Dear Students,

The school year is finally over! You guys did a great job! I am sure you gave your best in your final exams.

I wish you to have a great summer vacation! And I will see some of you for the next academic year in September!

Best wishes to you all!!

Mrs. Wagnac

Rachel Carson, the Mother of Ecology

The document under study is a video about Rachel Carson. A famous American biologist who studied zoology and genetics at John Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. She was born in 1906 in Pennsylvania. As she grew up in a farm that belonged to her family, a passion for biology and nature grew too.

In the 1950s, the US government recommended the use of an insect killer called DDT for farmers. However, Rachel Carson discovered the dangers resulting from this pesticide. Indeed, it could kill wildlife and pollute the environment. As a result, the government did absolutely nothing to stop the damages, therefore she wrote a book to denounce the consequences of the use of DDT on nature. Her book was entitled “Silent Spring”, published in 1962. Her book was really controversial as people had different opinions on the matter. Nevertheless, 65,000 copies were sold in 2 weeks. A smear campaign was put in place by people from  the chemical industry to ruin her reputation. Above all, she kept on speaking out about the disastrous effects of such pesticides on TV, radio… Unfortunately, she died 2 years after the publication of her book. Nonetheless, in 1970, her work contributed in the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to protect the environment as good as possible.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Model Expressions

1. Before 1920, no woman was able to vote in the USA.

2. In some countries, girls are not allowed to practice the same sports as boys.

3. Men are able to / are allowed to help women in their fight for gender equality.

4. In 1872, female teachers were not allowed to get married in some sates of the US.

The different uses of “would”

1. She would great thins if she were elected. =>A conditional

2. Some feminist movements would like men to be more involved along with them. => a wish

3. She said she would not be influenced by stereotypes. => a past tense indirect speech

4. Before having the right to vote, women would not have a say in the politics of their country. => a past habit

Expressing Probability:

1. She was likely to decide by herself.

2.Politics are bound to change.

3. Women are bound to get involved in politics.

From French to English

1. Before 2018, Native American women were not represented in the USA Senate yet.

2. Nowadays/ Even today / Still today, women have to fight for equal rights.

3. In some countries, women have the same rights as men, but only if they fight for equal rights.

4. she had to make herself heard again in order to confirm her principles.

5. They fought to prevent her from voting, but she fought even harder.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

The Modals

1. Tomorrow, women scientists will be able to get a Nobel prize easily.

2. 30 years ago, women scientists had to publish scientific articles under the authority of a man.

3. Tomorrow, women will no longer have to fight for their rights.

4. 80 years ago women scientists were not allowed to sign scientific articles.

Translation

1. She can calculate faster than a computer.

2. They know that their discovery has changed the world.

3. They (the men) know that without them (the women) they would not have been able to go to the Moon.

4. She is able to / can speak three languages.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Sexism in ad

Group 1

The document under study is an ad for a beer of the brand Schlitz, published in 1952. It is aimed at women ti show that even if they could be bad cooks they could not disappoint their husband as soon as they bring this specific beer.

This ad implies/suggests/means/highlights the beliefs that women belonged to the kitchen. Moreover, it also implies that the only role of women is to satisfy their men. The man is portrayed as patronizing and disregarding.

Group 2

The document under study is an ad for ties. We can see a man chilling in his bed, while his wife is on her knees serving him his breakfast in bed. The tie is a symbol for power, hence it implies that that the man is in charge of the household and the boss of the family. The woman is just here to serve and take care of him.

Group 3

The document under study is an ad for ketchup. We can see a woman in the foreground who is amazed holding this bottle of ketchup with her hand ready to open it. She seems amazed to know that she will be able to open this bottle of ketchup herself, without the help of a man.

This ad implies that women were weak and that they usually needed men’s strength to accomplish some of their daily tasks. Besides, it also highlights that their place belonged to the kitchen

To conclude, these ads reflect life in the 50s very well, because in order to appeal to customers, they had to show them that these products were relevant to their lives, and that they needed them. They portray the traditional and patriarchal view of society that everybody was familiar with. The roles of men and women are clearly defined.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Girls Education in the 1950s

The document under study is an extract from a documentary on girl’s education in the 1950s. We have learned that girls were educated to be good housewives and mothers. They would go to college  to attend classes such as Domestic Sciences courses or Home Economics lessons. Theses courses were made to teach young ladies to become housewives and raise children. Their main ambition was to find a husband and have children. On another hand, for the ladies who wanted to have a job outside the house, they only had 4 options: being a teacher, a nurse, a secretary, a stewardess/flight attendant. They were very limited. As a consequence, it created social inequalities between men and women.

On the contrary, nowadays, education is more equal: girls and boys can choose whatever they want to study. Moreover, women are not dependent of men. They can be political leaders, CEOs, doctors…

Homework: Learn the lesson.

How they raised girls to be women in the 1950s

The document under study an extract from a documentary on women’s role in the 1950s. We have learned that girls would go to school to be educated in order to be a good housewife. For example, they would attend classes of Domestic Sciences to learn how to cook, clean, take care of children… They were not supposed to aspire to another career. If they really wanted to have a job, they only had 4 options: nurse, teacher, secretary and stewardess/flight attendant.

Girls were raised this way to prevent them from having any forms of power, freedom an ambitions. On the contrary, men could have access to a proper education and could do whatever they wanted to.

Nowadays, we all have access to the same education. We are still fighting for equality in some parts of the society (equal pay). Nevertheless, the social situation of women has greatly evolved, they can be political leaders, CEOs, doctors… Women are free to choose whatever they wanted to do. They are no longer forced to stay at home and raise children.

Homework: Learn the lesson.