Comenius 2009

Students in different countries will perform both collaborative and independent activities related to astronomy to help rediscover their place in the Universe and engage a personal sense of interest and discovery. Activities will include astronomical observations and research on astronomy impact on culture a lifestyle showing that each society has developed legends, myths and traditions concerning the sky, the planets and the stars which form part of its cultural heritage.
Our astronomical research may engage and involve all the young people, particularly disabled ones.
We are keen on the participation in an astronomical project because our students are interested in astronomy, during the after-school classes they take part in astronomical displays of the sky and other astronomical activities. Moreover, in this way we would like to emphasize our participation in the International Astronomical Year 2009. The cooperation with other European schools will enable the students and teachers to expand both their theoretical and practical knowledge.
Thanks to this project all the students and some of the teachers will be able to discover and recognize astronomy as part of exact sciences – because most of the teachers involved in the project are specialists in humanities (mainly teachers of English).
During project students and teachers will participate in meetings in some partners’ countries to make planned activities. Students will be hosted by students from country which organize meeting.

Zespół Szkół Miejskich Nr 3 Gimnazjum nr 2 z Oddziałami Integracyjnymi im. I. Łukasiewicza in Jaslo - Poland – Project coordinator

Istituto Tecnico Statale Commerciale e per Geometri “F.P. Merendino” in Capo d’Orlando – Italy

The days from 15th to 20th of November 2009 constituted the exceptional time for both the students and teachers from Ignacy Łukasiewicz Gimnazjum No 2 with Integrated Classes in Jasło. For these five days they could acquire some knowledge in an unusual and multifaceted way because our school was the place for the first Comenius project meeting and it hosted the students and teachers from five countries taking part in the project. According to the project schedule the meeting in Jaslo initiated the series of six meetings, the next ones will take be held in Greece, Italy, Portugal, France and Romania. The foreign pupils stayed with their Polish peers who following our tradition gave them
a warm welcome and treated in the Old Polish manner. The guests were impressed by the warmth, openness and hospitality of the Polish families that did their best to provide them with hearth and home. The family situations
of teenagers from Jaslo were an inexhaustible trove of different experiences for the project’s participants. They not only were able to get a lot of information about our traditions, lifestyle, cuisine, but they could also take an active part in everyday life of typical Polish teenagers living in a small town. Besides, the foreign students had a great time at the school disco, sharing fun with Polish friends and showing their dancing skills. The time which they spent together made a good start on long-lasting friendships that would exist beyond boundaries and language barriers because the Polish teenagers found it easy
to communicate with their new friends by means of the English language.

During ”The Day of Astronomy” which included an academic session we could attend some astronomical presentations and lectures given by astronomy experts:

-         ,,Variable stars ” – the presentation made by Mr Marcin Rzepka
-         ,,Extra Solar Planets” – the presentation prepared by Greek students
-         ,, Astrophotography” – the presentation of Mr Mariusz Świętnicki
-         ,,Comets” – the lecture given by Mr Piotr Guzik
-         The astronautical exhibition – made by Mr Marcin Polar

The session ended with the observations of Jupiter made under the direction of astronomy lovers – Mr Artur Kopeć and Mr Wacław Moskal.

Another important part of the project meeting were the presentations shown to our students and teachers by Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Romanian and French pupils which, of course, were held in the English language - the official language of the project.

The presence of the deputy chief education officer – Mr Antoni Wydro
at the meeting with young astronomy lovers and their teachers confirm the great educational prestige of the project. On the other hand, during the meeting in the town hall, the Mayor of Jasło Mrs Maria Kurowska acquainted the guests with the history of our town, showed its prospects and described traditions and values which we follow in our lives. The common walk around the town of Jaslo gave an opportunity to show the visitors the most important places in our area.

The English-speaking young people from Europe made use of their meetings to learn everyday vocabulary and basic phrases typical of their mates’ native languages.

During the trip to The Museum and Oil field in Bóbrka they were able
to see the main facilities of oil industry and got to know its origins as well. Also, the visit to the Museum of Magura National Park, where the project’s participants watched the breathtaking multimedia presentation of flora and fauna in our region, made a great impression on them. And in the Clock Museum in Jędrzejów they were delighted with the rich collection of unusual old clocks coming from various countries. The visit to Poland ended at the Youth Astronomical Observatory in Niepołomice where the students took part in astronomical observations made with the use of professional equipment and they also had a very interesting lesson ”The night under the stars” prepared by local astronomers.

The five-day stay in Poland was full of unforgettable experiences, astonishments, emotions and humorous moments, it also developed a personal sense of interest and discovery, showed scientific achievements, taught the young people how to use the cultural and academic heritage of European countries.

For some students and teachers of Ignacy Łukasiewicz Gimnazjum No 2 with Integrated Classes in Jaslo the beginning of the second term was of an unusual form – it combined both a scientific session and a tourist trip. The session took place in the small Greek town of Echedoros. Marlena Dybaś, Kinga Stój, Michał Hap, Piotr Kotlinowski and Szymon Inglot in the custody of two teachers – Agata Hap and Jolanta Poliwka spent four unforgettable days at their Greek friends’.

The visit was another meeting arranged in accordance with the program of Comenius project ”The same although different sky above us – the relationship between a lifestyle and the geographical situation in various European countries”. The Greek school hosted not only the Polish group but also other participants of the project – French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian students with their teachers. The factual part of the meeting included the lectures given by researchers from The Faculty of Physics at University in Thessaloniki and the Centre of Science and Technology of Museum NOESIS: ”Is there life on other (exo)planets ?” and ”Teaching Science with a Robotic Telescope elearning initiative”. The young people took part in physics and chemistry experiments which were carried out under the supervision of both students and professors from the University. However, the main event during the session were the observations of Mars and the Constellation of Orion.

Thanks to the presentations of legends and myths connected with stars, constellations and planets, which were made and shown by the project participants, everybody was able to experience ”the travel in time to the mythological origins of astronomy”. The Polish legend ”Mister Twardowski on the Moon” prepared by the students from Jaslo made a great impression on their foreign friends. Also, the French, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian legends were very interesting for that international group of astronomy lovers.

Another amazing part of the project meeting included unusual history lessons which were held in several places of great historic importance, the places that are regarded as the monuments of both the Mediterranean and European cultures. The visits to the Archeological Museum in Thessaloniki and impressive ancient royal tombs (discovered in the late 1970s in Vergina) were breathtaking events which made all of us think about the abilities and skills of our ancestors. We came to the conclusion that there are still a lot of historical mysteries and the human history can be explored by our generation.

During the stay in Greece the teaching staff and the youth also broadened their knowledge about typical living conditions of their Greek friends from Thessaloniki. Besides, at a solemn supper organized by the Mayor of Echedoros and at a barbecue prepared by the Greek students and teachers the project participants had the opportunity to taste some traditional Greek dishes. And the show of national Greek dances encouraged everybody to take part in an international disco.

We all are looking forward to the next project meeting, which will be held on the Island of Sicily in May ……

The Polish group in Thessaloniki

The teachers paying a visit to the Mayor

Astronomical observations

The show of Greek dances

The project participants in The Metéora (Greek Orthodox monasteries)

Four students from Gimnazjum Number 2 in Jaslo: Aleksandra Szyk, Karolina Misiołek, Tomasz Racławski and Michał Hap together with their teachers – Agata Hap and Jolanta Poliwka spent a few interesting days in Capo d¢Orlando on Sicily to carry out some astronomical observations there. The main aim of their observations was to watch a unique phenomenon of embankment covering Venus by the Moon which could be seen in a narrow strip between Ukraine and Marocco on May 16th. The next event of this kind will probably be seen on 1st April 2044. Both astronomy experts and astronomy lovers from many European countries arranged meetings to watch that phenomenon in all possible places.

The Polish students joined the team of other teenagers from Europe who take part in the astronomical project “All – life learning – Comenius - “The same although different sky above us – the relationship between a lifestyle and the geographical situation in various European countries”. The students from Jaslo in Poland, Echederos in Greece, Caldas das Taipas in Portugal, Galati in Romania came to the island to observe and describe this unusual phenomenon. Their mentor was a lover and expert of astronomy – Wacław Moskal who together with all of the involved teachers arranged that scientific meeting. The observations were made with the use of a telescope, an Internet camcorder connected to the camera, a laptop and a special stopwatch for visual observations.

Apart from making astronomical observations the participants of the project attended a scientific session. Thanks to that conference which focused on famous European astronomers they could travel back in time. In fact they had a virtual meeting with Ptolemy, Gallileo, Nicolaus Copernicus and talked about the influence of their discoveries and scientific achievements on modern civilization

The visit to Sicily enabled that international group to combine intellectual issues with some sightseeing of this beautiful island. The foreigners were impressed by both the blue Sicilian Sky and the azure of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Italian hosts showed them the most interesting places: Capo d¢Orlando, Castle Umberto, S. Agata Militello, Cefalu, the Archeological Park and the Sanctuary of Black Madonna in Tindari.

Some relaxing activities in the stud and delicious Sicilian lunch prepared for all the participants were not only an unforgettable experience but also contributed to strengthening of friendship and likings which started earlier among the European teenagers. At present everybody is looking forward to the next project meeting in Caldas das Taipas, Portugal which will be held in October.

Our group

Polish students in front of the Town Office in Capo de Orlando

The view of The Tyrrhenian Sea and Capo de Orlando

The Polish team in Capo de Orlando

The teachers outside the Cathedral in Cefalu

The presentations at school

Expecting the planet of Venus

Relaxation in the stud

On the beach of The Tyrrhenian Sea

The sunset in Capo de Orlando

On the south of green line Venus is totally covered by moon (total occultation). On the north of it Venus is missing the Moon (conjuction)

a) north coast of Sicily. Event visibility:
red line – outer path – Venus just touches the moon,
green line – cental path
blue line – inner path – Venus totally occulted.

b) Lipari Island (more interresting from touristic view?, volcano, islands and so on)

As we can see more interresting events are from 0 to 0.9 km south from graze path (the green line on maps)

b) Webcamera connected to monocular (afocal projection) or to objectif of photocamera and laptop (with program to capture video)

Occultation begins at 10:57 and ends at 11:07 (for Capo d’Orlando) - for Cefalu graze will start at 11:02 an lasts about 90 seconds.

Due to bad sea condition for observation place we have choosen city Cefalu on the north coast of Sicily:

We have leaved Capo d’Orlando at 8:30 (6:30 UT). Weather was not good, there was strong wind from sea and not so clear sky – maybe smoke or fog.

We arrived to Cefalu about 10:15 (local time). We find a place where wind was blocked by the wall and there was good view to east-south sky and then we set equipment.

Unfortunately we was not able to find Venus nor Moon with binocular. In the telescope Venus was slightly visible from time to time but not during event. Webcameras have recorded nothing.

After discussion we have simulated event using Winoccult software as it was visible from different places:

At the evening we organize observations of beautiful conjunction Venus with Moon.

At the beginning of October some students and teachers from Ignacy Łukasiewicz Gimnazjum Number 2 with Integrated Classes in Jaslo attended the meeting in Portugal which was held according to the programme of Comenius project: ”The same although different sky above us – the relationship between a lifestyle and the geographical situation in various European countries”. The visit lasted from 5th to 10th October and took place at secondary school - Escola Secundária - in Caldas das Taipas. The Polish group met not only with the Portuguese, there were also students and teachers from 4 other countries involved in the project: France, Greece, Italy and Romania.

The Polish team included 2 teachers: Jolanta Poliwka and Agata Hap as well as 3 students: Małgorzata Kotlinowska, Arkadiusz Kopeć and Mateusz Grodzicki. The young people were given a warm welcome in Portuguese families where with the use of the English language they could learn a lot about the Portuguese culture, traditions and everyday customs.

The main purpose of the meeting was a symposium during which the students showed very interesting presentations on sundials which they prepared themselves in Power Point program. Thanks to them the participants learned the structure of sundials and the rules of their work. They also admired the amazing photos of sundials which could be found in Poland, Romania, France and Portugal. Besides, the young people presented the measurements of the Sun’s height which they took when the Sun was at its zenith. The photos of sunrises and sunsets were taken every month on 21st starting from January 2010 and they were shown both in the presentations and at the photographic exhibition. Another interesting presentation was prepared by the Greek team and concerned the problem of light pollution.

On the last day of the visit all of the project’s participants visited modern and well equipped planetarium in Porto where they listened to an interesting lecture on the Universe, planets and stars.

During our stay in Portugal we saw lots of exciting places and world-famous tourist attractions. We visited the first capital of Portugal – Guimarães with the beautiful town centre which is on the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO. In this town we also visited the tenth-century castle and the duke’s palace Paço dos Duques coming back to the XV th century.

We met the mayor of the town in the beautiful town hall which once was Poor Clares covent (Convento de Santa Clara). We could also admire the amazing view of the town from Penha Hill on which we went by cable car. Our visit gave us the opportunity to visit two important Portuguese sanctuaries situated near Braga: Bom Jesus and Sameiro (the latter became very popular after John Paul’s II pilgrimage). In those unusual places we were able to spend some peaceful time on praying and reverie. During the trip to Porto we not only visited the planetarium but we also walked along the river bank and admired old boats once used to deliver wine. Besides, we crossed the beautiful bridge Ponte Dom Luís I built in 1886, walked through the old streets and visited the most beautiful Portuguese library from the XIX th century.

The young people were delighted with the moments spent by the Atlantic Ocean where they could admire the unique – because of the storm - sunset and landscape.

The meeting in Portugal was the first one in this school year for the participants of the project Comenius. However, on November 7th the group of 2 teachers and 6 students is going on another trip, this time to France.

The project participants in front of the castle in Guimarães

The Polish team by the Atlantic Ocean

The teachers involved in the project in Guimarães

Outside the school in Caldas das Taipas

The presentation of the Polish group about sundials

With the Portuguese headmaster

The city of Porto – by the river Douro

In front of the castle in Guimarães

Małgosia, Arek and Mateusz in Porto

The Polish group on Mount Penha in Guimarães

A group of students from Gimnazjum Number 2 with Integrated Classes in Jaslo returned from another Comenius project meeting which was held in France and attracted teenagers from Poland, France, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Italy.

During the trip, which lasted from 7th to 13th November, a team of six students: Victoria Hendzel, Margaret Kotlinowska, Anna Matyszczak, Matthew Dubiel, Matthew Grodzicki and Kamil Trzaskoś and their two teachers – Agatha Hap and Jolanta Poliwka spent unforgettable days according to the programme of the next project phase ”The same although different sky above us – the relationship between a lifestyle and the geographical situation in various European countries”.

The first day – Sunday – passed quickly in the city of lights "- Paris, where students and their teachers walked visiting the sights of the city, held a cruise on the Seine and in the evening admired the illumination of the Eiffel Tower and the sky over Paris. On Monday, the project’s participants went to Montlucon - the beautiful city of the French school. On the way there they visited the castle and the Park of Culture Cloux Leonardo da Vinci. That is the place where that genius of art and science spent his last years of life, and today there is a museum dedicated to him. The young people were impressed by the stunning architecture of the building and its decor: paintings, reconstructions of inventions, models and films that showed achievements of the famous Leonardo.

The next day was totally devoted to visiting the French schools and the city of Montlucon. The students saw two modern schools - High School and College Paul Constans Jean Jacques Soulier – the institution where the French participants of the project attend. All the guests were warmly greeted by the school management, teachers and French students. In the afternoon, the groups took an active part in the game, "Treasure Hunt", during which, under the guidance of French teachers they discovered sights of the Old Town and acquired information about the history, culture and monuments of Montlucon. Then the entire international group was accepted with honors in the City Hall by the Mayor of Montlucon and his most important collaborators. It was time for refreshments, conversations, photos and small gifts. In the evening there was a gala dinner with the participation of the local authorities, the managers of schools and teachers.

November 10th was "The Astronomy Day" – organised at the partner school in Montlucon. First, the students from Jaslo presented a multimedia presentation "The History of the telescope” and the teenagers from France showed the presentation of outstanding French scientists. Then, the young people prepared an interesting exhibition of photographs of sunrises and sunsets, the Moon, and posters about Eratosthenes. Moreover, on this day, the project participants could boast the specific knowledge of geography, astronomy, physics and the English language and demonstrate their practical skills, since each group received the task of making a telescope of Galileo and a telescope stand. This busy day ended with the presentation of the works and the international disco during which everybody could taste traditional French dishes and cakes prepared by the students’ parents.

A day later, there was a trip to Vulcania – the unique theme park devoted to volcanic phenomena. It lies in the area of extinct volcanic ranges in the Central Massif in the region of Auvergne. Visiting this amazing place, all project participants were fascinated by the scientific and visual attractions of the park, where they could experience "an earthquake", "a volcanic eruption" and see a number of exhibitions, presentations and movies in 3D and 4D cinemas.

The meeting of the partner groups finished with the activities in The City of Science and Industry in Paris. In this magnificent modern and interactive museum which presents human achievements in a very accessible and attractive way, the youth had the opportunity to learn about the history of the development of technology, industry, space and the Earth. The students also visited the planetarium, where they participated in a two-part presentation: the film ”The universe seen through a telescope” (about a telescope formation history and achievements of the greatest astronomers, including Copernicus) and on the constellations and the solar system.

This educational trip of teenagers from Gimnazjum Number 2 in Jaslo was in very successful. The young people got through the next phase of the project, improved their English, learned about the culture and customs of France, made new friends and brought a lot of positive unforgettable impressions. Soon, the students will begin to prepare for the last in this Comenius project meeting which will be held in Romania in six months’ time.

The Polish team in front of the castle in Montlucon

The project participants in front of the Town Hall in Montlucon

In the planetarium in Paris

Paris – the White Basilica

In front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

The castle in Cloux

The photo exhibition of sunrises and sunsets in the school in Montlucon

The work on constructing the telescope of Galileo Galilei

Making a stand for a telescope

Moulin Rouge in Paris

The Park of Culture of Leonardo da Vinci

From May 1st to May 5th 2011 eight-student team consisting of Natalia Budziak, Gabriela Kiszka, Iwona Samborska, Aleksandra Szyk, Katarzyna Tomasik, Dominika Żółtek, Szymon Inglot and Tomasz Racławski together with their teachers - Agata Hap and Jolanta Poliwka - participated in the last meeting of the project "All - life Learning - Comenius," - " The same although different sky above us – the relationship between a lifestyle and the geographical situation in various European countries”.

This time the project participants met with their peers from France, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Italy in the Romanian Şcoala Gimnazială No. 2 in Galaţi. The young people were warmly accepted in Romanian families, where they got to know their culture and customs of everyday life. The communication was not difficult, teenagers and adults talked in English, which did not exclude the study of peculiarities of the Romanian language. The most important event during the stay in Romania was "The Astronomy Day" which took place in the Natural History Museum in Galati, where there is a modern observatory and a planetarium. On ”The Astronomy Day" the youth from Jaslo presented two Power Point presentations ”The Moon” and ”Sunrises and sunsets- the analysis of the results.”
The participants acquired a lot of specialist information and curiosities about the Moon. They admired the pictures of the Moon taken in the Astronomical Observatory in Jaslo. The students also presented the current measurements of the sun’s heights.
The Italian group showed the presentation on the habits and lifestyle in Sicily while in the Romanian presentation we could see the Romanian names of objects in space. In the planetarium everybody took part in the lecture about the universe, planets and stars. All the participants were warmly welcomed by the mayor of Galati. We also had the opportunity to visit the museums "The House of Alexander Cuza", "The Home of Collections", a historic church of Precista and the fourteenth-century castle in Bran, which according to the legend was once the residence of Count Dracula. Both the students and teachers experienced unforgettable moments during the cruise on the Danube and sports competitions on the Friendship Day.

The two-year project is coming to an end, its last task will be a summarizing meeting of teachers from partner schools in Jasło scheduled for June. The acquired knowledge, new interests and lasting friendships portend well for the future of these young astronomy graduates.

The project participants in front of the museum ”The House of Alexander Cuza” in Galati

On the bank of the Danube

The Polish team in front of the school

The castle in Bran – the residence of Count Dracula

Waiting for lunch

The walk around Galati

Outside the Precista Church in Galati

The cruise on the Danube

In front of the Natural History Museum in Galati

The photo exhibition of the Moon





	Szkolne Koło Krajoznawczo-Turystyczne HAMAK The same although different sky above us - the relationship between a lifestyle and the geographical situation in various European countries.