Braga Portugal
First ltt meeting in Portugal – Braga
Monday 11/11/2019
The Portuguese coordinator of the project, Mr Almerindo Oliveira, welcomed the Italian teachers, Ms Gilda Vellucci and Ms Loredana Bianchi, and the Norwegian teachers to the school Escola Secundária Dona Maria II
The Portuguese colleagues met us in the teachers’ room and kindly organised a coffee break for the visiting schools. The reception was followed by a school tour
We met the German teachers in the library where the different logos created by the partner schools to represent our project were compared . After a brief debate, the most suitable proposal was chosen as the official logo. Then the Portuguese school gave each guest a gift: a canvas tote bag containing a pen, a notebook, a map of Braga and a booklet featuring Braga’s most remarkable landmarks.
At about 9:15 a.m. the foreign students joined their teachers in the library where the Principal of the Portuguese school and his staff officially greeted the guests. A group of Portuguese students then showed us a PowerPoint presentation about Porto, Braga, Portugal’s flag and their school.
10:15 a.m. Mid-morning coffee break for teachers offered by the hosting school
10:45 a.m. Class on Scratch programming taught to the students in the computer room
12:00 p.m. All the students had lunch in the school canteen
In the afternoon we took a bus and a funicular and visited the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro in the surroundings of Braga
Tuesday 12/11/2019
We went on a walking tour along the river and reached Braga’s city hall where a delegate of the mayor welcomed us in the city council chamber and explained how the city of Braga is dealing with waste disposal and recycling. At the end of the presentation, the visiting schools were given an informational brochure and a cd rom about Braga’s history and culture. Then we walked to the cathedral and we visited the Dom Diogo de Sousa Museum of Archaeology where a guide illustrated the history of Braga, the origin of its name, the Roman heritage and showed us some ancient artefacts found in the city.
12:30 p.m. We returned to school. The students had lunch at the school canteen
2:30 p.m. We went to the Water Treatment Plant (ETAR) by bus. An expert guide working at the plant told us about the sewage treatment of wastewater and showed the labs and machinery involved in the process.
3:45 p.m. We visited Braga Stadium. We went on a guided tour and we were provided with information about the history of Braga football team and the constuction of the stadium
Wednesday 13/11/2019
8:30 a.m. Walking tour. Visit of Rodovia Sports Park, lesson by the river about the endemic flora and fauna
10.00 a.m. Visit of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL). Some researchers illustrated the research programme developed by the lab and the strategic fields of application of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The students were also shown a small scale car prototype created by INL
12:00 p.m. The students had lunch together at the school canteen
2:00 p.m. Workshop at Leroy Merlin. A clerk welcomed the teachers and the students and took them on a tour of the department store, focusing on the fire protection system and the electric control room with all the power generators.
After the tour, the students were involved in a manufacturing workshop (they had to use plywood boards, hacksaws and crayons to make a noughts and crosses game) at the end of which they were offered a snack by the staff of the store.
Thursday 14/11/2019
8:30 a.m. Trip to Porto by bus. We arrived at Aguda Littoral Station at 10. A guide showed us a great variety of fishing equipment that has been found and collected in the Sea Museum, as well as some scale models of sailing ships and fishing vessels. The students also learned about the protected marine species of the area that are found in 15 Portuguese aquariums.
After the visit of the Littoral Station of Aguda (ELA), the students took part in a plastic cleanup activity on the beach
The teachers and the students had lunch at City’s Park shopping centre.
At 2:30 p.m. we took the bus and headed to Sea Life where we visited the sea-themed aquarium
Friday 15/11/2019
8:30 a.m. The students followed up on the Scratch class by working in groups in the school library
10:15 a.m. Coffee break for the teachers followed by a work meeting
12:00 p.m. The students had lunch at the school canteen
Free time with the hosting families.
7:30 p.m. Farewell party organised at school. The hosting families brought some typical Portuguese food and the students from the different schools taking part in the project performed in public with acts ranging from singing and dancing.