The Suffragettes

Throughout this year we will talk about freedom fighters, and oppressed groups fighting for their civil rights. The following days, I'll show you some articles and pics from the Suffragettes movement, who fought for the women's right to vote. To start it off, I think it's a good idea that you read this article in BBC news. Try to keep in mind what you know about history in the English speaking world at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Colonies? Slavery? Make a historical mind map, it will be useful later!

Remember, when talking about "freedom fighters" we often forget to include the people fighting for the rights of women!

Very Useful!

Okay, maybe not the catchiest headline, but I am showing you a really useful website today. This will be useful in many subjects! It is an overview of British history, and is quite simple to navigate and read. It gives you the highlights! ENJOY!

Pic from here

To My Old Master

The link I'm going to show you today is nothing but amazing. We have in 9th grade talked about the slavery in the US and we are going to talk more about it after Christmas, but I just cannot wait to show you this. We have talked about how many former slaves stayed with their slave owners, because they had nowhere else to go, and were bound to a life in poverty.

The letter I am linking to is written by a former slave in 1865 (the year the American Civil War ended - remember?) and is an answer to his former slave-owner who wants him to come back to work for him.

Read this and have a goose-bump moment. I did.

Exotic Pets

Do you remember we watched Christian the Lion? I think that may have been in the C-class. we found it interesting that you could actually go into Harrods and buy a lion. Well, it turns out that exotic pets were not that uncommon back in the days! Check it out!

Many of the people you see here are famous movie stars or artists, Google them!

History of English: Shakespeare

A quite funny little video about what Shakespeare has meant for Britain and the English language. It is made for the Open University, and is part three of a series called The History of English. SO useful for you!!

Elizabeth - The Movie

Here is a good movie tip from me. In 1998 a very good film was made about Elizabeth 1, who reigned at Shakespeare's time. It is really very good, and give you great insight into Britain in the 16th century. In 2005 a sequel was made "The Golden Age", which I actually haven't seen - I will have to now! Let me know if you watch any of them!

Watch the trailers here and here.

What's up with Broadway?

1.

2.

If you look at a map of Manhattan, NYC, you will notice that all the streets are planned in a grid. The streets are planned in straight lines. The ones going from the top of the map in the pic are the avenues, and the ones join across are streets. They are all numbered.

In the second pic you'll see all the areas. You will probably also notice that the streets of lower Manhattan ant Greenwich Village are not on the grid. You will also notice the street going diagonally across the whole map, that street is the famous Broadway.

Take a look at this short film to see the explanation as to why this is so!

Pic1 from here.
Pic2 from here.

Historical misconceptions

Do you remember we watched the video about the geography of the UK with the man who speaks really fast? Even faster than me! Well, this video must be by the same guy. He deals with 5 general historical misconceptions! Do you get them? Watch it a couple of times and see how much you get. It is such good knowledge to have. I knew about the vikings, but the rest were new to me!

By the way, someone in class asked me if the Romeo and Juliet-trailer I posted earlier is a real film, and of course it is! And we will watch it next year - can't wait!!

Inventions from the past

Imagine how many things are invented or re-designed every day. From the smallest little nail, to trains and cars and space shuttles. Then you can imagine all the things that people invent that will never be put in production and sold on the market for us to buy. Sometimes, in your essays, you have som great ideas too! Here are some interesting inventions from the past. The one in the picture is a snowprotector!

What do you think will be the gratest invention of the next 50 years?
Here are some silly ideas already invented.

The invisible mother

In the old days they didn't have digital cameras. In fact, when I was little we didn't either, and I am not really that old. (No, really, I'm not..). When we took a picture at a party, you got one shot. If your uncle blinked, or your hair was a mess - tough luck. That was how you would be remembered from that night. And you did not get to see the pics until weeks later, when they had been developed in the photo shop. (Ok, this does make me sound really old.)

So, in the 19th century (remember that's the 1800s), we see the phenomenon of the hidden mother. The mothers were hidden under a blanket to keep the babies calm and steady for the photo. In many photos the mothers are cropped out, but in some they are not, as in the one showed here. It looks kind of creepy, do you agree? Pics like these are worth a lot these days, as the uncropped ones are rare.

See more here!

Express yourselves!

Today we start presenting your group work on Human Rights. When we brainstormed this subject in the D-class, I told you how surprising it is that almost no one talks about article 29-1, that in addition to all the rights you have you also have duties. I believe, as I told you, it should be an absolute (moral) duty to use the right to vote. I do not care what you vote, as long as you go and hand in your ballot (when you are old enough of course.)

When visiting the NYC library to see the exhibition on Percey and Mary Shelly (I will tell you about them later) I came across this card with a quote by Percy Shelly on it, and I immediatley thought of you. Your voices are so important and school is a wonderful arena to share them with others. To make sure you all remember this, I took a card for each and every one of you (they were free, I did not steal). You'll get them Monday. Pin it somewhere where you'll see it all the time!

A famous head

Isn't this photo fab? It is taken in Paris, and shows the head of the Statue of Liberty on display there, before it was shipped to the USA. The statue was given to the USA in 1886 from the French as a reminder of the friendship established during the Revolutionary War.  They agreed that France was to make the actual statue, and the USA the pedistal (the base).

The skeletal framework was designed by Gustav Eiffel (who also designed the Eiffel tower) and it was shipped in 350 pieces to the USA, where it was rebuild.

Thank you for the dream.

As you all know, I am a huge fan of Roald Dahl. I think his children's books are fantastic, and can't wait until my sons are a little bit older and I can read his books to them. I have always imagined that he was a wonderful man who took children as seriously as adults. And this story proved me right.

Is it not wonderful? What is your favorite Roald Dahl novel? I find it difficult to make up my mind..

London style

As we are talking about the UK, I thought it would be fun to share this with you. London has, for a long time, been one of the fashion capitals of the world. This video shows the development in fashion from the 1920s till today, and also the style of dancing! Isn't it cool? Why do you think the man disappears for a couple of seconds in the middle of the video?


<3 Siri

Where Have All the Boys Gone?

I showed this to Rakel the other day, because it really puzzled me. It shows the evolution of cheerleaders from the 1920s and till today. It looks like mainly boys were cheerleaders in the earlier days, how come this have changed so radically? Is it absolutely unthinkable for you boys to join a crew, and if so, why?

It is also quite funny to see how the girl's clothes have gotten smaller, too... See the evolution here!