Antonella Linsalata

Carla Finello

Emanuela Tornior

L’argomento
 Me, You and Us è un testo di civiltà rivolto agli studenti della scuola secondaria di secondo grado di qualsiasi indirizzo, che ha l’obiettivo di stimolare la curiosità degli studenti verso popolazioni, abitudini e stili diversi dai nostri e per favorire la reciproca comprensione. I brani fanno riferimento ai principali paesi parlanti la lingua inglese, quali: Gran Bretagna, Irlanda, Stati Uniti, Australia, India e Sud Africa. I temi trasversali consentono di indagare le culture anglosassoni. Gli spunti offerti si agganciano a tematiche di educazione civica, si prestano alla didattica orientativa e sviluppano le Real-life skill.
 
 La struttura
 Il testo è organizzato in otto Moduli, suddivisi in Unità, che includono:
 
 <ul><li>un ampio glossario, per agevolare la lettura</li><li>diversi esercizi di comprensione, per consolidare l’apprendimento e stimolare l’analisi
</li><li>attività volte a riflettere su tematiche di educazione civica connesse con l’argomento trattato
</li><li>spunti di compiti di realtà da svolgere in coppie o in gruppo che mirano allo sviluppo di soft skill quali digital literacy, leadership, collaboration e team working
</li></ul>Contenuti digitali integrativi
 
 <ul><li>Video per attività di listening e speaking
</li><li>Tracce audio in formato mp3
</li><li>Testi per attività di approfondimento
</li></ul>Per l’insegnante e l’uso in classe.
 
 Teacher’s Book, disponibile sia in formato cartaceo sia digitale:
 
 <ul><li>Guida didattica di supporto per studenti BES
</li><li>Test di verifica di tutti i Moduli e le Unità, in formato editabile
</li><li>Soluzioni degli esercizi
</li><li>Audioscript degli esercizi di ascolto e dei video</li></ul>

Topic 1 - COUNTRIES

Unit 1 - The UK

Some confusion: British Isles, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom

England, the “wrong” Great Britain

A land of gardens, knights, and fish & chips

Scotland, home of 800 islands and the Hogwarts Express

Very Scottish, indeed

Wales, nature and dragons

Northern Ireland: from troubles to films

Be a tourist following...

Unit 2 - Ireland

The Republic of Ireland

Dublin, how to be spoilt for choice

Irish icons and symbols

Festivities and amusements

Unit 3 - The US

The United States of America

A variegated land with bears, alligators, and Mickey Mouse

Cities for every taste

Patriotism, computers, and chicken

Unit 4 - Commonwealth

What’s the Commonwealth?

Facts and fun facts about the Commonwealth

Canada: few people but a lot of land and many languages

Canadian cities, nature and syrup

Australia, the Island Continent down under

Deserts, corals, and kangaroos

CASE STUDY

ROUND-UP

Topic 2 - CULTURE

Unit 5 - History

A keystone of English and world democracy

The breach with Rome

The only time when the English monarchy ceased to exist

The British Empire

The road to the 13th amendment to the American Constitution

The Irish question

South Africa and apartheid

The independence of India

The UK withdraws from the EU

Unit 6 - Language

English through the years

British vs American English, which do you prefer?

Teenspeak

Unit 7 - Literature

What’s a monster?

I am the captain of my soul

Women or witches?

The Incredible Hulk

Unit 8 - Landmarks

UK’s main landmarks

US’s main landmarks

Topic 3 - ARTS

Unit 9 - Painting, sculpture, and architecture

Over two centuries of changes and challenges in British arts

What’s hot in architecture?

So condemned, yet unique

Creativity and technological advancements

Unit 10 - Sport

What’s your favourite sport?

Posh or dowdy? Which style do you fit in?

Fancy a new (old) sport?

Unit 11 - Music

Do your music tastes reflect who you are?

The magic of live performances

The heart and soul of dance floors

Topic 4 - SOCIETY

Unit 12 - People and faces

British and Irish people: how to make them out

American people: a melting pot or a salad bowl?

We all know them!

Old enough to...

Unit 13 - Moments

Life moments

Festivals and events, American style!

British festivals: time for fun!

Unit 14 - Teens

Adolescence – looking for an identity

Cyberbullying, FOMO, and hikikomori: help!

Go, Generation Alpha!

Unit 15 - Food

British food: it’s not that bad!

Eating in

Eating out

Unit 16 - Stereotypes

Americans: what differences?

The British do it differently

Unit 17 - House

British houses through the centuries

Home sweet home

What9s inside?

Typically British

Topic 5 - MONEY & POWER

Unit 18 - Financial support

21 Influencers 108 Can big data shape our daily decisions? Have you ever wondered why you see pop-up ads on your device concerning something you have just talked about with a friend of yours on Instagram or TikTok? Well, nobody is eavesdropping you, that9s for sure! Rather, you are being tracked. How? Read on! Cookies : Social media platforms use cookies to follow you around the web and record your activity. Maybe you have already come across this term while going online: you are reading the content of a webpage when a notice pops up asking you to accept or decline cookies policy. But what exactly are cookies? Cookies are short text files stored in the memory of your device. They enable websites to collect information about what people search for in order to create their profile and show them advertising material through banners or pop-ups. As this can prove a threat on Internet users9 privacy, websites must ask for consent before installing a cookie. Big data : Whenever we go online, we generate data: when we use our smart devices, when we communicate with our friends through social media or chat applications, when we look for information, when we shop. Browsers collect a huge amount of information about Internet users: from their 1 search history to their location, purchase history, interests, travel plans, preferences, etc. This information, called big data, is harnessed by businesses or organisations to personalise communication with Internet users and drive the choices they make. So, if you have been searching for information about your favourite team results, when you visit your browser again you will see articles concerning that team or sport, for example. Risks : A major problem concerning big data is security. Despite data protection laws aiming to make sure that everyone9s data is used properly, there is a high risk of data breach and misuse . Criminals, in fact, may use private data to spread fake news and influence people9s ideas, beliefs, and even who they vote for. Social Media Data Privacy Awareness posted by Technology Services at Illinois 2 WRITING Watch the video and summarise it. 3 SPEAKING CIVIC EDUCATION Look at this list and tick the suggestions you consider useful to protect your privacy when you are online. Motivate your choices and add any other you deem useful. 1 Avoid oversharing on social media. 2 Always use free Wi-Fi instead of your mobile data connection. 3 Choose passwords you can easily remember. 4 Delete all your social media accounts. 5 Do not allow apps to access your location. 6 Always read privacy policies before accepting them. READING Match the beginnings and endings. 1 Internet users usually see ads concerning& 2 Cookies are used by many websites to& 3 The term <big data= refers to & 4 Each of our online activities& 5 If our personal data is breached, & 122 Topic 5 " MONEY & POWER a it may be used for illegal activities. b the huge amount of data produced day by day while online. c items they have been searching for. d generates data that organisations collect. e keep track of users9 online activity. glossary breach: violazione to harness: sfruttare misuse: uso improprio to eavesdrop: ascoltare di nascosto threat: minaccia

Unit 21 - Influencers

109 Who are the most powerful influencers, politicians or electors? Why should we care about politics? : It is tempting to believe that politics doesn t have to do with our daily lives and that we can just ignore it. But the truth is politics influences all of us and can have lasting effects on future generations too. The political candidates we choose on election days are going to make decisions about laws and rules which affect each of our daily activities such as school, transport, work, entertainment, shopping, etc. This is why it is important to make informed choices, so as to avoid the risk of manipulation. Propaganda : One way political leaders can try to influence people s judgements and decisions is by using propaganda. This is a type of communication that aims to shape people s beliefs, actions, and behaviours by spreading misleading information, rumours and fake news. The term came into use during World War I when posters and films were created to encourage people to join the army. Even though the concept of propaganda can be neither good nor bad, this strategy has acquired a negative connotation because of what it represented for totalitarian regimes: a means by which they could subjugate citizens to their will. Lobbying : Lobbying is another form of manipulation through which interest groups try to sway political choices. These groups, including industries like alcohol, tobacco, arms, and gambling, try to convince elected officials to propose or approve a certain bill . The USA has a longstanding lobbying tradition protected by the First Amendment. One of the most powerful US organisations is the National Rifle Association, which lobbies against all forms of gun control, despite the high number of mass shootings the media frequently report on. The debate over the US gun policy has raged for decades but it still remains a controversial topic, especially during election campaigns. 4 READING WRITING Answer the questions. 1 What impact does politics have on our lives and why? 2 Why should people make informed decisions when choosing their political representatives? 3 What is the main purpose of propaganda? 4 When did the term propaganda become a negative word and why? 5 What is meant by the term lobbying? 6 Why has lobbying a long-standing tradition in the USA? 5 110 LISTENING Listen to five lobbyists talking about their work experience and choose from the list what each speaker says. a It is often thought that lobbying is a form of bribery , but it is totally legal. b People have the right to take care of their own safety. c Our political leaders can accept donations for their campaign in return for favours. d I felt a great sense of pride knowing I helped to improve disadvantaged people9s lives. e A couple of years ago I was hired by two organisations with opposing goals. 6 WRITING SPEAKING REAL-LIFE SKILLS Speaker ............ Speaker ............ Speaker ............ Speaker ............ Speaker ............ GROUP WORK Prepare a campaign for the student council election following the prompts. " Create a campaign logo " Choose a candidate " Create a poster or a flyer to be handed out to possible electors or an Instagram story that can be shared with them " Write a speech to be made in case of victory Origins of the word <lobbyist= glossary bill: proposta di legge bribery: corruzione flyer: volantino misleading: fuorviante, ingannevole to rage: infuriare rifle: fucile rumour: pettegolezzo to sway: influenzare The word lobby actually refers to a large room at the entrance of a hotel or public building. The term lobbyist was in common usage in Britain during the 19th century. It referred to the people who wanted to speak to their members of the House of Commons to try to obtain favours from them; they waited for them in the lobby outside Parliament. Unit 21 " Influnnuer 123

Who are the most powerful influencers, politicians or electors?

Testo che esplora le culture dei paesi anglofoni con brani su città, arte, tradizioni, storia, ambiente e altro.

Me, You and Us

An insight into the life, style and culture of English-speaking countries

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