Challenge number 22

This week we´ll learn something more about Philip II´s reign. You will have to research on some important figures in Philip II´s  kingdoms. 

QUESTION 1

Who were the leaders of the Moorish revolt of the Alpujarras?

Source: http://arkeologia.blogspot.com/2009/04/la-matanza-de-las-alpujarras.html

QUESTION 2

Who was John of Austria? What was his role in Philip II´s reign?

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Austria

QUESTION 3

Who was Antonio Pérez?  What did he do? Why was he accused by the Inquisition? Was he a real heretic?

Source: http://civitaspacensis.blogspot.com/2010/06/antonio-perez-secretario-de-felipe-ii.html

QUESTION 4

Who was Juan de Lanuza? Why was he executed  by Philip II´s order?

Source: http://www.comarcaacomarca.com/aragoneses-ilustres.html?q=Juan%20de%20Lanuza

QUESTION 5

Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel was the third Duke of Alba. In the Netherlands he is considered to be as the Bogeyman and his name is used to frighten children or to threaten them when they don´t want to do something, such as eating the soup or going to bed early. Why has the third Duke of Alba such a bad reputation in the Netherlands? 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Álvarez_de_Toledo,_3rd_Duke_of_Alba

Remember to bring your projects on Monday. 

Challenge number 21

This week´s research will consist in discovering some curiosities about one of the most important Renaissance´s works of art: The last Judgement, painted by Michelangelo Buonarrotti on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in theVatican. Michelangelo needed four years to complete this fresco, from 1537 to 1541. 

The Sistine Chapel was restored in the 1980´s and 1990´s. The restorers tried to show Michelangelo´s paintings as he had conceived them, but there are some additions on this fresco Michelangelo didn´t like. Here you have the questions:

QUESTION 1
Why was The last Judgement considered to be a scandalous painting?


QUESTION 2

The following figure is located on the low right side of the painting, in hell´s part. It represents Minos, one of the three judges of the underworld. He´s represented with donkey ears and wrapped in coiled snakes. Michelangelo used a real model to paint this figure. Who was represented as Minos? Why?

QUESTION 3

The following figure represents Saint Bartholomew with a flayed skin. Who did Michelangelo use as model to paint Saint Bartholomew? Whose face is represented in the flayed skin?

QUESTION 4

After the Council of Trent some important alterations were made on The Last Judgement. What changes were made in it and why? What painter was in charge of making these changes? What does his nickname mean?

One last curiosity: Michelangelo also painted two beloved persons on The Last Judgement. On the left side of the picture above the woman below the Virgin is Vittoria Colonna, one of Michelangelo´s best friends. He dedicated her a lot of poems and she was considered to be his Platonic love. Michelangelo also painted Tomasso dei Cavalieri, the man he loved the most. He was probably the model Michelangelo used for the Christ of The Last Judgement and he also painted him behind Saint Bartholomew´s figure. Michelangelo also dedicated Tommaso dei Cavalieri more than 300 hundred poems.


If you want to observe The Last Judgement with more detail, you can use the following link. It belongs to the Vatican Museums. On the left side of the screen you have a magnifying glass that you can use to enlarge the  different parts of the image:


 http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/x-Schede/CSNs/CSNs_G_Giud.html

Challenge number 20

As we have started studying Renaissance art, this week´s challenge will discover you some of the most important works of art of this style. These are the questions: 

QUESTION 1

This is a famous painting of an artist who can be considered a true example of a Renaissance man. This painting has recently arrived in Spain as part of a collection of works of art of Polish museums. It will be exhibited in Madrid during the summer. What is the name of this painting? Why did it receive this name? Who painted it?

QUESTION 2

The school of Athens 

This painting is called The school of Athens. It´s a fresco painted by Rafael Sanzio in one of the rooms of the Vatican. Rafael represented some important wisemen of Antiquity in it and he used some important figures of the Renaissance as models. You will have to identify some of the people represented in this painting:

A. What important figure of Ancient Greece is this one? Who did Rafael use as model to paint him?

B. What important figure of Ancient Greece is this one? Who did Rafael use as model to paint him?

C.What important figure of Ancient Greece is this one? Who did Rafael use as model to paint him?

D. There is only a woman in this painting. What important woman of Antiquity was this one?

Challenge number 19

This week´s challenge will consist in researching about two aspects of the Counter- Reformation: the Index Librorum Prohibitorum and the Society of Jesus. These are the questions: 

QUESTION 1

Why were the books of Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler and Desiderius Erasmus included in the Index of Prohibited Books?

QUESTION 2

What famous picaresque novel written in Castilian was included in the Index?

QUESTION 3

What do these Latin expressions mean: NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR? What is the relationship between these expressions and the Index Librorum Prohibitorum?

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzfZuBactig

QUESTION 4

When was the Index Librorum Prohibitorum definitely abolished? What Pope made this decision?

QUESTION 5

What was the name of the Jesuit missions created in the Castilian and Portuguese colonies in the Indies? What was the role of the Jesuits in these missions?

Glogs about the Spanish Inquisition

Here you have the glogs of the people who have participated in our last challenge. More glogs than expected! Which is, in your opinion, this week´s winner? It´s up to you to decide ;)

JAVIER ALBERCA



MANUEL CRUZ



ANA DE LA FUENTE



REBECA GARCÍA



LAURA MUÑOZ



CARMEN SALIDO

Challenge number 18

Auto-da- fé presided by Santo Domingo of Guzmán (c.1493-1498) Pedro Berruguete

Source: http://www.museodelprado.es/enciclopedia/enciclopedia-on-line/voz/auto-de-fe-presidido-por-santo-domingo-de-guzman-berruguete/?no_cache=1

As we have talked this morning, this week´s challenge will be a little different. You will have the opportunity of improving your glog skills by creating a new glog on the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, mostly known as the Spanish Inquisition. Here you have the links you can use to get the basic information: 

Some links in Spanish:  

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisici%C3%B3n_espa%C3%B1ola

http://www.almendron.com/historia/moderna/inquisicion/inquisicion.pdf

http://www.gabrielbernat.es/espana/inquisicion/index.html

Some links in English: 

http://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/spanish-inquisition.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition

http://www.thefullwiki.org/Spanish_Inquisition

Some useful links about medieval tortures, from which you can extract some pictures of the devices used to torture the Inquisition prisoners: 

http://ateismoparacristianos.blogspot.com/2010/07/metodos-de-tortura-durante-la.html


http://www.medievality.com/torture.html

And this is a BBC programme on the Spanish Inquisition you can listen to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003c1bw

A good glog should include this information: 

- When the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition was created and what its purpose was.

-  Crimes they persecuted.

-  How it was organized.

-  How it worked.

-  What punishments they imposed.

-  How the Tribunal was used with political purpose sometimes. 

Remember that your glog would be more interesting if you include pictures, links to enlarge some information and some video (if you are able to find one). You could also include the origin of some Castilian expressions related to the history of the Inquisition, such as "to wear the sambenito".

These are the instructions to do a good work:  

1. Read the information and make sure that you understand everything. The links in Spanish will be very useful for you. 

2. Prepare a good scheme on paper and use it as a reference for your glog design. 

3. When you start writing, use simple sentences and don´t translate word by word and, of course, don´t use the Google translator. You have different links that will provide you with all the vocabulary you need in English. Forget about copying and pasting.

4. Don´t write too much information and think in the readers. The possible readers have to feel attracted by your work and be able to understand and get the possibility of learning more (if they want) through links.

You will have time to solve this challenge until next Friday, the 13th May. If you need any help or advice, you can use the Glogster Edu message platform or contact me by e-mail. 

Challenge number 17

This week we´ll start with history challenges. Here you have some questions related to the Catholic Monarchs´ background and a final question that explains one of the most crucial decisions they made during their rule: 

QUESTION 1

Both Isabella of Castile and Fernando of Aragon belonged to the Trastámara dynasty. What´s the origin of the word "Trastámara"? When did this house or dynasty appear?

QUESTION 2

Who was Beltrán de la Cueva? What was his role in the succession of Castile?

QUESTION 3

King Enrique IV, Isabella of Castile´s brother, was called "the Impotent". Why? Was this really true?

Enrique IV of Castile

QUESTION 4

What is the relation between the Succession War in Castile (1474-1479) and the exploration of the Atlantic Ocean and the "discovery" of new lands?

Challenge number 16

This week´s research will refer to two concepts linked to political geography. These are the questions you will have to answer:  

QUESTION 1

What is an enclave? Give an example.

QUESTION 2

What is an exclave? Give an example.

QUESTION 3

What are Spain´s enclaves?

Have a nice holiday time and work on your glogs.

Challenge number 14

Source: http://valdeperrillos.com/lacebolla/palabras-constituciones

This week you will have to research on the constitutional history of Spain. The questions you will have to answer will refer to Constitutions and Statutes of Autonomy. 

QUESTION 1

What was the first Constitution of Spain´s history? What popular name did it receive? Why?

QUESTION 2

How many Constitutions has Spain until present? Name them. 

QUESTION 3

There were two projects of Constitution in the 19th century that didn´t come into force. Which ones?

QUESTION 4

What has been the Constitution in longest force in Spain´s history?

QUESTION 5

Who were the "fathers" of the present Constitution?

QUESTION 6

What was the first Statute of Autonomy approved in Spain? 

Some explanations that can help you to find the correct answers: 

- "To be in force" means "to be in effect, operative, working". In this context it means "to be in use".

- On question 6, don´t think only in the recent history of Spain. 

You can find the answers to all these questions in any good book of history about Spain. If you have elder sibligs, ask them. They may help you : )

Source: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/averroes/centros-tic/21700368/helvia/bitacora/index.cgi?wIdPub=7

Challenge number 13

With this challenge we will learn how some people came into power and about women who hold important posts in politics. These are the questions: 

QUESTION 1

Here you have some pictures of heads of State or politicians from different countries. You will have to explain the posts they hold (or held) and how they seized power in their countries. 

BENITO MUSSOLINI

ADOLF HITLER

MUHAMMAD VI

HUGO CHÁVEZ

BASHAR AL- ASSAD

QUESTION 2

The following women hold important posts in their countries Who are they? What are their posts? As a clue, you will have their first name. 

MARY...

JULIA ...

TARJA ...

HILLARY ...

Challenge number 12

As we have been studying this week, some of the features of democracies are the practice of universal suffrage and a supreme law called Constitution, that includes the rights and duties of citizens and the explanation of the organization of the State and its insitutions. This week´s research will be focused on suffrage and Constitutions. 

QUESTION 1
How do we call the limited suffrage, reserved only to the people who have a specific economic status?


QUESTION 2

What was the first Spain´s Constitution to include universal male suffrage?

When was universal male suffrage definitively established in Spain?

QUESTION 3

When were women allowed to vote in Spain? Who was the deputy responsible for defending women right to vote in Spain? 

What happened during  Franco´s dictatorship with the women right to vote?

QUESTION 4

Here you have a scene of Mary Poppins, a film you may have seen many times. Watch it and answer the question below: 

What´s a suffragette?

QUESTION 5

What was the first written Constitution of the world? What type of suffrage did it include?

QUESTION 6

Amendements are corrections or changes made to the Constitution of a country. Here you have a cartoon that reflects the first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. 

Source: http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/bor.html

What have been the most important amendments made in the Constitution of the USA related to voting? Explain them. 

Challenge number 11

This week´s challenge will be a "superquestion". The superquestion was the last part of a legendary TV contest, El tiempo es oro (Time is gold). This show was broadcasted between 1987 and 1992 and it was presented by Constantino Romero. In the final part of the show the contestant had to solve three linked questions. The answer to the first question allowed the contestant to go on with the second one and the answer to this one gave the clue to the third and definitive answer. The contestants could use several encyclopedias and dictionaries to solve the questions. You can do the same with your superquestion. As we´re starting a new unit next week, let´s review a little bit!

QUESTION 1

What body of water is this one? Where is it located (continent and country)?

QUESTION 2

One of the countries next to this body of water has five places considered as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. Which country is this? What´s its capital city? What of these World Heritage Sites is represented on the following image? Why was this city so important during the Middle Ages?

QUESTION 3

Explain what type of government the country where the body of water and the city of the pictures are located has.

And remember, don´t copy and paste! Write your own answers. You have time until Sunday, 22:00. 

Challenge number 10

Spain is the second world touristic destination. Many of the tourists that come to Spain choose this country for its mild weather, its beaches and its competitive prices, in comparison with other touristic countries. However, Spain has a wide offer of cultural places and natural landscapes that could attract many visitors. This week´s challenge will consist in discovering some of these interesting places. You will have to identify the pictures, writing their names and where they are located. 

PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2

PICTURE 3

PICTURE 4

PICTURE 5

PICTURE 6

The last question has an open answer. If you had to choose a place to visit in Spain, that is not the typical place tourists usually visit, what would you choose? Explain why. 

P.S: Don´t forget to check your mails on Monday to know what you will have to study for the exam on Friday the 11th. 

Challenge number 9

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2006-05/08/content_584052.htm

Trains are this week´s topic. As we have studied, trains have important advantages over other means of transport. This week´s challenge includes some questions about history and some others about current trains. 

QUESTION 1

What was the first railway passenger line in the world? When did it start working?

QUESTION 2

What was the first railway passenger line in Spain?When did it start working?

QUESTION 3

What is track/ rail gauge? What is the difference between the Spanish gauge and the European gauge?

QUESTION 4

What is the longest railway line in the world? How many kilometres does this line have? What cities does this line connect?

QUESTION 5

What is Maglev? How it works? 

QUESTION 6

What train holds the record of maximum speed in service? What cities does this train connect?

QUESTION 7

What is the highest railway line in the world? At what altitude do trains circulate in this line?

Remember to write your own answers. Don´t copy and paste!

Source: http://www.iqpedia.com/Rail+tracks

Challenge number 8

Source: www.capital.es 

Trade is the topic of this week’s challenge. You will have to research Spain’s commercial relations with other countries and answer the following questions:

QUESTION 1

Who are Spain’s major trade partners? What five countries receive the highest percentage of Spain’s exports? From what five countries does Spain import the most products?

QUESTION 2

What products does Spain export to other countries? What products does Spain import?

QUESTION 3

What are Spain’s commercial relations with the USA? What kind of products does Spain export to the USA? What kind of products does Spain import from the USA? Does Spain have a deficit or surplus trade balance with the USA?

QUESTION 4

Economy and politics are closely linked many times. Why is Spanish official policy so generous towards countries such as Equatorial Guinea, Libya or Saudi Arabia? What commercial interests does Spain have in these countries?

Challenge number 7

Source: http://www.sonic.net/~lilith/EnviraFuels/biokids/bk-energy.html

This week you will have to research on the Spanish production of energy. The questions refer to different renewable energy sources. They are not very difficult: 

QUESTION 1

What is the autonomous community that concentrates more wind farms? 

QUESTION 2

What has been the record of production of electricity coming from wind power?

QUESTION 3

What´s this? Where is this facility located?

QUESTION 4

There is a peculiar solar farm in Manzanares and another one is being built in Fuente el  Fresno. What kind of solar farms are these? How do they work?

QUESTION 5

Where is located the only wave energy plant in Spain?

QUESTION 6

What is the Zèfir Test Station? Where will it be located?

QUESTION 7

What are the European Union objectives of renewable energy production for 2010?

Cheer up! Be more active!

Challenge number 6

Source: http://www.defensoresenlinea.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=192%3Anadie-frena-abusos-de-gildan-active-wear-en-contra-de-las-obreras&Itemid=171

This week´s questions will be focused on industry and some of the concepts we´ll study next week.

Question 1

Taking into account world industrial output, what are the three largest industrial manufacturers (countries)? What have been the recent changes in this list? What is the expected evolution of this list?

Question 2

What are maquiladoras? What´s the origin of this word? Where are they located? What do they produce? What are their main problems?

Come on, participate!

Challenge Number 5

Source: http://www.angrywhiteboy.org/index.php/2007/03/09/biofuels/

As fossile fuels are pollutant and oil reserves are exhausting, biofuel production has increased in the last years. This week´s challenge will consist in researching about biofuels and their economic impact.

QUESTION 1

 What are biofuels? What are their types?

QUESTION 2

What are the most common liquid biofuels? What is the difference between them?

Source: http://priceofoil.org/2009/08/17/policy-re-think-needed-for-biofuels-bogeyman/

QUESTION 3

What is the relationship between the development of biofuels and the increase of the price of cereals? How can the development of biofuels affect food supply in developing countries?

The pictures included on this post and the links below will help you to complete your answers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_vs._fuel

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128074830.htm

Source: http://www.vc4africa.com/group/socialentrepreneurs