SUMMER LINKS

Click on these links and review the SCIENCE topics studied during the year:

Learning in summer!!

SUMMER PLAN FOR 4º, 5º Y 6º

It is very recommended for you to read some of the books listed below (3 or 4 during summer):

Click on this link and choose from a selection of books related to SCIENCE.

Later, you can use your notebook to write down your findings and VOCABULARY LISTS.

Enjoy summer and read a lot!

BOOKS FOR SUMMER

QUIZZ QUESTIONS 6º

THE MIDDLE AGES

1) Comprehension: read and write your own opinions.
-The Visigoths established their own kingdoms. Leovigild made Toledo the capital of the kingdom. Roderic was defeated by the muslims. the Visigoths became Christians. The Visigoths built small stone churches.
2) True or False?
-It took the muslims many years to defeat the visigoths.
-The capital of Al-Andalus was Cordoba.
-Al Andalus was divided into smaller villages called taifas.
-The taifas fought among themselves.
-In 1212 the muslims defeated the Christians.
-Al Andalus society was formed by muslims, christians and jews.
3) Answer:
- What is the name of the Christian expansion after the Muslim invasion?
-Which were the Christian kingdoms around the year 1230?
-When were the Crowns of Castile and Aragon united?
-Most people in medieval society were...............
-When did the palaces and cathedrals begin to be built in the Gothic style?

THE 20TH CENTURY IN SPAIN

 1) True or False?
- The Generation of 98 was a gro

up of politicians.
-Industrial workers lived in big cities
-There was a revolt in Madrid in 1909.
-In 1923, Primo de Rivera established a dictatorship
-In 1931, Republican candidates won local elections.
-Alfonso XIII left the country.
-The first republic was established.
2) Finish the sentences:
-The Civil War began.............
-The war ended..................
-Under Franco, there was only........
-Spain was isolated.................
-The tourists industry...............
-Franco died in.....................
3) Complete:
-In 1975, Spain became a constitutional...........
-King Juan Carlos appointed Adolfo Suarez......
-Political parties and ........... were legalized.
-The Parliament and the majority of the Spanish population approved a new...
-Spain ..........a member of the European Union.

QUIZZ QUESTIONS 5º

PREHISTORY AND ANTIQUITY

1) Write these questions in Past Tense:
- The Stone Age begins 2,5 million years ago.
-Stone tools are used.
-In the Palaeolithic period, people move from place to place.
-In the Neolithic period, people live permanently in one place.
-They are farmers and have crops and domestic animals.
-The Metal Ages begin about 7000 years ago.
-Metal tools are used.
-The wheel and the plough are invented.
2) Complete:
-The Iberians lived in the ...............and south of the peninsula.
-They lived in walled settlements with............houses.
-They were divided into.............
-They were herders, ......... traders, and craftsmen.
-The............lived in the centre and north of the peninsula.
-They lived in walled settlements with ................houses.
-They were herders, farmers and expert....................
3)Complete:
-More than 2000 years ago, the Romans...................
-The Romans called the peninsula...........................
-The conquered tribes....................
-Seneca was....................
-Hispania was.......................
-The Visigoth invaders entered the peninsula.............
-Roman cities had.............................
-A forum was....................
-Aqueducts transported..............
4) True of False?
- The Phoenicians came from ASIA/GREECE
-They settled on the EASTERN/SOUTHERN coast.
-The Greeks settled on the SOUTHERN/MEDITERRANEAN coast.
-They founded the city of DENIA/CADIZ
-The Carthaginians came from ASIA/ NORTH AFRICA.

THE MIDDLE AGES

1) True or False?
-Under the Roman Empire the inhabitants of Hispania spoke Latin.
-The Visigoths crossed the sea into Hispania.
-Madrid was their capital.
-The Visigoths lived in villages.
-They used the land for agriculture.
-They were expert farmers.
2) Complete:
-In 711 a small army of muslims from northern..........invaded Visigothic Spain.
-In.........years the muslisms conquered most of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
-Under the muslims......was called Al-Andalus.
-Their highets authority was the............
-Their religion was.....................
-Christians continued to live in the...........of the Peninsula.
-Their highest authority was the............
3) Complete:
-Al-Andalus weakened around the year........
-Al Andalus broke up into .....................
-The muslim kingdoms were called.........
-The Christian kingdoms became ...........and more prosperous.
-The taifas were weak and ............many battles.
-The Christian Reconquest was ................in 1492.
-The Catholic Monarchs conquered the last muslim kingdom of ..............
4) Complete:
-The muslims built...............and...................and ............on hills.
-They occupied the centre and south of the peninsula for ...... hundred years.
-The philosopher Averroes was born in ................

READING COMPREHENSION: "THE PALACE WHERE MUSLIMS PRAY"

Muslims pray five times a day. On Fridays, they meet in mosques for community prayer. The muezzin is responsible for calling Muslims to pray. He calls them from a minaret, the mosque tower.
Inside the mosque, believers kneel and pray towards the wall which faces in the direction of Mecca. Mecca is the most sacred Muslim city.
As well as being a place of prayer, mosques are used as meeting places and even schools. Mosques have a large courtyard at the entrance, a prayer hall inside, and one or more minarets, depending on their size.
During the Middle Ages, muslims built many mosques on the Iberian Peninsula. The most importat one is in Cordoba, the capital of Al-andalus.

Complete:
-Mosques are used for.............................
-The muezzin is responsible for...................

1492 and The Spanish Empire

Spanish influence on the new continent

The Catholic Monarchs, The Reconquest and the Discovery of America

Link on the History of Spain: Click and find out about our History

BRIEF HISTORY OF SPAIN: Read and think about it.

One of the characteristic features of the early history of Spain is the succesive waves of different peoples who spread all over the Peninsula. The first to appear were the Iberians, a Libyan people, who came from the south. Later came the Celts, a typically Aryan people, and from the merging of the two there arose a new race, the Celtiberians, who, divided into several tribes (Cantabrians, Asturians, Lusitanians) gave their name to their respective homelands. The next to arrive, attracted by mining wealth, were the Phoenicians, who founded a number of trading posts along the coast, the most important being that of Cadiz. After this came Greek settlers, who founded several towns, including Rosas, Ampurias and Sagunto. The Phoenicians, in their struggle against the Greeks, called on the Carthaginians, who, under the orders of Hamilcar Barca, took possession of most of Spain. It was at this time that Rome raised a border dispute in defense of the areas of Greek influence, and thus beguan in the Peninsula the Second Punic War, which decided the fate of the world at that time.
After the Roman victory, Publius Cornelius Scipio, Africanus, began the conquest of Spain, which was to be under Roman rule for six centuries. Once the Peninsula had been completely subdued, it was Romanized to such an extent that it produced writers of the stature of Seneca and Lucan and such eminent emperors as Trajan and Hadrian. Rome left in Spain four powerful social elements: the Latin language, Roman law, the municipality and the Christian religion. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Suevi, Vandals and Alans entered Spain, but they were defeated by the Visigoths who, by the end of the 6th century, has occupied virtually the whole of the Peninsula. At the beginning of the 8th century the Arabs entered from the south. They conquered the country swiftly except for a small bulwark in the North which would become the initial springboard for the Reconquest, which was not completed until eight centuries later. The period of Muslim sway is divided into three periods: the Emirate (711 to 756), the Caliphate (756-1031) and the Reinos de Taifas (small independent kingdoms) (1031 to 1492). In 1469, the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, prepared the way for the union of the two kigdoms and marked the opening of a period of growing success for Spain, since during their reign, Granada, the last stronghold of the Arabs in Spain, was conquered and, at the same time, in the same historic year of 1492, the caravels sent by the Crown of Castile under the command of Christopher Columbus discovered America. The Canary Islands became part of Spanish territory (1495), the hegemony of Spain in the Mediterranean, to the detriment of France, was affirmed with the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples, and Navarre was incorporated into the Kingdom. The next two centuries, the 16th and the 17th, witnessed the construction and apogee of the Spanish Empire as a result of which the country, under the aegis of the Austrias, became the world's foremost power, and European politics hinged upon it. The War of Succession to the Spanish Crown (1701-1714) marked the end of the dynasty of the Habsburgs and the coming of the Bourbons. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 formalized the British occupation of the Rock of Gibraltar, giving rise to an anachronistic colonial situation which still persists today and constitutes the only dispute between Spain and the United Kingdom. In 1808 Joseph Bonaparte was installed on the Spanish throne, following the Napoleonic invasion, although the fierce resistance of the Spanish people culminated in the restoration of the Bourbons in the person of Fernando VII. In 1873, the brief reign of Amadeo of Savoy ended with his abdication, and the First Republic was proclaimed. However, a military pronunciamiento in 1875, restored the monarchy and Alfonso XII was proclaimed King of Spain. He was succeeded in 1886 by his son Alfonso XIII, although his mother Queen Maria Cristina of Habsburg acted as regent until 1902, when he was crowned king. Prior to this, a brief war with the United States resulted in the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, in 1898, thus completing the dissolution of the Spanish overseas empire. In the municipal elections of April 12th, 1931, it became clear that in all the large towns of Spain the candidates who supported the Monarchy had been heavily defeated. The size of the Republican's vote in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona was enormous. In the country districs the Monarchy gained enough seats to secure for them a majority in the nation as a whole. But it was well known that in the country the 'caciques' were still powerful enough to prevent a fair vote. By the evening of the day following the elections, great crowds were gathering in the streets of Madrid. The king's most trusted friends advised him to leave the capital without delay, to prevent bloodshed. As a result, Alfonso XIII left Spain and the Second Republic was established in April 14th. During its five-year lifetime, it was ridden with all kind of political, economic and social conflicts, which inexorably split opinions into two irreconcilable sides. The climate of growing violence culminated on July 18th 1936 in a military rising which turned into a tragic civil war which did not end until three years later. On October 1st, 1936, General Franco took over as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Spanish State embarked on a period of forty years' dictatorship, during which the political life of the country was characterized by the illegality of all the political parties with the exception of the National Movement. Franco died in 1975, bringing to an end a period of Spanish history and opening the way to the restoration of the monarchy with the rise to the Throne of the present King of Spain, Juan Carlos I de Borbon y Borbon. The young monarch soon established himself as a resolute motor for change to a western-style democracy by means of a cautious process of political reform which took as its starting point the Francoist legal structure. Adolfo Suarez, the prime minister of the second Monarchy Government (july 1976) carried out with determination and skill though helped, certainly, by a broad social consensus the socalled transition to democracy which, after going through several stages (recognition of basic liberties, political parties, including the communist party, the trade unions, an amnesty for political offences, etc.), culminated in the first democratic parliamentary elections in 41 years, on June 15th, 1977. The Cortes formed as a result decided to start a constituent process which concluded with the adoption of a new Constitution, ratified by universal suffrage, on December 6th, 1978. Between 1980 and 1982, the regions of Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia and Andalusia approved statutes for their own self-government and elected their respective parliaments. In January 1981, the prime minister, Adolfo Suarez, resigned and was succeeded by Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo. On August 27th, 1982, Calvo-Sotelo presented to the King a decree for the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of a general election to be held on October 28th. Victory of the polls went to the Spanish Socialist Worker Party (PSOE) and its secretary general, Felipe Gonzalez. The socialists obtained 202 seats out of the 350 of which the Lower House consists and approximately 48% of the popular vote. Felipe Gonzalez was elected prime minister (December 2nd) after the parliamentary vote of investiture. The major losers were the Union of the Democratic Centre -which has split up following the defection of a number of its members- and the Spanish Communist Party (PCE). The Popular Alliance, whose chairman was Manuel Fraga Iribarne, made considerable gains (106 seats and approximately 26% of the vote). The subsequent general elections of 1986, 1989 and 1993 were also won by the Spanish Socialist Party and consolidated the the position of the Popular Party, led by Jose Maria Aznar, as the second largest political force in the country

Activities for 6th grade

Do these activities in your notebook.

Write the words of each sentence in the correct order to make sense:

1) established / kingdom / Visigoths / the / their / own

2) Toledo / made / Leovigild / kingdom / capital / of / the / the

3) Muslims / Roderic / defeated / by / was / the

4) became / the / Christians / Visigoths
5) Visigoths / the / churches / stone / small / built

Complete:

The expansion of the Christian kingdoms after the ............................. invasion is called the Reconquest.
By around 1230, there were .................large ...........................in the Christian territory.
In 1479, the Crowns of Castile and ............................. were united.
Most people in medieval society were .................................
After the ......................century palaces and cathedrals were built in the Gothic style.

True or False?

1) It took the muslims many years to defeat the Visigoths.
2) The capital of Al-Andalus was Cordoba.
3) Al-Andalus was divided into smaller villages called taifas.
4) The Taifas fought among themselves.
5) In 1212 the muslims defeated the Christians.
6) Al-Andalus society was formed by muslims, christians and jews.

READING COMPREHENSION

THE PLAGUE

In the 14th century (the 1300's), a horrible disease struck Asia, Africa, and Europe. The people called this illness the Black Death. The disease started in Asia in the 1340's. It quickly spread to Africa, and  throughout Europe. 

Infected people first broke out with red ring shaped marks with dark center spots on their arms and necks. They would run high fevers. They became even more ill, and then they died.

In just two years, 25 million people died of the plague. In ten years, the plague had killed over 1/3 of Europe's population.  Can you imagine the fear people must have felt?

People were sick everywhere. Whole families were wiped out. Whole villages were wiped out.

At first, people locked their doors trying to protect themselves. They carried flowers to ward off the smell of the dead and dying. The skies were filled with ashes as people burned houses filled with the dead. Villages filled with the dead were burned down, to contain and kill the disease. Nothing worked. 

Outbreaks of the disease seemed to come in cycles. Just as people thought it was over, a new rash of illness would hit the towns, and from the towns move to the villages. 

People did not know that infected rats carried the disease. They thought it was a punishment from God for being wicked. They believed if you were bad, you would get the plague and die. 

The towns were hit the hardest. There was no sanitation in the towns. People threw their garage out on the street. To a rat, coming off a ship docked at port, the towns must have seemed like heaven.

Medieval knowledge of health, hygiene, and medical practices was very limited. Commoners and nobles alike took infrequent baths. The peasants slept and worked in the same clothes for days and even weeks at a time without washing themselves or their clothes. The nobles were not much better. Soap was made of lye, which was very rough on the skin. There was no toothpaste or toothbrushes. People used watered spices on their lips and teeth, but all that did was briefly hide the smell of rotting teeth. Peasants died young from malnutrition and the simplest of diseases. Women died in childbirth from ignorance. People handled cattle and then directly handled food. 

Even before the plague, what is amazing really is that anyone lived. The truth is, only the very strong survived. But the strong had no defense against the Black Death. No one was safe. And millions of people died. 

Outbreaks of the plague continued for two hundred years. The cause of the plague was not discovered until the 20th century (1900's.) Today, this disease is called the bubonic plague. We have a vaccine for the plague should an outbreak ever happen again. We're lucky. The people in the Middle Ages did not have vaccines to protect themselves from many diseases as we do today.

Write a summary of the text with your own words.

Activities for 5th grade

Complete these activities:

1) In the Paleolithic period craftsmen made.................by hitting one stone against another.
2) In the Neolithic period craftsmen made polished stone ...................................
3) They also made.......................
4) They also made......................
5) In the Metal Ages craftsmen made metal ......................................
6) The Phoenicians came from.....................
7) They settled on the ..................... coast.
8) The Greeks settled on the ...................... coast.
9) They founded the city of.........................
10) The Carthaginians came from .......................
11) The Stone Age began ............................. years ago.
12) Stone ............. were used.
13) In the Paleolithic period, people moved from place to place because they were ..................
14) In the Neolitihic period, people lived permanently in one place because they were ..............
15) They were ................. and had crops and ............... animals.
16) The Metal Ages began about ......................... years ago.
17) .................. tools were used.
18) The wheel and ................ were invented.
19) The Iberians lived in the ...............and south of the peninsula.
20) They lived in walled settlements with ................ houses.
21) They were divided into ................
22) They were herders, ................ traders and craftsmen.
23) The .......... lived in the centre and north of the peninsula.
24) They lived in walled settlements with ........... houses.
25) They were herders, farmers and expert ......................
26) More than 2000 years ago, the Romans conquered ....................
27) The Romans called it ........................
28) The conquered tribes spoke ...................
29) Seneca was a .......................
30) Hispania was Roman for ........................years.
31) The Visigoths invaders entered the peninsula from ......................
32) Roman cities had two main .............................
33) A forum was a large ............................
34) Aqueducts transported .........................

READING COMPREHENSIONS
(copy them on your notebook- cópialas ambas en tu cuaderno)

Measuring Time

Dates can be expressed as BC or AD. The birth of Christ, more than 2000 years ago, is used to make the first big division in historical time. Events that happened before the birth of Christ use the letters BC (Before Christ) after the date. For example, the prehistoric paintings in the Caves of Altamira are from the year 15000 BC.
Events taking place after the birth of Christ are identified with the letters AD after the date, but most of the time we do not use anything. For example, we could write that the Crown of Castile was formed in 1230 or in 1230 AD. Both forms are correct.
A period of one hundred years is called a century. The year 1492 was in the fifteenth century.

Order the historical events in chronological order:

711 AD: Muslims invaded the Iberian peninsula
753 BC: Rome was founded
1492: Columbus discovered America
1200 BC: the Phoenician alphabet was invented.

Write the century these dates are in:

211:
536:
1359:

Answer the questions:

What year were you born in? ......................
What century were you born in? .................
What century were your parents born in? ............
What century are we in now? ............................

GLADIATORS AND CHARIOTEERS

Circus games were the Roman's most popular form of entertainment. Games were held regularly, and lasted for many days. The events were advertised on signs and proclaimed throughout the city. People came from all over the Roman Empire to watch the games. Sometimes they slept outdoors waiting for the games to begin. The gladiators' fights and chariot races were the most popular circus games.
Most of the gladiators were slaves, prisioners of war, or criminals, but some were volunteers. All gladiators went to training schools to learn special fighting techniques. Many gladiators died in the fights. The president of the games decided if a gladiator lived or died.
Chariot races were held in the circuses. There were four different chariot teams which had different colors. the chariots were pulled by four horses and driven by the charioteer. The races were very dangerous. Chariots crashed, and men and horses were injured and killed.
Some gladiators and chariot drivers became rich and famous.

Answer:

Where did gladiators learn their techniques?

How many horses pulled chariots?

Imagine you live in ancient Rome and you are going to see the circus games. Describe your day.

Realiza estas actividades para el día 20 de mayo.

PREHISTORY AND ANTIQUITY (5º)

PREHISTORY AND ANTIQUITY

1) What does and archeologist do?
2) Do you know where can we find archeological sites in Spain?
3) What can you find in those archeological sites?
4) What time of History is found in those sites?

 

Answer these questions in your notebook from the textbook:

 

Prehistory is.................................................................


The Stone Age began..................................................

Paleolithic:

Neolithic:

Metal Ages began......................................................

Craftsmen and Artists.

PRE-ROMAN TIMES

The Peninsula was inhabited by Iberian  and Celtic tribes. Later, Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians sailed across the Mediterranean sea to the peninsula, and established colonies.

IBERIANS AND CELTS

Iberians:

Celts:

COLONIES
Phoenicians:
Greeks:
Carthaginians:

ROMAN HISPANIA

TASK:

Answer and complete all of the above.

The Visigoths in Hispania

Visigoths and Muslims

Formación de la Lengua Española

Arquitectura Visigoda: San Juan de Baños, Palencia

711 The muslims in the peninsula



En la noche del 27 de abril del año 711 las primeras tropas del valí Musa Ibn Nusayr, gobernador del norte de África, desembarcaban junto al peñón de Gibraltar con el caudillo militar bereber Tariq Ibn Ziyad al frente. A lo largo de toda la noche y hasta la mañana del 28 desembarcan hasta 7.000 hombres, que tras tomar con facilidad la ciudad de Cádiz se hacen fuertes en un radio que llega hasta Algeciras, recibiendo refuerzos de un nuevo contingente de 5.000 hombres enviado por Musa. De este suceso tomará su nombre el promontorio de Gibraltar: Yabal Tariq o Monte de Tariq.
Por aquel entonces reinaba entre los godos el que fue su último monarca, don Rodrigo, que se hallaba en Pamplona haciendo frente a un levantamiento de vascones. Don Rodrigo había llegado al poder legítimamente, tras ser escogido en asamblea tras la prematura muerte del rey Witiza. Sin embargo, su elección provocó fuertes divisiones entre los partidarios del anterior monarca, que había dejado tres hijos jóvenes en condiciones de perpetuar su linaje. Los partidarios de Witiza buscaron un aliado que pudiese ayudarles a recuperar el poder y lo encontraron en sus vecinos árabes, que controlaban todo el litoral africano y se hallaban en plena expansión. Medió en la traición don Julián, gobernador de Ceuta y antiguo cliente del rey Witiza, de quien cuentan que odiaba personalmente a don Rodrigo por haber seducido a su hija.
La batalla definitiva entre Tariq y don Rodrigo se produjo a orillas del río Guadalete. Las alas del ejército godo habían sido confiadas al clan Witiza, que en plena batalla huyó dejando a don Rodrigo desguarnecido por los flancos. Luchó el godo con coraje pero sólo encontró la muerte y la estrepitosa derrota de su ejército. Tras la derrota de Guadalete el reino visigodo cayó como un castillo de naipes. Toledo y Mérida se rindieron sin apenas resistencia y fue tan limpio el avance de Tariq que el propio gobernador Musa sintió envidia de sus victorias y cruzó el Estrecho al mando de 18.000 hombres. La invasión musulmana se había consumado. Sólo en las cuevas de Covadonga un antiguo partidario de don Rodrigo mantendría vivo el espíritu de la resistencia.

Click here to learn more about the muslims in the peninsula

THE RECONQUEST

La Reconquista española

¿Qué fue la Reconquista? En el año 711 los musulmanes ocupan casi toda España. Sólo la región montañosa del Norte quedó en manos de los españoles. Desde allí los reinos cristianos se lanzaron a reconquistar su territorio. A partir del triunfo de Covadonga, en el año 722, se iniciará un lento pero persistente avance hacia el sur. Surgieron los reinos de Asturias, Leon, Navarra, Portugal, Castilla y Aragón. Finalmente, en 1492, en tiempos de los reyes católicos, la toma de Granada, último bastión musulmán, pondrá fin a la reconquista. ¿Cómo era la sociedad en los reinos cristianos durante la reconquista? El reparto de la tierra que se iba reconquistando benefició a la nobleza guerrera, que fue acumulando grandes posesiones que dedicarían sobre todo a la ganadería. Había musulmanes que permanecían en los territorios cristianos. Se los llamaba mudéjares y se dedicaban a la agricultura y a la pequeña industria. También era numerosa en estas zonas la comunidad judía que se dedicaba al comercio, los préstamos y al artesanado. Los musulmanes y los judíos eran tan numerosos en algunas zonas como los cristianos. ¿Quién fue el Cid Campeador? Fue un guerrero de la reconquista nacido en Burgos en 1030 llamado Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, que luchó al servicio de los reyes Fernando I y Sancho II. Desterrado de Castilla en tiempos de Alfonso VI, guerreó por su cuenta contra los musulmanes y tomó la ciudad de Valencia en 1094. Murió allí en 1099. Su vida, símbolo del guerrero de la reconquista, inspiró el famoso poema del Mío Cid. ¿Qué eran las cortes? A fines del siglo XII surgió una nueva institución: las cortes, una especie de parlamento presidido por el rey e integradas por la "Curia" (nobles y eclesiásticos) y los representantes de villas y ciudades. Votaban los impuestos, presidían la jura del monarca, planificaban las acciones militares contra los musulmanes y se ocupaban de los asuntos del reino. Las cortes significaron un avance democrático y una limitación al poder de los reyes. ¿Cómo era la situación en el siglo XV? Dos grandes reinos cristianos estaban ya formados y asentados: Castilla y Aragón. En 1469, el casamiento de Fernando de Aragón e Isabel de Castilla logra unificar la península, aunque cada uno mantendrá el reinado sobre sus regiones de origen. Los "reyes católicos" incorporaron Navarra y culminaron la reconquista con la toma de Granada el 2 de enero de 1492, el mismo año del viaje de Colón. ¿Qué fue la Inquisición? Era un tribunal impuesto por Isabel y Fernando destinado a perseguir a los no católicos y lograr, por la fuerza, la unidad religiosa. El Gran Inquisidor Torquemada persiguió a herejes, musulmanes y judíos que se negaban a convertirse a la religión católica, aplicándoles graves tormentos que iban desde la tortura a la muerte en la hoguera. Finalmente, en 1492, los reyes católicos decretaron la expulsión de España de los judíos y los moros (musulmanes). Esto trajo graves consecuencias para el reino, que se vio privado de dos culturas muy ricas que se dedicaban a actividades económicas fundamentales. ¿Qué aportaron los musulmanes a la cultura española? Los musulmanes permanecieron ocho siglos en España. Gracias a sus traducciones se difundieron grandes clásicos de la antigüedad y realizaron grandes aportes en el campo de la agricultura, la industria, las matemáticas, la física, la química y la medicina. Fueron ellos quienes introdujeron la guitarra en la península. El arte y la arquitectura islámicas pueden apreciarse en grandes obras de la región de Al -Andalus (Andalucía),como la Alhambra de Granada.

THE ATMOSPHERE AND POPULATION (5º)

TOPIC 7
Read and answer the questions:

VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES
A volcanic eruption is when magma rises through cracks in the Earth's surface. Eruptions can rapidly change the landscape for kilometres around.
During eruptions, red-hot material is ejected. This is called lava when it reaches the Earth's surface. Lava moves down, destroying everything in its path. It turns the ground into a dry, stony landscape where very little vegetation can grow.
The Canary Islands are a good example of volcanic landscapes. On the islands of Lanzarote and Hierro, we find volcanic cones. These are cone-shaped mountains craters called "calderas" on Tenerife and La Palma. Other volcanic formations on the Canary Islands are fields of lava called badlands. A good example is the Fire Mountains on the Island of Lanzarote.

1) Answer:
- What are badlands?
- How are the badlands formed?
- What are the "calderas"?
- Where can we find calderas?

2) Write down the name of each area on the Peninsula with volcanic formations.

3) Draw a representation of the water cycle.

4) Define:
- sunlight
- carbon dioxide
- ozone
- erosion
- transport
- sedimentation

5) True or False?
The main gases in the air are nitrogen and oxygen.
The atmosphere has large quantities of carbon dioxide, ozone and water vapor.
The atmosphere is not essential to life on Earth.
All living things breathe oxygen.
Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
Oxygen filters harmul ultraviolet rays.

6) Put in the correct order:
a.- Water filters into the land, returns to the sea or evaporates.
b.- It becomes water vapor.
c.- Water falls from clouds as rain or snow.
d.- Water vapor rises and condenses into drops of water.
e.- The water cycle starts again.
f.- Liquid water evaporates because of heat from the sun.
g.- The water drops form clouds.

7) Fill the gaps.
- The geosphere is made up of ....................................layers.
- The crust is the Earth's ..............................layer.
- The mantle, or middle layer, is very............................
- The core is the Earh's ..........................layer.
- Magma is red-hot ..............................rock.

8) Finish the sentences
- Volcanoes form in places..................................
- Earthquakes are caused by.......................................
- Earthquakes on the ocean floor....................................................
- The action of wind and water....................................................
- Erosion is the removal of..........................................................
- Transport is the movement of ...................................................
- Sedimentation is the accumulation of........................................

TOPIC 10 POPULATION

1) Copy and learn:
"People like to live in places where there are good job opportunities, a healthy climate and good services. Many people live on the coasts. Some countries and regions are more densely populated than others. In Australia there are only 2 inhabitants per square kilometre".

2) Complete:
- The movement of population is called..........................
- Earthquakes are a natural cause of................................
- Finding work is............................................................
- Internal migration is....................................................
- International migration is............................................
- Emigrants are...............................................................
- Inmigrants are..............................................................

3) Explain the population characteristics of Spain. ( 1 paper sheet front).
4) Answer
- What are urban populations?
- What are rural populations?
- What measures the size of a population?
- What is a positive natural increase?
- What is a negative natural increase?
- Today the population os Spain is approximately ...........................million inhabitants.
- In 1960 it was about .............................million.
- There are now about.....................................million inmigrants.
- Population density is........................................inhabitants per square km.

5) Read and answer:
THE GROWTH OF CITIES
The first cities appeared between 6 and 7 thousand years ago in different parts of the world: the Middle East, India and China. They were small settlements. Most of the population was employed in fishing, agriculture or livestock farming.
 Today, cities have almost nothing in common with the first settlements. They are large urban areas with tall buildings, leisure facilities, and varied means of transport.
Two factors have influenced the growth of cities. One is the increase in population, thanks to medical advances and better health and food habits. The other is the opportunity they give people to work and the services they provide. This produces migration from rural areas.

a.- Find the most important words in each paragraph.
b.- Is there a relationship between the increase in population and the growth of cities?
c.- Do more people live today in villages or in cities? Why?

tHE mIDDLE aGES (6º)

links to study the middle ages

TASKS:

1)
- Identify the Germanic tribes which invaded the Iberian peninsula.
- How was the Visigothic kingdom formed and organized?
- Describe the Muslim invasion of the peninsula
- Explain the political organization of Al-Andalus. Social and cultural aspects.
- Identify the Christian kingdoms.
- Describe the Reconquest.
- Describe how the medieval society was established.

2)
- Enter the link above and write a paper about 5 facts which look interesting to you and will help you learn about the Middle Ages. Add pictures. You can create a pps presentation, write an essay...etc.

Tasks to be handed in by 9th May 2013.

TEST QUESTIONS PRACTICE (6º)

TOPIC 11:PREHISTORY

1) What is the Paleolithic period?
2) What does the word "paleolithic" mean?
3) When did the first hominids appear in the Iberian Peninsula?
4) Were they nomad or sedentary? How did they live?
5) What are the main differences between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic periods?
6) Say a few things about the Metal Ages.
7) What is the heritage of all these stages?
8) Who were the Iberians and the Celts?
9) Who were the Tartessians and where did they live? What did they do?
10) Describe Phoenicians/Greeks and Carthaginians.
11) How did the Romans invade the Peninsula?
12) The fall of the Roman rule.
13) Monuments and cities built by the Romans in Spain. Make a list of about 10.

TOPIC 10: EUROPE

True or False?
1) The Ural Mountains are near the Pyrenees.
2) The longest river in Europe is the Volga.
3) Most of the mountain chains are in the middle of Europe.
4) Sardinia is one of the largest islands in Europe.
5) The Atlantic Ocean is east of Europe.

Fill in the gaps
1) Europe is a ................................................continent.
2) The population density varies.......................................from one region to another.
3) There are .............................................................nations in Europe.
5) There ......................................a great diversity or languages.

Complete
1) A..........................is a group of countries united for a common purpose.
2) There are 490 million...................................................in the EU.
3) The official............................................in most countries in Europe is the Euro.
4) Member states share.................................on agriculture, industry and transport.
5) Most EU institutions are based in Brussels, Strasburg and...............................................

TOPIC 11

TOPIC 11 (6º) PREHISTORY AND ANTIQUITY

LINKS ABOUT PREHISTORIC TIMES AND EVOLUTION OF MAN


PALEOLITHIC

PREHISTORIC ART

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

WHAT IS PREHISTORY?

BBC page

DINOSAURS

PDF document



Reading: PREHISTORY.

What is the Stone Age

“Stone Age” is a term used to refer to prehistoric times, beginning when humans started to make tools and weapons that were made of stone. The Bronze Age and the Iron Age followed. The Stone Age is divided into Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, marking the progressive levels of sophistication found in artifacts and cultural activities.

The Paleolithic Age stretches from about 2-2.5 million years BCE to 10,000 years BCE, which is 95 percent of the time humans and their direct ancestors have been on this planet. Food was obtained mostly by hunting, fishing and collecting wild plants, nuts and fruit.

Tools of the Stone Age.

There are no written records from the Stone Age. What we know about Stone Age humans comes from things they made, like weapons, tools, shelters and other objects discovered mostly in archaeological digs. Engraving designs on stones and bones, carved figures and drawings on the walls of caves also give us information and help us trace the slow development of Homo sapiens throughout the period.

The oldest known tools, from 2.6 to 2.5 million years ago come from Gona in Africa, where thousands of stone artifacts were found. The artifacts show that those who made them, most likely a human ancestor species, were very knowledgeable about stone fracture mechanics. Gona is near Ethiopia, where many other tools were found, although they were a bit younger, from 2.4-2.3 million years ago.

Groups of Homo erectus, an early species of humans found in China, Asia, Africa and Europe between 100,000 and 500,000 years ago, used stone tools, including hand axes, that were made by chipping at the stone to form an edge for cutting.

Many flint tools from the Middle Paleolithic Age, about 150,000 years BCE to about 40,000 year BCE, were found mainly in Europe, but also in North Africa, the Middle East and Siberia. This is the age of the Neanderthals, an early form of humans who lived about 40,000 to 100,000 years ago. Human ancestors during this age lived in caves, and many groups used fire. Needles made out of bone from that time were also found, evidence that they may have sewn animal skins for clothing and other protection.

Where did the People of the Stone Age Live.

Shelters made by Neanderthals showed that they also lived in huts made of wood and had hearths for fire, Another hut made of animal hides over wooden poles was found inside of cave in Grotte du Lazaret in France. Other huts, sometimes with divided living spaces and hearths and braced with mammoth bones have been found in France, the Ukraine, Siberia and Russia

What Did Stone Age People Eat?

During the Stone Age, people were primarily hunter-gatherers. They depended for food on those items that were readily available and were in their close proximity. This included animals and the various plants that grew in the area. This type of existence, of necessity, defined the ability of ancient people to interact with their environment.

Lacking the ability to cultivate their own food, either plant or animal, Stone Age people were forced to live on what the surroundings provided. This type of subsistence life style meant that people were unable to stay in one specific location for any length of time. A number of factors would force them to move and seek new sources of food. By way of example, the available edible plants or the animal life in any specific area would be depleted. Other factors influencing the need to relocate continuously included other, stronger tribes competing for the same area, the lack of adequate drinking water or, following the discovery of fire, the lack of fire-burning materials.

This nomadic existence also meant that Stone Age society was one without any form of permanent settlement. Therefore, people took shelter either in caves or in primitive shelters easily constructed from material gathered around them. Additionally, people were forced to carry all of their possessions with them. This was a significant burden that prevented the development of a more advanced community. The amount of time needed to find and acquire food was another barrier to mankind’s development as most of the day was spent gathering food and seeking places for shelter.

Agriculture was unknown to Stone Age people. Many of what are today considered basic foodstuffs were thus unavailable to them. For example, there would have been no grain products. These would have required people’s remaining in one place where wheat, barley, rice and so forth could ripen. The Stone Age diet would have consisted primarily of meat and fish, fruits, vegetables, roots and nuts.

Artifacts from the Upper Paleolithic Age

Artifacts from the Upper Paleolithic Age, 40,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE, belonging to Cro-Magnons, now called early modern humans, were found in Europe. This is also the period of the famous “Venus of Willendorf,” dated between 24,000 BCE and 22,000 BCE. This 11-centimeter high carving of a female figure made of oolitic limestone was discovered in a village in lower Austria. It is the first of several such small carvings of females found in an area from France to Siberia that have essentially the same characteristics: very large abdomens and pendulous breasts, no features on the face and very tiny or missing feet. Thought by some to be fertility figures, these findings, along with very few findings of male figures, have led to much speculation about the role of women in Paleolithic communities and the possibility of matriarchal societies.

Mesolithic Age.

During the Mesolithic Age, beginning more than 10,000 years ago, humans domesticated plants and animals and settled in communities, frequently along shorelines. Stone tools became smaller and more refined, and the bow and pottery began to appear.

The Mesolithic Age overlapped with the Neolithic age. The latter saw the development of pottery and weaving and ended with the appearance of metal tools and weapons which helped with hunting. The rate of development varied in different geographic regions but overall man was evolving.

TASK:

1)      Write 5 facts about Prehistory that you like.

2)      Click on one of the links provided and write a report/article about the content and what you learned.

3)      Present your research with pictures or drawings of your discoveries.

4)      Write a summary of the text “Prehistory” above.

THE ROMAN HISPANIA



Hispania is one of the names given the area that is the modern Spain and Portugal. It is also known as the Iberian Peninsula, a name said to come from the Ebro (Iberus) river. Early settlers included Celts and Africans. Phoenicians may have colonized areas of the peninsula in 1100 B.C. Here are more resources on Hispania from the point at which it came to the attention of Republican Rome.

The name Hispania refers to the Iberian peninsula where modern Spain and Portugal are located. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pyrenees. Six mountain ranges separate five large valleys with major rivers, Durius (Donro), Tagus (Tajo), Anas (Guadiana), Baetis (Guadalquivir), and the Iberus (Ebro).

After its defeat by the Romans in the First Punic War (264-41 B.C.), Carthage compensated for its loss of Sicily by rebuilding a commercial empire in Spain. The country became the staging ground for Hannibal's epic invasion of Italy during the Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.). Roman armies also invaded Spain and used it as a training ground for officers and as a proving ground for tactics during campaigns against the Carthaginians and the Iberians. Iberian resistance was fierce and prolonged, however, and it was not until 19 B.C. that the Roman emperor Augustus (r. 27 B.C.-A.D. 14) was able to complete the conquest of Spain.

Romanization of the Iberians proceeded quickly after their conquest. Called Hispania by the Romans, Spain was not one political entity but was divided into three separately governed provinces (nine provinces by the fourth century A.D.). More important, Spain was for more than 400 years part of a cosmopolitan world empire bound together by law, language, and the Roman road.

Iberian tribal leaders and urban oligarchs were admitted into the Roman aristocratic class, and they participated in governing Spain and the empire. The latifundios (sing., latifundio), large estates controlled by the aristocracy, were superimposed on the existing Iberian landholding system.

The Romans improved existing cities, established Zaragoza, Merida, and Valencia, and provided amenities throughout the empire. Spain's economy expanded under Roman tutelage. Spain, along with North Africa, served as a granary for the Roman market, and its harbors exported gold, wool, olive oil, and wine. Agricultural production increased with the introduction of irrigation projects, some of which remain in use. The HispanoRomans --the romanized Iberians and the Iberian-born descendants of Roman soldiers and colonists--had all achieved the status of full Roman citizenship by the end of the first century A.D. The emperors Trajan (r. 98-117), Hadrian (r. 117-38), and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-80) were born in Spain.

HADRIAN

Official Title: Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus

Name Known by: Hadrianus Augustus. Wife: Trajan's grand-niece Vibia Sabina

Dates: January 24, 76 - July 10, 138

Place of Birth: Italica, in Hispania Baetica, or Rome

Answer these questions:

1) What was Hispania?

2) Where does the name of Hispania come from?

3) How did the romanization of Hispania happen?

4) What emperors were from Hispania?

5) Who was Hadrian?

Reccomended reading:

Task: Find monuments built by the Romans in Spain and important towns from that time.

SCIENCE FOR ALL

Investiga, lee y aprende

Europe games

Click, play and learn

CHANGES IN MATTER (5º)

Fifth graders! watch this video about physical and chemical changes!

QUESTIONS FOR TEST PRACTICE. TOPICS 8 AND 9 (6º)

TOPIC 9

1) The  population in Spain has increased because there is a..............and because many...........have come to Spain to work or to retire.
2) There are more................than..................
3) The population is ageing because people are...........and the.............. rate is decreasing.
4) The most populated areas in Spain are on the ................and in the Autonomous community of..........
5) Most .............. live in provincial capitals and the main ................. and tourist centres.
6) The majority of unemployed people are.....................................
7) The primary sector includes............................................
8) The secondary sector includes........................................
9) The construction idustry has...........................................
10) Today, the service sector is.........................................
11) The service sector provides........................................
12) Name 3 bodies of water surrounding Spain.
13) Name three countries that border Spain.
14) Name 2 cities in North Africa which are part of Spain.
15) Name 2 groups of islands which are part of Spain.
16) Name the geographical features which separate Spain from Europe and from Africa.
17) How many Autonomous regions are there in Spain? Name them all.
18) How many provinces are there in Spain?
19) All laws must/must not follow the Constitution.
20) The monarch can/cannot make political decisions.
21) The Cortes do not control/control government actions.
22) The Supreme Court has/does not have authority over the entire country.

TOPIC 8

1) The Central Plateau is divided by the.................................
2) The Pyrenees are in the......................................................
3) The Betic Chain is in the...................................................
4) The Cantabrian Chain is in the..........................................
5) The Iberian Chain is in the ...........................of the Central Plateau.
6) The ........................are very mountainous.
7) The ........................are not very mountainous.
8) The Galician/Andalusian coast is high and rocky with many estuaries.
9) The Galician/Andalusian coast is low and sandy.
10) Lanzarote has long cliffs/beaches.
11) The Mediterranean coast is Spain's longest/shortest coast.
12) The Balearic Islands generally have high and rocky/low and sandy coasts.
13) The river Ebro is one of the longest in Spain. T/F
14) The Ebro flows from east to west. T/F
15) There are many rivers on the Balearic Islands. T/F
16) The Mediterranean watershed occupies a third of Spain. T/F
17) The Galician rivers are long with low flows.

More matter!

Changes in matter

EXPERIMENTS!!

STUDY AND TRY!

All matter

MATTER (5º)

Matter for kids. Click on the link and explore!

For you to see!

Games to play!

More games!

Climate of Europe

Consult the weather forecast for any country of Europe

Vegetation of Europe