SET 1
Barcelona or Flin Flon?
All photographs by Max Neil Maximchuk
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find out what the photos are about and where they were taken (Barcelona or Flin Flon). Before you begin you have to decide whether or not you’re here as part of an English class (as in teacher or student). If you aren’t, then follow the suggestions below (#1 – 6). Or do it your own way. That’s okay too. Good luck.
If you are a student of English then you’ll probably still be following the procedure below but with some added instructions from your teacher. Remember to work on only the row your teacher tells you to focus on at the time, and don’t jump ahead to the other rows too soon. Speak with your partner and justify your reasoning, saying why you think the object is so-and-so and how come City 1 is ‘X’ and City 2 is ‘Y’. Look carefully at the pictures to see if you can spot any other clues from reflections, the kinds of trees growing there, style of cars, etc.
Suggested approach to looking at the clues
Go through the pictures, row by row.
Pictures on the left are for City 1, on the right for City 2
How soon can you identify
a) what the object / theme is?
b) which city is Flin Flon and which is Barcelona?
If you are from or have been to either Flin Flon or Barcelona, see if you can identify more precisely where that object is.
1. First row of clues
Have a look at Clue 1 for City 1 and for City 2. (Click on both boxes in this row.) See if anything looks familiar or provides you with a possible inspiration. Ask your friends for help or compete with them, seeing who will be closest to the correct final answer.
2. Second row of clues
Look at Clue 2 for City 1 & City 2. Do you know what the theme (object or situation) is? These two new clues may bring you a little closer to the solution.
3. Answers WHAT for Cities 1 & 2
Check out the answers here to find out or confirm what the theme (object) is. Now try to guess which city (1 or 2) is Flin Flon and which is Barcelona.
4. Answers WHERE
for Cities 1 & 2
Click on this section to see photographs more clearly defining which city is which. If it’s still not clear, you can confirm your guesses in A Comment or Two box.
If you’re familiar with one of those cities, try to determine more precisely where the photograph was taken (which neighbourhood, street, branch).
5. Read commentary
Read a comment or two by the author and if you like, click on the CONTACT button to give a comment or two of your own. He’d love to hear from you.
6. Extra photos
Click here to see a few more images on the theme.
THE PHOTOS
Clue 1 for City 1 What do you think it is?
Clue 1 for City 2 What do you think it is?
Clue 2 for City 1 What do you think it is?
Clue 2 for City 2 What do you think it is?
Answer to WHAT for City 1
Now that you know WHAT it is, can you guess WHERE it is?
Answer to WHAT for City 2
Now that you know WHAT it is, can you guess WHERE it is?
Answer to WHERE for City 1
This is the final solution. Look familiar?
(Look in A COMMENT OR TWO below to confirm which city.)
Answer to WHERE for City 2
This is the final solution. Look familiar?
(Look in A COMMENT OR TWO below to confirm which city.)
A comment or two
Click here to read a few words about the images
How’d you do?
The theme was pictures of gas stations (and their prices).
City 1 = Barcelona (between Poble Nou and the sea)
City 2 = Flin Flon (the CO-OP pumps in the industrial park off the perimeter)
These gas pumps have been around for a while, but I thought that I’d take a few photos of them as in a few years they may be things of the past. Perhaps a completely new form of energy may not be around the corner, but electrically driven vehicles are finally coming into the scene. The pumps in these pictures are of the no-frills kind. No mechanics nearby, nor a store to buy oil or munchies. Just the pumps waiting for your card. (Although I’m not completely sure about the Barcelona pumps. I did see a fellow standing nearby who looked like he worked there so you might be able to pick up a can of oil there.)
Just for interest sake, diesel gas was 1.289 Canadian dollars / litre in Flin Flon, Canada in mid/late August of 2018 and the price in Barcelona was 1.209 euros / litre. If we convert both to Canadian dollars the Flin Flon pumps would still be their 1.289 / litre but the Barcelona pumps would cost you 1.84 Canadian dollars / litre. That’s about 50% more. Same idea but now looking at euros, the Barcelona pumps would still be charging their 1.209 / litre but you would pay 0.85 euros /litre at the Flin Flon pumps. That’s quite a difference. I suppose there are a few reasons behind this difference. Do you know what they might be?
Extra photo for City 1
Extra photo for City 2
Some ideas for the teacher
Extra materials for classroom use
| This is meant to be a fun activity, involving the students as they speculate and try to make descriptions which may tax their repertoire of vocabulary. To the left you see two different documents that might be of some aid to you. | ||||
| Vocabulary Student Handout | ||||
| This is a short handout you can give and go over with your students. It covers some | ||||
| ● location vocabulary (in the foreground / top left corner) | ||||
| ● descriptive vocabulary (hollow / shiny) | ||||
| ● expressions or structures (Beats me / can’t quite make out) | ||||
| Suggestions & teaching ideas | ||||
| This document includes 3 sections which could be useful to you in planning your classes | ||||
| ● LESSON PLAN A detailed lesson plan suggesting how to approach guiding the students through the different steps | ||||
| ● FURTHER ACTIVITIES More ideas on what can be done with the pictures offered in Glimpses | ||||
| ● CONVERSATION TOPICS Some suggestions on how to close the activity by ending it with a discussion connected to the images presented in the class | ||||