Webinar-project dissemination
The international Erasmus + KA2 project Skillful Thinking-Active Learning, run by our school, is coming to an end. In the spring of last school year, we already shared distance learning methods. We are happy to be back in class this year and to be able to run the project live. We all agree with the idea of the project coordinator Ilona Petrikienė that no one can change the live meetings with students.
During the remote seminar in the Teams environment on June 21, teachers shared their accumulated knowledge, good practices and a variety of critical thinking and active teaching methods with other teachers in Lithuania.
Presentation of the Erasmus+ visit to Bulgaria
On June 16, the teachers of our school were invited to the presentation of the Erasmus+ project “Critical Thinking and Active Teaching Methods” during its visit in Bulgaria. During it, impressions were shared about one of the best schools in Sofia, the St. Kliment Ohridski lyceum – project partners in Bulgaria, the activities and impressions of students and teachers were discussed. The active teaching method “Discussion with puppets” was also shared. The method had been tested in practice, paying attention to the peculiarities of its practical application. It was gratifying that teachers were able to see the benefits of this method and the possibilities of putting it into practice in lessons of a variety of subjects. During the presentation, teachers were able to have a taste of Bulgarian sweets and refresh themselves with a cup of rose tea.
Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils in Bulgaria
The first day of our trip:
At 7:00 am we met in the airport of Vilnius and started our trip to Bulgarija. After the inspection we boarded on the plane and at 9:00 am we left. We landed in the airport of Chopin and at 11:00 am flew to Sophia. After we landed in Bulgaria we met two girls: Lea and Kaia. They acompanied us to the subway and helped us to find our hotel. After we settled down we went to eat. The girls showed a way to UGO restaurant and we had delicious dinner there.
Olivija P.
The second day:
We woke up after a good night’s rest. Whilst waiting for the team from Turkey to arrive, we decided to take a stroll around the city. We found a way to get to the school, which is in the centre of Sofia’s historical old town, then we explored the old town’s streets. Whilst wandering through the small streets we found non-tourist places of Sofia. We found a ‘Rock School’ and hot mineral water spring (there are a lot of springs in Sofia). After dinner all project members from Turkey, Estonia, Bulgaria and Lithuania finally met in the school. The school principal said a welcoming speech, Bulgarian students sang Bulgarian songs and later students – guides showed us around the school. The school is very big, it has 5 floors. The students in the school study in two shifts. After the official part we went for a walk around Sofia’s centre. We saw the statue of Sofia, the buildings of the Parliament, Ministries, Court and the Presidency, one of the biggest Christian churches. After supper, in the hotel’s lobby we shared today’s experiences and discussed tomorrow’s program.
Romualdas L.
The third day of the trip:
Hard work at school was waiting for us on Wednesday. At the school we played games to get to know each other. Later, after we separated into groups, we made dolls from wooden spoons, threads and wool. After we were done, we went to have lunch. After that we went for a stroll in the park. We were chatting while sitting on a bench. After the break we went back to the school. In our groups we started creating dialogues and scenarios for our final play. After all the work we went back to the hotel, where we discussed the activities and our impressions of the day, made photo collages. After we had rested, we decided to have dinner. The rain outside was really strong and we all got wet. We were really excited since we had an opportunity to eat at a real Turkish restaurant and taste real Turkish kebabs. Estonian and Turkish pupils also dined with us. After the dinner we went back to our hotel and rested.
Adele S.
The fourth day of our trip:
We woke up and went to have breakfast. After the breakfast we got ready and left the hotel. When we went to school, a bus was waiting for us, which took us to Plovdiv. The trip was long, it took about 3 hours. Along the way we admired the view of the mountains of Bulgaria. We also stopped at a roadside cafe.
In Plovdiv a guide showed us houses built in XVIII or XIX century. He told us that the houses in this city are either symmetrical, asymmetrical and with a strong European influence. We inspected a wooden orthodox church. We also admired a luxurious wooden oriental-style houses of historic Plovdiv, which you will not see in Sofia. We visited an amphitheatre reminiscent of Roman times, which offers a spectacular panorama of the city. After lunch at the Bulgarian food restaurant ‘Dajana’, we went for a walk along the pedestrian boulevard in the city centre and bought sherbet. On the way to the bus in the city park, we noticed several exotic plants that do not grow in Lithuania: mimosa, flowering Mongolia and a “pasta” tree … Then we drove back to Sofia, in the hotel, we put the photos in collages and had a rest.
Olivija P.
The fifth day of our trip:
This day of the trip was special: the teams presented their dialogues. After rehearsing the text for half an hour, the team members selected the right puppets for themselves and presented the dialogues as short puppet theatre performances. The topics of the dialogues were:
- Is it important to sort waste?
- Why is it so hard to say sorry?
- Why you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.
- Is tolerance a good or a bad thing?
- Large town or small town?
- Why is it important to set the right goals?
Everyone listened to the dialogues with interest and did not spare the applause for the “actors”. After presenting and listening to the dialogues, discussing the progress of the project activities, the participants were presented with certificates of participation in Erasmus + activities. In the afternoon we went to the Museum of Illusions, where we saw a lot of optical illusions and other things that “mess with people’s heads” for a short time. After leaving the museum, we visited the souvenir shops and returned to the hotel, which ended our day.
Titas A.
The sixth day of our trip:
The day before the last day of our trip was rainy. After breakfast all of our Lithuanian team, couple of Bulgarians and also their teacher went to the Nacional Museum of Natural History. On our way we looked around the subways station “Serdika”. There was an amazing archaeological exhibition of “The Ancient Serdika” remains. At the museum we saw a lot of stuffed birds, mammals, water animals, fossils and insects. Also we saw incredible looking crystals and minerals. After our visit to the museum, we looked around one of the Orthodox churches. Then we went the zoo with the subway and a bus, where we saw alive bears, wolves, leopards, monkeys, all different kinds of fishes, rodents, snakes and a lot of other animals. On our trip it was raining a lot but it didn’t scare the animals. After the zoo we went to have lunch, and after that some of the student wanted to stay at the hotel and rest, and the others went for a walk around the city. In the evening, as usual, we talked about our impressions of the day.
Alija C.
The seventh day of our trip:
The last day of the trip was long. When we got up, we had breakfast and finished packing our things. The teacher checked our rooms and our apartments were empty before 10:00. After handing over the room keys, we asked to leave our belongings in a safe room until we left. Then we found the subway and took a train to the museum called “Muzeiko”. There we were able to explore and touch various exhibits, as well as learn how different mechanisms work. At 13:00 we were told that the museum was being closed for disinfection and we decided to take a metro to the “Paradise” shopping centre. We ate there at the PizzaLab restaurant and had another 40 minutes of free time. When we returned to the hotel, we picked up our belongings and drove to Sofia Airport by metro. From there we flew to Chopin Airport in Poland. There we hung out and whoever wanted, bought sandwiches. Our flight was delayed so we landed in Vilnius only around 02:30. After picking up our luggage, we met our families.
Olivija P.
Tangram
In spring the students at our school developed their logical and critical thinking skills with the help of the classic Tangram puzzle. Depending on the students’ abilities, they performed various tasks:
- Shuffle the tangram puzzle and put the square back together
- Assemble the puzzle shape according to the given outline
- Create an original figure according to the rules of Tangram
- Make your own Tangram puzzle
- An improvement on the classic Tangram puzzle
Most of the students completed the tasks with involvement and interest. Only one other student was familiar with the puzzle before, but they also found the tasks attractive.
Critical thinking-stimulating task for seventh graders
2022-05-07
During the social and emotional competencies lesson, students in class 7c completed a critical thinking-stimulating task in which they had to arrange a circle of “Pringles” chips while working in groups. The objective was to use as little chips as possible. At first glance, the task seemed easy for the seventh-graders, but it turned out that only one of the 4 groups managed to overcome the challenge. For the students, this activity was not only engaging but also fun as they were allowed to eat the “tools” at the end of the lesson.
Erasmus+ trip to Turkey presentation to colleagues
On 24th May Progymnasium teachers were invited to take part in the presentation of Erasmus + project “Skillful Thinking – Active Learning”. During the presentation not only the students’ trip to Turkey was introduced, but also the activities that promote critical thinking were put into practice. Working in groups, teachers had to pack a potato chip for shipment safely. The weight, size and security of the contents were important. When the parcels had been packed, they were tested in several ways: first, the parcels were weighed (he lightest weighed 10 g, the heaviest weighed 14g), later they had to pass a quality test. However, the groups failed to protect the chip from external factors. When the envelopes were opened the chips had been crumbled into small pieces. After discussing the results, the teachers remained positive, enthusiastic and in a good mood. The teachers even predicted where, when, and how they could use this critical thinking task with her students in the future. It is important that the ‘brought-in’ and shared activities seem to be useful, adaptable, and meaningful to teachers.
Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils in Turkey
Preparing for a visit:
Project ,,Skilfull Thinking – Active Learning“ activities we were being prepared responsibly and creatively. We were analysing Lithuania’s and other countries’ constitutions, children rights and our group compared various geopolitical situations in the world around us. The first meetings were devoted to discussing how we would reveal the topic “The Country of Our Dreams”. After a long discussion and different ideas, we consulted and decided to create a video on the topic “My dream country”. First, we wrote the screenplay, then split the roles and filmed all the scenes and finally edited and edited all the footage until we found the right one for everyone. The time spent preparing with the group members not only provided enjoyable moments but also improved the collaboration skills of each of us.
Aiste V.
The first day of our trip:
On the 8th of May, we all met at the airport, at 6am and headed to Asia. Just as we arrived, we decided to take a walk around our living area (it is very beautiful here) and went for a swim to Mediterranean Sea. Later, the fun part came, we met all students from other countries: Estonia and Bulgaria. We went for a traditional Turkish dish – kebab. It was a table-length long. We were all so happy and the evening was so memorable. This project will gift us friendships that we’ll never forget.
Liepa J.
The second day of our trip:
The 9th of May started very productively. After getting up early and having a delicious meal at the hotel, we drove to a Turkish school in another county of Antalya. When we arrived at the school, we got to know its surroundings. We watched a presentation about the Turkish education system, school history, and Antalya. We met the Governor of Döşemealtı County and the Minister of Education. We were received very warmly, the ministers did not spare good words. On this occasion, we drank two cups of traditional Turkish tea. All countries, which were participating in this project, presented gifts to the ministers to eternalize the visit. Then, we enjoyed a beautiful and warm afternoon with the Turkish children. Some played volleyball, others rested. We had a tour of the school and visited several classes. During the break, everyone met the students of the Turkish school.
On the way back, we stopped for some delicious Turkish kebabs. Later, we went to the old town of Antalya, where we had another sightseeing tour. We were to the port, took a walk in the narrow streets of Antalya, and bought souvenirs. Then, we bought Turkish ice cream. The salesman was so happy to see us that he hosted a real show for us. After the attractions, we travelled home. In the evening we went to the sea and did some shopping. Finally, after a long and tiring day, everyone went to sleep.
Laura G.
The third day of our trip:
Today we got up in the morning as usual, ate breakfast and drove to a Turkish school in the Döşemealti district. There we presented our film about the land of dreams and then in mixed teams, we created a play about the ideal state. During the work we got acquainted with children of other nations and cooperated in teams. Later, we went to eat the Turkish pizza and kebabs at the Semus restaurant. After getting stronger and resting, we prepared to climb the site of the ruins of an old town in the mountains of Turkey. We took a lot of spectacular pictures and had a great time. After climbing the mountain, the guide handed everyone a farewell souvenir from Turkey. When we finally returned to the hotel, we went to the pool for the first time during this trip we took a tour of Antalya.
Dagnius U.
The fourth day of our trip:
The 11th of May – the last day in Antalya. We woke up, packed our bags and headed out on the road. The destination was Alanya. But! Before that we visited a few historical places – we saw the ‘Ancient city’ and ‘Side’. Later, we went to see waterfalls. We even had lunch there! We saw columns, sea and beautiful views. After the walk we came back to our bus and headed to Alanya. When we arrived at a hotel, everyone was so tired and we decided to spend the evening apart and wait for tomorrow.
Liepa J.
The fifth day of our trip:
The morning of May 12 was clumsy and slow. We got out of bed and had breakfast. Then we met the project participants and after that, we had activities that encourage critical thinking. We divided into international groups of 3-4 children. We needed to figure out an unknown number or word on the bottom of the cube. However, we could not twist the cube, so we had to communicate a lot and actively with the team members. We had to logically justify and explain the answer we received. The tasks were not as difficult as the thoughts hidden in their response, which gave us new experiences. After critical thinking tasks we had some free time. And we, kids, had only two thoughts at the time: ice cream and a pool. So we waited for nothing and jumped right into the pool. After taking a bath and eating ice cream, and others having lunch, we travelled to the sea. While walking along the coast, we looked for pebbles of exceptional shape and colour, from which we built a sculpture as a symbol of this trip. After an evening stroll along the seaside, we returned to the hotel and ate a hearty dinner. After that, we continued to have fun together with the project participants, we played board games and shared the impressions of the day.
Martynas V.
The sixth day of our trip:
Last day has come – May 13th. We got up early, had breakfast and met other project participants. The first activity we had was to make a standing circle from Pringles chips. The majority succeeded in this task while some did not. The second task required working in mixed groups where the teams had to pack a potato chip for shipment safely. The weight, size and security of the contents were important. When the parcels had been packed, they were tested in several ways: first, the parcels were weighed, later they had to pass a quality test.
After we were done with the activities, we went to explore the centre of Alanya, souvenir and clothes shops. We also had an opportunity to visit a Turkish mosque. Its architecture and ornaments amazed us. After that we returned to the hotel. Everyone wanted to take a swim in the pool before it closed. After dinner, we started packing our things. The rest of the time we spent talking with Bulgarian and Estonian students about this wonderful project, new friendships and new experiences. Nobody wanted to leave their new friends, so we stayed up all night long. At midnight we said goodbye to our Estonian friends.
Early in the morning we left as well but promised to see each other on the next project. It was a long way to the airport, and we spent the time sleeping. At the airport we bought some souvenirs and Turkish delights. Vilnius met us with a rainy and chilly weather. And it was the end of our fantastic project.
Daniele V.
My Dream Island
On March 8-9, during English lessons, seventh graders (7b and 7d) were critical of a place where it would be safe and fun to live. The students were divided into groups, created their own Island, thought of a name for it, described it without hiding the dangers inherent in it. They wondered what might make their Island special, how to attract other residents to move to live with them. To see the strengths of your land, you need to visit other Islands. Therefore, a representative of each group traveled to the other Islands and returned to present what they had seen. The residents tried to convince travellers that their Island was the most amazing and invited them to stay together. No one was persuaded to stay and live forever in another land. When the travelers returned home, all the famous islands were ranked. The last task was to introduce a chosen Island to all the classmates. Students thought critically and chose the Island where there was the least danger, more food. The lesson was fun and ended quickly. There was a discussion about the Islands at the end of the lesson.
Reflexion about the “Dream Island“ task
The task about the dream island was interesting and fun. Everyone worked in groups and we could freely express our ideas and discuss them with each other. We needed to create our imaginary dream island, write about it, draw the island and tell about it to others. All the groups came up with impressive ideas. We could express our creativity in an interesting and witty way. I enjoyed it a lot and I hope we will have some more similar tasks like that in the future. 🙂
Daniele V.
Essay Time
In March the 8th graders had to choose the topic and write an essay. The most popular topics were: “Should schools move to digital textbooks”, “How can cheating in schools be handled? What should teachers and students do to prevent cheating?”, “Should schools require more physical education?” and “How can we make our city more environmentally friendly?”
The pupils wrote their arguments to prove their opinions and point of view. It was very interesting to hear and discuss deeper after the presentation.
Card Games
Fifth graders learned logical thinking while creating and producing card games. Students had to come up with an idea for the game, rules, draw cards, make a box to store the game. When the development and production of the games was completed, the games were tested. The comments made by the testers were used to improve the games. Such activities are very useful for developing students’ creative, logical, analytical and critical thinking, and are also very attractive and engaging.
Cards and game boxes.
“Lithuanian Tales”
“Journey through Lithuanian cities”
,,Lithuania year 3019″
This game is about the future life of Lithuania in 3019, when people live on alien ships. The object of the game is to destroy other ships such as pouring lava, throwing a bomb, etc and protect your ship with certain cards. Each card in a different picture has its own use. Players’ 2, 3 or 4 cards need to be taken one by one from the pile and used as intended.
Adrija B. 5d
“Lithuanian Birds and Animals”
“We travel and taste”
“Smiley”
“We go, run, don’t stop – we measure the road”
“Around Lithuania with a motorcycle”
Activity "Natural Phenomena"
On February 25 Primary school students participated in the integrated activity “Natural Phenomena”. During the lessons the students made volcanoes, observed the formation of frost, recorded temperature differences, blew various objects imitating wind force, and measured it. They created fairy tales about the wind, measured distances to the rainbow and produced it using a variety of techniques. While playing sports, they played the games “Wind”, “Rain, Hail, Rainbow, Lightning”. By engaging in interesting activities, the children only once again became convinced that nature was very unpredictable and unknown.
Critical thinking in the English lessons
In February Year 8 students discussed the most common problems of our city what each of them could do to improve life in the place they live in. Later they had to choose a topic and to write an essay. The students used Conditional type 2 sentences and their own ideas to give solutions to the problem.
How we can make our shopping more environmentally friendly
Essay by Liepa
Class 8D
For the past 70 years our environment has changed. It includes transportation, production, convenience and especially marketing, shopping. When we think about the word shopping, we do not only imagine the latest item we have bought. We also imagine the packaging it comes in.
One of the biggest problems is clothing. The stores that are in big shopping centers order clothes from bigger companies. This transportation must fold, pack the objects into wrapping paper. It contains plastic, cardboard and other materials that are evil for our planet. But there is always a way out. If WE ordered the clothes ourselves, the companies would use less materials.
Another problem is plastic. Why do we use plastic bags when we are shopping for food? The answer is simple – it’s easier to bring it back home. But what we don’t think about is that plastic is one of the worst planet’s enemies. If we used reusable bags, we would help our planet a lot.
Also, there are farmers’ markets. We usually forget about them or don’t shop there because it takes more time and we rather go to stores. But what we don’t think about is how environmentally friendly these markets are. The products that are being sold there come in more environmental way and people support this “save our planet” idea. If we went shopping there, we would save all these necessary things that are used in stores.
In my opinion, if we concentrated on the place we live in, we would respect it more and would start making moves. We must take our daily habits into consideration and change them into something more responsible
What we can do to reduce traffic
Essay by Neringa
Class 8D
Traffic congestion is a big problem in cities all over the world. Many people struggle getting to work in time because of this problem. So how can this problem be solved?
The easiest way would be using public transport more often. If home and work are easily accessible by public transport, it should be used instead of cars. If we used public transport, we would be able to relax, read or nap instead of fighting and feeling the road rage.
There is a healthier way to this by buying a bike or just walking to your destination. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable for everyone, because people are used to comfort.
The construction of road infrastructure and bypasses would reduce the green spaces surrounding the city, so this solution has both pros and cons.
In order to improve the daily operation of the roads, the help of the residents is necessary.
Life on Mars. Problem Solving.
In January 6th class students created mind maps, raising and solving the problems people would face while establishing a base on Mars. By analyzing the conditions necessary for life and comparing it with the conditions in outer space and on the planet Mars, students developed their critical thinking and learned how to solve emerging problems. The task helped students understand the importance of caring for the Earth’s ecological situation.
