PLANTS OF THE SCHOOL PARK AND GARDEN AT JORDANOVAC PRIMARY SCHOOL

The collection of plants from the school park and garden at Jordanovac Primary School is a work in progress and is available for viewing at the link. In the fall, we will begin labeling the plant species with QR codes, allowing our project to continue growing and developing. 

Take a look into the Mali zeleni priručnik (Little Green Manual), based on activities conducted during our Erasmus project. 

The author of the manual is teacher Brankica Vrbat.

Tactile Recycled Picture Book 

As part of the Our Little Library project, in the 1.a class, the teacher read the picture book "Sound" by Gülşah Yemen to the students. In the weeks following, the students tried their hand at creating a tactile version of the picture book. In making the picture book, they recycled materials such as cardboard, styrofoam, magazine flyers, and more. In this way, they gave new life and a new story to old items. You will be able to see and hear this story in the school library next school year. 

In a correlated lesson of Croatian Language and Nature and Society, the 4th grade students created a lexicon of protected plant and animal species of Croatia.

First, they learned to distinguish between encyclopedias, dictionaries, and lexicons in the school library. Then, as part of the Nature and Society class, they researched protected plant and animal species of Croatia. This was followed by a return to the school library, where each student chose a plant or animal and, with the help of reference literature, created a page about it. The page needed to include a title, an illustration or photograph, and the corresponding text.

Next, they divided all the texts into two groups (Protected Plants and Protected Animals), arranged the names in alphabetical order, designed a cover, and compiled all the pages into a booklet - the lexicon.

The lexicon is located in the school library, and anyone interested can browse through it and learn about various protected species in Croatia.

RECYCLED MARACAS 

The students of class 1.a recycled materials and made instruments during their Music class. They used the maracas as part of the class that included improvisation of melodic and rhythmic units. 

 Teacher Lorena Džaja 

In our school, we sort waste, so the students marked the new "animals" - dust bin, which bin goes to which type of waste. We try to make students as much aware as possible of the importance of waste sorting and how they can participate in the sustainable future of our planet.

Jakob Delić, physical education teacher

Coating Fruit Trees with Lime 

Behind our school, there is a large school orchard where students often spend time. This year, the 4th-grade students decided, together with their teacher Anita Dragičević, to coat the fruit trees with lime to protect them from bark cracking. They brought brushes, plastic buckets, and protective gloves to school, and the school provided the lime. After preparing the lime for coating in a large plastic container, the students, in groups, coated all the young fruit trees in the orchard with lime. 

Our Erasmus+ project brings nature to hospital spaces! Students in the Eco group, with a bit of support from teacher A. Šuman, used the "Seek by iNaturalist" app to identify three species of native trees. They learned about the distribution, habitats, external appearance of the trees, as well as the appearance of leaves, branches, fruits, and cones of the Small-leaved Lime, Sessile Oak, and Norway Spruce. 

Whenever the weather conditions permit, physical education classes are held in our green and beautifully landscaped school garden. Children come to the school garden with joy and in a beautiful environment they are even more motivated to exercise. Whenever possible, before class, we pick and eat raspberries and strawberries.

Jakob Delić, physical education teacher 

During May, the students of 6th grade classes a, b, and c spent an integrated learning day in Maksimir Nature Park, where they participated in the Grasslands workshop. During the workshop, we learned about the concepts of grasslands, meadows, and forests, discovered why meadows are mowed, and how this affects their inhabitants. We saw a part of a meadow that was fenced off and intentionally left unmowed for bees and discussed the importance of bees for the entire ecosystem. After a walk through the forest, we reached the Great Meadow where students had the opportunity to explore the grasslands and their inhabitants themselves. The students were divided into groups, each group was assigned a specific part of the meadow, and the exploration began. The students received worksheets on which they recorded their observations, and during the exploration, they encountered various insects and tested their knowledge about them. This was followed by the activity "Sound Map," where the students listened to the sounds of nature, tried to identify them, and again recorded their observations. The workshop concluded with an educational game "Food Web," which illustrated in an interesting and fun way the interrelationship of animals and the importance of each individual for the entire chain. 

Sandra Korać and Marija Filipović Grčić, English Language Teachers

During May and June, we focused on birds by exploring their significance in literature through the analysis of literary texts and poems as part of the Erasmus project. The students themselves composed texts using the symbolism of birds in art. In addition to classroom activities, lessons also took place in the gazebo. We observed birds live and learned a lot about those we can see in the schoolyard. The principal taught us a lot about them as well, readily answering all our questions. 

Patricia Marušić, Croatian Language Teacher 

Second-grade students in their computer science class with teacher Marija Samardžić learned about the possibilities of microcomputers - micro:bit

Besides learning to program micro:bit for fun school tasks, they created a "thermometer" program to read air temperature. They measured the air temperature in the classroom and outdoors. While the outdoor temperature in the shade on Friday, June 7th, was a pleasant 26 degrees Celsius, in the sun, it exceeded 34 degrees. The students concluded that with longer exposure to the sun, the temperature would rise, and standing without protection from the sun's rays at noon could pose a significant health risk. 

Biology and Nature class in the hospital - teaching and learning with natural materials. It is the month of June, and we are learning about linden trees. Matej, Leonid, and Dora enjoyed the scents and beauty of linden leaves and blossoms. With a little help from Professor Ana Šuman, they learned to recognize the linden tree in nature and created cards presenting the basic characteristics of this beautiful tree. 

Students of the 3rd grade, class C, at Kozjak Branch School learned about plants during their Nature and Society class and were tasked with researching medicinal plants. During a walk in the schoolyard, they discovered that some of the mentioned plants were also found on their terrace and in the yard (mint, peppermint, elderflower, plantain, dandelion, marigold, linden...).

They also tried making elderflower juice from flowers they picked in the woods behind the school. To better remember the parts of the plant and its needs, they planted beans.

For Mother's Day, they collected flowers around the school and made bookmarks for their mothers.

Climate Plan of Jordanovac Primary School Jordanovac

Little bees from 1st grade

We joyfully celebrated World Bee Day during our hospital class. Through activities in the Eco group, students learned about the diversity of bee species, the roles of pollinators in ecosystems, the causes of pollinator threats, and the importance of preserving their biodiversity. You can also take the educational eco quiz: testmoz.com/13669696 

The students and teachers of Kozjak Primary School have beautified their schoolyard this year by planting flowers and medicinal herbs, and creating cheerful "minion" containers for plastic.

Project Day in 3rd Grade at the Kozjak Branch School 

In the 5th grade English class, students with teacher Silvija Delfin Jukić celebrated Earth Day, also known as World Earth Day, on April 22nd. After discussing the importance of preserving and caring for our planet, as well as the harmful effects of excessive plastic use in our daily lives, students creatively designed slogans and decorated paper bags. They then gifted these bags to residents in the neighborhood in front of the local store, emphasizing the significance of the current date and the importance of nature conservation. 

Members of the Zeleni četvrtak marked today's Earth Day with an active presence in the school garden, thus best commemorating this day by expressing their love, respect, and concern for our home, i.e., planet Earth. They picked elderflower and lemon balm flowers with art teacher Danijela Stanković and school librarian Anđelka Golub, and from the harvested fruits, they will make homemade juices. Additionally, they planted strawberries, lettuce, and leeks in the beds.

Erasmus+ project in hospital education! 

Erasmus+ project in hospital education! Today, students, by connecting their previous knowledge from Science and Biology, demonstrated excellent results in solving a quiz related to global ecological issues. Earth Week, in commemoration of Earth Day, is dedicated to learning about plastic pollution. A 6th-grade student, with a little help from teacher Ana Šuman, correctly answered all the questions in the quiz. 

Just a few days after the official start of spring, some of us were surprised by snow outside! Snow is one of the states in which water can be found, and the students of class 3C at our Branch School Kozjak also marked World Water Day. They conducted experiments to explore the states and properties of water, drew and created a small water cycle in nature, and finally crafted diamond poems about water.

World Water Day was celebrated in the hospital class through numerous activities. Alana, a 7th-grade student, created a digital poster about the importance of drinking an adequate amount of water during Biology and English language classes.

Students from classes 1A and 1B, as part of commemorating World Water Day on March 22nd, participated in creating a picture book titled "Water is life, treat it right" during their English language class. Through this, they highlighted the importance of water and its presence in our lives. We discussed the significance of conserving water, our relationship with the environment and nature, and the consequences if we don't behave responsibly. They also familiarized themselves with basic English vocabulary related to nature and the environment.

The students of class 2.b marked World Water Day in various ways. They learned about the extensive work of Jacques Yves Cousteau and David Attenborough, scientists who popularized natural sciences and were pioneers in raising awareness about the importance of caring for planet Earth on a global level. Through short educational, animated, and documentary films, they became acquainted with natural beauties, protected areas, as well as contemporary issues. After discussions and numerous ideas on how to be active and conscientious citizens, we ended the day with creative writing. We combined reality and imagination, and the students, either in pairs or individually, wrote a short story or comic strip titled "I Am a Drop in the Sea." They presented their works to each other, in which they solved ecological problems in various, often fairy-tale-like ways. 

Teacher: Morana Marinčić 

Water experiments

World Water Day 2024 is celebrated worldwide under the theme "Water for Peace." This important date was marked in the Nature, Biology, and Eco groups' classes at the hospital through discussions about water as a human need and human right, the importance of ensuring access to drinking water for all people on Earth, the availability of drinking and clean water in Croatia, and the causes of water vulnerability as a natural resource. Through experiments, we explored the physical properties of water. 

Our student created a game using Scratch. The objective of the game is to move the mouse cursor to maneuver the Earth and avoid Trash attacks. The game is initiated by clicking on the flag, and then pressing the space bar. Try to protect the Earth from trash for as long as possible! 

CLICK on the game.

Did you know?

Forests cover about 50% of the territory of the Republic of Croatia, making it one of the most forested countries in Europe.

95% of Croatian forests are natural, which is rare in Europe.

The most common trees are beech and oak (over 60%).

After a PowerPoint presentation in which the 4th-grade students emphasized the importance of forests and listed some interesting facts about forests around the world, they set out to explore the school's park and orchard. Our school has the largest green area of all primary schools in the city of Zagreb. In the park and orchard, they recognized various types of trees. 

Presentation link: Svjetski dan šuma 

Forests and water in poems 

How better to awaken awareness of nature conservation than with verses? In commemoration of International Day of Forests, World Poetry Day, and World Water Day, students of class 1A ventured into writing acrostic poems about forests and water. What messages they conveyed to us through verses, you will discover if you pick and read the poems from their springtime tree.

What's happening with the stream in our school garden? 

On the occasion of World Rivers Day, students of class 4A explored the importance of rivers in maintaining ecological balance in nature. They presented the research results through a PowerPoint presentation. Then, along with their teacher, they went to the school orchard to the stream that once flowed along the edge of the orchard. They found that the stream is dry for most of the year, which is a result of climate change and global warming. They concluded that these changes are influenced by human irresponsible behavior towards nature and that each of us needs to change our lifestyle habits with the aim of environmental protection.

Active learning about nature and environmental protection, as well as the development of creative and innovative use of information and communication technologies in all subjects, are part of the project READY, STUDY, GREEN!

The digital poster "5 Facts about the Impact of Humans on Nature and the Environment" in the Nature in Hospital class, with the support of Professor Ana Šuman, was created by Kristina, a 5th-grade student.

CLICK to view the poster.

Spring is approaching, so it's time for gardening tasks and enjoying it as well.

Diligent members of the cooperative "Naš Jordanovac" and extracurricular activities "Green Thursday" started sowing in the school garden last week. To begin with, they planted radishes - seeds in a row, hoping they will grow by Easter for a spring picnic in the garden. Additionally, they prepared a heart-shaped flower bed where they will plant/transplant edible flowers. 

Learning about climate and climate change 

Students in classes at the Clinical Hospital Zagreb-Rebro gladly participate in activities of the Erasmus+ project of Jordanovac Elementary School. 

Yesterday, we learned about climate, atmosphere, atmospheric pollution, and climate change in the Eco group. 

You can also take the quiz "Greenhouse Gases, Atmospheric Pollution, and Climate Change": https://kahoot.it/challenge/0253389... 

We participated in this year's campaign by the Institute for Environmental Protection and Nature "Have You Seen Them?".

In the school garden and park, we investigated the occurrence and abundance of spring flowers, took photos of them, and sent the data to the experts at the Institute for Nature Protection using a web form.

The students recorded a large number of specimens of early snowdrops, saffron, and violets.

All reports on sightings of spring flower species will be publicly available on Bioportal - the web portal of the Information System for Nature Protection (http://www.bioportal.hr/gis/). 

Wild species of living organisms, the interaction between living beings and the environment, overall biodiversity, as well as raising awareness of the importance of conservation and protection of all species, are important parts of the educational goals of learning and teaching in elementary school.

Teaching in the hospital classroom is focused on students and tailored to their needs and interests. Interest in wild species is expressed by most students and is often an activity chosen by students in Nature, Biology, Art, and Eco groups classes.

Drawings by Leona, 7th grade 

Students of 4th grade explored ways in which we can help preserve the environment we live in. They created a presentation and a wall poster which they presented to other students. They concluded that we all need to make an effort to ensure that our environment is beautiful, green, clean, and pleasant to live in, both for humans and for plants and animals.

Presentation link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZEAln1_tinECXEgINJqVEJ-4W_1qNT6S/edit?fbclid=IwAR3kewxJDk9Mz304KAmL8-xnbfK-4gtBT-UWuTTiPW1vANNGSQwUqMtFwGQ#slide=id.p1

ICT and Robotics

1st grade students with their teacher Brankica Vrbat made bird feeders. They enjoyed making juice by squeezing oranges, and they made bird feeders from the remains of the orange peel, which they filled with seeds and placed on the trees in the school yard.

Today we had the first big snow of the year, but that didn't stop our 3rd grade students from the Kozjak district school from spending time outside and helping the birds to find food this winter. The students filled the feeders and thus enabled the birds to have something to eat on these cold days.

Our students made a video in which they show the process of propagating cherry laurel by cuttings.

Our School joined the celebration of Erasmus Day from 9 to 14 October 2023 with the activity of propagating the laurel cherry by cuttings. Under the guidance of professors A. Golub and D. Stanković, the students learned how to make seedlings with which we will restore the hedge of the Branch School Kozjak in the spring.

Students of the 1st grade with their teacher Lorena Džaja, as part of the work of the School Cooperative, separated the lavender flower from the stem. In addition to getting to know the wide range of uses of this aromatic plant, which the students picked in the school garden, separating the lavender flower served the students as a preparatory graphomotor exercise of the hand and fingers before writing formal letters. The next step is making bags and pillows filled with fragrant lavender!