Thursday, December 15, 2016

Bad news for Spain's population future

This week the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) has published the birth and mortality rates of 2016 first semester and they are really worrying. There have been 13,000 deaths more than the number of births and we are losing 72 inhabitants per day. If we did the calculations of Spain's natural growth right now, we would have negative growth (Stage 5 according to the Demographic Transition model). Here you have a short report in Spanish from the TV news:




This graph shows Spain's declining fertility rate:




This one shows Spain's declining population:




Here you have a graph that shows the migratory balance in the last years:




This is the projection for Spain's population pyramid in 2023:



If you want to learn more about this topic and its negative consequences for the economy, here you have two links. The firts one is shorter and the second one is more complete: 




How to draw a population pyramid

Here you have a short video that explains how to draw a population pyramid by hand:




And on this link you can watch a more detailed explanation:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGyoKWRC2es


 You can also draw population pyramids using computer software, such as Excel:





 


And here you have other tutorials to draw the pyramid with Google spreadsheet, that you will find on your Google Drive. You can access Google Drive from your e-mail account, clicking on the small squares that appear on the right top of your screen.





Sunday, December 11, 2016

Population pyramids

Here you have some videos about population pyramids and what they teach us about the demographic situation of a country:















Friday, December 2, 2016

Some extra information about infant mortality rate

Here you have three short videos about infant mortality rate, which is more precise to explain the real situation of healthcare in a country. If you pay attention to the firts video, you will discover that the countries with the highest infant mortality rate are among the LEDCs. These countries have lack of hospitals and doctors, suffer malnutrition, pregnancies are not controlled by the doctors and many children die under the age of 1. But the two following videos show that the USA infant mortality rate is higher than the average of the MEDCs. And this is why their healthcare system is not good. Patients receive only the cares they can pay and many families can't afford paying a good insurance. This case shows how important a good an accessible healthcare system is to reduce mortality among the most vulnerable people, children. 





Thursday, November 24, 2016

China's one-child policy

Here you have some links and short videos to learn more about China's one-child policy and why the Chinese government decided to abandon it last year: -These three links explain why the Chinese government decided to intervene in order to reduce birth rate in China and the results of this anti-natalist policy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/population/managing_population_rev3.shtml

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34667551

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151113-datapoints-china-one-child-policy/ 


 - This video explains 10 important key data about China's one-child policy:


   


 - A short explanation of why China left the one-child policy in October 2015:


 


 - These two videos focus on the consequences of the anti-natalist policy over ordinary people. ageing population, only children and secret children with no rights:


 


Pro-natalist and anti-natalist policies

Here you have a short video made by some foreign students that summarizes demographic policies:


 

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Countries with the highest and lowest birth rate

Here you have some short videos to learn about the countries with the highest and lowest birth rate in the world:





Some videos about world population and its future

These videos explain very interesting facts about world population growth. If you watch them, you will quickly understand that the main demographic problem in the world is IMBALANCE: 







 


Some videos about the Demographic Transition model

Here you have some easy videos to review the contents about the Demographic Transition model. There is a song too!









And this is the song. Click on the image to be redirected to the link on Youtube (the author doesn't allow the embedding of the video in other websites: 



Monday, November 21, 2016

If 100 people lived on Earth...

Have a look on this video to understand the differences and unequal distribution of resources and possibilities in world population:



Friday, November 18, 2016

Some music videos about the independence of the USA

Here you have some musical videos that explain the USA independence process:

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

- From Schoolhouse Rock, No More King!: 


USA CONSTITUTION

This song explains the Preamble of the Constitution:




Another song about the Preamble, called We The People:




A rap that explains the content of the Constitution:



 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION 


- A school version of Taylor Swift's song Shake it off that explains the Bill of Rights: 



The Bill of Rights in hip hop style:



The Bill of Rights rap:


- Another very funny school project from McAlpine Elementary School in Charlotte Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA:



This is another song by another crazy history teacher, which explains why the Bill of Rights was included in the Constitution:



The 27 amendments to the USA Constitution.


Tuesday, November 8, 2016

National Episodes project


Cartoon by Moya representing writer Benito Pérez Galdós writing the National Episodes
Madrid Cómico 1898



As you know, this year we are going to study Spain's history using a family saga, as a homage to Galdós' National Episodes. The story will start in the 18th century and will continue until present day. There will be different chapters for every historical period and you will have to adopt the personality of a person who lives every historical moment and write about your life and how the historical events affect you and the rest of the ordinary people.  The final version will have to be as an old book and include drawings or images related to what you write in every chapter.

Here you have the instructions for the first four chapters and some links to complete the information of the notes:


CHAPTER 1

This story starts at the beginning of the 18th century and you are working as a servant in the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. You started working there in the last years of Charles II’s life. And now a new dynasty has arrived and things are changing. You have to explain your life in the palace and how the different historical events of the period affect people’s lives. In the first chapter you should include the following contents:
  •           The arrival of Philip V to the court, his personality, hobbies, family life…
  •           War of Spanish Succession and Treaty of Utrecht
  •          Reforms introduced by Philip V
  •           Philip V’s abdication in 1724 and his return to the throne
  •           The fire in the Alcázar in 1734 and the moving of the court to the Buen Retiro Palace, uring the construction of the Royal Palace
  •           Philip V’s death and Ferdinand VI’s reign and reforms.

This chapter should end with Ferdinand VI’s death in 1759 and the arrival of the new monarch, Charles III.
You don’t have to copy the notes, but invent situations that allow you to explain these contents, being part of them. You have to include information about your family, your everyday life, feelings… Remember that you are a member of the Third Estate and you know how to write because someone taught you (invent who). One of your children, who started working in a coffee shop, is going to be the protagonist of Chapter 2.
Links:






CHAPTER 2

Your father/mother passed away and you’ve decided to continue to write the story of your family. You live in the 2nd half of the 18th century, during Charles III’s reign.  You work in a coffee shop and many members of the bourgeoisie go there and talk about the main political events in the court. In this chapter you have to include the following contents:

  •           Charles III’s arrival from Naples
  •           Inauguration of the Royal Palace
  •           Charles III as an enlightened monarch
  •           The Esquilache Riots and their consequences (you have to participate in the riots)
  •           Reforms made during Charles III’s reign. 


     You have to serve drinks in a meeting of an Economic Society of the Friends of the Country to explain what they did there.  One of your children has to participate in the colonization of Sierra Morena. Another is going to  find a job as an apprentice in the Royal Tapestry Factory, where he is meeting Goya, the painter (Goya worked there from 1775 to 1792).
This chapter should end with Charles III’s death and Charles IV assuming power.








CHAPTER 3

You are the boy who met Goya in the Royal Tapestry Factory. He hired you as his assistant and you have decided to continue your family saga. Goya is working for the court and you always go with him to help him with his paints, canvas…, so you have the possibility of getting a lot of information about what’s happening in the government and in the country. This chapter has to include the following events:
  •    Charles IV’s personality and his ministers
  •    The reception of the news of the French Revolution and Godoy’s decisions
  •    El Escorial Conspiracy
  •    Signature of the Treaty of Fontainebleau
  •    Mutiny of Aranjuez
  •    Beginning of the Peninsular War
  •     Abdications of Bayonne


Before this chapter ends you have to receive a letter from your brother in Andalusia, who explains you that he’s a councillor in his village and they are preparing to resist the French.

Links: 





CHAPTER 4

This chapter is going to be an exchange of letters between the man in Madrid -who still works for Goya- and the man in Andalusia:

-          - The man in Madrid’ writings are dealing with Joseph I’s court, the Francophiles and The Disasters of the War, the series of etchings Goya painted in this period. This person, influenced by Goya, has got liberal ideas.

-         -  The man in Andalusia is going to focus on the war, the guerrilla and the news about what is happening in Cádiz (Cortes and Constitution). This person has got absolutist ideas and doesn’t like the reforms made in Cádiz.

You have to write at least 2 letters per person. Don’t forget to include personal information about your family…

This chapter is going to end with Ferdinand VII’s comeback. The man in Madrid is afraid of what might happen to Goya and him. The man in Andalusia is happy.

Links: 








The deadline for the first two chapters finished will be the 22nd November and the deadline for chapters 3 and 4  will be the 20th January. 

Monday, November 7, 2016

Presentation for Unit 2: Demography

This is the presentation we are going to use to learn the contents about population:



Presentations to study the 18th century

These are the three presentations we'll use to study the 19th century. The first one includes the general information about the Ancien Régime, the Enlightenment and the independence of the USA. The second presentation includes the contents referred to Spain and the last one includes art.






Some information about the USA political parties and electoral system

Here you have some answers to the questions you asked about the USA political parties and electoral system: 

- Here you have the explanation to the symbols of the Democratic and Republican party:

Resultado de imagen de donkey democratic party


The donkey started being used by the Democrats in the 19th century. During the presidential campaign of that year Democrat candidate Andrew JAckson was called a jackass (a donkey) by his opponents and he decided to adopt this animal for his campaign. Later cartoonist Thomas Nast popularized the symbol.

Thomas Nast was also the inventor of the elephant that became the symbol of the Republican Party. In 1874 he drew a cartoon inwhich the Democrats' donkey appeared as clothed in lion's skin, scaring all the other animals. There was an elephant labelled as "The Republican Vote" and from then on the elephant was associated with the Republican Party.

Here you have Nast's cartoon in Harper's Weekly:

Resultado de imagen de Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin



Democrats today say that the donkey is smart and brave, while Republicans say that the elephant is strong and dignified.

Here you have some more information about this topic: 


http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0881985.html

- The colours associated to every party date back from year 2000 and it comes from the colours the TV channels used to represent the states every party won. . Red is associated to the Republican Party and blue to the Democratic Party. This is the opposite to the use of these colours in Europe, where red colour is associated to leftist parties and blue colour is associated to the conservative- rightist parties. Curiously, before 2000 several channels used red for the Democrats and blue for the Republicans, as we do in Europe.


- This video explains why they vote on Tuesday. There is a campaign to move the voting day to a holiday, so that more people can vote:




- This is a video that explains the process of primary elections, where the USA citizens elect the candidates of each party:




- This video explains all the process to run for the presidential elections:




 - Here you have some short videos that explain the peculiar electoral system of the USA, with the importance of the electoral college:
















Friday, November 4, 2016

More interactive games to review physical geography of Spain

Here you have some more games to review different parts of Unit 1. With these games you can learn/ review Spain's main peaks, national parks, the features of its coasts and rivers and review concepts you will need for the climate graph analysis. Click on the images below to be redirected to the games: 







Some videos to learn about the Enlightenment

These two videos  summarize the main features of Enlightenment and the main ideas of its most significant thinkers:





Video about the scientific revolution

This is a short video with drawings to understand the Scientific Revolution and the changes that took place in the 18th century with the Age of Reason. Pay special attention to this kind of video, because one of our firther projects will be something similar:


More Hispanic Baroque paintings

These are some more videos about the paintings the students have explained today:

Christ in the House of Mary and Martha, explained by Cristina:




And two links to learn more about the painting:

http://www.diego-velazquez.org/christ-in-the-house-of-martha-and-mary.jsp

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/diego-velazquez-christ-in-the-house-of-martha-and-mary

 The Waterseller of Seville, which was explained by Ana:


 


The Surrender of Breda, which was explained by Laura Ortiz:


<

The Meninas, explained by Marcos:

 


 The Drunks, explained by Natalia:


 

The Forge of Vulcan, explained by Paula: 




And here you have some links for the rest of the paintings we analyzed:

The Martyrdom of Saint Philip (José de Ribera)


https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-martyrdom-of-saint-philip/a221ea0e-d38c-4018-be83-af9119458701


The Holy Family with a Little Bird (Murillo):

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-holy-family-with-a-little-bird/8008380e-fef5-48b4-8caf-d78b810fb62c

The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion (Zurbarán):

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/spain/a/zurbarn-the-martyrdom-of-saint-serapion

Old Woman Cooking Eggs (Velázquez):

http://www.artble.com/artists/diego_velazquez/paintings/an_old_woman_cooking_eggs

The Jester Sebastián de Morra (Velázquez):

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-buffoon-el-primo/cc7a8493-e2ff-4d33-a0d0-91d7dc210d5a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Sebasti%C3%A1n_de_Morra

Christ on the Cross (Velázquez):  :

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-crucified-christ/72cbb57e-f622-4531-9b25-27ff0a9559d7

The Toilet of Venus (Velázquez): :

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/diego-velazquez-the-toilet-of-venus-the-rokeby-venus

Pope Innocent X (Velázquez): :

http://www.artble.com/artists/diego_velazquez/paintings/portrait_of_pope_innocent_x

The Spinners (Velázquez):  :

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-spinners-or-the-fable-of-arachne/3d8e510d-2acf-4efb-af0c-8ffd665acd8d

http://www.artble.com/artists/diego_velazquez/paintings/las_hilanderas

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Some more games to review physical geography

As usual, click on the images to play the games and review:

- This one is to review concepts related to geographic coordinates:


- Here you have another game to review the basic types of maps: 


- And the last one is to review all the concepts related to bodies of water:



Thursday, October 27, 2016

Two games to review geographic coordinates

These are two more games to review geographic coordinates. you have to locate the points that correspond with the coordinates given. Click on the images to be redirected to the game.

And this is the second one, with more points to locate: 



Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The Martyrdom of Saint Philip, by José de Ribera

This is a video that explains the main features of the painting Mª Rosa explained yesterday. You can see this painting in El Prado Museum, in Madrid:




And here you have some additional information to learn more about the painting: 


Some games to review Spain's relief, rivers and climates

Here you have the links to review the contents we have already studied about physical geography of Spain. Please, register and play. This way I will be able to check your progress. To access the games, click on the following images and you will be redirected to the website that hosts the games:




Saturday, October 22, 2016

How to draw a climate graph

Here you have four videos, just in case you don't remember how to draw a climate graph when you're at home.

Don't forget:

-  temperatures have to be on the left and precipitation on the right
-  temperatures have to be written five by five
-  precipitation has to be at least double than temperatures. For example, for every 5ºC at least 10 mm in the precipitation axis.
- temperatures are represented with a red line of dots and precipitation with blue bars.


 









Friday, October 21, 2016

How to recognize Baroque art

This is a short video that gives the keys to recognize Baroque art, comparing it with Renaissance art, as we did in class:


 

Some of Caravaggio's masterpieces

This video is an overview of Caravaggio's most famous paintings:




On the following video the curator of Italian and Spanish painting of the National Gallery explains Caravaggio's life and talks about the three paintings of this painter they have in the museum:

   


 And here you have the explanation of some of the paintings we have studied today: 

 - The Conversion of Saint Paul, which includes the two versions of the painting:


   

 - The Crucifixion of Saint Peter


   

 - The Death of the Virgin


   


 - The Supper at Emaus:


 

Some videos about Rembrandt's masterpieces

The following videoa have been made by Khan Academy and explain some of Rembrandt's most famous paintings: 

The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp:


:  


 The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, commonly known as The Night Watch:


   


 Rembrandt's Self-Portrait:


 

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

This short video explains why this Vermeer's painting is considered to be a masterpiece:



Here you have the trailer of the 2003 film inspired on the painting, where you can learn how Vermeer painted and the typical life in the city of Delft in the 17th century. You will see many of the paintings we have seen in class today:

 

Climates of Spain

This is the presentation of Spain's climates. You can use it to complete your map and schemes.




Wednesday, October 19, 2016

World biomes interactive map


Here you have an interactive map to learn about the location of the main biomes natural landscapes in the world. If you click on the image below, you will be directed to the website where you can click on every colour and learn where every type of vegetation is located: 


http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/ecosystems/biomes_rev2.shtml

And here you have another link to  have a look on the natural landscapes that correspond to every climate:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/ecosystems/biomes_rev1.shtml



Some videos about world climates

Here you have some videos to review world climates:

- This video explains the climate zones in the world, which are determined by the amount of solar radiation the different areas of the world receive. In this way, there are three climate zones: hot zone, temperate zone and polar zone. We use the lines of the tropics and the polar circles to separate these zones:





- This video summarizes the main types of climates in the world. Some names are different from the ones we use in Spain, but the explanation of the features is good: 


Friday, October 14, 2016

Weather and climate: basic concepts

This is the presentation of the basic concepts related to weather and climate. Remember that you have to use it to complete the scheme I've given you for Wednesday:



Saturday, October 8, 2016

Some videos about the English Revolutions

Here you have some videos to review the English Revolutions:

- These are some scenes of the film Cromwell, that show the conflict between Charles I of England and the Parliament, the Civil War, the execution of the king and the establishment of the Republic, with Oliver Cromwell as the main figure:




- The English Civil War and the in three minutes: 






- A funny depiction of Charles II, the monarch who restored monarchy after Oliver Cromwell's, from Horrible Histories:




Here you have the lyrics, just in case you want to sing it at home: 



- The Glorious Revolution and the Bill of the Rights:



- The Glorious Revolution in 3 minutes:





- And these are three videos from the BBC TV series Timelines: A History of Britain about the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell and the "Glorious" Revolution. The last video is very interesting, because it focuses on the fact that those who led the 1689 changes in England didn't want a real change in society, but the preservation of their status, especially property:








Some videos about absolutism, Louis XIV and Versailles Palace

- Here you have a short overview on absolutism, focused on Louis XIV's example. At the end there are some other absolute monarchs, like Frederick II the Great of Prussia, Peter I of Russia and some late absolute monarch, like Emperor Franz Ferdinand II of Austria and tsar Nicholas II of Russia. 

   

 - This is another short video that explains the origins and use of the divine right of kings, which means that kings' power came from God and made them untouchable:


 


- And this is a BBC documentary about Louis XIV and his use of the Royal Palace of Versailles. This period of France's history is really well explained: 



- Finally you can have a look on Versailles dance parties with two scenes of the film Le roi danse and another one from the film Vatel: 






Tuesday, October 4, 2016

A short video of the Thirty Years' War

This video summarizes the Thirty Years' War in three minutes. You can use it to review the contents we have studied today:


 

It's a New World (Horrible Histories

This is the video of the song we have watched today. The quality is not good, but the sound is acceptable.


   


 Add these are the lyrics, just in case you want to sing:

We're the pilgrim fathers 
You may have heard rather
A lot 'bout our notions
Crossing the ocean
On the good ship Mayflower
But it's true our journey 
Turned into quite a commotion.
People report that we sported these hats
But that's not true, I mean, would you?
Anyway the main thing to say
We began the USA
Our little band of religion fans
From the East Midlands.
We all believed slowly 
That England was becoming less holy
So set off for Holland
'Cos there we had friends 
But in the end seemed the Netherlands 
Would never be the land, we planned.
Couldn't stand to remain on that terrain
So again we rearranged 
To start a new nation with our congregation
A new and calmer life took a farmer and a builder and his wife
And a clerica, to find America.
Oh it's a new world 
It wasn't new to the natives 
Still we thought we'd claim it 
Yeah, it's the new world.
I still remember 9th of November
The year 1620 and we saw plenty of land
We thanked God when we found ground
I kept calm but it didn't go as planned.
Couldn't land on the sand 
A month later though, we made it
New Plymouth man, we claimed it
The natives said not
But ran when we shot.
Moved there it proved yeah
That life would be tough
'Cos we didn't have enough 
Of the right stuff.
Did you know had no seeds we could grow 
Although William Mullins had stacked
126 pairs of shoes in his pack
Now that's whack.
A fishing rod, a plough, 
A pig, or a cow 
Would have been a much better idea
But now there's no food for us to eat
Does this mean that we'll meet with de feet!
No fun in the new world 
I'm glad we've arrived here 
But will we survive here
Yeah, in the new world.
People were staving 
Our numbers halving
And when the winter winds blew
Even fewer live through
It wasn't pretty in our new city
But the natives took pity even though
They didn't have to.
Man called Squanto
Showed us how to grow maize
Catch eel for a meal
Chopped up in the baze
Tribe gave us a feast 
Our starvation ceased
In 1621 what they had done
Turned us back from the dead
To the living and to this day
That's why we have thanks-giving.
In Massachusetts built a colony it's true
They say modern America was founded by our crew 
It's a new world 
But we can't call it England 
Let's call it New England
Yeah, in the world.
My home was in Plymouth
Lets call it New Plymouth
I got an idea let's call this New Hampshire
Wait I'm from Newcastle
Can we call it New Newcastle?
Nah! 
It's a new world.


The song is a parody of Empire State of Mind , by Jay Z and Alicia Keys. This is the link to the original song:


Monday, October 3, 2016

Presentations to study the 17th century

Here you have the presentation we are going to use to study the 17th century. The firts one includes the contents related to politics, economy and culture and the other two are about Barque art:



¡

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Some advice for Charles I and Philip II's comic strip



Resultado de imagen de sello gallego y rey carlos V



   Resultado de imagen de caricatura felipe II


Here you have some orientation for your comic strip about the Austrias in the 16th century:

- As the project consists of an autobiography told by both monarchs, you should make a research about Charles I and Philip II's lives to add some personal information about these two figures: their family, their children, their loves (if they had them), their hobbies, some anecdotes... Here you have some links in Spanish about Charles I and Philip II: 

http://www.abc.es/espana/20150430/abci-carlos-depresion-jubilo-201504291805.html

http://blogs.ua.es/vidaprivfelipesegundo/

http://blogs.ua.es/vidaprivfelipesegundo/2012/01/16/un-rey-apasionado-sus-numerosas-aficiones/


- As for the content, it has to be historically accurate. This means that you can't forget about the historical facts and the main events and problems of each reign. You have to include them. Include also the main facts about the Indies in each reign: 

  • Charles I's reign: a short summary of the discoveries and conquests done during the Catholic Monarchs' reign and after this, the conquests of the Aztec and Inca empires, the explorations developed during his reign, the creation of the main administrative institutions (vicerroyalties), the New Laws of the Indies to protect the natives from exploitation after Bartolomé de las Casas complaints...
  • Philip II's reign: here you should include the addition of the Philippines (called this way to honour Philip II) and you could also explain the exploitation systems and colonial society in the Indies. 

Historical accuracy doesn0t mean that the script has to be boring. You can introduce humour and some jokes to make it funnier. 

- In Philip II's reign there was a dark episode with his secretary Antonio Pérez. Here you have some extra information from the presentation I prepared for 2nd Bachillerato. You don't have to add all this, but summarize this episode in Philip II's reign:


DISTURBANCES IN ARAGÓN (1590-1591) 
Antonio Pérez, Philip 
II’s 
State secretary and spy 
Anna of Mendoza, 
princess of Eb...
In 1590 Antonio Pérez escaped from jail and took 
refuge in Aragón, where he was from, and asked 
for protection there. Ph...



- Look up for paintings where Charles I and Philip II appear in order to keep some physical similarities with the characters you draw. These paintings can also be useful for you to draw the scenes' decoration.  

- You don't need to make perfect drawings. Here you have some examples and advice about how to draw comic strips with stickmen



Picture



- Write a storyboard  with sketches with the content you want to explain before starting to draw. Here you have an example:


Resultado de imagen de comic strip sketches

- You can make the paper you use look older, as if it was a parchment. Here you have some techniques: 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Paper-Look-Old


Using coffee or tea is the easiest way. Here you have a short video that shows how to do it:




And finally, don't forget to show me the text before writing the definitive version. This way I will be able to correct the grammar mistakes before.

The deadline for the project will be Friday, the 14th of October.

If you have any doubts. ask me.