10 Great Halloween Song Activities

Halloween is coming up fast on October 31st. But, celebrations are already well underway here in Vancouver, and anywhere else in North America. 

People take Halloween seriously here with some people even preferring it to Christmas. As a result  both adults and children start celebrating it with a variety of events and activities for the whole family well before the "big day" itself. 

Although there are many TV specials and Halloween movies  aimed at children. There are just as many "classic" horror horror movies and spooky, scary songs that delight adults of every age. 

Many of these songs have been around for more than 25 years, but they are some of the most popular songs in North America during the Halloween season. 

From classics such as " Ghostbusters"  and Monster Mash to  "Marilyn Mason's  scary "This is Halloween"   to very singable Werewolves  of London,  time, there are plenty of songs out there to make the holiday both scary and memorable. 

Make sure you prepare those zombie  moves for Michael Jackson's Thriller. This is MUST if you want to celebrate Halloween.     

Here are  ten of the most popular Halloween songs for you to practice your listening to.  
There is a LOT of useful scary vocabulary in all of these songs, so be prepared.

In the next day or two I will post a list of scary Halloween vocabulary along with some practice activities.



Listen to all of the songs. Try the listening activities.Then discuss them with your friends or classmates

• Which one was the easiest to understand? Why? : 
• Which one did you like best? Why? 
• Which one did you like least? Why? 
• Which one had the best video and graphics? Why? 
• Which one told a real story? 
• Which one will still be played in 20 years? Why?  

 # 1 :   This is Halloween
This is Halloween by Marilyn Manson is one of the few songs with the word Halloween in it.
It has become extremely popular at Halloween even though it was originally written for a movie about a Christmas Nightmare.  

ESL Reading: Canadian History Week

144 Things Canada Has Given the World

A Skimming and Scanning Activity 

Canada might not be very old, but during its 147 years, it has made a number of contributions to the world.

In honour of Canadian History week, here's a Canadian trivia reading quiz to test your knowledge.  First, try the pre-reading activity to find out how much you know already. Then, see how many questions you got right.  

Later, discuss and write about some of the most important inventions ever made. Would your life be any different without them? 

From Anne of Green Gables  to the zipper, hockey to the hydrofoil hydrofoil, here's a list put together by The Hamilton Spectator. Some things that are precious to Canadians may cause others to scratch their heads.

You may not have eaten poutine unless you’ve traveled to Quebec or Ontario, while Timbits  and double doubles  may sound like gobbledygook  outside our borders.  Have a look.

Read more 

Love Letters to Canada on Canada Day

Most Canadians have their own unique reasons for knowing how lucky they are to live in Canada.  All of us have our own  "Canadian  moments" - moments when truly experience what it is to be Canadian. That's when we realize that we have won the jackpot.

Yes, like any other country in the world, Canada is not perfect. It has its flaws. But, it is still the best country in the world to live in - high taxes or not.   

Every year on Canada Day, I write a post on the many reasons I love Canada.... and there are too many to count.  Here is my post from last year on  Why I Love Canada
147 Reasons we Love Canada

This year,  I'm letting others do the talking.  They all have something important to say - things I often feel in my heart, but am unable to voice. 

Sit back and enjoy reading some of these love letters to Canada. You'll be happy you did, AND if you are a new Canadian, or thinking about moving here, you might learn something. 

Can You Sing All the Words to O Canada?

adapted from Huffington Post 

You might remember the Canadian beer fridge from this year's Winter Olympics, the one from Molson that only opened if you scanned in a Canadian passport. 

Now it's back in Canada just in time for Canada Day, July 1, but this time, they're really making people prove their national love.

Just in time for Canada;s 147th birthday on Canada Day, Molson Canadian has created a   a fridge that makes Canadians sing out Canada's praises in return for a free beer.   

The catch is that you have to sing O Canada  perfectly - all the way through. If you miss a word or two on the more difficult parts of the national anthem, the fridge makes a noisy buzzer sound and the door stays locked.  

Five Great Songs and Activities for Mothers Day

Many people don 't completely appreciate just what a mother is and does until they become parents themselves.  

Over the years many songs have been written to celebrate and praise mothers for the major roles they have and continue to play in our lives. 

Here are five songs  that focus on the different roles mothers play in our lives. All of them include a variety of listening, reading, writing, and discussion activities. Some songs even include a few grammar activities.  Enjoy them on your own or with your class.  

Mother's Day By the Numbers

A Reading/Scanning Activity 

Mother's Day has been around for a long time, so it has generated a lot of numbers over the years.  The following infographic contains many interesting facts and details about mothers and Mother's Day. 

Scan through the information to see how quickly you can find the answers to the questions below.  Remember, this is a scanning activity - not a reading one. 

Go to the bottom, read the questions and find the answer. Time yourself to see how fast you can work.   GOOD LUCK!  

Idioms of the Heart for Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day! 

I  wrote this last year, but idioms don't change over a year, so enjoy!! 

Valentine's day is a day when lovers wear their hearts on their sleeves, so I thought it would be fun for you to learn a few idioms of the heart so that you could tell your loved one that your heart skips a beat every time he or she walks into the room.  

Of course, not all idioms with the word "heart"  send a message of love. In fact, sometimes the meanings can be very surprising.

wear your heart on your sleeve: When you wear your heart on your sleeve, you show your feelings about someone, or something very openly. . 
   
Example:  Everybody knew that Tom really wanted to go out with Maire because he wore his heart on his sleeve every time he was around her. 



pour your heart out ( to someone)"When  you pour your heart out to someone, you tell them them all your problems, fears, hopes or dreams.  You have a very intimate conversation. 

Example:  My daughter poured her heart out to me when she broke up with her husband.