School Visit to Conímbriga

On the 28th May, class Animação SocioCultural Diurno headed to Conímbriga for their first school visit. It was a great day and even the weather contributed (perhaps too much, really) for the success of this outing. After lunch we gathered at school and went by bus to The Famous Roman Ruins + Museum and came back around seven p.m. not before sharing a nice meal.

As for the place itself, Conímbriga is one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal, and is classified as a National Monument. Conímbriga lies 16 km from Coimbra and less than 2 km from Condeixa-a-Nova. The site also has a museum that displays objects found by archaeologists during their excavations, including coins and surgical tools. A restaurant/café is in the museum, which also has a gift shop.
Although Conímbriga was not the largest Roman city in Portugal, it is the best preserved. The city walls are largely intact, and the mosaic floors and foundations of many houses and public buildings remain. In the baths, you can view the network of stone heating ducts beneath the now-missing floors. Archaeologists estimate that only 10 percent of the city has been excavated until the early 2000s.
Like many archaeological sites, Conímbriga was built in layers. Some of the earliest layers date back to the first Iron Age in the 9th Century B.C. The Romans arrived in 139 BC, Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus was the general who lead the Roman legions in the conquest of western Iberia after the death of Viriathus, conquering the Celtic inhabitants and establishing a city that grew, flourished, and then fell victim to barbarian invasions until Conimbriga's residents fled to nearby Aeminium (now the city of Coimbra) in 468.

Now have a look at some of the pictures taken then and enjoy!!!

Further Practice - Part 2

As I had promised some days ago, I have already included a couple of links to English websites so that you can start practising your English online - you and your children, of course!

There are many more I could have added but if any of YOU know about other links, feel free to suggest them and I'll include them (just as I have done with the links forwarded by another teacher of English in Italy, Sonia Miserendino). We can all learn by exchanging information, right?

Thanks a lot, friends, students, colleagues,...and nice browsing.
Teacher Alex ;))))

World No Tobacco Day

Do you smoke?
Do you agree with smoke free areas? Why (not)?

Have you ever heard of World No Tobacco Day?

Since 1987, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been celebrating No Tobacco Day on May 31st, in an effort to highlight the risks of tobacco use and to advocate for effective polices to reduce consumption. Tobacco kills one in ten world wide and is the second leading cause of death globally.
"Tobacco Health Warnings" is the theme for 2009. Pictures on cigarettes packages have been an effective method of graphically showing the dangers of tobacco and are proven to motivate users to quit. Pictures work even when the smoker is unable to read.

I've chosen some ads for you to have a look at... think about them and judge for yourselves!!!!!!