5 days till CHRISTMAS!!!

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS ALL ABOUT?

Christmas is the date set aside for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians celebrate it on December 25th all over the world. Jesus was not born on December 25th exactly but this date was chosen to coincide with the pagan Roman celebrations honoring Saturnus (Harvest God) and Mithras (Ancient God of Light). The day of this celebrations came just after the winter solstice, that is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The celebrations were to make known that winter is not forever. It was a form of worshiping the sun.

Jesus was born nearly 2000 years ago. To the Christians, Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior/Saviour of the world. The Christians believe that He came to die for our sins so that we may go to heaven.

WHAT DOES THE WORD "CHRISTMAS" MEAN?

Christmas actually comes from "Mass of Christ". It was however shortened to "Christ Mass". Sometimes the shorter version "Xmas" is also used.

 WHAT IS BOXING DAY?

Boxing Day is the day right after Christmas. This December 26 holiday is observed in England, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It is a day of giving to the less fortunate and charitable institutions in the form of money and gifts. Some will spend the day doing volunteer work. It is called Boxing Day because it was the custom during those days for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes (gifts) in return for their good and reliable service throughout the year.

Today, Boxing Day is celebrated with family and friends with lots of fun, food and friendship.

WHO IS SANTA CLAUS?
Who is St. Nicholas?

CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS
Christmas is also a time where homes and malls are decorated with all kinds of decorations. Most of the decorations are symbols of Christmas. Without them, it would seem something is missing. Find out more about these symbols here.

DO ALL COUNTRIES CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS ON THE SAME DAY?
Find out more here.

6 days till CHRISTMAS!!!!

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love game to me....

Play Santa’s On-Line Christmas Games, read Stories, Poems & Christmas Jokes, or send a letter to Santa. Santa’s Kids Zone

7 days till CHRISTMAS!!!

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

LOS RÍOS DE ESPAÑA

¿Quieres jugar a los ríos? Ahora puedes averiguar cuál es cada río; sólo tienes que elegir una respuesta de las tres opciones que te doy. Si aciertas, pasas a la siguiente pregunta; pero es caso contrario, repites el mismo mapa hasta que aciertes.
Es muy sencillo y divertido. te lo pasarás muy bien. Se tarda poco en hacer.
¡ Inténtalo !

Descárgate el archivo, así lo tendrás siempre en tu ordenador, y podrás practicarlo las veces que quieras.

ESPAÑA POLÍTICA

El territorio total de España es de 504.645 km², y ocupa gran parte de la Península Ibérica. Es también el cuarto país en extensión dentro de Europa. Al territorio peninsular se le suman: las Islas Baleares ( en el mar Mediterráneo), las Islas Canarias (en el Océano Atlántico), las ciudades autónomas de Ceuta y Melilla (en la costa norte de África), las islas Chafarinas, el peñón de Vélez de la Gomera,  el peñón de Alhucemas, el municipio de Llívia (rodeado por Francia), la isla de Alborán, las islas Columbretes y varios islas e islotes frente a las costas peninsulares.

Las comunidades autónomas españolas son 17. Aquí os dejamos la lista de las comunidades autónomas y sus capitales:

Andalucía
Capital de la Comunidad: Sevilla

Aragón
Capital de la Comunidad: Zaragoza

Canarias
Capital de la Comunidad: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria / Tenerife

Cantabria
Capital de la Comunidad: Santander

Castilla y León
Capital de la Comunidad: Valladolid

Castilla-La Mancha
Capital de la Comunidad: Toledo

Cataluña
Capital de la Comunidad: Barcelona

Comunidad de Madrid
Capital de la Comunidad: Madrid 

Comunidad Foral de Navarra
Capital de la Comunidad: Pamplona

Comunidad Valenciana
Capital de la Comunidad: Valencia

Extremadura
Capital de la Comunidad: Mérida

Galicia
Capital de la Comunidad: Santiago de Compostela

Islas Baleares
Capital de la Comunidad: Palma de Mallorca

La Rioja
Capital de la Comunidad: Logroño

País Vasco
Capital de la Comunidad: Vitoria

Principado de Asturias
Capital de la Comunidad: Oviedo

Región de Murcia
Murcia

Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta
Ciudad Autónoma de Melilla

España cuenta con 50 provincias en las que se divide el país, y las ciudades autónomas de Ceuta y Melilla. Este es el listado de provincias españolas:

Álava
Albacete
Alicante
Almería
Asturias
Ávila
Badajoz
Barcelona
Burgos
Cáceres
Cádiz
Cantabria
Castellón
Ceuta
Ciudad Real
Córdoba
Cuenca
Gerona
Granada
Guadalajara
Guipúzcoa
Huelva
Huesca
Islas Baleares
Jaén
La Coruña
La Rioja
Las Palmas
León
Lérida
Lugo
Madrid
Málaga
Melilla
Murcia
Navarra
Orense
Palencia
Pontevedra
S.C. de Tenerife
Salamanca
Segovia
Sevilla
Soria
Tarragona
Teruel
Toledo
Valencia
Valladolid
Vizcaya
Zamora
Zaragoza

MAPAS INTERACTIVOS

Estudia y practica la geografía española pinchando en el mapa.

A SPELLING BEE GAME

It’s time for a spelling bee!

Try to spell these words.

Good luck!!

                                           

Click here to have your own on-line ADVENT CALENDAR and learn more about Christmas.

Hope you like this beautiful song and the amazing videoclip...

Have a great week!!!

When is Thanksgiving Day?

Date of Thanksgiving Day varies every year and several countries celebrate it in different time of the year. Given here is information on Thanksgiving Day date in US and Canada for the past, present and coming years. 

When is Thanksgiving Day in USA?
Thanksgiving Day finds its roots in America. It is celebrated with lot of fervor and euphoria on the fourth Thursday in the month of November (in 2011 - November 24). For the people in US Thanksgiving is a time for merrymaking, shopping, family reunion, feasts and family dinners. People also take time to thank God for his constant grace and for all the material possessions man enjoys. For many Thanksgiving is also the time to thank near and dear ones and being grateful for their kindness.

When is Thanksgiving Day in Canada?
Thanksgiving Day in Canada is, however, celebrated on the second Monday in the month of October (in 2011 - October 10) every year. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving Day a month earlier because autumn season starts early in Canada than in America. 

Thanksgiving Day Symbols:

Cornucopia

Cornucopia is the most common symbol of a harvest festival. A Horn shaped container, it is filled with abundance of the Earth’s harvest. It is also known as the ’horn of plenty’. 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.

Turkey

The celebration of Thanksgiving will be incomplete without the legendary Turkey. It derives its name from the ’turk turk’ sounds it makes when scared. Turkey was at one time being considered as the national symbol of America. Benjamin Franklin felt that turkey was the right choice because it was a good runner and had a sharp sight. A bald eagle later became the national symbol of America. 
The famous ’Turkey’ adorns the table of every household as a main course during the celebration. The customary dinner reminds of the ’Four Wild Turkeys’ served at the ’First Thanksgiving Feast’.     

                                                            

Pumpkin

Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is the customary ’Pumpkin Pie’. It is not sure whether pumpkin was one of the dishes in the first thanksgiving dinner. Pilgrims probably made a pumpkin dish sweetened with honey or syrup. They were however a part of all traditional meals long before the arrival of pilgrims. Pumpkin leaves were also used as salads. According to historians, other seasonal vegetables included squash. People at that time were not particularly fond of vegetables, they were mostly meat eaters. Pumpkin is one of the important symbols of the harvest festival and has been an American-favourite for over 400 years now.

SIMPLE PAST vs PRESENT PERFECT

Simple Past	Present Perfect Simple
Irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs Example: I spoke	Irregular verbs: have/has + 3rd column of irregular verbs Example: I / you / we / they have spoken. he / she / it has spoken
	Regular verbs: have/has + infinitive + ed Example: I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked
Exceptions when adding ’ed’: when the final letter is e, only add d. Example: love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled. Example: admit - admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English). Example: travel - travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel). Example: worry - worried, but: play - played

Use

In British English, the use of Simple Past and Present Perfect is quite strict. As soon as a time expression in the past is given, you have to use Simple Past. If there are no signal words, you must decide if we just talk about an action in the past or if its consequence in the present is important.

Certain time in the past or just / already / yet?

Do you want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past (even if it was just a few seconds ago) or that an action has just / already / not yet happened?

Simple Past	Present Perfect Simple
certain time in the past Example: I phoned Mary 2 minutes ago.	just / already / not yet Example: I have just phoned Mary.

Certain event in the past or how often so far?

Do you want to express when a certain action took place or whether / how often an action has happened till now?

Simple Past	Present Perfect Simple
certain event in the past Example: He went to Canada last summer.	whether / how often till now Example: Have you ever been to Canada? I have been to Canada twice.

Emphasis on action or result?

Do you just want to express what happened in the past? Or do you want to emphasise the result (a past action’s consequence in the present)?

Simple Past	Present Perfect Simple
Emphasis on action Example:  I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.)	Emphasis on result Example: I have bought a new bike. (with this sentence I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.)

Signal Words

Simple Past	Present Perfect Simple
yesterday ... ago in 1990 the other day last ...	just already up to now until now / till now ever (not) yet so far lately / recently

Exercises:

• Certain time in the past or just / already / yet: Exercise 1, Exercise 2
• Certain event in the past or how often so far: : Exercise 3, Exercise 4
• Emphasis on action or result: Exercise 5, Exercise 6
• Mix: Exercise 7, Exercise 8

Test

• Test 1
• Test 2
• Test 3

Simple Past	Present Perfect Simple
certain event in the past Example:He went to Canada last summer.	whether / how often till now Example:Have you ever been to Canada? / I have been to Canada twice.

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Test your knowledge

More Activities

• Comparatives
• Comparative Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Superlative Adjectives
• Comparatives 
• Comparatives
  

• Exercise on Comparison of Adjectives
• Exercise on Comparison of Adjectives (comparative, superlative)
• Exercise on Comparison of Adjectives (as…as)



20 de Noviembre: Día Internacional de la Infancia

En 1956, la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas recomendó que se instituyera en todos los países un Día Universal de la Infancia, que se consagraría a la fraternidad y a la comprensión entre los niños y las niñas del mundo entero y se destinaría a actividades propias para promover el bienestar de los niños y niñas del mundo.

El 20 de noviembre se conmemora la fecha en que la Asamblea General aprobó la Declaración sobre los Derechos del Niño en 1959 y la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño en 1989. Por ello, el 20 de noviembre ha pasado a ser el Día Universal de los Niños y las Niñas.

La Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño

Ya han transcurrido más de veinte años desde que se aprobó dicha Convención y todos los países del mundo (salvo Estados Unidos y Somalia) la han ratificado, convirtiéndose así en el instrumento de Derechos Humanos más ampliamente refrendado en la historia de la humanidad.

A pesar de este hecho, sabemos que desgraciadamente se siguen violando diariamente los derechos de millones de niños y niñas en todos los países del mundo y, por lo tanto, todas las instituciones públicas y privadas, por un lado, y la sociedad civil, por otro, deben responder a este reto y seguir luchado para que la Convención se convierta en una realidad en beneficio de los niños y niñas del mundo. Para esta movilización de toda la sociedad, tanto nacional como internacional, sigue siendo una prioridad el artículo 42 de dicha Convención, el cual compromete a los Estados Partes "a dar a conocer ampliamente los principios y disposiciones de la Convención por medios eficaces y apropiados, tanto a los adultos como a los niños".

El Preámbulo de la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño:

  * recuerda los principios fundamentales de las Naciones Unidas y las disposiciones precisas de algunos tratados y declaraciones relativos a los Derechos Humanos;
  * reafirma la necesidad de proporcionar a los niños cuidado y asistencia especiales en razón de su vulnerabilidad;
  * subraya de manera especial:
1. la responsabilidad primordial de la familia por lo que respecta a la protección y a la asistencia;
2. la necesidad de una protección jurídica y no jurídica de los niños;
3. la importancia del respeto de los valores culturales de la comunidad del niño o la niña;
4. el papel crucial de la cooperación internacional para que los derechos de los niños se hagan realidad.

En la página web de rayuela encontrarás textos, cuentos y juegos para trabajar todos y cada uno de los Derechos de los niños y las niñas. ¡Para aprender divirtiéndonos!

La Convención adaptada para los más jóvenes Documento elaborado por Unicef

FUN WEATHER FACTS

 Enjoy these fun weather facts for kids. Check out the amazing snow fall, rain fall and wind speed records while learning more about lightning, tornadoes and cyclones.

Read on for a range of interesting facts about weather and climate.

• The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica is 14.6 °C (59 °F), recorded on January 5, 1974. More temperature facts.

• The most rain fall ever recorded in 24 hours is 182.5 centimetres (71.9 inches) in Foc-Foc, La Réunion, during tropical cyclone Denise on January 8, 1966.

• The most rain fall ever recorded in one year is 25.4 meters (1000 inches) in Cherrapunji, India.

• The highest snow fall ever recorded in a one year period was 31.1 meters (1224 inches) in Mount Rainier, Washington State, United States, between February 19, 1971 and February 18, 1972.

• The fastest wind speed ever recorded is 484±32 km/h (301±20 mph). This was a 3 second gust recorded by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar unit in Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999.

• The heaviest hailstone ever recorded weighed 1.0 kg (2.25 lb) and landed in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh on April 14, 1986.

• Clouds can be categorized into a number of different types; these include cumulus, stratus, cirrus and nimbus.

• The Earth experiences millions of lightning storms every year, they are incredible discharges of electricity from the atmosphere that can reach temperatures close to 54,000 °F (30,000 °C) and speeds of 60,000 m/s (130,000 mph).

• The USA has more tornadoes than any other country in the world, averaging around 1200 a year. This is due largely to its unique geography which forms an area in central USA called “Tornado Alley” which is frequently hit by tornadoes.

• Tropical cyclones (often referred to as hurricanes or typhoons) feature strong winds, driving rain, rough seas and areas of low atmospheric pressure. They frequently form in tropical areas of the globe and can do considerable damage to populated areas. Examples of this include the 1970 Bhola cyclone, Typhoon Nina which hit China in 1975 and more recently in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina which caused great devastation and loss of life when it hit southern parts of the USA.

 

Weather Facts

Enjoy these fun weather facts for kids. Check out the amazing snow fall, rain fall and wind speed records while learning more about lightning, tornadoes and cyclones.

Read on for a range of interesting facts about weather and climate.

WEATHER WIZ KIDS

Welcome to Weather Wiz Kids® a website especially designed for kids by meteorologist Crystal Wicker to allow you to learn more about the fascinating world of weather. 

(Click on the image)

Welcome to Rocky’s journey around the rock cycle!

Hi, my name is Rocky
I am your guide on the journey around the rock cycle. The rock cycle is a continuous process that occurs over millions of years. It makes new rock, destroys old rock, and recycles the ingredients of the Earth’s crust over and over again!

If you want to join me on an amazing journey under the Earth click on the cycle below.
You can start wherever you want, but it is probably best to begin at Weathering and work your way around it from there.

 

Have you mastered the rock cycle yet? Test yourself here!

Do you want to learn more about latitude and longitude?

If you would like to explore the topic of latitude and longitude further, here are some interesting websites:

Greenwich 2000 - information on the International Meridian Conference of 1884

Latitude & Longitude - information from WorldAtlas.com

Latitude and Longitude - information from nationalatlas.gov

Latitude And Longitude Map Match Game - practice using latitude and longitude

VOLCANOES

Fun Volcano Facts

Check out these fun volcano facts. Learn about hot magma, famous eruptions, volcanoes on other planets, volcanic gases, flowing lava and more.

Enjoy this wide range of strange and interesting facts about volcanoes:

• Volcanoes are openings in the Earth’s surface. When they are active they can let ash, gas and hot magma escape in sometimes violent and spectacular eruptions.

• The word volcano originally comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.

• Volcanoes are usually located where tectonic plates meet. This is especially true for the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area around the Pacific Ocean where over 75% of the volcanoes on Earth are found.

• While most volcanoes form near tectonic boundaries, they can also form in areas that contain abnormally hot rock inside the Earth. Known as mantle plumes, these hotspots are found at a number of locations around the globe with the most notable being in Hawaii.

• Hot liquid rock under the Earth’s surface is known as magma, it is called lava after it comes out of a volcano.

• Some famous volcanic eruptions of modern times include Mount Krakatoa in 1883, Novarupta in 1912, Mount St Helens in 1980 and Mt Pinatubo in 1991.

• While we certainly have some big volcanoes here on Earth, the biggest known volcano in our solar system is actually on Mars. Its name is Olympus Mons and it measures a whooping 600km (373 miles) wide and 21km (13 miles) high.

• The object with the most volcanic activity in our solar system is Io, one of Jupiter’s moons. Covered in volcanoes, its surface is constantly changing to the large amount of volcanic activity.

• Most people think of volcanoes as large cone shaped mountains but that is just one type, others feature wide plateaus, fissure vents (cracks were lava emerges) and bulging dome shapes.

• There are also volcanoes found on the ocean floor and even under icecaps, such as those found in Iceland.

• Volcanoes can be active (regular activity), dormant (recent historical activity but now quiet) or extinct (no activity in historical times and unlikely to erupt again). While these terms are useful, scientists are more likely to describe volcanoes by characteristics such a how they formed, how they erupt and what their shape is.

• Common volcanic gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen sulfide.

• Volcanic eruptions can send ash high into the air, over 30km (17 miles) above the Earth’s surface.

• Large volcanic eruptions can reflect radiation from the Sun and drop average temperatures on Earth by around half a degree. There have been several examples of this over the last century.

• Pumice is a unique volcanic rock that can float in water. It can also be used

 

Learn more about the Volcanos by clicking here.

Now have a look at this video and be a Volcano Explorer!!

HALLOWEEN TONIGHT!!

Are you one of those fearless ones???

Click here to have a HALLORIFIC experience and check how brave you can be...

1 day to HALLOWEEN!!!

How to play: Drag pieces of candy into the pumpkin’s mouth to see how quickly the calories climb! We’ll tell you when you’ve fed the pumpkin a day’s worth of calories. And if you get too much candy this year, consider giving it away, using it to make crafts, or even experimenting on it!