Author: Emilia Marina Alexe, Teacher
Organization/School: Scoala Gimnaziala “Invatator Radu Ion”
Grade: 7 ( 13-14 years old ) , no. of students: 16
I have decided to implement this Learning Scenario about Carnivals because in my English textbook there was the topic “Celebrations around the World- Festivals” for the 7th graders to explore other cultural traditions and expand their knowledge. During the lesson from our textbook , my students learnt about Kwanza and Mardi Gras. The Learning Scenario from Europeana matched perfectly with the National Curriculum for my English subject as well as the development of some national competences such as: identifying key information from different events/recorded materials when the commentary is illustrated by images; identifying common elements of their own culture and of the studied culture; extracting the necessary information by reading instructions and regulations.
Furthermore, this Learning Scenario and the lessons from the English textbook will contribute to the formation and development of the 8 th graders’ future graduation from the lower secondary-school : the development of multimedia digital contents in the context of learning activities, compliance with the norms and rules regarding the development and use of virtual content (rights of intellectual property, respect for privacy), communication in a foreign language, cultural awareness and expression by making creative work using various media, including digital, in school contexts or in extracurricular activities and by appreciation of defining elements from local culture or national/international heritage.
Step 1 : Noticing that students enjoyed the Lessons about Carnivals from our EFL textbook //manuale.edu.ro/manuale/Clasa%20a%20VIIa/Limba%20moderna%20engleza/U0MgR1JVUCBFRElUT1JJ/
I tried to sparkle their motivation and used the Europeana website to explore more.
I started the implementation of this Learning Scenario, having a brainstorming activity : I used //answergarden.ch/4077472 to check students understanding of the topic of Carnivals/Festivals, then we studied the text Feast and Fast –Celebrations in Europe ://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/celebrations-in-europe/feast-and-fast.
Step 2 :Students learned about Mardi Gras Festival and some students decided to preapre a dessert, specially for this Festival- The King Cake.A group of students cooked the recipe at home while other group created a presentation of the recipe on Canva and searched for the recipe on the Internet.The next English class they presented it in front of their colleagues and offered them a slice of the cake.
Step 3 : I presented the Europeana platform to students making them aware of the copywriting rights and I showed them how to search for photos, collections : //www.europeana.eu/en/galleries/9110-carnival-celebrations ; //www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsc4D2cCwiQ&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fpadlet.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo
and how to use Coggle to create a mindmap in collaboration.
At home students created a common Mindmap on the text Feast and Fast from Europeana.
Step 4: In the classroom we discussed the Mindmap and why this tool is useful for any school subject.
I presented the resources from //padlet.com/spapagoula/webquest-every-carnival-has-a-story-ub6yot0h5al7qarv.
Then I told students that they were going to work in groups in order to create some Travel guides focusing on a Carnival and its story behind it.
I asked students to form groups of 4 members and I let them choose the following roles: Travel Agent, Historian, Cultural Event Reporter and the Graphic Disigner.
I have introduced the concept of WebQuest and asked students to use the resources offered in the padlet and to collect information and pictures from Europeana website.My role was a facilitator and a guide.
Step 5 : In the school Smart Lab, students started working in their groups choosing a festival mentioned there from Italy, France, the UK, Belgium, Malta , Germany, Switzerland or Hungary.
Students created Festival posters, brochures, presentations using as digital tools: Bookcreator, Google Slides, WordArt, Sketch metademolab .com.Students continued their work during the ICT class as well. During this stage I encouraged my students to explore various online resources provided in the webquest to gather information about their assigned carnival as well as creativity in presentation formats, such as slideshows, posters, or short videos, and I reminded students to include key elements such as the history, traditions, costumes, music, and food associated with their carnival.The ICT teacher helped them with the graphic design or gave them some ideas.
Step 6: Students in groups presented their Travel Guide .
Students enjoyed creating animations using the digital tools provided in this Learning Scenario: //sketch.metademolab.com/, wordArt
//drive.google.com/file/d/1DCM_K4ESw27oYb0wLqcifPAmbG-2zBcs/view
//drive.google.com/file/d/1k5Fh04k5vFN3-tr4Itt3NfhnH5iz2-jR/view
I invited students : “Write an idea/opinion/impression about Carnivals -what have you found about in our lessons ?”
//www.tricider.com/admin/2k6WKYbZhON/gHr3INw8qf
As assessment , students had a Peer-feedback ,filling in this Questionnaire ( Google Form ): //docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfbtroNBAkn8ec1QOa2Ju4uaPYfo8Do4zIQS3yKbTKWYdylaQ/viewform?pli=1 and Self Reflection : //docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEzj4bb9RXwEkClvD7YPRAo-tbBgHHepKCwJdH1yW8NjDRhw/viewform
After students’ presentations I have used this rubric to evaluate students’ works
//docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyeAbghjJGiPQIa-SoBMhOsnUusujE0urtF6O8ts0HnSmvFA/viewform
Outcomes
Implementing the Learning Scenario WebQuest “Every Carnival Has a Story” with my 7th-grade English as a Foreign Language class was an engaging and culturally enriching experience. They could delve into the rich history and diverse traditions of carnivals across Europe and could notice the similarities between our culture and the different cultures presented by Europeana website. One of this Learning Scenario’s goals was to foster cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
During the stages of the this implementation students learned how to explore the Webquest, to research for information, to scan a text, to communicate with each other and choose the role they fit in better according to their competences.They improved their general knowledge about European festivals, their writing and communication in English skills and also their digital skills because they got familiar with new digital tools ( Google Doc for collaboration, Coggle for collabortaive mindmaps, Book Creator for presentations and Europeana as a tool for resources and they understood the copywriting rules ). They used English to conduct research, prepare presentations, and engage in discussions about carnivals and cultural topics. The focus was also on developing their critical thinking and reflecting on similarities and differences between various carnivals.
Not lastly, this implementation of the Learning Scenario improved students’way of working in groups, asiging specific roles.
From my perspective as a teacher, implementing this learning scenario enriched the curriculum by incorporating cultural studies into the English language classroom.I have increased students’ interest in carnivals so that they could have discussions on cultural heritage and diversity. I gained experience in using webquests and online resources like Europeana to facilitate student-centered learning. I have applied the method project-based learning and different types of assessment such as peer feedback, self-assessment, group assessment with rubrics and surveys.
In my opinion WebQuest : “Every Carnival Has a Story” Learning Scenario offers a a rich learning experience that not only strengthens language skills but also cultivates cultural awareness, teamwork, and critical thinking among students while offering me, as a teacher innovative teaching techniques, new digital tools and also opportunities for my professional growth.
Europeana website helped me offer my students opportunities to foster creativity and critical thinking.
Link to the learning scenario implemented: WebQuest: Every Carnival Has a Story (EN-CUR-768) – Teaching With Europeana (eun.org)
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CC BY 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Veria Central Public Library.
