Schools from United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Spain and Turkey will organise a project about the celebration of national ‘special days’ or festivals nominated by each school and community. As a stimulus to get to know each other, children will produce a ‘treasure box’ for each school containing artefacts, information, and music etc. about the school and its environment. Each school and its community will take regular opportunities to discuss and experience what is found in each box. As the first year continues, we will exchange information and vocabulary concerning each institution’s national festivals and special days. In the second year, all the project schools will celebrate each other’s days. We will use ICT to provide each other with necessary information about our celebrations. Towards the end of the project, we will work together to produce a calendar demonstrating the rich range of activities, experiences and celebrations, alongside appropriate vocabulary, that serves as a valuable learning resource. This European dimension to the curriculum and by getting to know the EU, multicultural understanding between European Citizens will raise the aspirations of the communities and act as an example of how enjoyable and creative learning in cooperation and friendship can really be.

• Subjects: Cross Curricular, Foreign Languages, Primary School Subjects
• Languages: EN
• Pupil's age: 4 - 11
• Tools to be used: Audio conference, Chat, e-mail, Forum, MP3, Other software (Powerpoint, video, pictures and drawings), Video conference, Virtual learning environment (communities, virtual classes, ...), Web publishing
• Aims: Foreign Language Awareness The following concrete objectives will address the development of learning and teaching a modern foreign language in an... read moreForeign Language Awareness The following concrete objectives will address the development of learning and teaching a modern foreign language in an early years setting. Approach: Creativity and innovation in a rich range of activities and experiences will be encouraged for children, teaching staff and local communities that are enjoyable and have a real and relevant context. A curiosity, and a desire to discover more, will be stimulated enskilling all those involved to become lifelong learners: Pupils: To develop a better linguistic instinct, oral performance and awareness of a foreign language with an open mind, self- confidence and coherence, focusing on building a vocabulary and a multicultural understanding. Teaching Staff: To develop their knowledge of the cultures of their own and those of their partner countries, improving their ability to motivate the pupils to appreciate foreign languages. Whole school and the community: To develop a culture and ethos in which the learning of a foreign language is encouraged from an early age. A European Dimension The following concrete objectives will meet a desire to develop multicultural understanding and an awareness of other communities. Approach: The sharing and communicating of experiences and activities that provide interesting and enjoyable opportunities will enable an appreciation of the role of pupils, teaching staff and communities within the European Community. These opportunities will highlight the richness of the diversity of differing cultures and their common and uncommon features. This appreciation of the European dimension to their lives will raise aspirations and facilitate all involved to become active and engaged European Citizens:- Pupils: To develop a better knowledge of the subjects involved so that they are more active and engaged, demonstrating motivation. Teaching Staff: To compare approaches used by partner schools, integrating material from project partners into lessons Whole school and the community: An intercultural school policy is developed that integrates an European Dimension across the curriculum. Methodological/Pedagogical Skills The following concrete objectives will address the need to develop peer and collegial working, within an early year’s environment leading to the ability to work and learn independently and with self-confidence. Approach: The provision of a range of enjoyable, creative and interactive experiences and activities associated with national celebrations, pupils, teaching staff and communities will work together across the partner countries sharing ideas and knowledge, sharpening and improving their skills:-, Pupils: To gather a range of materials covering themselves and the partner countries and cultures, focussing particularly on festivals, religious holidays and special days celebrated by each of the partner schools, presenting and sharing this with their communities and peers. Teaching Staff: To develop, compare and refine further approaches towards foreign language teaching through collaboration and cooperation with peers in our own communities and those of our partner schools. Whole school and the community: Parents and the community are involved in supporting the development of foreign language skills whenever appropriate. hide
• Work process: Send each partner school a collection of information and cultural artefacts; “The European Treasure Box” to be shared with the... read moreSend each partner school a collection of information and cultural artefacts; “The European Treasure Box” to be shared with the pupils in each of the partner schools to promote cultural understanding and to motivate the pupils for the project. Setup website and develop through web forum the assessment criteria to measure progress. Assess stakeholder’s basal knowledge. First mobility meeting. Participate in the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. Share materials related to the celebration with the partners. School visit, learn about the British school system and Alston Primary School in particular. Evaluate and collaborate on the progress of the project. Second mobility meeting. Celebrate San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid. Share materials related to the celebration with the partners. Teach traditional dance “chotis” and customs such as costumes “chulapos”, goyescas” and food “barquillos” School visit, learn about the Spanish school system and Luis Buñuel in particular. Evaluate and collaborate on the progress of the project and the plan for upcoming academic year Third mobility. Participate in the school’s special autumn event; out-door-activities in the forest at daytime as well as in the evening together with pupils, teachers and parents. Experience how cross curricular activities can be organised outdoors. Share materials related to the activities with the partners. School visit, learn about the Norwegian school system and Årum school in particular. Evaluate and collaborate on the progress of the project. Discuss and agree upon the development of the project in year two. Fourth mobility meeting. Celebrate The children’s Day Share materials related to the celebration with the partners. School visit, learn about the Turkish school system and Necdet Calp Ilkõğretim Okulu in particular. Evaluate and collaborate on the progress of the project. Discuss and agree upon the design of the joint calendar and dictionary. Fifth mobilty meeting. Celebrate the International Street Festival. Dissemination of the project by presenting it at the festival. Share materials related to the celebration with the partners. School visit, learn about the German school system and Grundschule Königsknoll in particular. Production and distribution of the calendars and the dictionary. Review and evaluation of the project. Work on our common report of the whole project – The Final Report. hide
• Expected results: Participating Organisations: The calendar and associated material and experiences created and recorded by the pupils of the participating organisations will... read moreParticipating Organisations: The calendar and associated material and experiences created and recorded by the pupils of the participating organisations will provide a valuable and relevant learning resource and a forum to support modern foreign language learning within the school in the future. Local Communities: The calendar summarising the results and common experiences of the children celebrating the special days of the countries of the participating organisations will be shared with the local communities by participating organisations promoting the website within their communities. Lifelong learning Community: The distribution and the promotion of the calendar will exemplar to the community the benefits of European Cooperation and how important real experience is within a practical context, in motivating and encouraging learning. During the final project meeting all the partners of the project will have a special EU-Comenius-day embedded in the international street festival in Sindelfingen. The children from this school and the teachers from the partner schools will present the whole project, the contributions from the partner schools like music, artefacts, theatre plus the pages of our calendar at this popular festival. hide

• Go to the TWINSPACE