ACTIVITIES ABOUT "AZUR AND ASMAR"

AZUR AND ASMAR
Suggestions about activities to carry out with students:
PRIMARY SCHOOL
LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
- ask children to tell the story of Azur and Asmar using their own words, expressing their feelings about the two kids’ adventures.
- divide the story into sequences and make a synthesis of it in order to emphasize the meaning of the film.
LIVE TOGETHER
- analyse why Asmar refuses Azur and why Rospu’ criticizes the country that welcomed him. Let children say their opinions about it.
- Underline the values of welcome and of the respect of differences. Link them to the school life : listening to others, mutual respect, non-violence, understanding of difficulties…
DISCOVER THE WORLD
- find the Magreb on the map. Use the film and some pictures to discover its characteristics and its inhabitants’ lifestyle: climate, territory, food, traditions, clothes…
- think about the historical period in which the story takes place
ART
- make drawings of the sequences of the story.
- describe the scenery of the film: monuments, colours…
- make drawings referring to some aspects of the Islamic art, analysing pictures that show clothes, objects…

SECONDARY SCHOOL
FIRST LANGUAGE
- Analysis of the story of Azur and Asmar: description of places and characters.
- Activities on the topic of fantasy: fantastic characters, magic objects and powers, the heroes’ challenges, etc.
- Reading of other tales taken from the Arabian literature, such as the “The Thousand and One Nights”.
- Invent and write down the continuation of the story.
EDUCATION TO CITIZENSHIP
- Talk about the values of welcome and respect, found in the film.
- Analysis of daily situations of comparison/quarrel/exchange among people of different cultures, referring particularly to the teenagers’ experiences. Are there any values or behaviours through which it’s possible to conciliate the differences? Is it possible to let difference become a value and not a space of misunderstanding and prejudice?
- Analysis, in the Declaration of Human Rights and in the Italian Constitution, of the articles about liberty and equality without any distinction of race, sex, language, colour or religion and discussion about the topic.
HISTORY
- Locate Mohammed’s and Islam’s birth and the Arabian- Muslims’ conquests in the correct space and time. Compare these events with the history of our country from the 6th to the 10th century.
- Compare two maps of Europe, Northern Africa and Middle East before and after the Arabian expansion in the Middle Age.
- Talk about quarrels and exchanges between Christians and Muslims.
- Point out the scientific, artistic and cultural conquests carried out by the Arab people over the centuries.

GEOGRAPHY
- Look for the geographic characteristics of the countries on the South of the Mediterranean (climate, vegetation, cultures..).
- Study their inhabitants’ lifestyles (houses, food, clothes, traditions..)
SCIENCE
- Point out the Arabian-Muslim’s world contribution to mathematics (introduction of numerals and of zero in the Western world, invention of algebra), to astronomy or to medicine.
ART
- Look closely at the representations of the Islamic art in the film (architecture, decorations, handicrafts). Do some researches on the topic, studying the typical monuments of that architecture (mosques with arches, minarets, palaces..) and the decorations of buildings.
- Carry out activities such as paintings, drawings, collage, trying inspiration by the Islamic art.
- Find out the steps and the techniques of the film making

4TH PROJECT MEETING- ISTANBUL- TURKEY

19th of October –Monday
08:30 = meeting in front of the hotel
09:00 = arrival at the school – greeting newcomers the Headmaster( Gazi Primary School )
10:00 = visiting the classes in the school
11:00 = show time in the school garden ( Turkish Folk Dance- Songs- variety dances )
12:00-13:30 = lunch in the school
13:30-14:00 = going to Eğitim Gönüllüleri Vakfı (the Charitable Foundation of Education Volunteer)
14:00 = visiting the classes in the Education Centre
15:30-17:30 = Project meeting in the conferefence hall
17:30-18:00 = going to the hotel
18:00 -19:00= having a rest
19:30 = meeting in front of the hotel ( we will take the Bulgarian Group)
20:00 = dinner in the Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower) ( it will be Folk Dance Groups, Belly Dancer , Harem Show )
20th of October – Tuesday
08:30 = meeting in front of the hotel
09:00-12:30 = arrival Sultanahmet Region ( it is called historical peninsula)- visiting Sultanahmet Mosque ( Blue Mosque ) , Ayasofya Müzesi ( Hagia Sophia Museum ) (20 euro) , Arkeoloji Müzesi ( Archaeology Museum ), Yerebatan Sarnıcı ( Cistern Basilica ) 12:30-13:30 = lunch in Sultanahmet Köftecisi ( a restaurant in Sultanahmet ) ( 8 euro )
13:30-14:30 = going to Dolmabahçe Sarayı (Dolmabahçe Palace)
15:00-17:00 = visiting the Dolmabahçe Sarayı ( Dolmabahçe Palace ) 17:00-18:30= free time
19:00 : meeting in front of the hotel
20:00 = dinner in Sabancı Öğretmenevi ( Sabancı Teachers’ House) in Beykoz ( it is in the Asia Continent)
21st of October - Wednesday
08:30 = meeting in front of the hotel
09:00= arrival to Topkapı Sarayı ( Topkapı Palace ) ( this palace is the centre of administration during Rome Empire, Byzantine Empire and Ottomon Empire )
09:00-12:00 = visiting the Topkapı Palace
12:00-16:00 = sailing on Bosphorus with the boat and visiting Kız Kulesi ( Maiden’s Tower )
Note : Lunch in the boat ( fish )
16:00-19:00 = having a rest or free time , if you want ,you can to Kapalı Çarşı ( the Grand Bazaar ), (we can take you there).
19:30 = meeting in front of the hotel
20:00 = dinner in the restaurant of Point Hotel in Taksim ( it is near Taksim Square , one of the centre of İstanbul)
23:00 = saying farewell to each other

First year final product

The book "Old stories for a new Europe" is finally ready!! The book, edited by the Italian schools of San Lorenzo and Pergola (PU), collects all the stories written by teachers and children of the classes involved in the LLP project. This is the cover,...

...this is the cover's back...

...and the index.

Final products' website

Bulgarian teachers uploaded a website that collects all the stories written and illustrated by the children involved.
Have a look at...

http://www.inter-cool-stories.hit.bg/

Message from Bulgarian children

Dear Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovenian and Turkish partners,

we are your friends from Bulgaria. We are from classes 2b, 3v, 4g and 4d. We want to tell you about our life in March. On March 1 we the 2-nd graders visited an elderly house and gifted the old people martenitsi. They were so happy!
March is full of holidays for us.
1 – March – we pin “Martenitsi” on our lapels. They are a symbol of health (the red) and purity (the white). We sent you some martenitsi with your teachers.
3 March – the national holiday of our country-our liberation. On that day we commemorate and pay honour to our heroes.
8 March – the international day of women. It’s calebrated in Eastern Europe. On that day we give presents and flowers to our mothers, grandmothers and women teachers. The streets are full of women carrying bunches of flowers.
11 March – The holiday of our school. We celebrate the 270th anniversary of our patron saint – Sofronii Bishop of Vratsa. He was a religious figure, a poet, writer, translator and a revolution figure.
We had a big concert. Our school was 100.
Your teachers and 12 children from Slovenia came to our holiday. The Slovenian children performed interesting dances and games.
22 March – spring came … but with a lot of snow. This year March has been snowy. It only melted when the foreign guests came. Lucky them’
Last week 4g and 4d class went to the village of Chelopek. We visited the house- museum of an old woman who lived in the 1870s and rescued a revolutionary. We took lots of photos.
We also have pen pals from Texas US on another project
The American children are friend to our 4-graders.
The 2-graders love books. Yesterday we met a contemporary Bulgarian author. She told us how she had written her books. We asked her questions. It was very interesting.
For the school holiday there were a lot of contests. We received diplomas in music, art and poetry.
So, we are the children from classes 2 b, 3 v, 4g and 4d. We told you about ourselves in March. We will write you again to tell you what happened in April and May.
We are looking forward to receiving your emails.
When is your Easter? Are there any festivals in Turkey soon?
Bye

Greetings from Vratsa, Bulgaria

SAMORA CORREIA PORTUGAL MAY 2009

MEETING May 4th
BOOK
Legend in flip album each country and in Publisher (all legends), landscape A4, comic sans, 12, space 1,5. 5 pages each legend (10 faces), all in English, title, name of school, country and class in the cover.
Main cover – logo of the project, names of schools, logo of schools, name of the project, class, on the cover’s back all the names of the teachers,
Mixed stories in alphabetical order
WORK SECOND YEAR
Intercultural films adapted to children is much more difficult, films we have are not made for children,
Intercultural film
- When he presents a different culture from ours, it is important to have the films of the different countries at school for the children who arrive at our schools.
- In the film we find the meeting of union or not (intercultural meeting) of two different cultures, dramatic, tragic, happy ending with a cultural side.
The vision of these films can help to overcome the pupils’ problems.

MEETING May 6th
Bulgaria needs all the names of all the teacher, the coordinator of the project will make the introduction to the book. Send all the stories to Bulgaria till the end of may, all school have to send their logos to Bulgaria.
Title of the book
OLD STORIES FOR A NEW EUROPE
Start to find the films. Azur and Asmar (cartoon translated in all the languages). Italy will send an e-mail with the title and all the information.
Final report in the end of the 1st year. Wait for the questionnaire and then we will exchange the information we need.
Questionnaire for students, the coordinator will write the questions, all schools will use the same.
Next meeting in Turkey – 19th to 22nd of October. Turkey choose a hotel near school then we directly can make the booking.

3RD PROJECT MEETING- SAMORA CORREIA- PORTUGAL

2 May 2009 - Arrival of the guests from Bulgaria
3 May 2009 - Arrival of the guests from Slovenia and Turkey; check-in at Albergaria S. Lourenço, Porto Alto.
4 May 2009
9.00 – Arrival of the guests from Italy and Spain; check-in at Albergaria S. Lourenço, Porto Alto.
10.00 – Arrival at the school – greeting newcomers with the Mayor and the Headmistress (with some surprises…).
11.00 – Meeting and visit to Kinder garden and primary school. ¹
12.30 – Lunch of the whole group in Restaurante “Caçador” (price person – 7,5€)14.30 – Work meeting ¹ with pupils from different classes (7º C, 8º A, 9º B, 9º E) participating the project.
18.00 – Free time. If you want we can walk around Samora Correia, visit to Fonte dos Escudeiros, Palácio do Infantado, Igreja Matriz.
20.00 – Dinner of the work team with the foreign guests in the Restaurante “Os Grelhados” (price person – 12€).
5 May 2009
09.00 – Visit to Arts class, Teacher Ana Solange (8ºA, room 3)
09.30 – Visit to Chemistry class, Teacher Vanda Candeias (7ºA, room 1)
10.00 – Visit to Mathematics class, Teacher Teresa Pinto (5ºE, room 14)
10.30 – Visit to Project class, Teacher José Lima (6ºD, room 6)
11.00 – Visit to Music class, Teacher Vanda Gonçalves (7ºE, room 10)
11.30 – Visit to Gymnastic class, Teacher Filipe Dias (7ºB)
11.30 – Visit to Gymnastic class, Teacher Alberto Correia (9ºD)
12.30 - Lunch of the whole group in Restaurante “Nova Era” (price person – 6,5€)
14.30/17.00 – Visit by bus to “Companhia das Lezírias”², www.cl.pt
17.00 – Free time
20.00 - Dinner of the work team with the foreign guests in the Restaurante “Chico do Porto”. (price person - 13 €)
6 May 2009
7.30 – Bus to Lisbon.
9.00 – Visit to Palácio Nacional de Queluz ², (www.ippar.pt/monumentos/palacio_queluz.html)
11.00 – Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre, (http://cavalonet.com/epae/)
12.30 – Lunch (there are restaurants around so each one chooses where to eat) – Praça do Império.
14.00 – Museu do Oriente ²(price person - 2 €), (http://www.museudooriente.pt/)
18.00 – Arrival to Porto Alto – free time
20.00 - Dinner of the work team with the foreign guests in the Restaurante “Coudelaria”, Companhia das Lezírias. This dinner is on the Portuguese
team. ³ (http://www.acoudelaria.com/)
7 May 2009
Final meeting and leaving of the guests.