Pictures Telling Stories about Europe

	Children like to tell stories and this activity takes advantage of their skills in this area. Pupils choose a topic based on important dates/events in their country in the last 50 years linked to the EU, create a picture (or series of pictures) based on these dates/events, and share and discuss their work and ideas with their partner school(s).

Before painting or drawing pictures, pupils must be equipped with the necessary information and knowledge to allow them to understand the complex and abstract circumstances of the topic they have chosen. This preparatory work should trigger the pupils’ imagination in order for them to creatively depict events through pictures.  Depending on the age level, the activity can then go on to explore the pupils’ ideas about the future of the EU.

Subject:  Art, History, Foreign Languages

Age group: Primary and Secondary Schools

Timeline (duration):  3 months

ICT tools: presentation tools, chat and videoconferencing tools

Objectives:

In prehistoric times, the very first man-made pictures told stories about daily life. Thanks to these pictures, we are able to learn a lot about how life was back then. This activity therefore builds on this artistic tradition and means of expression.

Pupils learn about the EU, its history and achievements, and illustrate their views through a picture. A gallery of pictures is then created so that pupils can compare and discuss both art and history in their classroom and with their partner school(s). Pupils from each school reflect on their personal views and experience about the EU and compare them to others‘ views.

Process (activities):                

1. Give pupils some background information about the EU and inform them about important achievements over the last 50 years. This can be related to your country or to Europe in general. For this, teachers and pupils can exchange material in order to benefit from each other.
2. Guide pupils about how they can best express their views. Teachers can share common guidelines in the TwinSpace.
3. Upload the pictures by either scanning them or taking a digital photo.
4. Have the pupils submit their work in the TwinSpace together with a short title.
5. Study the work of the partner school(s) within your class and then discuss with your partners using chat, videoconferencing and/or presentation tools.

Outcomes:

All contributions are displayed together in a gallery to give a lively and colourful record of the EU from the last 50 years, as seen through children’s eyes.

Follow up:

The pictures express individual views and should be discussed. You may first do this with your own pupils in the classroom before inviting your partners to a chat or videoconference to exchange thoughts and ideas. You may also put the pictures together in a PowerPoint presentation, a picture story illustrated with audio elements, or simply by exhibiting them in your school for other teachers and pupils in your school to see.

Similar projects:

This activity is part of the Spring Day 2007 initiative. You can choose other themes for this activity as well, such as: daily home or school life; traditions in your country related to Easter, Christmas or other holidays; free time activities and hobbies; etc. The chosen theme should be reason enough for pupils to talk to each other and exchange their views.

Useful links:

Spring Day 2007 – “Pictures telling stories”
Free Microsoft Photo Story 3 tool

	Published :	29/03/2007

	Last changed :	24/08/2007

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