The "I love you" book (the value of loving the others at any time and in any situation)

The thankful book (the value of gratitude and self-confidence)

The peace book (the value of peace and non violence)

It´s OK to be different (values of diversity, respect and self-steem)

The four friends (the value of friendship, helping others and courage)

The mixed-up chameleon (values of appreciating the others the way they are and personal identity)

The lion and the mouse (values of kindness, helping the others and gratitude)

Manners and character (the value of good manners and politeness)

1.  

I am "Me" (the value of self-esteem)

Where´s Spot?

Are you my mother?

What does Thanksgiving Day celebrate?
Thanksgiving was originally a holiday to give thanks to God for the harvest. Today it is an opportunity to give thanks for all the good things we have got. It is also a day to celebrate family.
When is Thanksgiving celebrated?
In the United States Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada it occurs on the second Monday of October.
Who celebrates this day?
The day is widely celebrated throughout the United States and Canada.
What do people do to celebrate?
The day is a national federal holiday in the United States. Most people have the day off as well as the Friday following, making a long weekend for travel and holiday.
The way most people celebrate this day is by getting together with family and having a large meal. Many people travel all over the country for large family gatherings on this day.
Many cities have large parades on Thanksgiving Day. Perhaps the largest and most famous parade is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. It is widely televised and has been running since 1924. Other cities with big parades on this day include Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Another popular way to spend the day is watching NFL football. There are generally a number of football games on even though it is Thursday. The Detroit Lions are a traditional team that plays a game nearly every Thanksgiving.
Traditional Food
The traditional food for the Thanksgiving meal includes a turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, vegetables, and pumpkin pie.
History of Thanksgiving
The tradition of Thanksgiving started with the Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth, Massachusetts. They first held a celebration of their harvest in 1621. The feast was organized by Governor William Bradford who also invited the local Wampanoag Indians to join in the meal. The first time they called the feast "Thanksgiving" was in 1623, after rain had ended a long drought.
The first national Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed by President George Washington in 1789. However, it did not become a regular holiday in the United States until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln declared that the last Thursday in November should be celebrated as Thanksgiving. Since then it has been celebrated every year in the United States. The day was made an official federal holiday and moved to the fourth Thursday of November in 1941 by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

• Each year a live turkey is presented to the President of the United States who then "pardons" the     turkey and it gets to live out its life on a farm.
• Around 46 million turkeys were eaten in the US on Thanksgiving in 2010. That's around one fifth of all the turkeys eaten for the entire year.
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird instead of the bald eagle.
• 88 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving.
• The Pilgrims sailed to America from Great Britain on a ship called the Mayflower.
• The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It is the biggest shopping day of the year.

 Thanksgiving Day Dates

• November 27, 2014
• November 26, 2015
• November 24, 2016
• November 23, 2017
• November 22, 2018
• November 28, 2019

Thanksgiving symbols

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

TURKEY

The celebration of Thanksgiving will be incomplete without the legendary Turkey. The Turkey derives its name from the 'turk turk' sounds it makes when scared. The famous 'Turkey' adorns the table of every household as a main course during the celebration. The customary dinner is a reminder of the 'Four Wild Turkeys' served at the 'First Thanksgiving Feast'. The festivity completes with the customary 'Turkey Song'.

CORNUCOPIA
Cornucopia, also known as the 'horn of plenty' is the most common symbol of a harvest festival. A Horn shaped container, it is filled with abundance of harvest. The traditional cornucopia was a curved goat's horn filled to brim with fruits and grains. According to Greek legend, Amalthea (a goat) broke one of her horns and offered it to Greek God Zeus as a sign of reverence. As a sign of gratitude, Zeus later set the goat's image in the sky also known as constellation Capricorn


CORN
One of the most popular symbols of Thanksgiving is the Corn. With It's varieties of colors it makes for a very interesting symbol. Some Americans considered blue and white corn to be sacred. It is believed that native Americans had been growing corn a long time before the pilgrims arrived in their country. The Americans taught pilgrims how to grow corn and help them survive the bitter winter. The Corn eventually became a part of the first thanksgiving dinner and the tradition continues till date where the corn finds its place on every dinner table the world over and specially during the Thanksgiving dinner. Ornamental Corncobs are a favourite with the masses during the festival. The dining tables are decorated with harvest wreaths which is also a very popular gift item among Americans. Ornamental popcorns are also widely used. Corn reminds us of the importance and heritage of the famous harvest festival. It also remains America's foundation of 'Modern-Agriculture

PUMPKIN
The 'Pumkin pie' is another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table. It is customary. Pumpkin leaves were also used as salads. According to historians, the pumpkin is one of the important symbols of the harvest festival and has been an All American-favourite for over 400 years now.


BEANS
Beans are a special symbol of thanksgiving. Native Americans are believed to have taught the pilgrims to grow beans next to cornstalks. So that beans could grow and use cornstalks as their pole. Thus American beans are also known as 'Pole Beans'. Famously known as one of the 'Three sisters', beans are a part of thanksgiving feast.


CRANBERRY
Cranberry, Originally called crane berry, has derived its name from its pink blossoms and drooping head which reminded the pilgrim of a crane. It is a symbol and a modern diet staple of thanksgiving. Pilgrims soon found out a way to sweeten the bitten cranberries with maple sugar. Ever since cranberry sauce is a permanent companion of turkey during thanksgiving feast.  

Black Friday

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving Day in the USA and falls on the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November. It is a busy shopping day and is a holiday in some states.
What do people do?
Many people have a day off work or choose to take a day from their quota of annual leave on Black Friday. Some people use this to make trips to see family members or friends who live in other areas or to go on vacation. Others use it to start shopping for the Christmas season.
Shopping for Christmas presents is also popular on Black Friday. Many stores have special offers and lower their prices on some goods, such as toys.
Public life
Black Friday is not a federal holiday, but is a public holiday in some states. Many people take a day of their annual leave on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Many organizations also close for the Thanksgiving weekend.
Public transit systems may run on their normal schedule or may have changes. Some stores extend their opening hours on Black Friday. There can also be congestion on roads to popular shopping destinations.
Background
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in the USA. There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. One theory is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface, leading to the term Black Friday.
The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving Day.

 

Macy´s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The most popular holiday parade in America, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade NY has been a tradition since 1924.It attracts more than 3.5 million people to the streets of New York City each year and  50 million people watch it on TV nationwide The first Macy´s Day Parade took place on Christmas 1924 when Macy´s employees (Macy´s is a very  big department store with shops al around USA, but the most important is in New York) dressed as clowns, cowboys and other fun costumes and accompanied by Central Park zoo animals and creative floats marched about 10km.

Nowadays, spectators can see  about 10.000 participants - including the nation´s best marching bands, performance groups, giant helium balloons, breathtaking floats and ending the parade, a float with the one - and - only Santa Claus upon his sleigh, marking the start of the Christmas season. 

In these 90 years, only three times the parade was not held due to World War II.
In 1927, Felix the Cat became the first giant balloon to ever take part in the Macy´s Day Parade. Next years lots of favourite children´s characters have marched in the parade, for instance:
Mickey Mouse
Superman
Uncle Sam
Harold the fireman
Toy soldier
Popeye
Donald Duck
Hello Kitty
Kermit the frog
Yogi Bear
Garfield
Spiderman
Bugs Bunny
Babe the pig
Snoopy
Pikachu
Bart Simpson
Sponge Bob
Dora the explorer
Shrek
Scooby - doo
Mr. Potato head
Charlie Brown
Pink Panther
Kung Fu panda
.......................................................................................

Thanksgiving. How it all started

The American Thanksgiving story

Ten little turkeys song

Little pilgrim song

To grandmother´s house we go

Thank you,Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving memory game

Universal children´s day

Each November 20th., the world celebrates Universal Children´s Day.

It´s a day to appreciate children for just being themselves and to recognize them as important and valued members of society, now and in the future.

The day was first suggested in 1954 by the UN General Assembly, to encourage fraternity and understanding between children around the world.

Since then, the General Assembly has adopted two landmark documents - the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
They cover everything from a child´s right to be free from exploitation, to the right to his or her own opinion, and the right to education, health care, and economic opportunity.
Of the 195 sovereign and independent states represented in the United Nations, 192 member nations have signed and ratified the Convention, and only three have not ratified it (the United States, Somalia and South Sudan).
In the case of the United States, this can be due to the fact that some states want to be able to execute minors.
The case of Somalia is due to its political instability and the absence of administative and political structures.
South Sudan is different. It became an independent state on July 9th 2011 so it is a very new country and it has not signed or ratified the Convention yet.

Convention on the rights of the child

Children´s rights according to U.N. (United Nations)

Children´s and young people´s rights

We´ve all got rights song

A beautiful day song

We are the world, we are the children song

The more we get together song (the value of collaboration)

Hello to all the children of the world song

The five senses explanation

The five senses train

Another video about the five senses

The five senses song

My five senses, story 1

My five senses, story 2

Vocabulary about jobs for little children

            

Jobs and professions

Jobs and professions (phrases)

Practise listening with jobs and occupations

People in my town song

What do you want to be in the future? song

People work song

When I grow up, I want to be...

The little pianist

 

Any activity you do, now and when you grow up, do it with your heart.

Jobs memory game

Choose the correct job

The fortune wheel

Some activities about jobs and occupations

Buildings and places in a town

Buildings and places in a town (phrases)

The town mouse and the country mouse

Smiling town (exercises about places in a town)

Means of transport

Transportation song

The wheels on the bus song

Transportation memory game

Choose the correct way of transport

The countries of the world: Europe

The countries of the world: The Americas

The countries of the world: Africa

The countries of the world: Asia

The countries of the world: Oceania

Countries and Nationalities

Where are you from?, song

Countries and nationalities, quiz

Countries and flags1 (memory game)

Countries and flags2 (memory game)

Look at the flags and guess their countries and nationalities

Happy Mother´s day

In United Kingdom and Ireland, Mother´s day or "Mothering Sunday" is held on the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and usually falls in the second half of March or the biginning of April.
In lots of countries (United States, Italy, Germany, Greece, Chile, Brazil, Finland...) it is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
But here, in Spain or other countries, such as Portugal, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania or Mozambique, the celebration of Mother´s day is on the first Sunday of May.

Mothering Sunday is a celebration of motherhood, a day to honour mothers and other mother figures such as grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law.
Sons and daughters give cards and gifts to their mothers
These gifts usually are cakes, flowers, chocolates, jewelry or beautiful clothes and they take their mother or grandmother to have a special meal, sometimes to a restaurant.

A poem for mum

Here you have a loving poem to dedicate to your mother on Mother´s day. Learn it. It´s very easy

Mummy and me

Simnel cake: a traditional Easter and Mother´s day cake

Simnel cake is a tradition that comes from the medieval times.
This cake was traditionally given by servant girls to their mothers when they returned home for holidays on Mothering Sunday.
Nowadays, you can buy Simnel cakes in all the bakeries, made from different récipes and with different shapes.
It is a fruit cake with two layers of marzipan, one in the middle and one on top. Eleven or twelve marzipan balls are used to decorate the cake. The balls represent the apostles minus Judas,when there are eleven or Jesús and the apostles minus Judas, when there are twelve.
The word "simnel" probably comes from the latin Word "simila" that means "fine wheaten flour".
The Simnel cake signifies the end of Lent which is a period of fasting and from that moment people are allowed to eat all the forbidden foods during Lent.

Simnel cake recipe

Happy father´s day

Father´s day is celebrated on different dates in different countries. Lots of countries including USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, France or Japan celebrate Father´s day on the third Sunday in June. But here, in Spain, we celebrate it on March 19th (St. Joseph´s day)

          Father's Day is a festival to honour your father for everything he does for you.
              

          People start the preparation of Father's Days in advance. Some prepare beautiful

          hand made cards with inspirational quotations to express their love to their dearest

          dad.  

         
          Generally, children present a bouquet of fresh flowers, a greeting card or a gift.

        

            

Daddy, I love you

REMEMBER: People in U.S.A. and U.K. celebrate Father´s day on the third Sunday in June so, in the song, we can listen "on this June Sunday"

A poem for dad

Here, there is a poem you can say to your dad on Father´s day

International women´s day

- The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.
Charles Malik

- A free race cannot be born of slave mothers.
Margaret Sangera

- Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt

HAPPY WOMEN´S DAY

"NO" to women´s discrimination

                                                         INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

Before we´ll end reading these lines...

... a woman will die because of the poverty in which she lives.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a girl will be killed by her family because she committed the crime being born a woman.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will die through the approval of her family.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be sexually mutilated.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be refused access to different school systems.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be abused in the presence of the indifference of the world.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be roughly beaten by a member of her family.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be paid about 20% less than a man for the same work.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be forced to marry to an unknown man chosen by her family.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman will be forbidden to drive a car or a bus or even to ride a bicycle for the mere fact of being a woman.
Before we´ll end reading these lines...
... a woman won´t be allowed to travel without a man´s (husband, father, brother, uncle...) written permission.
                                         
                                                        IT´S A LONG WAY
                                                        EVEN VERY LONG
                                              PLEASE WOMAN, CONTINUE!
                                                          NEVER GIVE UP!
                                             LIFE ITSELF DEPENDS ON YOU!

Woman (John Lenon)

 

This beautiful song is dedicated to all the women in the world. But it is specially dedicated to all the girls who will be the women of the future. I wish when you grow up, you will be free people and you will have a life of love, respect and dignity, shared with the rest of the women in the world

International school day of non violence an peace: DENIP

The "School Day of Non-violence and Peace" (DENIP), founded in 1964 and also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, is a pioneering, non-state, non-governmental, non-official, independent, free and voluntary initiative of Non-violent and Pacifying Education, which is now practised in schools all over the world and in which centres of education, teachers and students of all levels and from all countries are invited to take part.

It advocates a permanent education in and for harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace.

It is observed on January 30th or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi.  The first Peace day was celebrated in our schools in 1964, although it was recognize by our Ministry of Education in 1976 The pioneer of this idea was Llorenç Vidal, a Spanish poet, educator and peace activist. Peace day is currently celebrated in schools worldwide. Llorenç Vidal was proclaimed Ambassador of Peace in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2010.

Its basic message is: "UNIVERSAL LOVE, NON VIOLENCE AND PEACE.  UNIVERSAL LOVE IS BETTER THAN EGOISM,  NON VIOLENCE IS BETTER THAN VIOLENCE  AND PEACE IS BETTER THAN WAR".

I´ve got peace like a river

Peaceful world

Teaching peace

Heal the world

The rainbow song for peace

I´d like to teach... song

The giving tree (values of unconditional love, friendship and generosity)

That´s what friends are for the value of selfless friendship)

The months of the year chant

The months of the year song

Prepositions of place