In mid-1971, I was in England driving north to visit my parents in Lincolnshire. I had moved to the States a year earlier and hadn’t been home in a while. After exiting the M-1 motorway, I had to take back roads to my parents’ village. By then, the sun had set and it was pitch black. I remember the stars were out. … During my drive, I thought about the Bradbury story. I also thought about the 1970 song “Rocket Man” that Tom Rapp had written and recorded with his band, Pearls Before Swine. It was a literal retelling of the Bradbury story. Driving the back roads, I began writing a song in my head about the drudgery of being an astronaut. As I thought about how to start the song, the first verse came to me at once: “She packed my bags last night pre-flight / Zero hour 9 a.m. / And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then.” But I didn’t have a pad or pen in the car. I also couldn’t dictate the words or call someone to take them down. That technology didn’t exist yet. So, I repeated the lyrics over and over. I was trying not to lose my train of thought as I raced to my parents’ house. When I arrived, I rushed in without saying hello. I was hunting for a pen and paper. I had never written that way before. Usually, I’d come up with a line and build from there. In this case, words to an entire verse fell out of my mind and onto the page. The words had such a rhythmic cadence.

Rocket Man was the first song Elton wrote during the Honky Château sessions in January 1972 at the Château d’Hérouville studio outside of Paris, France. It was also the first song on which Elton’s band, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray, and Nigel Olsson explored the opportunity to sing backing vocals together, immediately discovering an alchemy that producer Gus Dudgeon called “the best in-house backing vocalists that anybody’s ever had on record.”

Celebrating the English language at the UN

English Language Day at the UN is celebrated on 23 April, the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare. As well as being the most famous playwright, who wrote in English, Shakespeare also had a huge impact on modern-day English.

Today, every one in four people in the world uses English. English is being used more and more as a way for two speakers with different first languages to communicate with each other.

At the United Nations, English is one of the two working languages, along with French.

The Day is the result of a 2010 initiative by the Department of Global Communications, establishing language days for each of the Organization's six official languages. The purpose of the UN's language days is to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization.

Under the initiative, UN duty stations around the world celebrate six separate days, each dedicated to one of the Organization's six official languages: Arabic (18 December), Chinese (20 April), English (23 April) French (20 March), Russian (6 June), Spanish (23 April).

Language Days at the UN aim to entertain, as well as to inform, with the goal of increasing awareness and respect for the history, culture and achievements of each of the six working languages among the UN community.

Pretende-se fazer deste dia uma experiência enriquecedora para todos ao apreciarem a diversidade cultural que o inglês nos proporciona. 

Ponderem-se atividades como por exemplo: 

·        Brief history of the English language and its global influence 

·        Shakespeare family tree 

·        Shakespeare identity card 

·        Shakespeare art challenge  ( no 1.º ciclo ou na pré podem imprimir imagens e os alunos pintam ou fazem colagens usando materiais variados, podem pesquisar e desenhar… os trabalhos seriam posteriormente afixados para serem divulgados “English language Day showcase”, por exemplo…  

·        leituras e comentários de trechos das suas obras mais famosas, como "Romeu e Julieta"

·        Storytelling sessions 

·        Storytelling Improvisation

·        Research and reading English poetry 

·        interesting facts about the English language (ex:  The longest word in the English is "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," The most commonly used letter in the English language is the letter "E," followed by "T," "A," "O," and "I; …) 

·        funny or strange English words 

·        tongue twisters 

·        language treasure hunt  

·        spelling  contest 

·        Performances by students showcasing their language skills through poetry recitations, dramatic readings, and musical performances.

Can you name any women inventors or scientists?

In mid-1971, I was in England driving north to visit my parents in Lincolnshire. I had moved to the States a year earlier and hadn’t been home in a while. After exiting the M-1 motorway, I had to take back roads to my parents’ village. By then, the sun had set and it was pitch black. I remember the stars were out. … During my drive, I thought about the Bradbury story. I also thought about the 1970 song “Rocket Man” that Tom Rapp had written and recorded with his band, Pearls Before Swine. It was a literal retelling of the Bradbury story. Driving the back roads, I began writing a song in my head about the drudgery of being an astronaut. As I thought about how to start the song, the first verse came to me at once: “She packed my bags last night pre-flight / Zero hour 9 a.m. / And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then.” But I didn’t have a pad or pen in the car. I also couldn’t dictate the words or call someone to take them down. That technology didn’t exist yet. So, I repeated the lyrics over and over. I was trying not to lose my train of thought as I raced to my parents’ house. When I arrived, I rushed in without saying hello. I was hunting for a pen and paper. I had never written that way before. Usually, I’d come up with a line and build from there. In this case, words to an entire verse fell out of my mind and onto the page. The words had such a rhythmic cadence.

Rocket Man was the first song Elton wrote during the Honky Château sessions in January 1972 at the Château d’Hérouville studio outside of Paris, France. It was also the first song on which Elton’s band, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray, and Nigel Olsson explored the opportunity to sing backing vocals together, immediately discovering an alchemy that producer Gus Dudgeon called “the best in-house backing vocalists that anybody’s ever had on record.”

Design a robot pet. Answer the question(s) and follow the guidelines on Textbook , page 111. Use Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, CoPilot, …) to improve your description and generate the picture of your robot pet. Send me the short text with the description and picture of your robot pet on Teams (message). Example: oboPal: The Smart Companion Pet for People with Disabilities

RoboPal is a small, dog-like robot pet designed to support people with physical and cognitive disabilities in their everyday lives. It has soft, fur-like material on the outside to make it comforting to touch, and it moves smoothly on wheels or small legs depending on the surface. Its eyes are expressive LED screens that change color and shape to show emotions like happiness, curiosity, or concern.

RoboPal can perform a variety of helpful tasks. For people with mobility challenges, it can pick up dropped objects, bring water or medication, and even open doors using a special arm. For visually impaired users, it can guide them around their homes using voice commands and obstacle detection sensors. It also provides reminders for daily routines, such as taking medicine or attending appointments, using a gentle voice and flashing lights.

Communication with RoboPal is easy and natural. Users can talk to it, give simple voice commands, or press large, accessible buttons on its back. It also understands basic gestures. For users with speech difficulties, RoboPal can be programmed to respond to touch or customized signals.

Beyond its practical functions, RoboPal is a loyal emotional companion. It plays calming music, responds to cuddles, and can detect signs of stress or sadness using its built-in sensors. When it notices emotional distress, it offers soothing words, breathing exercises, or alerts a caregiver if necessary.

RoboPal isn't just a machine—it's a friend. For someone with limited independence, such as an elderly person in a wheelchair or a child with autism, RoboPal offers both practical help and constant emotional support. Its mission is simple: to make life easier, safer, and more joyful.