THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is a very important holiday in the United States. It is celebrated the fourth Thursday on November. Family members and friends travel long distances to meet and share a delicious meal and offer thanks to God. Traditionaly, they eat turkey, gravy, crawnberry sauce and pumpkin pie. In Ecuador, celebrating Thanksgiving is not a tradition; However, nowadays many people are starting to do it. Why could that be? Do you think it´s just because we want to get Americanized? Or could there be another reason? We would love to know your opinion about it, so why don´t you answer the questions below.

When was the first Thanksgiving? Why was it celebrated? Do you agree on celebrating this holiday in Ecuador? Why?

READING AND FAIRY TALE

“While Cinderella calls her bird friends who provide her a beautiful outfit, Hansel and Gretel are left alone in the woods. Meanwhile a princess runs to open the door to welcome a nasty frog and a wolf is puffing and huffing to blow one of the pig´s house.”

Does this sound familiar to you? I am sure it does. They are just part of some of the most famous fairy tales.

Reading is a pleasure that cannot be substituted. Not only that it helps you expand vocabulary, improve reasoning skills and gives you something to talk about, but it is also a great pleasure. You can take a book with you anywhere, and you will be magically transported to the most incredible worlds and meet the most amazing creatures.

There are so many classic fairy tales you have probably read such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, The Emperor´s New Clothes, etc, etc, etc. Which was your favorite? What was it about? Why do you consider it your favorite? We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please answer the question below.

WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE FAIRY TALE? WHY?WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART?

LIFE WITHOUT MUSIC

Could you imagine what life would be without music? No sweet lullabies, no romantic ballads, no happy folksongs nor arousing symphonies... what a boring scene! Music has a powerful influence in human emotions: it relaxes and excites us, it inspires us, fills us with joy and makes us cry. But music can also be a matter of discussion with your parents.. they sometimes don' t approve your musical preferences!

What kind of music do you listen to ? What does it talk about?
How does it influence the way you feel?

YUMMY, YUMMY

Do you like brownies? What about cheesecakes? Maybe you like submarines better. Well, nowadays we have to remember to eat healthy food. There are some delicious dishes that are healthy and easy to prepare. Have you ever prepared any of them? We would love to know about your skills in cooking.

Do like cooking? What special recipe have you prepared?

First Cry of Independence

On August 10, 1809 Ecuador declared independence from the King of Spain. This event is called "First Cry of Independence". Why? Because it was the first try for independence in the region. The intent was not succesful; however, it is considered a starting point for our country´s independence.

Do you have any idea of the dangers that people who participated in the movement had to face? Who were those patriots? Why did they want to be free? Those are many of the questions that you may ask yourself if you haven´t read enough about it.

Visit the link below and you can read more about the "First Cry of Independence", then answer the question below. Remember hearing from you is very important for us.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/09/ecuador-the-cry-for-independence-200-years-ago/

WHAT WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU TOOK PART ON THIS GREAT DAY ?

Having a week off from School

So you had a week off from school and that sounds like fun. Precious time that you were able to use whichever way you liked. But believe it or not,some children miss school and think being away from it is not fun at all. What about you? Do you consider it is a good idea to have a week off from school after each term? Think about all aspects before answering the question below.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a week off from school afte each term?

GUAYAQUIL, PEARL OF THE PACIFIC

"You are a pearl that arose, from the largest and most undiscovered sea and hearing the music of is mumurring, you transformed into a garden,sovereign in His determination, our god created a gardenof your beauties Guayaquil, Guayaquil of my dreams.."

Julio Jaramillo "Guayaquil de mis amores"

On July 25th. we will celebrate Guayaquil´s Anniversary. Guayaquil was founded by Francisco de Orellana where Santa Ana Hill is located. It was named after a Guayaquil Indigenous Chief called Guayas and his wife, Quil. They fought against the Incas and the Spanish conquerors and at the end decided to die before surrendering themselves to the Spaniards.

Guayaquil is a city full of history, but we would like you to find out some information about our beloved city and answer the questions below.

What touristic places are located by Santa Ana Hill? Which one would you recommend a tourist to visit and why?