HOW TO PREPARE A PRESENTATION

Here's a list of useful links on how to prepare a presentation

http://mi.eng.cam.ac.uk/~cipolla/archive/Presentations/MakingPresentations.pdf
http://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/elmat_en/kap_1/advanced/t1_2_2.html (includes useful phrases for each section)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mihaib/presentation-rules.html (includes a link to a useful powerpoint on the subject)

The Norman conquest

The Normans Ep. 2 Of 3: Conquest (part 1/4) por xSilverPhinx

A video from the BBC company that explains the Norman's arrival to England

The Anglo-Saxon Report

A funny take on the many invasions of Britain, from the Romans to the Battle of Hastings.

What the Romans did for us - Building Britain

Please feel free to upload yourselves video-clips related to class units!

Roman Britain

discussed on BBC Radio 4

Listen to the discussion here

But what brought Romans to Britain and what made them stay? Did they prove the commentators wrong and make Britain amount to something in the Empire? Did the Romans come and go without much trace, or do those four centuries still colour our national life and character today?
With Greg Woolf, Professor of Ancient History at St Andrews University; Mary Beard, Reader in Classics at Cambridge University; Catharine Edwards, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at Birkbeck College, London University.

Thanks Annabel for passing on this link!

Norman Invasion

Very interesting video clip!

DISCUSSION POINTS
* Relationship between ruler and ruled during the Anglo-Saxon and Norman periods.
* How does architecture reflect this relationship. Anglo-Saxon manor houses vs Norman castles.
* What happened in Yorkshire during Norman rule?
* King William's control included ...
* He gave portions of land to ... in exchange for ...
*What book did he commission? Purpose and contents of the book.

Romans

ROMANS IN THE UK - Places to visit:

* Museum of London Roman Londinium exhibition Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN.
* Roman Vindolanda Chesterholm Museum, Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 7JN.
* Housesteads Roman Fort Haydon Bridge, Hexham, Northumberland, NE4 76NN
* Fishbourne Roman Palace and Gardens Salthill Road, Fishbourne, Chichester, Sussex, PO19 3QR.
* The Roman Baths Stall Street, Bath, BA1 1LZ.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island was the 13^th state in the USA; it became a state on May 29, 1790

State Abbreviation - RI  /  State Capital - Providence  /  Largest City - Providence

 Rhode Island is the smallest state in the USA and also has the longest official name of any of the states: "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations".

Area - For a state that is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long, it is notable that its shoreline on Narragansett Bay in the Atlantic Ocean runs for 400 miles. Indeed, one of Rhode Island's nicknames is "the Ocean State."


The Breakers, Newport
The legendary mansions of Newport overlook the ocean at Narragansett Bay. Many of these spectacular homes are open for tourists and offer an inside glimpse into the lives of America's high society.
The Breakers, the magnificent Vanderbilt mansion built in 1895, is one of the most elegant private homes that has ever graced the Newport shorefront.

Name for Residents - Rhode Islanders
Population - 1,048,319 (as of 2000) [Rhode Island is the 43rd most populous state in the USA]The state is one of the most densely populated and heavily industrialized for its size.  
Major Industries - textiles, jewelry, rubber products, machinery, tourism

Major Rivers - Sakonnet River  /  Major Lakes - Scituate Reservoir
Highest Point - Jerimoth Hill - 812 feet (247 m) above sea level
Bordering States - Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York
Bordering Bodies of Water - Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island Sound, Atlantic Ocean

Origin of the Name Rhode Island - Rhode Island was either named for the Isle of Rhodes (in the Mediterranean Sea) or for its red clay (the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block may have named it "Rood Eylandt" meaning Red Island, in Dutch).
State Nicknames - The Ocean State, Little Rhody
State Motto - "Hope"
State Song - Rhode Island, It's for Me (www.youtube.com/watch)

State Flag

State Symbols

Tree: Red Maple (Acer rubrum) 

Flower: Violets (Viola sororia)

Bird: Rhode Island Red A type of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Shell: The hard clam or quahog: Mercenaria mercenaria is a bivalve mollusc native to the eastern shores of North America

Fish: Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)

Drink:Coffee milk

Fruit: Rhode Island greening apple (Malus Mill.)

The Rhode Island quarter, released May 21, 2001, honors the "Ocean State" with a picture of a beautiful vintage sailboat moving through Narragansett Bay with the Pell Bridge in the background. Sailing is, of course, the most popular sport in the smallest state in the union. With over 400 miles of coastline and more than 100 fresh and salt water beaches, Rhode Island was home to the Americas Cup for more than 50 years and is widely known as the Sailing Capital of the World.

Sources: www.netstate.com

www.statesymbolsusa.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/rhodeisland/

Montana

MONTANA

Montana is a state in the Western United States. Montana covers 147,046 square miles, making it the fourth largest of the 50 states right after Alaska, Texas, and California.

CAPITAL: Helena

STATE SYMBOLS:

Flag: Within the seal, a plow, shovel, and pick rest in a field in front of the Great Falls of the Missouri River. The ribbon contains the state motto, "Oro y plata" (Spanish for: "Gold and silver"). The current flag was adopted in 1905, and the word "Montana" above the seal was added in 1981. In 1985, the flag was again modified to specify the font used in "Montana.

Tree: ponderosa pine (1949)

Stones: sapphire and agate (1969)

Bird: Western meadowlark (1981)

The meadowlark was chosen as the State bird of Montana in 1930 by a vote of the school children of the state.

Butterfly: Mourning Cloak

Fish: Blackspotted Cutthroat Trout

United States quarter dollar - Montana 2007

Flower: bitterroot (1895)

The bitterroot was selected to be the Montana State Flower on February 27, 1895. Three major geographic features, the Bitterroot Mountains, the Bitterroot Valley and the Bitterroot River, owe the origins of their names to this flower.

Grass: Bluebunch Wheatgrass

Mammal: Grizzly Bear

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America

Seal: Great Seal of the State of Montana

Song: “Montana” (1945)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qCgt1V_8kc&feature=related

ABOUT MONTANA

Origin of name: From the Spanish word meaning “mountain.”

Nickname: Treasure State

Slogan: Big Sky Country

10 largest cities (2005): Billings, 98,721; Missoula, 62,923; Great Falls, 56,338; Bozeman, 33,535; Butte-Silver Bow,¹ 32,282; Helena, 27,383; Kalispell, 18,480; Havre, 9,390; Anaconda–Deer Lodge County, 8,948; Miles City, 8,162

Land area: 145,552 sq mi. (376,980 sq km)

Geographic center: In Fergus Co., 11 mi. W of Lewistown

Number of counties: 56

Residents: Montanan

2005 resident population est.: 935,67

Male: 449,480 (49.8%); Female: 452,715 (50.2%).

White: 817,229 (90.6%);

Black: 2,692 (0.3%);

American Indian: 56,068 (6.2%);

Asian: 4,691 (0.5%);

Other race: 5,315 (0.6%);

Two or more races: 15,730 (1.7%);

Hispanic/Latino: 18,081 (2.0%).

Sources:
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/mt_symb.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108237.html

UK: How a Bill becomes Law

Here is a video-clip explaining how a bill becomes law inthe UK. The video-clip is among the many resources found in the UK Parliament site.

Why not visit it? Here's the link:

www.parliament.uk

Arizona - AZ

Arizona is located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Four Corner States and a part of the mountain west. Arizona is a beautiful state that is best known for its desert landscape, which is rich in cactus plants.





In northern Arizona you can find the Grand Canyon, which has been carved by the Colorado River and is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Another interesting phenomenon is the Meteor Crater, which is a gigantic hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau.


There are a lot of national forests, parks and monuments in Arizona. In addition, more than a quarter of its territory is Federal Trust Land which serves as the home for several tribes.


Some key facts about Arizona:

• capital city & largest city: Phoenix



• for its area it is ranked 6th in the US (295,254 square kilometers)



• it is not densely populated (only 21.54/km2)
  


• highest point: Humphreys Peak (3,851 m)
  


• lowest point: Colorado River (22 m)



• abbreviation: AZ




• nickname: the Grand Canyon State, the Copper State
  
  


• motto: Ditat Deus (= God Enriches)



• languages: English, Spanish and Navajo



• state flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom



• state bird: Cactus Wren



• state song: Arizona by Rex Allen Jr



• state gemstone: turquoise
  

Hello everyone!

I 've never been to any english speaking country but I'd love to travel through the USA. On my way I would make a stop in San Francisco to visit Alcatraz Island. The island is known for its notorious prison. All problematic criminals that caused trouble in other prisons were sent there. It's said that due to its isolation nobody ever succeeded in escaping Alcatraz. They all failed or died trying. Later, the prison had to close because of erosion. Now Alcatraz is a national recreation area. Furthermore it contains the oldest lighthouse on the westcoast!

STATE OF KANSAS

State Abbreviation: KS, US-KS

Capital City: Topeka

Largest City: Wichita

US Region:is a Midwestern state in the central region of the US

Borders: Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east; Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west.

Bird: Western Meadowlark

Flag: On a navy blue field is a sunflower,the state flower. Also, the state seal and the words "Kansas". In the picture of the state seal are thirty-four stars representing the order of statehood. Above the stars is the motto "To the Stars Through Difficulties". On the seal a sunrise overshadows a farmer plowing a field near his log cabin, a steamboat sailing the Kansas River, a wagon train heading west and Native Americans hunting bison. Flag adopted 1927.

Flower: Sunflower

Motto: "Ad astra per aspera"

Important cities: Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka.

Elevation:

+ Highest Point: Mount Sunflower 4,039 ft (1,232 m)

+ Lowest Point: Verdigris River 679 ft (207 m)

+ Population: 2,853,116

+ Density: 34.9/sq mi (12.7/km²)
+ % water: 0.56

http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas

Alaska, the Last Frontier

• Alaska may be the largest state in the USA - it covers about 1.7 square kilometres - it's also the least densely populated state (only 1.03/km²).



• Alaska was bought from Russia by the USA on the 18th October in 1867. That day is celebrated each year as Alaska Day.



• 800 kilometres of land in Canada separate Alaska from Washington.



• Alaska is borderd by Canada in the East, the Pacific Ocean in the South, the Bernig Sea in the West and the Arctic Ocean in the North.



• name origin: Alaska is a russian word for 'great lands' or 'peninsula'.



• state song: the Alaska's Flag



• "North to the Future" is Alaska's state motto, representing Alaska as a land of promise.
  



• state sport: dog mushing
  


• state flower: alpine Forget-Me-Not
  


• nicknames: the Last Frontier, Land of the Midnight Sun, Seward's icebox
  


• highest point: Mount Mckinley, 6194 metres
  


• main river: Yukon
  


• largest city: Anchorage
  


• capital: Juneau

sources: http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Alaska/statesymbols.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska

Maine is on the move

MAINE:

• State abbreviation: ME

• Capital city : Augusta

• US Region: North East

• Maine is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the East and South, New Hampshire to the West, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the North West and New Brunswick to the North East. Maine is both the northernmost and the easternmost portion of New England.

• Bird: The chickadee

• Flag: 'The State coat of arms' is placed on a blue field. In the center of the shield a moose rests under a tall pine tree. A farmer and seaman represents the work that people did in early times. The North star represents the state motto: 'Dirigo' ('I direct'). This flag was adopted in 1909.

• Flower: Whitepine cone and tassel.
  

• Motto : 'Dirigo' ('I direct', 'I rule')
• Important cities: Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, Auburn, Brunswick, Biddeford, Sanford, Augusta and Scarborough, among others.

Bibliography:

http://www.50states.com/maine.htm

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0108221.html

http://www.dembsky.net/regions/

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

MARYLAND

MARYLAND - MD /US-MD

Nicknames: the Old Line State, the Free State and the Chesapeake Bay State.

Borders: Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east.

US region: Mid Atlantic region of the United States.

Capital city: Annapolis.

Largest city: Baltimore.

Other important cities: Columbia, Germantown, Silver Spring, Waldorf…

Maryland's flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. Calvert was the family name of the Lords Baltimore who founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and black appear in the first and fourth quarters of the flag. Crossland was the family of the mother of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore. The red and white Crossland colors, with a cross bottony, appear in the second and third quarters. This flag first was flown October 11, 1880, in Baltimore at a parade marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore. It also was flown October 25, 1888, at Gettysburg Battlefield for ceremonies dedicating monuments to Maryland regiments of the Army of the Potomac. Officially, it was adopted as the State flag in 1904.

The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) is the official Maryland bird.

The Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) has been the official Maryland flower since 1918 when it was designated the "Floral Emblem" of Maryland by the General Assembly.

"Manly deeds, womanly words"
The official motto is the Italian motto of the Calvert family - "Fatti maschil, Parole femine" (loosely translated as Manly deeds, Womanly words). The motto and arms of the Calvert family appear on the reverse of the state seal.

RESOURCES:

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

http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Maryland/Maryland-state-motto.html

http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/00list.html