Salvador

Well, I have left Maceio and I have travelled to a new city. It is called Salvador. Salvador is a big city. It is famous for having lots of different kinds of music. Many people enjoy playing music and dancing outside. In February Salvador has the biggest carnival in the world! People come from many different parts of Brazil, and from many different countries to have fun, dance and sing in the streets.


Salvador has old and new buildings. There are lots of things of things to do here. I have been exploring the old town which has lots of very beautiful old buildings.



How can we tell that a building is old? Do you prefer old or new buildings? Are there any old buildings near where you live?

Penedo

This weekend I visited the historic city of Penedo. There was so much to see there! There were beautful old buildings, a beautiful winding river, a bustling market and an interesting museum. In the evening I went to the theatre. I saw a funny play!




I went on a boat ride on the river. It was great because I love the water!!



What can you see in these pictures? What is it like where you live?

The Starfish Story

The Starfish Story

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”I made a difference for that one.”

Riding on Buses

I have been travelling on many buses on my travels in Brazil. Sometimes the buses get very full and people have to stand up - just like in the UK. I have noticed that if the people who are standing up are carrying bags, the people who are sitting down offer to carry the bags for them on their laps. Isn't that kind?!


What do you think of this idea? Do you do things to help people on the bus or on other transport? What do you do?

Starfish School Trip

Pigs: The baby pigs are born and they stay with their mum in the nursery. A female pig is called a sow. The Mum is fed corn and food full of lots of nutrients. The baby pigs (called piglets) feed off their mother's milk.

When they are bigger the piglets are taken to another pen where they eat solid food.

After that the piglets grow larger. All the brothers and sisters are taken to an even bigger pen.

Starfish School Trip

Plants and animals are grown on this farm. This photo was taken in the plant area. The young plants are kept under netting to protect them from being eaten by Mosquitos. When they grow stronger they will be planted in the field outside. Teacher Sheylla from Starfish school is in this picture. She is my new friend and has been helping me learn about the farm. The children are making notes on their clipboards.









Have you seen any plants growing? What did you see? What do plants need to grow?

Lessons at Starfish School

Today I spent time in the Infantil 4 class (which is like Reception class at home). The children were studying about the topic healthy eating. The class made a fruit salad together. The teacher talked about the different fruits and then cut them up into different pieces. Everybody counted how many pieces of fruit there were. They were going to tell their Mums the recipe so they could prepare a fruit salad at home.


After lunch everybody had a taste of the fruit salad- Yummy!!!

What fruits do you like? Have you tried fruit salad- did you like it? Do you think fruits are healthy foods- why?


To find out more about food in Brazil click here

Lunch time

The children at Starfish school are given very healthy meals and they learn about which foods are healthy.

No meat is served, only fish, eggs or soya. These are accompanied by rice and beans.

Can you remember learning about healthy food at school? What is your favourite food? Is it healthy? Why is it important to have a healthy diet?

To find out more about food in Brazil click here.

Starfish School

Well I have arrived in Starfish School. I have been visiting different classrooms and finding out about life in the school. Some things are different here, and some things are the same as we find at home.... follow me as I explore....

International Women's Day

On 8th March it was International Women's Day. In Maceio there was a big procession. Women and girls of all ages came together to celebrate all the good things about being a woman. There were also some men and boys celebrating too in the procession.

The women were celebrating all the things they can do. They were celebrating all the things that they do to make positive change happen in the world. There were women from many different charities, as well as scientists, doctors, politicians, singers, and many more. There were women of all different ages, from elderly to very young. There were rich women there as well as women who don't have much money. There were women from many different races too.

They were all there to celebrate, but they also were remembering all the women in the world who are not treated fairly.
Who are the important women in your life? Why are they special? Which women do you look up to - who inspires you and why? What can we learn from these women? What can we do to be more like them?


Why do we need to have an International Women's Day? What happens to those women who are not treated fairly? - What kind of challenges do they face?

Maceio

I have come to Maceio to visit a school with Miss Bevan and Miss Goldsmith. I wonder what it will be like?

Do you think it will be the same as Clarencio School? Why? / Why not?

The name of the school is called "Estrella do Mar". Click here to read a story about a starfish.

Click here to visit Star Fish School's Website

Maceio

I have come to a city called Maceio by the sea. Can you find it on a map of Brazil? There is a very long beach here. What else can you see in the pictures?

It gets very busy on Sundays by the beach. What do you think the people are doing in these pictures?


Have you been to the beach? What do you do there? What do you like to do at the weekends?
Look at the pictures of the seaside. Which features are physical? Which features are human?

Carnival Music

The type of music played during Carnival is different in different parts of Brazil. In Olinda the main kinds of music are Frevo and Maracatu. Click here to find out more about Music in Brazil.

Carnival in Olinda!

Check out my Carnival costume! What do you think?












The streets were decorated with many bright colours.


Setting up Carnival decorations.











People play music in the street

Carnaval in Olinda!!

I went to a beautiful town called Olinda. It is next to the big city of Recife in the North East of Brazil.

Carnival was AMAZING!!!! People were playing lots of music in the streets. There were trumpets, drums, shakers, and people singing. The atmosphere was very happy and exciting!

People walk along the streets in a big parade. Many people were wearing costumes and masks. The musicians and dancers are in front and people in fancy dress follow behind them. There were some giant dolls there too in the parade.

My favourite group of musicians and dancers (called a "bloco" in Portuguese) was made up of children who live in difficult situations. Many of them don't have homes or have much money. Some live on the streets. The crowd was delighted when they started to play!!! They must have alot of determination, and must have practised very hard!!

Pre-Carnival

In February there is a big party called Carnaval. It lasts for five days. Everybody dresses up in special costumes and fancy dress. It is very exciting. There is lots of singing and dancing.

The children at Clarencio School were getting ready for Carnival. They had a pre-carnival party.

Have a look at the pictures. What can you see happening? What are the children making? What do you think they did for the pre-carnival celebrations?

mask making, decorations, cutting up paper to throw, face painting

Click on the video to see what happened!

The School and Staff

I have been exploring the school building!!! Did you know that the staffroom in Clarencio school is open to everyone! The teachers sit at the tables to do their work and often the children come and stand nearby to see what they are doing.

The children and teachers often give each other big hugs and sometimes kisses. The staff at Clarencio School are very friendly! Just like the children!

Lessons

I haven't been into many lessons whilst I have been in Clarencio School, but I did spend some time in Jardim 1. The children in this class are 4 years old (it is similar to reception class in the UK).

The children started off the day by saying good morning to their teacher and to the other children in the class. Then they said a short prayer.



Before getting ready to read and write, the children played with plasticine. Then they practiced recognising the letter A and finding the letter in different words. They coloured pictures of objects beginning with the letter A. The children also practiced counting up to 20.


Does this sound similar to classes in the UK?

Capoeira

Wow!! A Capoeira teacher came to school in the break time!!! It was BRILLIANT!

Have a look at the video below of some children playing Capoeira. Aren't they fantastic?!

Would you like to try? What do you know about Capoeira? Click here to find out more about sport in Brazil.

Your Questions Answered

Here is a question from one of the children in Bristol. Click on the question to find out the answer.

Have you seen any sports that are different from ours in the UK?

Playing Brazilian Games At School

The children at school showed me some of the games they like to play. We had a great time!!

The older children like to play Dodge Ball. Miss Bevan, Miss Goldsmith and I joined in - it was great fun!! Do you like to play Dodge Ball? Who do you play with? Where do you play?

They also showed us some other games from Brazil. One is called "Cobra Sega" which means "Blind Snake". One child is blindfolded and will try to catch the others. They have to creep around quietly to make sure they don't get caught!! 1. We have the same game in the UK do you know what its called? (answer at the bottom of this post)




Morto o Vivo. The name of this game means "dead or alive". One person is the person who calls out "morto" or "vivo". When the person calls out "morto" (dead) everyone crouches down. When they call out "vivo" (alive) everyone must stand up. If you get it wrong, you are out of the game. The winner is the last person left at the end of the game.
Would you like to try playing this game with some friends in English?

Gato e Rato
The name "Gato e Rato" means Cat and Mouse. Players sit in a circle. One person is the mouse. They walk around the outside of the circle, and suddenly they tap someone on the head. That person is the cat and they must chase the mouse all the way round the circle. If the cat catches the mouse or sits in their place, then the mouse must have another turn. If the mouse escapes, and can sit down, then person who was the cat has a turn at choosing someone in the circle. They become the mouse this time.
2. We have a very similar game in the UK. Do you know what it is called? (answer at the bottom of this post)



Corda (Rope)
This was my favourite game!! Everyone forms a circle and one person stands in the middle. The person in the middle twirls a rope around low to the ground. Everyone must jump over the rope.
Be careful because if the rope touches you, you are out!!
Have you played a game like before?




1. Blind Man's Bluff
2. Duck, Duck, Goose