesson plans, using them as prompts for discussions, reading comprehension exercises, or creative writing assignments. The platform also provides resources like flashcards and storyboards that can enhance the storytelling experience.

Promoting inclusivity and cultural awareness: With stories available in numerous languages and reflecting diverse cultural backgrounds, StoryWeaver helps teachers promote inclusivity and cultural awareness in the classroom.

https://storyweaver.org.in/en/

NASA+

NASA+ is a new streaming service launched by NASA to bring the wonders of space exploration and science directly to the public. Available on both web and mobile platforms, NASA+ offers a variety of content including live broadcasts, documentaries, original series, and educational materials. 

The service is designed to be accessible and free, providing a unique opportunity for viewers to explore NASA’s missions, research, and the broader universe.

https://plus.nasa.gov/ 

Making Groups Work via @NikPeachey

Making Groups Work is an excellent resource for teachers aiming to boost collaboration and engagement among students. 

The book is based on 24 case studies from teachers who work with adult learners. It shares their experiences and solutions to common classroom challenges. The book includes practical tips, techniques, and activities that can be easily applied in any classroom to enhance cooperation and teamwork.

Find this publication on:

https://payhip.com/b/vcwaA

U.S. Geological Survey. Educational resources

Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the USGS provides science for a changing world, which reflects and responds to society’s continuously evolving needs. 

As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS brings an array of earth, water, biological, and mapping data and expertise to bear in support of decision-making on environmental, resource, and public safety issues.

Find their educational resources on:

https://www.usgs.gov/educational-resources 

TeachingEnglish: Inclusive classrooms

Make your classes inclusive learning spaces by identifying barriers that can affect learning and practical strategies to overcome them. Access this free course now. The free online modules are available for self-study now. 

Enrolment closes on 21 September and the course closes on 28 September

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/training/teachingenglish-inclusive-classrooms

Spin the Wheel. Class Novel Talk #Wordwall

A roulette wheel with question prompts created using the Wordwall tool to discuss a class reading in groups.

Job hunting (English lesson)

Get ready for an exciting lesson on finding the perfect job in English! Imagine searching for a cool summer job or your dream job in the UK. You'll be using the website 'Indeed' to explore all the possibilities.

Once you've found some awesome job options, you'll share your discoveries with the class, boosting your speaking skills in a fun way. This lesson will help you think about important job details like working hours, requirements, and qualifications.

To make it even easier, we’ve included an explanation of how 'Indeed' works and a handy learning mat with all the job-related terms you need. Plus, the mat has sentence starters to help you present your chosen job with confidence. Let's get started on your journey to finding the perfect job!

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12774585

Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence

Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence is a guide published by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology in 2024. 

This essential guide is intended for developers and focuses on integrating artificial intelligence into educational tools and systems. It provides comprehensive insights and practical recommendations to help create effective, ethical, and user-friendly AI-driven educational technologies. The publication aims to foster innovation in education, enhance learning experiences, and support educators and students through the responsible use of AI.

Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence: An Essential Guide for Developers, Washington, D.C., 2024. 

You can download it from:

https://tech.ed.gov/files/2024/07/Designing-for-Education-with-Artificial-Intelligence-An-Essential-Guide-for-Developers.pdf

Alert! Report on conflicts, human rights and peacebuilding

Alert 2024! Report on Conflicts, Human Rights, and Peacebuilding is an annual report. It looks at the state of the world in terms of conflict and peacebuilding. The report focuses on three main areas: armed conflict, tensions, and gender in peace and security.

The report examines the most important events of 2023. It looks at the nature, causes, dynamics, actors, and consequences of the main areas of armed conflict and social and political tension around the world. This analysis gives a comparative view of different regions and identifies global trends. It also points out risks and gives early warnings for the future.

Additionally, the report finds opportunities for peacebuilding. It highlights chances to reduce, prevent, or solve conflicts.

Find it on:

https://escolapau.uab.cat/img/programas/alerta/alerta/24/alerta24i.pdf

World Drug Report 2024

The UNODC World Drug Report is an annual publication by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that provides a comprehensive overview of global drug trends. 

The report includes data and analysis on the production, trafficking, and consumption of various types of drugs, as well as information on drug-related health issues, policy responses, and emerging trends.

It aims to inform policymakers, researchers, and the general public about the current state of the global drug problem and to support evidence-based policy and action to address drug-related challenges.

If you want to introduce this topic in your English class, you can use it as a source of information and data collection or to show emerging trends, health consequences, or policy and legal responses to this issue.

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/world-drug-report-2024.html

Proyecto EDIA. REA Let the games begin de Inglés para 4º de ESO

Students are going to think of ways of making a positive impact on the world around them as well as mastering their English skills through engaging, interactive activities. 

Through service learning, students will develop the competences that define their output profile when they finish their compulsory secondary school years. At the end of the project, they will have:

• read web pages about sports.
• watched videos about the benefits of sports and inspiring world athletes.
• taken part in a group discussion.
• mediated a form.

Source & more information:

https://cedec.intef.es/proyecto-edia-rea-let-the-games-begin-de-ingles-para-4o-de-eso/

https://cedec.intef.es/recursos/?id=34574

Learning for Justice

Learning for Justice, an education program of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), focuses on community engagement to foster dialogue, learning, reflection, and action among those most affected by injustices in the South.

This program aims to support the SPLC’s mission of promoting racial justice in the South and beyond by collaborating with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance human rights for all. Learning for Justice emphasizes education as a means to inspire action towards liberation and justice.

Visit:

https://www.learningforjustice.org/ 

Classroom resources:

https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources

One Institute. LGBTQ+ History lesson plans

One Institute has collaborated with the UCLA History-Geography Project, OUT for Safe Schools at LA LGBT Center, and ONE Archives at the USC Libraries to organize K-12 curriculum symposiums and offer LGBTQ+ history lesson plans to educators free of charge. 

These lesson plans align with California’s FAIR Education Act and History-Social Science Framework, mandating that K-12 schools in California include fair, accurate, inclusive, and respectful representations of LGBTQ+ communities in their social studies and history curricula.

https://www.oneinstitute.org/lgbtq-lesson-plans/  

PLASTEAM #ErasmusPlus project

The project aims to raise awareness among primary school students and teachers about the environmental impact of plastics. It encourages responsible use, consumption, and recycling of plastics to create 'plastic-free schools'. By involving teachers and school managers, the project promotes good practices to reduce waste and improve recycling in primary schools.

Key results and outcomes include:

- Plastic Footprint for Schools: An app to monitor plastic waste habits in schools.

- 'Plastic-free Schools' Recommendations and Contest: Identification of plastic consumption challenges, recommendations for sustainable practices, and a contest rewarding the best STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) solution to tackle plastic waste.

- STEAM Box and Labs: A set of tools and activities for teachers to use in their lessons.

This initiative serves as an inspiration for similar projects, demonstrating how schools can effectively engage in reducing plastic waste and promoting environmental sustainability.

Find it on:

https://plasteam.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/PLASTEAM_Brochure_EN.pdf

https://plasteam.eu/

Invent, impact, inspire (Learning situations)

In these learning situations, from a service-learning approach, participants will think of ways to make a positive impact on the world while mastering English skills through engaging and interactive activities.

Participants will organize a technology fair at school to showcase useful inventions for the community. They will learn to collect information on local needs by participating in a public forum, write a patent application for their invention, and create a tutorial with instructions on how their invention works. The final task is to present the project at the technology fair, explaining the problem it addresses and its relevance to the community.

The study will include vocabulary about social issues, rules of netiquette, use of comparatives and superlatives, expressing logical relations using connectors of purpose and reason, phrases for giving instructions, and the pronunciation of the final -r.

The project includes three missions and a final challenge, involving individual, pair, and group work.

Participants are encouraged to do their best and enjoy the learning process.

https://descargas.intef.es/cedec/proyectoedia/ingles/contenidos/invent_impact_inspire/index.html

Cooperative Learning and the Sustainable Development Goals

Cooperative Learning and the Sustainable Development Goals is a guidebook for English language teachers. It offers lesson plans, tips, and teaching techniques to help integrate cooperative learning and the SDGs into classrooms.

This practical book provides tools to create collaborative environments, improve language skills, and promote global citizenship through engaging lessons. It's a valuable resource for both experienced and new teachers looking to combine cooperative learning with the SDGs effectively.

Free download on:

https://payhip.com/b/obOwr