SPANISH MOBILITY: FINAL CONCLUSSIONS

 On the last day of the partners’ visit to Spain, we took the opportunity to hold a meeting to exchange opinions about the activities carried out, assess the project’s progress, and decide how to approach our future work. Below is the presentation that was shown as a conclusion to the week’s activities.

Visit to IES Miguel Catalán

We were fortunate to visit the Miguel Catalán Secondary School, which has won an award for its exemplary work in promoting a school culture focused on sustainability. We are very grateful to have been able to experience this culture of respect for the environment firsthand with our partners from Europe.

                                                 

We took some pictures just to show what an amazing job they are doing:

They have organized with an association from Coslada a workshop to knit clothes for the trees. Yhey look so beautiful!

They are planting trees and bushes in order to have more green areas.

They have created houses for birds and insects

Righ now, they are creating an oasis for butterflies.

They have participated in a project called "ReciclARTE", in order to raise public awareness about the importance of recycling and caring for the environment. As an example, they have created  panels made with recycled bottle caps.

With the aim of helping people to find their way around the school, wooden signs have been created to indicate how to get to the various facilities that have been set up.

At the Secondary School, they are fortunate to have color-coded bins to make it easier for students to recycle the waste they generate.

                                    

One of the activities proposed in the ReciclARTE project was the creation of a mural using recycled drink cans.

 

At the Secondary School Miguel Catalán, they are so committed to the 3Rs rule that they don’t miss any opportunity to put it into practice. As can be seen in the photos, they have reused materials to create benches for the playground, repurposed bottles to turn them into flower pots, and reused paper packages to create a giant periodic table.

Another example of their commitment to the environment is providing an electric car charger in the school parking lot.

Finally, we said goodbye to the three teachers who kindly showed us their project. They also gave us a tree to plant in our gardens.

 

Cultural visit: Toledo

 

Toledo, a leader in sustainability, has been recognized with several awards for its environmental and urban efforts. Moreover, Toledo has been a pioneer in Castilla-La Mancha in implementing a return and reward system for recycling. For this reason, it was a very enriching cultural visit for all the partners of the "High Five for Nature!" project.

CREATING A "TURUTA" WORKSHOP

Kindergarten students have created a wind instrument typical of Carnival festivals in Spain called the turuta. To make it, they reused plastic cups that had been used at Christmas to celebrate the tradition of the 12 grapes at school. Once the instruments were finished, our Erasmus+ project partners were able to listen  how this musical instrument sounds.

AIR MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION

 Our 1st and 2nd grade students have been studying different means of transportation, placing special emphasis on how much each one pollutes. During the visit of our Erasmus+ project partners, they completed a worksheet about hot air balloons. In addition to focusing on the artistic aspect of the activity, they also had the opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this means of transport.

Visit to Coslada City Hall

 

The Mayor of Coslada, as well as councilors and other municipal representatives have welcomed our project partners and our 6th grade students on May 20th. They have had the chance of sharing their concerns and suggestions for protecting the environment in Coslada. It was a very enriching experience for both, students and our partners, as we confirmed that Coslada is a city truly committed to the environment.

 

Cultural visit: Alcalá de Henares

 

After the school day, we thought it was a great idea to take our partners to visit Alcalá de Henares for several reasons: First, because it has received various awards and recognitions for its commitment to the environment and for being a 'green city.' One of the most notable is the 'Tree City of the World 2023' award granted by the Arbor Day Foundation. Secondly, because it is one of the cities included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. And lastly, because besides being a beautiful city, it is also the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes.

The time capsule

 This year we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of CEIP Pablo Neruda. 

To mark the occasion, we carried out an activity called 'The Time Capsule.' It involved contributions from 3 years old students, 6th grade students, the parents' association, the school management team representing the teachers, and our European partners, all of whom placed a memento inside the capsule.

   

           

                   

 Once all the items were collected, the capsule was buried in a planter on the school grounds. It will be opened in 10 years. Let’s hope that by then, all the seeds we’ve planted for a greener planet will have begun to grow.

            

SCHOOL TRIP: LOS CHOPOS DE SAN FERNANDO

 El Paseo de los Chopos is located in San Fernando de Henares, a town adjacent to Coslada. It is a green area with tree-lined paths and patches.

We chose this place to visit with our 3rd and 4th grade students, together with our Erasmus+ project partners, for the following reasons:

1. Because it is a green, tree-filled area, allowing us to emphasize the idea that trees are the lungs of our planet, Earth.

2. Because it includes vegetable gardens, highlighting the importance of consuming unprocessed foods, which are healthier for us and less polluting for the planet.

3. Because it is located near a wastewater treatment plant, giving us the opportunity to teach our students about the function of such facilities in cities.

4. Because it is located very close to the airport, allowing us to observe planes taking off and landing, to directly experience noise pollution, and to reflect on air pollution.

We had the opportunity to get there using public transportation, which allowed us to put into practice the knowledge our students had previously acquired: using public transport helps reduce our carbon footprint.

CREATING A WIND TURBINE

 This task has been quite a challenge, but at the end, by following all the teacher’s instructions and advice, the students were able to create a wind turbine. You can’t imagine how rewarding and fun it has been for all of them!

TREES ARE THE LUNGS OF OUR PLANET

 Our 3rd and 4th grade students showed our Erasmus+ project partners the trees we have at the school—such as the fig tree, olive tree, and pomegranate tree. They explained the characteristics of each one, and the partners were able to access additional information through the QR codes created by our 6th grade students. The aim of the activity was to highlight the importance of trees on our planet: they are the lungs of the Earth.